Fairest art thou among the fair, Thy graces none but thee can wear; In trailing robes of snowy white, Thou art on earth a gleam of light; Thy cheeks are comely as the rose, Thy neck as white as winter snows; Thy lips are like a scarlet thread, Thy locks like silver on thy head. To him who with thee is in love, Thou’rt meek and gentle as the dove; Virgin, so pure and bold and free, No spot is found at all in thee. Such was thy purity of yore And such ’twill be forevermore. The Gospel Day Seen In Prophecy. Upon reading the account of man’s creation in the first chapters of Genesis we conclude that he enjoyed perfect peace and happiness. From the beautiful description given there of the garden of Eden—man’s abode—we understand that God was interested in his felicity. In the nature of created things he could retain this happiness only by obedience to the Creator’s laws. By a subtle foe he was induced to transgress those laws and thus became acquainted with sin and sorrow. After the transgression he hid himself among the trees of the garden from the presence of the Lord because a fear rested upon his conscious being. Man in sweet felicity was made, But sorrowed when God he disobeyed. The man was turned out upon the world to earn his support by labor. The ground was cursed for his sake. It brought forth thorns and thistles, and in sorrow he must eat of it all the days of his life. Cherubims and a flaming sword prevented his return to the tree of life, which stood in the midst of the garden. The apostle John in his revelations beheld this sad scene. He saw the book of life—tree of life—to be sealed with seven seals, and he saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon,” and he wept much. Rev. 5:1-4. How sad the scene! Man was created in holiness and happiness. He dwelt in the garden of Eden and had access to the tree of life, the very source of peace. But sin entered his heart. He was driven away to be in sorrow all his days. No man in heaven nor earth could secure his return. God saw his wretchedness and that his “wickedness was great in the earth” and “it grieved him at his heart.” Gen. 6:5, 6. Sin swayed its scepter over the heart of man and he groaned beneath its tyrannical power, but God’s mercy was not “clean gone forever.” They cried unto the Lord because of the oppressors and he promised to send them a “Savior, and a great one,” to deliver them. Isa. 19:20. Man was encaged in the prison-house of sin, but God promised to send a deliverer “to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.” Isa. 61:1.