The Household of God
Volume 1
The early history of mankind
- Chapter 159 -
ADAM AND SETH IN DISTRESS AND TEMPTATION
While the other five surrounded Eve to protect her from the approaching utterly strange guests - especially the serpents which Eve usually feared most -, Adam, led by Seth, came finally, winding his way through the by now numerous strange guests, to the only still free spot where the four were.
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Having reached Abedam, he wanted to speak, but for fear could hardly utter a word. But the sublime Abedam gazed at him exceedingly kindly and said: "Adam, you seek insecure help. Look into your heart and instead of the insecure you will soon find secure help.
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"Did not Emmanuel bless all of you and show you the sure spot where He can always be found?
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"Behold, if you had sought Him there you would have found Him quite a while ago and He would have given you His mighty helping hand and through you helped an the others. However you, as the first of all mankind, have not yet sought Him at the designated spot. Therefore, what you have neglected do now in love and complete trust and you, too, will convince yourself how close Emmanuel and with Him help is to all of you."
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And Adam did as the high Abedam had suggested and soon found what he could have found already long ago.
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Full of remorse and with tears of joy he looked up at Abedam and wanted to begin to speak and pray. But Abedam said to him: "Keep silent until tomorrow. Be happy and unafraid, no one will be harmed for that is why I am in your midst. Do understand this! Amen."
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After these words by Abedam, Adam became complete1y calm in his heart, deep within it ardently thanked the newly Recognized and then, led by Seth, once more returned to his former place.
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But this return to his former place was not so easy as one might imagine, for Adam's steadfastness, his courage and trust were put to a crucial test and his love and faith had to stand a peculiar temptation which was as follows:
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When he had walked about three steps away from Abedam suddenly blazing flames broke forth from the ground completely blocking his way. He did take fright, but then immediately thought of Abedam's last words, namely: 'That is why I am in your midst.'
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And so he spoke to the flame: "In the name of Him Who is among us I tell you to go out and not to block my way to where I have to go!"
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But the flame disobeyed and blazed even more violently. Adam was startled, but became angry at the flame's disobedience to the name of the Lord, and he spoke in a severe tone to the flame:
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"Listen, waters of the earth and of all the heavens, rush down upon this monster which is dumb and disobedient to the name of the Lord and destroy and smother it forever!"
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But no waters came to fulfill Adam's will.
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Seeing that nothing could be achieved with the disobedient flame, Adam said to Seth: "Let us try another way and may the flame burn as long as it pleases the Lord."
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And they turned right where no flame was as yet blazing from the ground nor did any begin to blaze. Instead, at least thirty fully-grown giant serpents were hissing towards Adam and he had to stop once more and had no chance of proceeding. Here too he did use the powerful words, but as with the fire without success. And when he became very angry with these vermin one of the serpents began to open its jaws wide and to move towards Adam who, noticing the intention of the monster, got a fright and withdrew quickly.
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Then he said to Seth: "Look, here, too, our way is most abominably obstructed; but we must not lose courage, trust and faith, and in the love for the Lord adhere firmly to His holy word.
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"We must at least succeed on the left side for there I cannot see any obstacle as yet. And so let us proceed in the name of the Lord before some obstacle may block this little door for us, too."
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When they had taken only a few steps they found also this way barricaded by all kinds of monsters to such an extent that to pass through there was out of the question.
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Then Adam stopped and asked Seth: "What do we do now? Nothing obeys our word any longer and it is absolutely impossible to force our way through. Yet Abedam has ordered me back to my place.
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O my old hut, into what an abode for the most varied crowd you have turned in such a short time!
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"Seth, what do you think? Since we cannot possibly break through anywhere, how about returning to the great, holy and mighty Abedam whose miraculous light is still illuminating this hut? I think He will not refuse to see us."
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And Seth said to Adam: "I think that since we were already there we should not have let ourselves be put off, but stayed with Him, or at least have asked Him to come with us; that would have saved us all this trouble. Therefore, it is surely now high time to return to Him, otherwise the way to Him may easily be blocked to us, too, and then the second trouble would be worse than the first."
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And Adam replied to Seth: "Yes, yes, dear Abel-Seth, you are quite right, this could easily happen. So it would be best to return immediately."
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So they turned back, but what Seth had suspected had already happened and they were unable to make even a single step forward or backward. Calling out was no longer possible either, for the noise of the flames, the constant howling of the beasts, the raging, rushing and roaring of the hurricanes, the mighty thunder and many another thing made it practically impossible to hear one's own words
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And so Adam and Seth were now completely surrounded by a dual fire and left and right by all kinds of beasts. For a few moments they thought they were lost, but then Adam pulled himself together and spoke in his heart:
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O Emmanuel, O Abba, O Abedam, look graciously upon our great distress! Do not lead us into any more and greater temptations but deliver us from this and any further evil, which with Your permission has already afflicted us and is now threatening us and may henceforth still afflict and confuse our hearts!
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O Jehovah, You holy, most loving Father, hear me and then let me go in peace and live and die as it pleases You! Amen."