Adam and Eve.
Adam had not been long in the garden of Eden, before God Almighty thought fit to increase his happiness, and considering he was alone, threw him into a deep sleep, and took out one of his ribs, from which he formed Eve, a more beautiful creature than himself, and allotted her to be a help-meet for him. Adam, at first sight of this new and lovely companion, cried out with extacy of joy, Bone art thou of my bone, and flesh of my flesh. In this state of bliss they lived but a short time; for Satan, envying their happiness, tempted the woman to eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge, which God, to make trial of their obedience, had strictly charged them not to touch. The artful insinuations of the serpent, together with the beauty of the fruit, prevailed on her to transgress the divine law. She tasted, and was highly delighted, and by her winning behaviour, tempted her husband to eat also. No sooner had they swallowed down the gilded bait, but their eyes were opened, they saw they were naked, and, conscious of their guilt, endeavoured to hide themselves in the garden from the wrath of their offended Creator; but he soon drove them from their secret recess; turned them out of their seat of bliss, and denounced thereupon not only a heavy curse upon the serpent, but on them likewise, though with this ray of mercy in his anger, that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent’s head.
Noah’s Ark.
Of all Adam’s sons, Seth was the best. He and his sons called on the name of the Lord; but in process of time, man indulging himself in all manner of riot and excess, God repented that he had made him; and determined to destroy the whole world by an universal flood. Noah, however, who was one of Seth’s posterity, found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Whereupon God commanded him to build an ark of sufficient bulk for the reception of himself, his family, and two of each species of animals. No sooner were they entered than the windows of the heavens were opened, and it rained heavily for forty days and forty nights. By this general deluge every living substance was destroyed, except Noah, his wife, his three sons and their wives, and the other creatures that were admitted with them into the ark. But soon after the deluge ceased, the earth was stocked with inhabitants by the three sons of Noah, viz. Shem, Ham, and Japheth.