Edward Mitchell: Observations on Religious Subjects

Observations on Religious Subjects

by EDWARD MITCHELL

Index

A. Abba - 14 Abyssinian Church 14 Adoption - 14

B. Backsliders - pag[ge 1]

[written upside down] Proves

C.

D. Discipline of the premitive Church 4

E

F

October

G. God's Approbation of our labours - 7

Geneses Chap. 1th

In the begin of time God created the [1] heavens, earth and all that in them are [1] The earth was void, and without form, dark ness was on the face of the deep; and the Spirit of the Lord move on the fa serface of the water. God said let their be light, and light sprang from darkness; He devided the Light from the darkness, the former he call day, the latter night, this was the first day. On the second day, God made a firmament, which he called heaven, in the midst of the water deviding the waters from that below the firmament. On the third day God com manded the dry land to appear, to bring forth grass, herb, and fruits. And the waters under the heavens to gather in one place, which he called Seas. And these God saw Good. On the fourth God commanded that their shoul[d] be lights in the firmaments of heaven; And he made two great lights the one to rule the days, othe the other to rule the nights, and ordained that they should be for signs, and seasons and day and nights; and he made the stars also. And God saw that it was good. On the six 5th day God caused the warters to bring forth aboundently of creatures that has life, and fowls to fly in the heav[...]ns and great whales, and every living cr[...] atures after their Kind; and said unto them be fruitfull, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowls multiply on the earth. On the sixth day God said let the earth bring forth living creatures; catles, creeping things and beast after their Kind. And God said let us make man in [our] own image, after our likeness, and let them have dominion ove the fish of the sea, and over all the earth, and upon every creeping thing that creapeth upon the earth. And man was created, male and female; And God blessed them, and said be fruitful

and multiply and nep and have dom inion over every things that is on the earth and in the sea. And God gave them every herb bearing seeds, and every tree in which is the fruit of a tree bearing seed, for the[r][...] seed meat. And God looked upon [all][...] the works which He had made, and behold they were very good.

observation Thus ended six days labour, in which the Allmighty displayed his creative power, and in bringing all all things out of nothing. We see here (ver. 26) and intimation of a plurality of persons, in the devine Essence.

Chapt. II In this Chapt we have [1th] and account of the astablishment of the Sabath. a generation of the heavens and the earth; and a further account of the creation of man that he was made out of the dust of the earth. That man might not live idle, the Lord planted a Garden in a most beutefull for situation, with every things that was pleasant to the eyes, and holsome for food; even the tree of life was place in the midst of the Garden. from eden went a rever that wart watered the garden, from thence it was parted and became four heads, the 1st was called pisons the 2nd Gihon, the 3rd Heddekel, and the fourth Euphrates. Man had permision to eat of every tree that grew in the garden, except the tree of the knowledge of good and evill: that they might not eat upon pang of death. Out of the eart ground the Lord made every creatures that moves on the earth and fowl that fly in air; and to Adam it was given to man all the living creatures; but for himselfe there was not found a help meet; so the Lord cause him to fall into a deep sleep, and he took one of his ribs, from which he made a woman, and brought her to Adam, and who said this is bones of my bones, and flesh of my flesh, She shall be called woman

was the Mother of Living, because She was taken out of man. therefore shall a man leave his Father and Mother, and shall cleave unto his wife; and they twain shall be one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and they were not ashamed.

Observation Thus creation was ended, we see man happy, and in command of every inferior animal; but what follows shows a sad reverses. ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- Chapt. III. In this Chap. an account is given of a to successfull an attempt by Satan to introduce sin into God's earthly dominion. He tempts Eve, to eat of the tree, which God had commanded them not to, in the preceeding chap. Assuring her that she should not die, but that her eyes should be opened, and that she should be as Gods, Knowing good from evil. Elated wh with this prospect she took, she ate, she gave to her husband, and he did the same. Their eyes were opened and they saw their nakedness, and were ashamed; for Sin and shame one strictly connected. And to hide their nakedness, they sowed Figs' leaves together with which they clothed themselves. hearing the voice of the Lord in the Garden, in the cool of the morning, they foolishly attempted to hidethemselves among the trees of the Garden. God calls Adam, his reply is that he had heard the Lords' voice in the Garden and being naked, he hid himself. Who told the saith th Lord that thou was naked, hast thou eaten of the tree which I told the the not too. Adam conffeses he had; but lays the blame on Eve, and she changes it on the Serpent. The Lord cursed the Serpent, assuring him that the seed of this Woman should bruise his head, while he should only bruise his heel. The Lord sentanced the Woman to a multiplecity of sorrow and conception, pain in her travails, and subjection to her husband. The earth is cursed for man's sake; to eat his bread in sweat of his brows, untill he return to the dust from whence he was taken. The Lord having made coats of skins, and clothed them, drove them out of the garden of Eden

Observation We see here the origin of Sin in our world, it was thro' the temptation of the Devil.

How apt are we to follow the examples of our first Mother, and be elated with falls promises. What mercy is there mixed with the Judgement of God, while he passes sentance on the Serpent, he promises delliverance to man, the seed of the woman should bruise the serpents' head; refering no doubt to the Glorious Messiah, who should come in the flesh.