SIN by Augusta W. Heald

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Apr 15, 1897

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 23, No. 15.

SIN

By Augusta W. Heald

We read from the page of Inspiration that there was once war in heaven, that a powerful angel revolted from allegiance to God, and, gathering other spirits to himself, fought against God and the holy angels. This prince of fallen angels is called the devil, Satan, and the serpent.

This prince of evil beheld the fair creation of God; he saw Adam and Eve in the beautiful “Garden of Delight,” enjoying God’s favor in innocent bliss, and, filled with envy and hatred, he planned their destruction.

Through the medium of the subtle serpent he approached Eve with the artful address, “Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” Gen. 3:1. This question was calculated to produce distrust of God’s wisdom and loving-kindness. “Can it be true that he has given you appetites, and placed gratifications before you, only to mock you?” Such thoughts as these are now constantly arising in the heart of sinful man, whenever the restrictions of God’s law and the precepts of Jesus Christ are presented.

The woman parleyed with Satan in the guise of the serpent; she yielded her members to unrighteousness. The ear listened to accusations

against God. She believed the lie, “Ye shall not surely die” (Gen. 3:4), and her eyes lingered with desire upon the forbidden fruit. Ambitious thoughts arose in her heart at the words, “Ye shall be as gods.” Verse 5. She took of the fruit and did eat thereof, and gave also to her husband, and he did eat.

Henceforth all was changed. The image of the Creator was effaced, and the nature of Satan was stamped upon the human heart. When this guilty pair “heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden” (verse 8), they were afraid, and hid themselves, and when the terrible question came, “Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?” (verse 11) the man cast the blame upon the woman, and the woman blamed the serpent. There was no penitence, no desire for pardon. And now falls the sentence for disobedience against the holy law of God, upon the serpent a curse, to the woman sorrow and pain, to the man a hard and laborious existence. “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread,” and death to every son and daughter of Adam. “Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” Verse 19. This sentence implies simply death. Spiritual death was in the sinning. From the moment when sin was committed all purity of heart and holiness of character were destroyed. Adam and Eve were now sinful, mortal beings, and of necessity this nature was entailed upon their posterity. A stream can not rise higher than its source. The offspring of a sinful being can not be holy. “Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots?” Jer. 13:23.

“We all, O Lord, have gone astray, And wandered from thy heavenly way; The wilds of sin our feet have trod; Far from the paths of thee, our God.”

AUGUSTA W. HEALD.