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Then came the Word of God to
Adam, and said unto him:—
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"O Adam, as to what thou
sayest, 'Bring me into a land where there is rest,' it is not another
land than this, but it is the kingdom of heaven where alone there is
rest.
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"But thou canst not make
thy entrance into it at present; but only after thy judgment is past
and fulfilled.
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"Then will I make thee
go up into the kingdom of heaven, thee and thy righteous seed; and I
will give thee and them the rest thou askest for at present.
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"And if thou saidst,
'Give me of the Water of Life that I may drink and live'—it cannot be
this day, but on the day that I shall descend into hell, and break the
gates of brass, and bruise in pieces the kingdoms of iron.
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"Then will I in mercy
save thy soul and the souls of the righteous, to give them rest in My
garden. And that shall be when the end of the world is come.
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"And, again as regards
the Water of Life thou seekest, it will not be granted thee this day;
but on the day that I shall shed My blood upon thy head in the land of
Golgotha.
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"For My blood shall be
the Water of Life unto thee, at that time, and not to thee alone, but
unto all those of thy seed who shall believe in Me; that it be unto
them for rest for ever."
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The Lord said again unto
Adam, "O Adam, when thou wast in the garden, these trials did not
come to thee
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"But since thou didst
transgress My commandment, all these sufferings have come upon thee.
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"Now, also, does thy
flesh require food and drink; drink then of that water that flows by
thee on the face of the earth."
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Then God withdrew His Word
from Adam.
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And Adam and Eve worshiped
the Lord, and returned from the river of water to the cave. It
was noon-day; and when they drew near to the cave, they saw a large
fire by it.
