Geology and Genesis : a reconciliation of the two records

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BL 240~TW43 1857
Wight, George.
Geology and Genesis

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GEOLOGY AND

A EECONCILIATIOJS"

OP

THE TWO RECOEDS.

/
By the Kev. GEORGE WIGHT.

EECOMMENDATORY NOTE,

By W. LINDSAY ALEXANDER, D.D., E.S.A.S.

LONDON:
JOHN SNOW, 35, PATERNOSTEE ROW.

1857.

" If the result of the examination be, that there appears, upon
the whole, any the lowest presumption on one side, and none on
the other, or a greater presumption on one side, though in the
lowest degree greater, this determines the question even in matters
of speculation." — Butler.

" While the mind of man looketh upon second causes scattered,
it may sometimes rest in them, and go no farther ; but when it
beholdeth the chain of them confederate, and linked together, it
must needs fly to providence and Deity." — Bacon.

PREFACE.

Many readers, it is said, pass over the pre-
face ; and yet almost every book that appears
is preceded by one. But whether prefaces are
read or not, the fact that they are written
shows that, by the writers at least, they are
deemed of some importance. The author of
the present volume is glad that the practice
prevails ; and he means to take advantage of
it, to request the ear of the reader, for a few
moments, to one or two matters that could not
find a place in the body of the work.

First of all, a word concerning the appear-
ance of this work at the present time : —
There must be a spice of vanity, latent or
developed, in any man who writes a book,
and gives it to the public. He must have got
the idea — -justly or otherwise is another ques-
a2

iv PREFACE.

tion — in his head, that he is possessed of some-
thing to which the said public would do well
to take heed. We do not plead exemption
from the frailties of humanity; and yet we
trust a higher motive than vanity may be
traced tln-ough the following pages. Kind
reader, let us tell you at once, that if you
shirk the reading of what is here written,
being frightened away by its scientific aspect,
you sustain a loss. You must not set this
down entirely to the score of vanity ; a large
proportion of it must be placed to the account
of the importance of the subject.

Well, this same book, whose appearance is a
proof that it is deemed of some importance,
and which treats of a subject of vast import-
ance, is based on a work which the author
published some ten years ago, under the title
of " The Mosaic Creation, viewed in the
light of Modem Geology ;'' and of which the
public of that ^date were pleased to take such
a liking, that in a few months it was " out of
print." It has never been put "in print"
ac^ain, for reasons with which the reader need
not be troubled, till now ; and noiu it appears

PREFACE. V

modified, corrected, enlarged, and it is hoped
will be found fully up to the present advanced
state of the great question of which it treats.
The improvements and enlargements are such,
that the respected Publisher demanded for it
a new name ; and, truth to tell, the author
was no ways averse to his favourite banthng
coming out under a new and better title.
May he bespeak the attention of his former
friends to the advanced stages of the argu-
ment, in favour of substantial agTeement be-
tween the word and the works of God ? Not.
withstanding the great progress the science of
Geology has made of late years, the intelligent
reader will perceive that the general prin-
ciples of this volume have undergone no
change : this, it is thought, is no small pre-
sumption in favour of their philosophical
accuracy.

It would show a lack of feeling on the pai't
of the writer, were he not to express the
gratitude he felt for the frank and generous
reception given to the original work, both by
the public and by the arbiters of public
opinion — the critics. There was a manliness

VI PREFACE.

and fairness in their treatment of it, almost
without exception ; the best evidence of his
appreciation of which is to be found in this, —
that he earnestly desires for the present work
a hke reception.

It is the misfortune of the writer to differ,
on some important points, with one to whom,
as a Geologist, it has long been his habit to
j)ay deference, and with whom it was his great
privilege to hold friendly intercom-se, up to the
last night of his earthly existence. On the
evening of that fatal night that deprived us of
the living presence of Hugh Miller, it was
an^anged that we should read in public that
magnificent description of the Mosaic Creation,
now published in " The Testimony of the
Rocks." It was done ; and never, perhaps,
was an audience more speU-bound, than when
the closing " scenes '' of that wonderful
" picture " were placed before them in rapid
succession. Little did we think, in the midst
of the enthusiasm of that night, that the
author of the lecture was so near the august
Presence, whose mysterious workings in crea-
tion he had sought to trace ! An horn- pre-

PREFACE. VU

vious to the reading of the lectui'e, Mr. Miller
had called at our residence, in a state of great
anxiety, and, being out at the time, he left a
message for us, to the effect that, having a
severe headache, he would not be present at
the public reading. A few minutes after, we
returned, and immediately wrote, expressing
S3nnpathy with him under his affliction, and
asking him to keep his mind perfectly easy, as
everj^hing would be done to render the lec-
ture effective. This was the last communica«
tion he had with the world without ; and, as
long as the heart beats, it will yield us a
hallowed pleasure to reflect, that this note of
sympathy and assurance soothed the mind of
our friend, when that dread crisis was so near,
in which he was for ever to pass away from
this scene of things ! Will the reader pardon
the insertion here of a few sentences published
by us sliortly after his death ? —

"No man ever prosecuted scientific inves-
tigations with motives more pure and more
exalted, and no man's deductions from science
were more trustworthy, than were those of
Mr. Miller; and no man has done more to

VUl PREFACE.

popularize this science than he has done.
Perhaps it is not too much to say — those
who are acquainted with the subject will not
ascribe this remark to the proverbial blind-
ness of friendship — that, in the works of no
wiiter on geology will there be found such
a balancing of scientific accuracy and philoso-
j)hical depth and width, with the power of popu-
lar description, as is to be found in his. Much
as he was permitted to do, yet it is a matter
of sincere and painful regret that his hfe was
not spared to enable him to bring out what
he himself considered the work of his life —
the work on the geology of his native land.
This regret is the more poignant, because there
is, perhaps, no living geologist who could so
enter into the spirit of that work as to full}^
realize the idea of its projector.

" Of late years Mr. Miller had had his mind
directed to a point, not purely scientific, but
yet one of very great and growing importance,
both to the votary of science and to the
follower of Christ, — I refer to the question of
the reconcihation of the science of geology
with the book of Divine Eevelation. It was

PREFACE. IX

a blessed day, that which saw the powers of his
mind turned in this direction ; and although
he has not done so much in this department
as in that of the science, strictly so called, yet
his great influence was freely and without
reserve thrown into the side of Christian Truth.
Had his life been spared, it is impossible to
conjecture what he might have done ; the
volume about to appear shows what he has
done to reconcile natural and revealed truth.*
— God's ways are very mysterious. He dis-
poses far otherwise than we propose, or even
anticipate. This event is shrouded in mystery
and gloom ; and yet the character and the life,
previous to that dark moment when reason
tottered and the spirit fled, were such as to
inspire us with the firmest faith, that behind
the gloom, and above the mystery, there is
sunshine and calm ! We shall see no more
the manly form of one who daily walked our
streets ; who had many friends, and who made
no enemies ; who was worthy of high admira-
tion and the warmest friendship ; and whose

* Written before the appearance of " The Testimony of the
Eocks."

X PEEFACE.

untimely departure a whole community mourns
with unfeigned sorrow, because death hath
taken liim, and he is not ! My God ! what is
man ; — the wisest, the greatest, the best ? Let
us be glad that there is a life beyond the grave,
on the peaceful horizon of which the departed
spirit rises as it sinks in ours, and rises with a
splendour which no cloud shall ever bedim,
and no event shaU ever destroy ! He who
traced the ' Footprints of the Creator so suc-
cessfully among the rocks that compose the
crust of the eaith, is now, by the inscrutable
arrangements of an all-wise Providence, and
through the intercession of the Lamb of God,
in fixed and rapturous contemplation of the
ineffable glory ! "

In this volume, some of the views advocated
by Mr. Miller are controverted ; but it is
hoped that it will be found that this is always
done with the respect due to liis name and
influence, and done only where it was demanded
by allegiance to truth. The author does not
regard his view of the Mosaic creation as the
true one, nor does he consider his principle of
reconciling nature and revelation as altogether

PREFACE. XI

Bound ; and he believes, had Mr. Miller's valu-
able life been prolonged, that his views on
this subject would have imdergone considerable
modification, if not an entire change. This
remark is made on the ground of the view he
takes of the deluge, and the principle on which
he reconciles his view of that event with the
Bible narrative. With his theory of the de-
luge we cordially agree ; and the only regret is,
that he did not apply the same principle of
interpretation to the Mosaic creation, as he
applied so successfully to the Noacian deluge.

But we must leave the reader to judge
whether, in the discussion into which we have
been led, it appears to him reasonable, that the
"days'' in the Mosaic narrative should be re-
ceived as days of ordinary duration, or as
"periods'' of indefinite length. We have no
doubt in our own mind which is the true
interpretation, — the days are certainly natural
days ; and, if by one principle of interpreta-
tion, we can reconcile both the creation and
the deluge with the facts of science, there is a
high presumption that that principle is philo-
sopliically and scriptui'ally true. For the prin-

XU PREFACE.

ciple on which this work is based, this pre-
sumption is claimed.

The author sends forth his work with con-
siderable anxiety, notwithstanding his expe-
rience of the indulgent treatment of the public.
His most sincere desire is, that it may be
helpful in forwarding the cause of Truth : and
though he shall have sailed from his native
shores before it can have come into the hands
of the public, to know of its welcome reception
and reasonable success will be no small solace
and encouragement when far from the Land
of his Fathers.

London,
October, 1857.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.
Introduction.

PAGE
Object of the present work. — The existence of God. —
Bible the word of God. — Interpretation of men. —
God in nature. — Works of nature frequently referred
to m Scripture. — Example. — The Bible announces no
philosophical theories. — Contains no contradictions,
properly understood. — Nature and revelation speak the
same language. — Object of the Bible. - • - 1

CHAPTER II.

Creation Peopee.

Construction of narrative. — Two opinions. — First narra-
tive a consecutive whole. — Second, a break after first
verse. — Last opinion preferable. — Reasons. — Fu'st
verse contains an independent proposition. - - 14

CHAPTER III.

Creation Proper — Continued,

Inrport of the term "heaven." — Import of the term
" earth." — Illustration. — Meaning of the plu*ase,
" heaven and earth." — Universe " created." — By
whom ? — In what state ? — When ? — Reflections. - 29

XIV CONTENTS.

CHAPTEE lY.
Creation Peopee — Continued.

PAGE
Professor Powell's mythic theory examined. — Other
theories, untenable. — Objections to the views ad-
vanced in the former chapter considered. - • -SI

CHAPTER V.

Age of the Eaeth. — Oldee Paleozoic Peeiod. • 62

CHAPTER YI.

Age op the Eaeth. — Middle Pat,?f.ozoic Peeiod - 71

CHAPTER VII.
Age of the Eaeth. — Newee Paleozoic Peeiod. - 82

CHAPTER VIII.

Age of the Eaeth, — Oldee Secondaet Peeiod. - 91

CHAPTER IX.
Age of the Eaeth. — Middle SECOin)AEY Peeiod. - 95

CHAPTER X.
Age of the Eaeth.— Newee Secondaey Peeiod. - 101

CONTEK'TS. ' XV

CHAPTEE XI.

PAGE

Age of the Earth. — Teetiaey Peeiod. - - - 105

CHAPTER XII.

Age of the Eaeth. — Geneeal Eemaees on the
Diffeeent Eoemations. ----- 111

CHAPTEE XIII.

State of the Eaeth at the opening of the
HiSTOBic Peeiod.

View taken of the fii-st verse agrees with all the facts of
science, and violates no terms employed in the narra-
tive.—CoUision between science and Scripture to be
avoided. — Meaning of the term " earth" in this con-
nexion.—Mr. H. Miller on this theory.— Eeasons for
rejecting his view.— The state of the earth.— The state
of the sea. — The state of the atmosphere. — The reno-
vating power. 132

CHAPTEE XIY.

Cbeative Days— aee they Indefinite Periods?

Various opinions on tliis point. — First argument in
favour of indefinite periods. — Second argument. —
Third argument. — Theory as modified by Mr. H.
Miller.— Objections.— The days natural days.— Proof. 155

XVX CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XY.
The Woek of the Eiest Day.

PAGE

Character of tlie narrative. — Work done on the first day.
— Its character. — Definition of the period. — Our view
opposed by two classes of persons. — A word to each. 178

CHAPTEE XVI.

The Woek of the Second Day.

The narrative, so far as examined, in harmony with
natural phenomena. — True also of the part under con-
sideration.— The work of the second day. — God makes
the firmament. — Appoints it to accompHsh his purpose
in this department of the great plan. — Its uses. —
Second day. 188

CHAPTER XVII.

The Woek of the Thied Day.

The theatre of operation changed. — The bounds of the
waters fixed. — The earth is estabHshed. — In obedience
to the Divine command it brings forth grass — Herbs
— Trees. — All good. — Third day. — God in the work. —
The true knowledge of God. 202

CHAPTER XVIII.

The Woek of the Eoueth Day.

All things are ready. — The lights in the firmament of
heaven. — Their first use. — Second use. — Third use. —

COI^'TENTS. Xvii

PAGE
What meant by their being made ? — By being set in
the firmament? — Objections stated, and removed. —
Wonderful agreement between the Bible and tlie facts
of natural science. — Why do men still reject the
Bible ? — Chaos in the moral world. .... 215

CHAPTER XIX.

The Woek of the Fifth Day.

The work progresses. — The arrangement not what would
have occurred to us. — Waters stocked with life. — Air
receives its inhabitants. — Progress upwards. — Evi-
dence of design. 232

CHAPTER XX.

The Work of the Sixth Day — Beasts of the
Eaeth.

Earth supphed wdth its inhabitants :— cattle.— creeping
thing. — beast of the earth. — Their origin. — Bespeak a
wise Creator.— Narrative not contradicted by present
systems of zoology.— Nor by recent discoveries in
geology. 240

CHAPTER XXI.

The Woek of the Sixth Day — Creation of Man.

Man created. — Change of formula. — His nature. — In
what respects he bears the Divine image. — Defaced in
part.— Restored by Christ.— Man late in being placed
upon the earth. — Evidence from Greology. — Professor
Owen's opinion. 217

h

Xviii COlsTEJfTS.

CHAPTER XXII.

CONCLTJSION.

PAGE

General order in creation.— Development hypothesis.—
Bible not opposed by science.— Why stiU rejected by
jnen.— Christians should cultivate acquaintance with
the sciences.— The source of truth is the same, and its
object IS one. ^""^

RECOMMENDATORY NOTE.

In the days of chivalry, when a youtliful squire
was about to assume the badge, and offer himself
for the honours of knighthood, it was customary
for one or more of those who already sustained
that dignity to accompany him to the place where
he was to receive his spurs. I suppose it is some-
what of a similar office which my friend, Mr.
Wight, wishes me to perform for him on the
present occasion. Having been now, for some
years, a member (however unworthily) of the fra-
ternity of authors, my friend, in entering upon his
novitiate, wishes me to accompany him out of his
retirement, and say a word for him to that great
and equitable dispenser of literary reputation — the
Public.

^^ BECOMMEXDATORT NOTE.

I confess I have complied reluctantly with this
request ; not that I have the slightest hesitation in
recommending this book, but that I fear a charge
of presumptuousness against myself for pretending
to any right to discharge such an office. I fear
also lest some may tax me with doing a very need-
less piece of work ; for if my recommendation be
well founded, it foUows that the book needs no
recommendation from any one, being able in that
case to recommend itself. These considerations I
have urged upon my friend, but have faHed to
induce him to withdraw his request. His extreme
modesty— a feeling so often associated mth talent
and worth— leads him to think that he wiU face
the public with more courage, if permitted to put
me forward as his sponsor; and in such a case, as
the public has of its great clemency hitherto fore-
borne to treat me otherwise than tenderly, I am
sure it behoves me to lend my friend whatever aid
my poor word can render him in facilitating his
access to that audience which he craves, and
before which I know he is able to acquit himself
honourably.

As respects the purely scientific parts of this
volume, I feel that it becomes me to speak very

EECOMMENDATOET FOTE. xxi

diffidently. I will, however, venture to say of
them, that whilst they are such as the most pro-
ficient philosopher need not despise, they are, at
the same time, calculated to place in a most
perspicuous manner before the mind of the least
instructed reader, the facts and principles of those
departments of science to which they relate. It is,
however, to those parts of the work in which the
wi'iter illustrates the harmony existing between
the phenomena and laws of natui-e, and the decla-
rations of the AYord of God, that I would especially
call the notice of the reader. All such attempts,
when conducted with intelligent acquaintance with
science on the one hand, and in a spirit of devout
reverence for the authority of God's word upon
the other, are deserving of the highest commenda-
tion. The enemies of revelation delight to dwell
upon, and to magnify, all apparent discrepancies
between science and Scripture, for the purpose of
discrediting the Divine claims of the latter. Erom
every science that has offered, or seemed to offer,
any opposition in its conclusions to the statements
of the Bible, they have eagerly drawn their mate-
rials of assault ; and in their unseemly zeal, they
have even accepted the assistance of such inven-

XXU EECOMMETsDATOET Is'OTE.

tions as Phrenology and Mesmerism, which can be
entitled to the name of sciences upon no other
principle, than such as would justify a dreamer in
ranking his castles in the air as part of his avail-
able property. Now such attacks it will not do to
meet with scowling contempt or aifected indiiFer-
ence; nor will they ever be successfully repelled
by any attempt to bring into disrepute the sound
and establislied principles of science. The true
way is to meet the difficulty fairly ; and starting
from the assumption, that nature rightly inter-
preted, and the Bible rightly interpreted, onnst be
in harmony, to discover the point at which these
two lines of independent inquiry meet, and where
they mingle in one common lesson the doctrines
they convey. Wherever a result of this kind is
obtained, it wiU be hailed by sound-minded men of
all classes as an important contribution to the
stock of human knowledge.

Of late, several valuable attempts have been
made in this direction by men whose scientific
attainments and acknowledged piety alike fit them
for the task. But their works are addressed chiefly
to the more educated classes, and have not found
their way amoogst the masses of the people.

EECOMME^J^DATORT KOTE. XXlll

Happily these masses are not indifferent now to
such investigations. Earnestly craving knowledge,
they are not unconcerned as to the points at issue
between science and Scripture; and if in some
cases they have shown an unhappy tendency to
regard science as incompatible with Scripture, the
reason, I fear, must be sought, in great part at
least, in the fact, that whilst they have been earn-
estly instructed by the advocates of infidelity in all
that science may be made to say against Scripture,
they have not with equal care — in most cases not at
all — been made to understand what Scripture rightly
interpreted can say for itself, not in opposition to
science, but in harmony with it. Now, it is to
bring this side of the question in a clear, simple,
candid, and convincing manner before the people,
that the author of the volume, to which this note is
prefixed, has employed his pen. He has, in my
humble opinion, discharged his self-imposed task
well; and has placed before the reader a large
amount of carefully digested matter, in a very dis-
tinct and impressive style. I am free to say, that
on one or two points, I do not see my way to adopt
the opinion he advances ; but as a whole, I feel
that a more sound, sensible, instructive, and safe

xxiv eeco:mmexdatoet :n-ote.

book upon the subject of which it treats, could not
be circulated among the inquiring and reading
community of this country. I trust it will enjoy a
wide circulation, and that the author may reap the
high satisfaction of learning that it has proved ser-
viceable in confirming the faith of those who
already receive the Bible as the Word of God, and
of extricating not a few from the delusive and
ruinous snares of infidelity.

^Y. L. A.

Edinhurgh.

GEOLOGY AND GENESIS.

CHAPTER I.

INTEODUCTION.

OBJECT OF THE PEESENT WOEE!. — THE EXISTENCE OF GOD.
— BIBLE THE WOKD OF GOD. — INTEEPEETATION OF MEN.
— GOD IN NATUEE. — WOEKS OF NATUEE FEEQUENTLY
EEFEEEED TO IN SCEIPTIJEE. — EXAMPLE. — THE BIBLE
ANNOUNCES NO PHILOSOPHICAL THEOEIES. — CONTAINS
NO CONTEADICTIONS, PEOPEELY UNDEESTOOD. — NATUEE
AND EEVELATION SPEAE THE SAME LANGUAGE. — OBJECT
OF THE BIBLE.

In tlie present work, an attempt is made to furnish
a help to the better understanding of the Mosaic
account of the creation. Beheving that perfect
harmony exists among all departments of truth,
our object is to show that it certainly does exist
between the statements of this narrative, and the
facts of nature. This is an object of the utmost
importance, but whether it is gained, the writer
may not affirm ; it is left to others to decide.

The subject is viewed in the light of modern
Geology. A work on this portion of Holy Scrip-
ture, which dispensed with the aids furnished by

^ INTKODUCTIOK.

geology, ^yould, in the present time, be deemed
imperfect. In truth, to accomplish the object in
view, one is not more bound to examine the narra-
tive, than to investigate the science. Long before
geology had a place among the sciences, commen-
tators felt themselves pressed by the same necessity.
Hence, those whose imaginations were not so fer-
tile as to strike out some new cosmological theory
of their o^TO, adopted, in whole or in part, the
wHd speculations of their predecessors. Our' cen-
sure, however, must not be too severe, seeing the
times in which they lived were extremely unfa-
vourable to such researches. We are placed in
much more advantageous circumstances. Natural
science has made rapid and sure progress during
the last half century. "We are consequently in
possession of an immense store of facts, which
sen^e as a ground-work to certain principles or
laws, under whose guidance we are brought to
uew, startling, yet safe conclusions. It is our
purpose to abide by facts in the discussion of
the various points that rise in tlie course of
these pages, and not to indulge in groundless spe-
culation.

The existence of God is a fact which we must be
allowed to take for granted. Indeed, we can
scarcely conceive the cii-cumstances in which we
should feel ourselves called upon to attempt its
proof It is legible in every page of the book of

INTRODUCTION. O

Xature ; it is engraven on the conscience of every
human being. Open your eyes and you see it,
your ears and you hear it ; allow your conscience
to discharge its duty, and you feel it : — " AVhither
shall I go from thy Spirit ? or whither shall I flee
from thy presence ?"

The Bible is the word of Grod. This, too, must
be taken for granted in the discussions that follow ;
otherwise no small portion of our space must be
occupied in proving it. AVere this the writer's
object, little difficulty, it is presumed, would be
experienced in bringing together a mass of evi-
dence, in support of the assertion, such as could
not be produced in behalf of any other book of
ancient date, which receives the universal credence
of mankind. The Bible has been, and is still
rejected by multitudes, for other reasons than the
lack of evidence in support of its claims to a
divine origin. It is strongly suspected, that, in
many instances, these reasons stand in but slight
relationship to the reasoning faculties. "Were they
scrutinized closely, it would perhaps be discovered
that they had their source rather in the feelings,
than in the intellectual powers. In reflecting on
the nature and amount of the evidence, and the
manner in which the objector generally deals with
it, one is irresistibly led to this conclusion.

If reasoning of the highest order, b}^ men of the
purest minds, can establish a point, then is this
B 2

4 IK^TRODUCTION.

point established. On the other hand, if sophistry,
and ridicule, and weakness, indicate a bad cause,
then do those who argue against the claims of
the Bible to be received as the word of the living
God, disclose the nature of the cause they have
espoused. The holy scriptures have been exposed
to many a trial, but, in every instance, they have
come forth unscathed. It may not, therefore, be
too much to assume, that this book contains the
revealed will of God to men. Indeed, it is now
full time that this were received as a point settled
— a question not admitting of further doubt.

But, suppose it were settled, and all objections
removed, it would still be a pleasing and profitable
exercise, to study Scripture and investigate Science,
Avith a view to discover and illustrate the harmony
that exists between them, and to show how the
facts of the latter elucidate many of the statements
of the former. It is no part of our purpose to
present a systematic view of the evidence on which
Christians ground their reception of the Bible as
a book of divine origin; still it is believed, that,
in the course of these pages not a little will occur,
which cannot, in honest criticism, be denied to
support the assiunption contained in the previous
paragraph.

Although it is maintained with the utmost firm-
ness that the Bible is from God; yet, it must be
admitted, at the same time, that its interpretation

IKTEODUCTION. O

is of men. Holy men of God were inspired to
write it, hence its infallibility; men are not inspired
to interpret it, hence the mistakes and errors into
which many fall. The Bible is true, but our inter-
pretation of it may be false. What then, — because
a false interpretation is given to a book which is
true, must the book itself be treated as false ?
This were to adopt a procedure at variance with
every principle of reason. The obvious duty of
every honest inquirer, in such a case, is this — to
study more closely the sacred record, and revise
his principles of interpretation, that, under divine
guidance, he may arrive at the "sense" intended
to be conveyed by the Holy Spirit.

Grod is as certainly in Nature, as he is in the
Bible; though the manifestation of his character
in these two departments may, in some respects,
differ. Eather let us say, that, in the one he is
seen darkly as in a glass ; in the other, he passes
before us in all the splendour of his uncreated
glory. That mind must be strangely constituted,
that can follow the murmuring stream through
groves breathing sweet music ; — through meadows
clothed Avith luxuriant verdure, and plains waving
with precious grain, — without being impressed with
the goodness of the Creator. AVho, possessed of a
soul susceptible of noble sentiments, can stand by
the sea-shore, and mark the rolling billows, — can
gaze upon the mountains, with their splintered

6 INTKODL'CTIOK.

peaks piercing the clouds, — can lift Lis eje to
the heavens, where move in perfect harmony
myriads of shining worlds, — can feel himself sur-
rounded by the mysterious silence of night, without
being conscious of the Grreat Father's presence —
without being awed by the majesty, and filled with
admiration of the infinite wisdom of the Creator.

But still more interesting are the manifestations
of his character in the pages of inspiration. His
forbearance and condescension towards our fallen
race are wonderful; His majesty and glory amid
the thunder and flame of Sinai are terrible ; His
love and wisdom that shine forth in every feature
of the plan of human redemption are infinite ; and
the gi'ace and mercy that beam from Calvary are
incomparably more attractive than aught that
stands connected with the works of creation. If
the mind does not perceive this, we can only say,
that, though it may be fully alive to the beauty
and grandeur of creation, it is indifierent to that
higher, because moral excellence, that appears in
every bible representation of Deity, and shines forth
in all his works of mercy.

There is frequent reference in the Bible to the
works of nature, such as indicate a common
origin. The various writers extol their beauty,
and dwell with intelligent emotion on their sub-
limity. Some trace their origin to the great
first cause — the self-existeis^t One ; others sing

TNTRODLTCTIOy. 7

of their entire dependence on bis power. All see
the character of Grod manifested in his works, and
thence draw food for meditation, and motives for
praise. In those times, the most intelligent and
devout of the people of Grod, held communion with
him in his works, as well as in his word. The
prophets seem to have been deeply imbued with
this spirit. "We can scarcely conceive of such
descriptions of natural scenery as are scattered
over their writings, flowing from their pens, dipt
though they were in inspiration, without their
hearts being now touched by their chaste beauty,
and then moved by their bold magnificence.

David is an illustrious example. Take the book
of Psalms, analyze it, and you will be astonished at
the frequency with which reference is made to the
works of nature. But this is always done with
devout feeling, and yields, as it is intended to
do, glory to the Grreat Creator. Take the 10-ith
Psalm, and what is the scene therein presented
to us? — That of "the man according to God's
own heart" breathing forth the praises of his
pious sold to the Grod of nature, in the loftiest
strains tlmt ever flowed from mortal lips. David
seems to have been standing on "woody Carmel."
Perhaps it was evening, and all nature glowed
with the mellow tints of the setting sun. His
eye rested on a scene of indescribable beauty and
grandeur, his ears drank in the richest music, — his

8 IXTEODUCTION.

senses were regaled by the sweetest fragrance.
From the base of the hill on which he stood,
for many miles to the east, stretched the valley
of Megiddon, rich in pasture and fields of grain.
In the distance rose the mount Tabor, and the
snowy peaks of the greater Hermon. Far to the
north he might descry the mountains of Lebanon.
Southwards, his eye ranged over the hills of
Samaria; while to the west rolled further than
the eye could pierce, the blue waves of the " Great
Sea." It was when he had gone over this magni-
ficent ])anorama, his imagination excited to the
highest pitch, and his heart overflowing ^ith
devout adoration, that he gave utterance to these
remarkable words — " O Lord, how manifold are
thy works ! in wisdom thou hast made them all :
the earth is full of thy riches ; so is this great
and wide sea!"

The object of the Bible is not to announce
theories connected with the several sciences to
which it incidentally refers; indeed, its object is
not to teach men science at all. It comes on
a better errand, it aims at a nobler object. The
Bible bears a message of mercy. It ofters pardon
to the guilty, purity to the polluted, happiness to
the miserable, and hope to those who are in despair.
It announces a Saviour to men ; it tells us that the
way to heaven, which had been closed by sm, is now
open. Its language is,—" God is in Christ recon-

INTRODrCTION. 9

ciling the world unto himself, not imputing their
trespasses unto them."

But although it furnishes no philosophical
theor)^, it is by no means silent on the works of
nature, as we have already had cause to remark ;
and it assures us that they are " sought out of
all them that have pleasure therein." It leaves
unannounced the principles of chemistry; it is
silent on the laws of astronomy ; it does not even
supply the leading principles of geology. It
simply speaks of the elements, and leaves the
development of their affinities to the advancing
intelligence of man. It announces the creation
of the heavenly bodies by, and their dependence
upon, the Almighty, but leaves all other questions
to be investigated, and answered, as the most
intelligent of the race best may. It speaks of
the creation of the globe on which we dwell, but
when, or in what circumstances, it saith not. The
reader may reply, " "Was it not in the beginning ?"
Yes ; but when was the " beginning " ? There is
no statement in the Bible that will enable us to
answer this question. It is nowhere said, or im-
plied, that it dates just six thousand years back.
This opinion is very generally held ; but it is
altogether gratuitous. Eevelation and nature are
alike silent on this point ; and if God has seen meet
to shroud in impenetrable darkness that point in
the flow of existence, whence time took its rise,

^^ INTEODUCTIOX.

as we believe lie has, who wiU dare to affix the
date?

There is, however, no contradiction between the
statements of Scripture and the facts of Science.
This, we are persuaded, will abundantly appear
as we proceed. Meanwhile it is asserted, that the
references to science in holj scripture, properly
understood, are not opposed by a fair interpreta-
tion of tacts by an intelligent phHosophy. Let two
examples be cited :-The Bible teaches, that the
heavens and all the host of them, were created
by God, and it also makes separate reference to
some of the heavenly bodies; now, astronomy
neither contradicts this account of their origin,
nor objects to the references made to the separate'
stars. Again, the Bible teaches, that the earth was
created by G-od "in the beginning," and that, since
then, certain physical changes have passed over it;
now, geology neither disputes this account of its'
origin, nor quarrels with tlie references to these
changes. So far is this from being the case, that
the established facts, in both sciences, as it appears
to us, clearly corroborate the inspired statements
This is only what might be expected, seeing nature
and revelation are the product of o.xe all-wise

MIND.

It is, indeed, true, that some christian writers
have maintained the contrary opinion : but we may
presume that it was in ignorance of the facts of

IXTIIODTTCTIO:?^. 11

science, or with a very partial understanding of
them. "We may add, that their views of those
portions of scripture, that come in contact with
the sciences, may have heen imperfect, or erro-
neous. Some philosophers have occupied the same
ground; but either, first, it arose from imperfect
views of what the word of God really teaches ; or,
secondly, from groundless prejudices against the
truths which it contains. It is painful to think,
that not a few are to be foimd in these circum-
stances ; and in either case, the cry of opposition
between revelation and science, is not a cause of
wonder. To discover the beautiful relationship
that exists between them, one must have an accu-
rate knowledge (so far as it goes) of the latter,
as well as an intelligent and unprejudiced view
of the former ; and where these attainments meet
in the same person, there will be found an in-
dividual, capable of appreciating, and forward to
proclaim, the wonderfid harmony that obtains be-
tween the word and the works of God. And until
a competent share of knowledge is possessed, both
of revealed truth, and scientific truth, no man is
entitled, as he is not quahfied, to pronounce a
judgment in the matter, — especially one of con-
demnation.

/ Is the view that the Bible gives of the Supreme
Being contradicted by the revelations of nature ?
Bring the two volumes together ; compare them ;

12 IIs^TKODUCTION.

and what is their language? Grod is good, saith
the Bible : the response comes from all creation —
"God is good!" Grod is wise, saith the Bible: a
voice from all worlds repeats, — " God is wise !"
God is great, saith the Bible : this world, nay,
every change it has undergone, and every feature
it presents, give back the declaration, — " God
is great!" God is true, saith the Bible: every
science, when rightly interrogated, responds with-
out one jarring note, — " The God whom we acknow-
ledge is true!" God is 07ie, saith the Bible:
the material universe, wonderful in its variety, no
less than in its unity, regulated by a complicated,
but perfect system of laws, operating to one grand
result, demonstrates that the Creator of " the hea-
ven and the earth" is emphatically One.

In the present discussions, the reader must bear
in mind,'that the object the Bible specially contem-
plates is, to shoto tmto men tlie ivay of salvation ;
but in accomplishing this object many other points
are introduced. It was necessary to give a brief
account of man's origin, his character, and the
laws by which, as a moral agent, his life should be
regulated, that he may serve the end for which he
was made. The plan of this work does not require
us to speak of man as a moral agent. Our province
is to inquire into his origin, and that of the
creatures wliich were made and placed with him
upon the earth, the state in which the earth was at

INTEODUCTION. 13

the opening of the historic period, and the question
of the "age" of the earth. The record of these
interesting events, so far as it is unfolded to human
view, is contained in the first chapter of the book
of G-enesis, — the portion of holy scripture which
we now proceed to examine, taking with us what
aids modern discoveries in science have placed at
our service.

CHAPTER II.

CREATION PROPER.

Gen. i. 1 — " In the beginning God created the heaven and
the earth."

CONSTEUCTION OF NARBATIVE. — TWO OPINIONS. — FIEST,
NAERATIVE A CONSECUTITE WHOLE. — SECOND, A BEEAK
AFTEE FIEST VEESE. — LAST OPINION PEEFEEABLE.— REA-
SONS.— FIEST TEESE CONTAINS AN INDEPENDENT PRO-
POSITION.

Befoue proceeding to consider the import of the
various terms and phrases that occur in the early
portion of the narrative, we must pause for a
moment to consider its construction. This course
is of the utmost importance ; for in proportion as
we clearly perceive, or overlook the relation, which
the various statements bear to each other, so will
be the correctness or incorrectness of the conclu-
sions evolved. It is obvious that, if we view the
narrative as a consecutive whole, — as describing
events that followed each other in immediate
sequence — the conclusions arrived at must differ
widely from those deduced, if we should view it as
admitting a break in the succession — allowing an

CREATION PROPEE. 15

interval, sliort or long, to elapse between tlie
creation of the heaven and the earth, and the
events tliat follow. Impressed, therefore, with the
importance of the investigation, let us proceed to
ascertain the true construction of the passage, if
haply we may succeed.

The chief difficulty lies in the connexion between
the first and second verse. On this point, as well
as on the general subject, numerous opinions have
been formed, which it would be tedious and profit-
less to investigate, or even to enumerate. Passing,
for the present, certain theories, promulgated in
some recent works, which reduce this portion of-
the inspired narrative to a picture, a vision, or a
myth, we may arrange all that we purpose to say
here under the two following opinions : — First,
that the narrative is a consecutive whole; secondly,
that there is a break in the narration of events,
immediately after the first verse.

The first opinion is. That the statement contained
in the first verse, stands in immediate connexion
with those contained in the second and following
verses.

This general view is taken by many, who difi'er
from each other on numerous subordinate points.
First, it is taken by those who denounce geology
as an impious science, opposed to the holy and
true word of God ; and who, as a matter of course,
stoutly deny, and loudly declaim against its facts.

16 CREATION PEOPEE.

Secondly, it is adopted by those (their numbers
are greatly diminished noAv), who cling to the
theory, that all the formations of which the crust
of the earth is composed, were deposited between
the date of the Mosaic creation and the flood ; or
during that awful catastrophe. Thirdly, it is also
adopted by those who have fallen in mth the theory
which ascribes to each creative day the idea of an
indefinite period of time. The theory of " indefi-
nite periods" will be examined in the proper place.

The second opinion is. That the first verse con-
tains an independent proposition, and has no imme-
diate connexion with the statements in the following
verses.

According to this view, the first verse is under-
stood to announce the great truth, that God cre-
ated "the heaven and the earth," in the begin-
ning, when time began to flow. Ages, rather
epochs, rolled on, of which there is no written
record ; at length arrived that epoch of which full
six thousand years have expired, and which opened
with the series of creative acts enumerated in the
sequel. If the number of commentators who hold
this view be not so large, those who do, stand
foremost in the ranks of biblical critics. — It is to
be observed, however, that those who hold this
opinion regarding the construction of the passage,
do not agree as to the meaning of some of its most
important parts. Tor example, some believe that

CEEATION PEOPER. 17

the whole globe was iu a state of chaos, or ruin, at
the opening of the historic era ; while others main-
tain that only a part of the surface of the earth
was in this state, at that period.

Of the two opinions stated above, we have been
led to give the decided preference to the latter.
The reasons that have brought us to tliis decision
will appear as the exposition proceeds ; and, we
doubt not, it will be found substantially in keeping
with Bible statements and geological facts. The
interpretation of some passages may, perhaps, re-
quire amendment, and some may require to be
abandoned altogether ; but the truth itself shall
stand as it ever was. Were it necessary, it would
not be difficult, to produce the names of many dis-
tinguished friends of the Bible, who have adopted
this opinion; and some of whom have held and
taught it for a long series of years.

But we are not disposed to rest this opinion on
the authority of names ; it may be allowed to
stand on its own merits. Still it may inspire us
with confidence, when it is known that men of
extensive learning, and deep piety, give it their
sanction. Its claims may be confidently left in
the hands of an intelligent and liberal exegist ;
but its advocates are emboldened by the considera-
tion, that many of the wisest and best of men have
yielded to it their willing approbation.

Both opinions liave their advantages and disad-
c

18 CEEATIOX PROPER.

vantages. The former, namely, that \Yhieh receives
the narrative as a consecutive whole, has the ad-
vantage of a wide-spread, popular impression in its
favour. It is still the generally received opinion
among: Christians, that the Mosaic record is a con-
secutive whole; that it describes the creation of
the "heaven and the earth" in detail, and that
this was effected somewhere about six thousand
years ago. It has, however, the misfortune of
being opposed by a body of facts, brought to light
by geology, which will, at no distant day, be fatal
to it, and which must not be disregarded by those
who would investigate such a subject as this. On
the other hand, the latter has the disadvantage of
being opposed by the popular impression ; while it
is largely supported and confirmed by the disco-
veries of modern science. We are free to admit
that science has nothing to do with the interpreta-
tion of the doctrinal and preceptive parts of Scrip-
ture, but it is obviously far otherwise with such
parts as refer to geography, astronomy, or geology.
In support of the opinion, that the first verse
contains an independent proposition, the following
considerations are advanced. Tirst, the careful
reading of the narrative, even in the English ver-
sion, suggests a break after the first verse. It is
admitted by all, that the first verse refers to crea-
tion proper. The meaning attached to the phrase,
" creation proper," is that of bringing a thing into

CREATION PROPER. 19

existence for tlie first time. It is of importance to
carry this definition along with us. In the verses
that follow, we have not the details of the proper
creation of the earth, as many believe. The theme
is not simply limited to one department of the
work, as this opinion would indicate, but it is, in
strict language, changad. From the second verse
to the thirty-first, inclusive, there does not appear
to us to be a syllable which indubitably refers to
the proper creation of the earth. This statement
may startle the reader ; but let him examine the
narrative for himself. He has the means within
his reach. When the earth was " mthout form
and void," it existed; when "darkness was upon
the face of the deep," the waters existed, though in
a perturbed state. The acts, therefore, recorded as
performed on the maiter of the earth, are not creative
acts, in the proper meaning of the term. Witli re-
verence, we propose to call them remodelling acts.

Had the first verse contained the general an-
nouncement of the creation of the " heaven and
the earth," and the following verses embodied the
details of the creation of the latter, we may pre-
sume that the language would have been of a
widely diff'erent cast. It was not the manner of
those who were " moved by the Holy Ghost," to
place on record facts for the information of man to
the latest time, to describe one subject in the lan-
guage fitted to embody another, — or even in ambi-
c 2

2^ CEEATIO^^ PEOPEE.

guous phrase. There are, ifc is true, some things
in the Bible, which, in aU probability, were not
fully comprehended by those who wrote them, any
more than they are by those who read them; but
this ignorance is not so much to be ascribed to the
ambiguity of the language, as to the inherent diffi-
culty of the subject, or the darkness in which it is
yet enveloped. As it is, however, the language of
this passage is certainly admirably adapted to de-
scribe a remodeUing process, but is by no means
so suitable to embody the details of a proper crea-
tion. If, then, the simple reading of the narrative
may suggest that, whHe the first verse contains the
announcement of the proper creation of the heaven
and the earth, the second and following verses
describe a grand remodelling process that passed
over the surface of the globe, or a part of it, is it
not reasonable to conclude, that there may be a
break in the narration of events ?

Secondly, the connecting particle "and" (v. 2,)
does not necessarily involve the idea of immediate
sequence.* Those who argue that the narrative

* Professor Moses Stuart, in his remarks upon this particle
ridicules the statements of some christian geologists on the
subject. We are not prepared to defend them j but this
much may be safely affirmed-this able Hebraist, while he
concludes that vav "is simply the sign of connexion between
the first and second verse," has advanced no argument to
show that it involves the idea of immediate seqnence.-
fhilological view of the modern doctrines of geology.

CEEATIOK PEOPER. 21

sliould be received as a consecutive whole, appeal
to this particle in proof of their interpretation
being the correct one. That the Hebrew word
rendered "and," frequently bears this meaning —
immediate sequence — no one acquainted with the
subject would deny; but it is a very different
thing to affirm that it always bears it. On the
contrary, Ave assert, that there are numerous
instances in which this particle, when rendered
"and," connects events separated from each other
by considerable intervals of time. The following
examples may suffice : —

Moses is thus introduced to our notice, —
Ex. ii. 1 — 4. " And there went a man of the
house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of
Levi. And the woman conceived, and bare a son :
and when she saw him that he was a goodly child,
she hid him three months. Aaid when she could
not longer hide him, she took for him an ark
of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with
pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid
it in the flags by the river's brink. And his
sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done
to him." Suppose the last sentence quoted had
not been inserted in this narrative, and that no
reference had been made, in the Eible, to Aaron,
the elder brother of IMoses ; it might have been
maintained, not only that the latter was the first-
born, but also that he was given to his parents

22 CEEATIOX PEOPEE.

within a short period after marriage. Let us
suppose further, that some commentator, by some
means, had been led to suspect that Moses was
■not the first-born, and that a few years, at least,
must have elapsed between the marriage of his
parents and his birth ; how would his argument
have been met by his opponent ? In all pro-
bability by a flat contradiction; referring him,
at the same time, to the conjunction "and" which
connects the first two sentences in the narrative.
"Is it not obvious," the defender of the narrative,
as a consecutive whole, would say, " that, when the
man of the house of Levi took to wife a daughter
of Levi, she conceived and had a son, whose name
was Moses ? To deny this is to impugn a plain
portion of inspiration." What would be the
value of his opponent's argument, when it was
discovered, that the interval between the marriage
of his parents and the birth of Moses was such as
to admit, at least, of the birth of Aaron and
Miriam ? So in the case before us, the particle
connects events that stand apart from each other.
How far, we presume not to say. But the principle
is not affected, though the interval were to be many
thousand years.

The second example is taken from the book of
JN'umbers, and may be briefly stated. In the thirty-
first chapter of this book, at the beginning, the
same particle connects historic events that stand

CEEATIOX PROPER. 23

apart from eacli other by upwards of thirty years.
The narrative, however, goes on, and no indication
is given of the break, except what may be gathered
from the facts recorded. "When the Hebrew
particle, therefore, may be properly rendered " and,"
it does not necessaril}^ involve the idea of immediate
sequence. The events may, in reality, stand far
apart from each other.

The above remarks are offered on the assump-
tion that the original term is properly rendered.
Every scholar knows that it is possessed of a wide
range of meaning. In support of this statement
it requires only to be mentioned that, in many
instances, it is rendered by the English words,
hut, also, now, &c. It may fairly be questioned,
therefore, whether it might not have been more
happily rendered in the present case. Ear be it
from us, even to attempt to sliake the well
merited confidence, so extensively reposed in the
authorised version of the Holy Scriptures. AVith
all that deference which gratitude inspires, and
which profound learning and splendid talents
command, the student of the Bible is sometimes
compelled to question the rendering of a given
passage or term. And when this is done with in-
telligence and candour, neither the translators, nor
their invaluable labours, are treated with disrespect.
Some critics, of great eminence, prefer rendering
the original by the English word "but." The

24 CEEATIOX PKOPEK.

following is the translation of tlie late Dr. Datlie,
of Leipzig, as given by Dr. Pye Smith in his work
on "Scripture and Geology." "In the beginning
God created the heaven and the earth. But after-
wards the earth became waste and desolate." The
following are the words of Professor Stuart on this
point. The reader is apprised that this extract is
taken from a work written to oppose the exegetical
opinions of christian geologists. The italics are his,
not ours. " One thing, however, can be said with
truth respecting Gen. i. 2, viz., that of course it
relates what took place in the order of time, after
the act of creation related in the first verse. The
general sense of the verse would not be materially
injured by translating it thus : Afterwards the
earth ivas ivithout form,^^ &c.*

The following are the words of Professor Hitch-
cock, taken from his recently published work on
" The Eeligion of Geology :"—

"In the English Bible this particle is usually
rendered by the copulative conjunction and; in
the Septuagint, and in Josephus, however, it some-
times has the sense of hut. And some able com-
mentators are of opinion that it admits of a similar
translation in the passage under consideration.
The elder HosenmuUer says, Ave might read it thus :
' In the beginning God created the heaven and the
earth. Afterwards the earth was desolate,' &c.
* Philological view.

CEEA-TIOIS^ PROPER. 25

Or the particle afterwards ma}' be placed at the
begmning of any of the succeeding verses. Thus :
In the beginning Grod created the heaven and the
earth, and the earth was desolate, and darkness
was upon the face of the waters. Afterwards the
Spirit of Grod moved upon the face of the waters,
&c., &c. If such translations as these be admissible,
the passage not only allows, but expressly teaches,
that a period intervened between the first act of
creation and the six days' work. And if such an
interval be allowed, it is all that geology requires
to reconcile its facts to revelation. For during
that time all the changes of mineral constitution
and organic life, which that science teaches to have
taken place on the globe, previous to the existence
of man, may have occurred.

" It is a presumption in favour of such an inter-
pretation, that the second verse describes the state
of the globe after its creation, and before the
creation of light. Por if there were no in-
terval between the fiat that called matter into
existence, and that which said, ' Let there be light,'
why should such a description of the earth's waste
and desolate condition be given? Eut if there
had been such an intervening period, it is perfectly
natural that such a description should precede the
history of successive creative acts, by which the
world was adorned with light and beauty, and filled
with inhabitants."

26 CREATION PEOPER.

It is thus abundantly evident, that the construc-
tion of the narrative does not necessarily imply a
consecutive whole. In addition to what has been
advanced in support of the opinion, that the first
verse contains an independent proposition, and is
followed by a break, it is of great importance to
observe that the whole body of geological facts
favours this view. But lest it should be thought
that those, Avho believe this to be the correct one,
have first been induced by the facts of geology to
adopt it, and then, when adopted, come forward with
it to explain these facts, and reconcile them with the
narrative, we must claim particular attention to the
circumstance, that long before geology had any exist-
ence as a science, some of the most eminent biblical
critics of the time, were led to this conclusion on
exegetical principles alone. "Many of the early
fathers of the church were very explicit on this
subject. Augustin, Theodoret, and others, sup-
posed that the first verse of Genesis describes the
creation of matter distinct from, and prior to, the
work of six days. Justin Martyr and Gregory
Nazianzen believed in an indefinite period between
the creation of matter and the subsequent arrange-
ment of all things. Still more explicit are Basil,
Ca^sarius, and Origen." It would be easy to quote
similar opinions from more modern writers, who
lived previous to the development of geology. The
following is from Bishop Patrick: — "How long

CEEATION PROPEE. 27

all things continued in mere confusion after the
chaos was created, before light was extracted from
it, we are not told. It might have been, for any-
thing that is here revealed, a great while ; and all
that time the Mighty Spirit was making such
motions in it, as prepared, disposed, and ripened
every part of it for such productions as were to
appear successively in such spaces of time as are
here afterwards mentioned by Moses, who informs
us that after things were digested and made ready
to be wrought into form, God produced every day,
for six days together, some creature or other, till
all was finished, of which light was the very first."
This opinion admitted, it cannot be reasonably
demanded of its advocates to state the extent of
the hiatus, or to measure the period that elapsed
between the proper creation of the universe, and
the remodelling process which is believed to have
been exerted on the earth, or a part of it, at the
opening, of the historic era. The moment he
occupies this ground, the christian philosopher
breathes more freely. The sphere of his vision is
vastly enlarged — his field of contemplation is new.
Things appear in a changed, and far more interest-
ing aspect; and their relations are more clearly
perceived. He now investigates, compares, infers,
with a freedom to which he was formerly a stranger.
He has got possession of the key that will unlock
many of the mysteries that have long, and in every

28 CEEATION PEOPEE.

direction, baffled his utmost effort at explanation.
He has found the link that unites the inspired nar-
rative with the facts of modern science. From the
position he now occupies, he may send forth a
challenge to the objector to the authority of the
Bible, on the ground of its being opposed by the
discoveries of modern science, with the utmost con-
fidence that his weapons will not fail him in the
combat.

CHAPTER III.

CEEATION PROPER— CoNTiNtTED.

Gen. i. 1. — " In the beginning God created the heaven and
the earth."

IMPOET OP THE TEEM " HEAYEN." — IMPOET OF THE TEEM
"EAETH." — ILLUSTEATION. — MEANING OF THE PHEASE,
" HEAYEN AND EAETH." — UNIVEESE " CEEATED." — BY
WHOM? — IN WHAT STATE? — WHEN? — EEFLECTIONS.

From the construction we pass on to consider the
import of the terms contained in the proposition,
— " In the beginning God created the heaven and
the earth."

The first question, that demands our attention,
is, What is meant by the term "heaven?" We
understand it to mean the heavenly bodies, — the
sun, moon, and stars, that garnish the blue vault
above us, and impart to this earth the cheerful
light of day, and the sombre hues of night. It is
no valid objection to this opinion to urge, that
the sun, moon, and stars, are represented as con-
stituting the work of the fourth day, since it is
now all but universally admitted, that the refer-

30 CEEATIO^' PEOPER.

ence there is not to the proper creation of these
bodies, but to the setting them apart to certain
uses, there enumerated, connected with this -world.
This term is used in various senses in Scripture.
When associated with the hopes and rewards of
religion, it designates the place Avhere Grod more
immediately makes himself known, — the place
where the Lord Jesus Christ now is, and where,
amidst the praises of holy angels and redeemed
men, he shall for ever dwell. Sometimes it is used
to designate the region of the clouds, as Avhen it is
said, that the heavens were " opened." This is its
meaning in the seventh and eighth verses of this
chapter ; — " And God made the firmament, and
divided the waters that were under the firmament
from the waters that were above the firmament :
and it Avas so. And Grod called the firmament
heaven.''' It is obvious to us, that neither of these
senses can be attached to the term, in this propo-
sition. In the dreams in which men have often
indulged, never, so far as we know, was the heaven,
in this connexion, applied to the home of angels
and redeemed men. But it has been applied to
the region of the clouds — the atmosphere ; and this
opinion has still its advocates.* According to our

* IS^otes on Genesis, by Professor Bush, jVcw York. Re-
marks on the first verse of the narrative. May not the
learned Professor have fallen into this mistake, because of
his not having a clear view of the construction of the passage ?

CEEATIOX PROPER. 31

mind, to aftbrd it a fair statement, is to furuisli its
refutation : " lu^ tlie beginning God created tiie
heaven and the earth," i.e., the atmosphere and
the earth. By this interpretation, the sublime
expression, with Avhich this incomparable composi-
tion opens, is transformed into bombast.

The only meaning, therefore, that can be ex-
tracted from the term, with propriety, in the pre-
sent connexion, is that which has been abeady
stated, namely, the heavenly bodies. It frequently
occurs in this sense in the sacred writings. The
following passages are quoted in support of the
statement : " When I consider thy heavens, the
work of thy fingers, the moon mid the stars which
thou hast ordained:" Ps. viii. 3. — "By the word
of the Lord were the heavens made, and all the
host of them by the breath of his mouth:" Ps.
xxxiii. 6. — "Por by him were created all things
that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible
and invisible : " Col. i. 16. — " Through faith we
understand that the ivorlds were framed by the
word of G-od:" Heb. xi. 3. That which was
framed by the word of God was not the earth and
its atmosphere, but "worlds : " now, there cannot
be a doubt that it is to the event under considera-
tion that the Apostle refers in this passage from
the Hebrews. The truth is, the term in this pro-
position can bear no other meaning.

The next term, whose import we must endeavour

32 CEEATION PEOPEE.

to determine, is "earth." As in tlie former ease
the "heaven" is understood to mean the heavenly
bodies, so in this, the " earth" is believed to signify
the globe on which we dwell. This is not its only
signification in the word of God. The inspired
penmen use it, at least, in three senses.*

First, It is used metaphorically, to designate the
inhabitants of the earth. As for example, when
Joshua, contemplating his end, says — "I am
goiug the way of all the earth :" Josh, xxiii. 14. —
" Babylon hath been a golden cup in the Lord's
hand, that made all the earth drunken; the nations
have di'unken of her wine : therefore the nations
are mad:" Jer. li. 7. — Also, "All the earth shall
worship thee, and shall sing, they shall sing to thy
name:" Ps. Ixvi. 4. It is obvious, that in these
passages the " earth" means the inhabitants of the
globe. Secondly, It is used to designate a portion
only of the surface of the globe. That portion
may be great or small, as the case may be ; and
must be determined by the context. It occurs
very often in this connexion; but as we shall
return to this point when considering the second
verse, no illustrative passages are produced at pre-
sent. Thirdly, It is employed to designate the
globe, as a whole ; that is, to express the idea in
the mind, when all that was then understood by the
whole earth, was meant. This is obvious from
* According to Gesenius, it is used in six different senses.

CKEATIOX PEOPEE. 33

those texts already introduced in illustration of
the term heaven. This is its import in the pro-
position before us.

Perhaps, after all, this idea did not include more
than the expanse which was bounded bj the ho-
rizon. To men in their natural state, the space,
bounded by the sunrise and the sunset, consti-
tutes the whole earth. This idea is embodied in the
foUowing beautiful lines, with which LongfeUow
closes his spirited and gorgeous " Song of Hia-
watha." The Teacher, the Spirit of improvement
and good will, among the Indian tribes, is about to
take his departure

" To the regions of the home wind."

The Missionary of the Cross —

" The Blaek-Robe Chief, the Prophet,
He the Priest of Prayer, the Pale-faee,
With his guides and his comi^anions,"

having come

" From the distant land of Wabun,
From the farthest realms of mornmg,"

he bids farewell to all the warriors, and to all
the young men, and

" Spake persuading, spake in this wise :
' I am going, 0 my people,
On a long and distant journey ;
Many moons and many winters
Will have come and will have vanished

34 CEEATION PEOPEE.

Ere I come again to see you.
But my guests I leave behind me ;
Listen to their words of Trisdom,
Listen to the truth they tell you,
For the Master of Life has sent tliem,
From the land of light and morning.^

" On the shore stood Hiawatha,
Turned and waved his hand at parting ;
On the clear and luminous water
Launched his birch-canoe for sailing,
From the pebbles of the margin
Shoved it forth into the water ;
Whispered to it, 'Westward! westward!'
And with speed it darted forward.

" And the evening sun descending,
Set the clouds on foe with redness,
Burned the broad sky Hke a prairie,
Left upon the level water
One long track and trail of splendour ;
Down whose stream as down a river,
Westward, westward, Hiawatha
Sailed into the fieiy sunset.
Sailed into the purple vapours,
Sailed into the dusk of evening,

" And the people from the margin
Watched him floating, rising, sinking,
Till the birch-canoe seemed lifted
High into that sea of splendour,
TiU it sank into the vapours
Like the new moon slowly, slowly
Sinking in the purple distance.

*' And they said, ' Farewell for ever ! '
Said, 'Farewell, O Hiawatha!'
And the forests dark and lonely.
Moved through aU their depths of darkness.
Sighed, 'Farewell, 0 Hiawatha!'

CREATION PEOPEE. 35

And the waves upon the margm
Eising, rippUng on the pebbles,
Sobbed, 'Farewell, O Hiawatha!'
And the heron, the Shuh-shuh-gah,
From her haunts among the fen lands,
Screamed, ' Farewell, O Hiawatha ! '

" Thus departed Hiawatha,
Hiawatha, the Beloved.
In the glory of the sunset,
In the purple mists of evening,
To the regions of the home-wind.
Of the North-west wind, Iveewaydin,
To the Islands of the Blessed,
To the kingdom of Ponemah,
To the land of the Hereafter ! "

The earth, according to this beautiful legend, is
bounded by

" The portals of the sunset,"
and

" The land of light and morning."

And althougb we are not to interpret the Word
of God by the wild legends of savage tribes, yet
there is a wonderful similarity between them and
certain Bible expressions, both in form and spirit.
Por illustration, take the following ; — " The mighty
God, even the Lord, hath spoken, and called the
earth from the rising of the sun unto the o-oino-
down thereof," Ps. 1. 1; that is, the whole earth,
bounded by the sunrise, and the " going down," or
sunset. "From the rising of the sun unto the
going down of the same the Lord's name is to be
d2

86 CEEATIO^' PROPEE.

praised," Ps. cxiii. 3 ; that is, he is to be praised
by all the earth.

"We must have a care, therefore, not to press the
point too far. The idea which the writer entertained,
and the reader received, in those times, was not that
of a round ball of matter. This is an idea which
the investigations of later times have supplied:
we have received it from astronomy. The fathers of
the Jewish nation seem to have had no idea of the
proper figure of the earth: and the language of
Scripture is of such a nature as, at once, to suit
the popular modes of thinliing, and, as knowledge
increased, to admit of the unfettered exercise of
science. It speaks of "the ends of the earth;"
but every one now knows that the earth has no
ends. In referring to natural objects, its language
is frequently based on the principle of describing
things according to appearances. On the same
principle we ourselves often speak and write, not-
withstanding the amazing increase of scientific
knowledge in our time. But although the ancients
did not attach the idea of a globe to the term earth,
yet when used in such a connexion as this, they
dovibtless understood it to include all tlie matter
that lay beneath their feet.

Prom the above observations it will be clear,
that the idea attached to the phrase " heaven and
earth," is that of the visible material universe.*
* Bucliland's Briclgevvater Treatise, vol. i. p. 21.

CEEATIOJC PEOPER. 37

And this idea is limited, or compreliensive, accord-
ing to tlie knowledge or attainments of those -who
read the narrative. This feature, or quality, in Bible
language is unique, and suggests that its soiu-ce
is different from that of all other compositions.

The universe, in this proposition, is affirmed to
have been created, in the beginning. The Hebrew-
word hara, which our translators have rendered
"created," has different senses attached to it in
the Bible. It means to cut, carve, to form hy
cutting ; to create; to hring forth; to form, to
fasMon (Gresenius). In which of these senses is
it used in this proposition ? It appears to be pro-
perly rendered by our translators. It is a proper
creation that is here referred to ; at least, if this
be not admitted, it will be difficult to find lan-
guage in this, or any other book, that conveys the
idea. We understand the idea to be. In the be-
ginning Grod created, i. e., brought into existence
out of nothing, the material universe.

There are many critics, especially in Grermany,
who deny that hara (create) implies a creation
from nothing. Dr. Pusey, in a note to Buck-
land's Bridgewater Treatise, states this opinion
strongly ; it is also maintained by Professor Bush
of America.

"We doubt," says Professor Hitchcock, "the
soundness of that interpretation which maintains
that Moses does not describe in the first verse of

38 CHEATIO:S' PEOPEE.

his liistorj a creation from nothing. From the
tistis loqicendi of bara, we might not be able to
determine that it teaches a creation from nothing :
for it is undeniably used to signify a creation
from materials already in existence, even in the
first chapter of G-enesis (ver. 27) ; and it also signi-
fies frequently in tlie Scriptures, in a metaphorical
sense, to reneiv, to found, to he the author of any-
tliing, Isa. xlviii. 7; Ps. li. 10. But the same
indefiniteness of meaning attaches to the word
signifying to create, in all languages. We must,
therefore, resort to other means for ascertaining
the sense of hm^a in Gren. i. 1.

" And have we not evidence in various forms of
expression, by which the different writers describe
the universe as created out of nothing, how they
understood this declaration of Moses ? They
speak distinctly of a period when the universe did
not exist ; Ps. xc. 2, Befoi^e tlie mountains tcere
hrought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth
and the icorld ; and Prov. viii. 26, While as yet he
had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the
highest parts of the dust of the ivorld, — 'that is,
the very first elements' (Bush). — Creative power
is represented throughout the Bible as a principal
characteristic by which Grod is distinguished from
idols, who possess not such a power, Isa. xlii. 5 ;
Ps. cxv. 3 ; Jer. x. 10—16 ; Ps. cxlvi. 6 ; Isa. xlv.
9, seq. ; Acts xvii. 24;. Finally, the Scriptures

CREATION PEOPEE. 39

represent the imiyerse as <;rcated out of nothing.
Heb. xi. 3, J5i/ faith u-e are certain that the tvorld
tvas created hij the decree or will of God; so that
what we see was made out of nothing.''''*

After some able remarks on tlie nature and
usage of the word rendered "created," Professor
Moses Stuart thus concludes :— " These, I believe,
are all the cases in which lara is employed in the
Hebrew scriptures ; and from these nothing can be
derived to favour the hypothesis of some geologists,
that the earth is eternal. Paul has interpreted the
passage for us ; and if he had not, the nature of the
narrative in Gren. i. would do it, so as to leave no
well-grounded doubt. Only look for a moment on
the course of thought in the writer. After the
heavens and the earth were created, the earth w^as
still a waste and desolation, i. e., all the furniture
which was afterwards supplied — all the forms of
animated and organic being, the divisions of land
and water, and even the existence of light, as yet
were unknown or had no being. If Grod did not
hring into existence, then, the heavens and the
earth at the beginning, what did he do ?" t

* Geology and the Mosaic History of the Creation. In his
recent work, The Eehgion of Greology, Professor Hitchcock
expresses himself in similar terms.

t Philological View, &c., p. 19. It is to be observed, that
this quotation is inserted solely in connexion with the idea
attached to the term create m the opening sentence of the
narrative.

40 CEEATIOX PEOPER.

"WTiatever conclusion some critics may have ar-
rived at on this point, it appears to us, that the
plain reader cannot resist the conclusion, that the
language is intended to teach, that, in the begin-
ning, when nought existed but Grod, he brought
into existence the material universe ; and of course
it must have been from nothing, seeing that mat-
ter did not exist, till it existed at, and in accord-
ance with, the divine command. But this ia the
only creation of which this proposition knows
anything.

Nor can any objection be fairly urged against
this opinion on the ground of its being to us an
impossibility to produce something from nothing.
It must be remembered who the Creator is, — he is
the Almighty. There is nothing too hard for him.
It is one of the doctrines of the Bible about which
there is no dispute, among those who receive that
book as divine, that " Grod created the heaven :and
the earth." We have seen that the idea of crea-
tion, in this connexion, implies the bringing of the
universe into existence for the first time ; and with
the idea that we necessarily form of God, we do not
feel it repugnant to reason to acquiesce in this
view. Nay, reason will not be satisfied till efi'ects
are traced upwards, through their causes, to the
first and adequate cause of all. Eevelation contains
the result at which reason arrives by a more cir-
cuitous route.

CREATION PROPER. 41

In what state was the universe when G-od called
it into existence ? Did it start into being a com-
plete system ? Did the sun shine in his place in
the heavens, encircled by his planets, and these
again by their satellites or moons ? Did the fixed
stars find themselves accompanied then by m}Tiads
of lesser worlds, in all the magnificent profusion
with which they now stud the heavens ? The
point was reached in the flow of eternity when
time should begin ; — and did it begin by the start-
ing into being of this great, glorious universe, com-
plete in all its arrangements, and harmonious in all
its movements ? Or, did matter present a more
elementary appearance ? Was it produced in dull,
amorphous masses, or did it float in space, rare as
the matter of a comet, and diftusing itself as a
imiversal "fire-mist"?

These are questions which open wide the gates
of speculation, and though we may not return
with a solution, yet we are not forbidden to enter ;
but we must put our shoes from our feet, for the
ground is holy. On these questions the Bible is
altogether silent. It announces the fact ; it never
even refers to the mode in which that fact was
established. God spake, and it was done; he
commanded, and all things stood fast. I'arther,
the Bible does not gratify our curiosity ; but it
does not proscribe researches into the book of
nature, with a view to the solution of questions

42 CEEATIO]S' PEOPEE.

such as tliese. "We turn to science ; alas ! she
throws on this point but a glimmering light, — a
light in the estimation of the cautious portion of
mankind, only rendering the darkness more pal-
pable.

What is the voice oe ASTEOifOMX?

The field over which she stretches her gaze is
vast, and the worlds of which she takes cognizance
are innumerable. She visits suns, and systems,
and firmaments ; describes their appearance, and
order, and magnitude ; and calculates their veloci-
ties, and measures their distances. She has even
formed an estimate of the relative weight of num-
bers of the heavenly bodies. But in what state
matter came from the hand of the Creator, she
hath been unable to say. "What she may do, or
may not do, it is not for us to af&rm ; that she
hath not yet solved this problem is certain.

It is true that the shape of oiu* earth, for ex-
ample, being flattened at the poles, and bulged out
at the equator, points to a time when the mass of
matter, of which it is composed, seems to have been
in a softer state than it is at present. This, together
with the fact that the temperature of the internal
parts of the earth is high, has led to the conclusion
that the globe was originally in a semi-fluid state.
It was long thought, and eloquently maintained, by
some astronomers,''^ that the nebular hypothesis dis-
* Nichol's Architecture of the Ilcavens.

CEEATIO:?^ PROPEE. 43

closed tlie whole secret, relative to the formation
and development of worlds and systems. The Earl
of Kosse's powerful telescope has resolved some of
the nebulae, that had previously resisted the great-
est power that could be brought to bear upon
them. The nebular liypothesis disappears with
these nebuhe ; and along with it, the "fire-mist"
of the author of the " Yestiges of the Natural His-
tory of Creation." This theory passed before us
like a " splendid vision ;" some of us were willing
to be dazzled by its brightness ; but, like a dream
of the night, it has vanished away. The state in
which the universe was, when it was brought into
existence, is as deeply wrapped in mystery now, as
it was when Herschel and La Place were first
penetrated with the germ-thought of this now
abandoned hypothesis.

As for the spheroidal figure of the earth, and its
molten contents, we have sometimes feared that too
much has been attempted to be made of them.
We are not sure if more can legitimately be made
of these facts than this, namely, that at the time
when our globe began its diurnal motion, the
matter of which it is composed was of such a con-
sistence as to permit it to take its well-known
figure ; and as the central parts of the earth
sustain a very high temperature, and fixcts prove
that its surface was, in former ages, or epochs,
much more warm, it may be concluded, that heat

44 ceeatio:n" peoper.

was the cause of that particular consistence \Yhich
the globe sustained when hurled into space.

"What is the voice of geology ?

The geologist finds, that as he penetrates the
different formations that make up the crust of the
globe, the fossil remains depart further and further
from the type of present creation. At length he
arrives, in the descending order, at a rocky plat-
form, which once formed the surface of the earth,
or a part of it, but which bears no impress of life,
vegetable or animal. It has been thought by-
some, that as there are indications, as we descend,
of higher temperature than the earth sustains at
present, those rocks, that are uon-fossiliferous, were
too hot for the existence of life, thus showing that
the original state of the globe was that of a liquid
mass, which was cooled down by slow degrees, and
became the theatre of order, and beauty, and life,
many ages after it had occupied its appointed place
in the vast plan of creation.

The lower schists being destitute of fossil re-
mains, does not prove that plants and creatures
did not exist during their formation. For first,
but a small portion of these rocks is exposed to
view; a smaller portion of them has been ex-
amined ; consequently, for aught that we know to
the contrary, they may be the repositories of
organic remains. Secondly, although no remains
were to be found, still that would not prove the

CREATIOJT PROPEE. 45

point, for the changes through which these rocks
are believed to have passed, were extremely un-
favourable to the preservation of fossil impres-
sions. The conclusions that have been come to
on this point by many distinguished men, appear
to us to be too hasty and too sweeping. We know
too little of the subject to theorise with safety ;
and the circumstances through which these rocks
have passed — of pressure, and heat, and chemical
change — warn us, that in their case, analogy is not
a safe guide.

The light, then, which geology throws upon
the question before us, is little clearer, if any,
than that emitted by astronomy. These sciences
give us, as yet, but an approximation ; what they
shall do in the hands of our children, it is im-
possible to state, and would be foolish to con-
jecture. The direction in w^hich they point has
been plainly indicated. Others may see farther
than we profess to do ; but as we have arrived at
the outskirts of the region oi fact, it would but
amuse the reader to lead him into the land of
fancy.

AVhen did the creating energy go forth, and
bring into existence this great universe ? At first
\dew, no question appears more simple, and yet
its solution will try the most deeply versed in
sacred and scientific lore. "Wlien ? — "In the
beginning." This is no answer to the question.

46 CREATION PROPER.

it simply removes the difficulty a step back.
Unless we know when the beginning was, i. e.,
how far back it is to be measured from the pre-
sent date — the question obviously remains un-
answered. It is certain that it is somewhere
about six thousand years since man Avas placed
upon the earth ; is not the universe of the same
age as our species ? On this point there has
been much confusion; we fear not a little still
prevails.

Observe, first, from the Old Testament chro-
nology, we arrive at the age of our species.
Secondly, it is nowhere stated that the universe
is just six thousand years old; neither is it any-^
where implied that man and the universe were
brought into existence at the same time. Thirdly,
we have seen that there is a break in the narra-
tive after the first verse; thus separating the
creation of the "heaven and the earth," from
the creation of "man," by an interval which
no mortal dare compute. Fourthly, the facts of
geology prove that it was a long interval, but
hint not hoiv long.

The error into which Christians have fallen,
could not perhaps be easily avoided. They joined
the two events — the creation of the universe, and
the creation of man ; and as the creation of man
took place about six thousand years ago, the con-
clusion at which they arrived was inevitable, that

CREATION PROPER. 47

this also was the age of the universe. It is easy to
account for the existence of the mistake ; it can-
not long stand before a sound and comprehensive
exegesis. "We hold by the universally received
opinion, that man has been an inhabitant of this
globe only for about six thousand years'; but we
must maintain that the globe itself has been much
longer in existence. Moses advances nothing con-
trary to this ; the evidence in its favour from
science is overwhelming. Few will be disposed to
argue, that the evidence of science should not be
received on this point.* We are not to be influ-
enced by everything which some men may call
science ; but those facts that are clearly genuine
cannot be disregarded. The author of revelation
is the author of nature ; his children must listen to
his voice in both.

The phrase on which we are now remarking,
occurs in the New Testament, in connexion with
another subject; and a comparison of the two
passages confirms the view for which we contend.
We refer to the opening sentence of the gospel by
the apostle John. "In the beginning was the
Word, and the Word was with God; and the
Word was God." The "beginning," in this pas-

* The distinguislied author of tlie *' Philological Yiew of
the Modern Doctrine of Geology," occupies this ground.
The principle against which he so strenuously contends in
this case must be practically admitted by him in others.

48 CllEATIOl^' PEOPEE.

sage, doubtless refers to the commencement of the
material system ; and the apostle declares that
when this system took its rise, the Word ivas.
But there is no hint by which we can arrive at the
age of the universe. It had a commencement, but
how deep that commencement lies in the mysteri-
ous past, it hath pleased Grod to shroud in impene-
trable darkness.

AVe do not understand the term "beginning" to
stretch over a period of time, during which the
earth underwent certain changes by which it was
fitted to become the habitation of Life. No : our
meaning is, this term indicates the i^oint whence
time began to flow ; — the ono^nent when the divine
command went forth that there should be a imi-
verse, and a universe was. We have no data on
which to rest, even a conjecture, as to when this
act took effect ; only there is evidence that it was
much earlier than six thousand years ago.

" In the beginning Grod created the heaven and
the earth." That is, as we have explained it, At a
point i?t the flow of existence, not indicated in the
narrative, hut indefinitely far hack, God called into
existence, out of nothing, the material universe.

A few reflections may form a suitable conclusion
to this chapter. In the creation of the " heaven
and the earth," we are furnished with a wonderful
manifestation of God's character; and his works
constitute a source of ever-increasing glory to his

CEEATION PEOPEE. 49

great name. The Spirit doubtless intended that
this proposition should meet certain points of great
importance. It distinctly affirms that the material
universe had a beginning. Matter is not eternal,
as many of the ancients supposed, and some of the
moderns would fain have us to believe. On other
grounds, this conclusion might have been arrived
at ; but here it is fixed by the highest, because
divine authority. G-od is eternal ; but in opposition
to all opinions that have prevailed, that do prevail,
or may prevail, tliis proposition affirms that every-
thing else had a beginning.

Kot only is the universe not eternal, it is
declared to have had a determinate beginning.
The atoms that compose the "heaven and the
earth" did not rise into existence by chance, and
congregate at hap-hazard. Our solar systems, and
vast firmaments, did not stand forth in their sub-
lime perfection, as the residt of the inherent
qualities of matter. No: nature, no less than
revelation, teaches us, that there was an originating,
and regulating, and determining mind present when
the universe rose into existence. God was the
creator ; and he it was who impressed upon matter
the varied forms it presents, and inspired it with
that perfect order that reigns throughout the
whole.

This proposition is further intended to teach the
unity of the Creator. In the times of the Jewish

50 C:^ATIOIT PKOPEE.

lawgiver, the nations had departed from the know-
ledge of the true God ; they worshipx3ed lords many
and gods many. All, with the exception of the
Hebrews, were sunk in polytheism ; and how long
even they might remain an exception, had become
a question. To confirm his people, to hold up
a testimony to the truth to all around, and safely
to deposit that truth for the benefit of future ages,
the Lord the Spirit places this proposition on the
openmg page of his revelation to men.

At this period, the "hosts of heaven" had be-
come the objects of religious regard to some of the
surrounding nations. God's own people were prone
to follow the practices of their neighbours ; they
were apt to be influenced more by objects of sense
than of faith. To show the absurdity of the
worship of the heavenly bodies, and to operate as a
check upon the sensuous likings and tendencies of
his people, there is introduced, at the commence-
ment of their sacred books, the important state-
ment, that these very bodies, to which divine
homage was paid by the nations, were the works of
HIS hands.

In the wide field of science there is nothing
to contradict, but many things to corroborate
these conclusions.

CHAPTER IV.

CEEATION PEOPER— Continued. •

PEOFESSOR Powell's mythic theoet examined — othee

THEOEIES, UNTENABLE — OBJECTIONS TO THE VIEWS AD-
VANCED IN THE POEMEE CHAPTEE CONSIDEEED.

"When speaking of the various methods by which it
has been sought to reconcile the Mosaic narrative
with the facts of science, we referred to the theory
that reduces the former to a mythic poem. It is
now our purpose to notice this theory more in
detail ; and also one or two others of more recent
origin.

In discussing the mythic theory, we shall confine
ourselves to the statements of Professor Baden
Powell, in his article on " Creation," w^hich appears
in Dr. Kitto's " Cyclopaedia of Biblical Literature."

After taking a rapid survey of the leading the-
ories of interpretation, he concludes that all of
them fail in accomplishing the object contem-
plated— the reconciliation of the narrative with the
facts of geology. He then proceeds to say, — " If,
then, we would avoid the alternative (otherwise
E 2

52 CEEATIOT^ PEOPEE.

inevitable) of being compelled to admit what must
amount to impugning tbe truth of these portions,
at least, of the Old Testament, "we surely are
bound to give fair consideration to the only sug-
gestion which can set us entirely free from all the
difficulties arising from the geological contradiction,
which does and must exist against any conceivable
interpretation which retains the assertion of the
historical character of the details of the narrative,
as referring to the distinct transactions of each of
the seven periods.

" The one grand fact, couched in the general
assertion that all things were created by the sole
power of one Supreme Being, is the whole of the
representation to which an historical character can
be assigned. As to the particular form in which
the descriptive narrative is conveyed, we merely
afSrm that it cannot be history — it may be poetry.'"

This is a great deal to "affirm;" and several
important considerations must be satisfactorily dis-
posed of, before the Professor's affirmation Avill
command the general approbation of intelligent
Christians. Our author is an enlightened and
firm believer in the facts of geology ; he is also a
believer in the Bible ; and the conviction that this
portion of Scripture, either as popularly or philo-
sophically interpreted, contradicts these facts, has
led him to give ear to the " suggestion" that it
may be, as a whole, a mythic poem. How far the

CEEATION PROPEE. 53

reception of tliis suggestion may be consistent
with liis belief in the inspiration of the Bible, we
shall not say — this is not the point at issue.
Doubtless he will be able to satisfy his own mind
in the matter.

In the article on wliich we are commenting,
there is much with which we agree ; and not a
little from which we beg to differ. What we
intend to advance on the subject is arranged
under the following particulars : —

1. He affirms that all the interpretations, which
he enumerates, are opposed to the plain meaning
of the narrative, and have been suggested by the
consideration of certain scientific conclusions ; and
this he looks upon as an insuperable obstacle to
their reception. From this, one would expect
that the theory which he substitutes will be in
keeping with the common sense Adew of the
narrative, and not "suggested" by scientific con-
siderations. How far our expectations are realized,
will appear presently.

2. There does not appear to be any fact referred
to in the article, which cannot be reconciled mth
the last theory of interpretation referred to by him,
namely, that of the venerable Dr. J. Pye Smith,
and which is the groundwork of this treatise.

3. The reasons assigned for the rejection of these
interpretations may be urged with, at least, equal
force against his own. They (the rejected inter-

54i CEEATION PEOPER.

pretations) attach a sense to the narrative whicli
would never occur to the plain reader ; and " some
consideration of scientific conclusions has been the
main motive which suggested" them. Now it
could scarcely be affirmed, that the plain reader
would ever have discovered that the Mosaic nar-
rative ''cannot be history''— though, "it may be
poetry.'" And the author, in one of the paragraphs
quoted above, speaks of the necessity of giving a
"fair consideration to the only suggestion which
can set us entirely free from all the difficulties
arising from the geological contradiction," &c.

4. According to our author's own showing,
therefore, another interpretation than that which
would occur to a plain reader, must be adopted ;
and in adoptmg that interpretation, care must be
had " to give a fair consideration" to scientific con-
clusions. The matter is thus brought into small
compass. The question is this : Shall we call the
narrative a onytJi, and at once get rid of all diffi-
culties ? or shall we give a meaning to the terms
of the narrative, which they can bear without
violence, thus retaining at once the integrity of
the history, and the facts of the science ? There
does not appear to be great difficulty in making
our choice. In either case there is a notion
entertained concerning this narrative, which, it is
admitted, might not occur to the plain reader;
and in either case this notion is partly suggested

CEEATIOTT PEOPEE. 55

by the consideration of scientific conclusions. So
far the two theories are equaL If there is no
reason why I should view this narrative— possess-
ing all the characteristics of a real history — as a
myth, or fable, but this, that the facts of science
contradict the popular interpretation of it ; and if,
as we believe, and hope to show in the sequel,
that there is an interpretation in accordance with
all the terms of the passage, and with which the
facts of science harmonize, can I hesitate which
interpretation to adopt ?

It serves no purpose to say, that our view is not
that which a plain reader would take, and has
been adopted in accordance with certain scientific
considerations. The other stands in the same
predicament ; and he who holds it cannot consist-
ently condemn our view, on the ground on which
he rests his own. We may be charged with
making revelation bend to science. This we can-
not admit. The fact stands thus: The interpre-
tation we give of the narrative is founded on the
literal meaning and Bible usage of the terms ; and
in settling their meaning in this narrative, we call
in the aids of the science of geology. The works
of God are made to illustrate his word; and few
we think will deny, that in this case our views of
the latter may be much enlarged, and perhaps
corrected, by the judicious use of the former.

Having found an interpretation which harmon-

56 CEEATIOK" PEOPEE.

izes the different parts of the narrative with the
conclusions of science, there is no necessity for
adopting one so violent as that of Professor Powell.
And even had there been none, it would still have
been a grave matter to take up one, which could
only be received at the expense, as it appears to us,
of the inspiration of the Word of Grod. Had the
position occupied by geology been such, that nothing
would satisfy it but the mythic view of the Mosaic
narrative, the wiser course of the friends of that
narrative would have been, to resist any attempts
to harmonize the two, till the former had made
greater advancement, and rested on a wider induc-
tion of facts.

Science does not demand this interpretation;
the Bible will not admit of it. The sublimity
of the narrative is unapproachable ; but this does
not constitute it a mytli. It professes to be
history; it has every characteristic of a real
history; in these circumstances we must receive
it as history. And receiving it as such, we
persuade ourselves, that, with our interpretation,
it does not contradict the conclusions of science.

Other theories have been broached, and one
of them at least maintained with considerable
ingenuity; but unfortunately for its stability
and permanence, the reader who is guided more
by judgment than by imagination will, we fear,
consider its foundation very insecure. What has

CEEATIO:S" PROPEE. 57

been said in connexion witli the mytliic tlieory,
may be repeated here; — Several important con-
siderations must be satisfactorily disposed of before
the opinion, that the Mosaic creation passed before
the Avriter as a vision, will command the general
approbation of intelligent Christians. The question
is not, whether Grod ever made known his will to
men by visions, or whether he could picture the
past, as well as the future, before the mmd of man ;
but this is the question,-!- Js tJiere amj proof that
the Mosaic creation loas placed lefore Moses in
vision ? It may be imagined ; it may be suggested,
as a feasible hypothesis ; but it cannot be said to be
proved. There are writers on all sides of this
question, who would do well to remember that
dogmatism is not reasoning, that assertion is not
proof.

It has been objected to the view of the first
verse of this narrative, given in the preceding
chapter, that the Hebrews, for whose use, in the
first instance, it was written, did not understand
astronomy. Be it so, that they were ignorant
of this science, must the phrase "heaven and
earth," in that case, be altogether unintelHgible
to them ? Could they not understand it to mean
the visible universe, although they knew notliing of
the principles of geology, or the laws of astron-
omy? Are there not multitudes in the present
time, as profoundly ignorant of these sciences,

58 CEEATIOTf PEOPER.

as ever the Hebrews are supposed to have been,
who would, nowithstanding, have no difficulty in
telling you, that tbey understood by the phrase
"heaven and earth," the world in which they live,
and the skies, with sun, moon, and stars, above
them ? If the general import of the phrase could
not be understood without the aids of science,
then, how wide-spread, and long continued must
have been the ignorance of our race ! ^slj, if this
objection be vahd, the vast majority of men, at the
present moment, must have no idea at all in their
minds, when they read concerning, or look upon
the "heaven and the earth."

This is one of the excellencies of Bible language.
The phrase is perfectly adapted to the under-
standings of men in a rude and comparatively
ignorant state, and cannot be shown to be at
variance, in the slightest degTee, with the most
advanced philosophy. Thus, though Scriptiu-e does
not professedly teach scientific truth, yet its state-
ments which have reference to science, and which
are put forth on the principle of describing things
according to their appearances, beautifully har-
monize with the facts of the sciences. This could
not be said of any existing human composition,
even though the author enjoyed all the advantages
of modern discovery. From this objection springs
an argument in support of the inspiration of that
book, to undermine which it was originally advanced:

CEEATIOl^ PEOPER. 59

— If no human composition can stand this test, the
book that can, must have a superhuman origin.

Another objection has been raised. It has been
said, that there is great incongruity in classing the
earth, such an insignificant object comparatively,
with the heavens. It is argued that this way of
speaking gives undue importance to the earth, and
is philosophically incorrect ; therefore God, who
knows all things, and views all things as they are,
could not be the author of this book. However
insidious this assault may be, the Bible will sufier
nothing from it. It is admitted that the earth is
as a grain of sand by the sea-shore, in comparison
(collectively) with the worlds that revolve in the
heavens. And it is also admitted that it is in-
dividually less than many of the stars. The
objector has all the advantage of a frank ad-
mission.

But is the objection valid ? Mark the following
things : 1. The Scriptures do not profess to furnish
any philosophical or scientific theory. — A\^hy, then,
treat them as if they did ? The plausibility of the
objection rests exclusively on the misunderstanding
of the olject of the inspired writings. 2. God, who
knows all things, and views all things as they are in
themselves, is sometimes pleased so to humble him-
self as to speak of these things on the principle of
appearances, and of their relative importance to us.
The reader of the Bible must be well acc^uainted

60 CEEATION PEOPEE.

witli tliis principle, since it pervades every part of
it. And liad it not been acted upon, the object of
the revelation would have been greatly, if not
entirely, defeated. Why, then, overlook such an
obvious principle in our criticisms on this book ?
3. The language here objected to, is in constant
use in the best society on similar topics. "We are
constantly speaking of things according to ap-
pearances. Nor can this be ascribed to ignorance
in every case. The astronomer, for example,
knows that the sun does not rise and set, yet in
his intercourse with his fellow men, he speaks of
sunset and sunrise from the appearances at these
seasons. Does the objector condemn the philoso-
pher for this ? It might be replied, " "Were
Herschel to compose a new treatise on astronomy,
would he speak of the sun rising and setting?"
Assuredly not, we answer ; and had the Bible pur-
posed to describe the mechanism of the iiniverse,
neither would it have spoken in the language in
which it does. It must be obvious to every one,
that this objection rests on a misapprehension, or a
misrepresentation of the object the Bible contem-
plates, and the principle on which a great part of it
is wi'itten. Its object is to make knoAvn to men
the Avay to, heaven, and prepare them for its
exercises and its enjoyments; and when it refers
to natural objects, it speaks according to appear-
ances, yet always so as to prevent collision between

CREATION PEOPER. 61

its statements, and the authenticated facts of
science. And there never will come a time when
a collision shall take place; for, as science pro-
gresses, the marvellous language of the Book of
God win accommodate itself to man's clearer and
more comprehensive views of nature.

Suppose the reader were enjoying the beauties
of a fine sunset in company with the philosopher
just named, would he doubt his senses, and ques-
tion Avhether, after all, this were the great astron-
omer, because, after having written the treatise on
this sublime science in the Cabinet CyclopcBdia, he
spoke, as every person of sane mind would speak,
of the sun deiKirting, and leaving behind him that
peculiar and lovely radiance that tinges all it
touches with golden hues ? ISTo ; why, then,
admit the operation of a principle, without chal-
lenge, in the case of a creatui-e, and demur to it
when the speaker is the Creator ?

CHAPTEK V.

AGE OF THE EAETH.— OLDER PALAEOZOIC
PERIOD.

HiTHEETO, nothing has been said concerning the
geological evidence in favour of the antiquity of
the globe. Before entering upon this department,
it behoved us to consider the philological argu-
ment in favour of that conclusion.

According to our judgment, the narrative not
only admits of, but demands, a greater age for
the earth, than that generally ascribed to it. How
much greater ? — it furnishes no evidence on which
we can return an answer to this question. Although
geology does not attempt to settle this point, which
the Bible leaves unsettled, yet it demonstrates that
the earth has been in existence for many, many
epochs, prior to its being fitted up for the habitation
of man. AVe deem it impossible for an intelligent
person to avoid this conclusion, when he passes
before his mind the numerous facts which the
crust of the earth supplies, in favour of its own
antiquity.

It is now oiu' piu'pose to supply a brief sketch

OLDER PALEOZOIC PERIOD. 63

of the strata of which the crust of the earth is
composed, premising that in many respects it
must be incomplete, owing to the limited space
our plan aUots to this department. StiU, though
general, we hope it wiU be found correct as far as
it goes, and thus furnish sufficient evidence on
which to rest our conclusions. The sources whence
our information is dra^vn will be referred to as we
proceed, so that the reader, who is desirous of
having a more enlarged view of the subject than
we profess to furnish, may have the opportunity of
gratifying that desire.
^ The rocks that compose the earth's crust are
either of igneous or aqueous origin. The former
do not, and the latter do, present a stratified ap-
pearance. That is, the former are found in thick
masses, and the latter present the appearance of
being composed of a number of beds, lying con-
formable to each other, like the leaves of a volume.
AU the beds of aU the stratified rocks are not,
indeed, found sustaining this relation to each other'.
They lie in hmdles, if we may so speak, and may
be not inaptly compared to a number of volumes,
cast together without the slightest attention to
order. The leaves of each volume lie conformable
to each other; but the volumes themselves are
grouped together at aU angles.

The igneous rocks, again, such as granite and
the diflerent varieties of trap, are destitute of this

64 A&E OF THE EAETH :

character. They tower upwards in vast, irregular
masses, forming the summits of most of our moun-
tain ranges; or pour themselves between strata
of aqueous origin, in wedge-formed masses ; and
often, especially in the coal measures, the latter
Qxe seen protruding above the sandstone, and
forming low, roimded hills that greatly beautify
the level country. These rocks are known by
other characteristics, which may be ascertained
by looking into any elementary work on the
science.

We do not dwell on this class of rocks, but pro-
ceed to the consideration of the other. Imme-
diately above the granite, which may be said to
form the groundwork of the strata, vast masses
of rock, which appear stratified, but have under-
gone great changes by being exposed to heat, are
found in many parts of the earth. These are
called gniess, mica-schist, and clay-slate. On
account of the changes they have undergone, they
have got the name of metamo7j)Jiic rocks. These
also we pass, simply remarking, that, if these for-
mations, several thousand feet thick, were depo-
sited in the manner of other sedimentary rocks,
as there is reason to believe they were, then no
small portion of time must have been consumed
in the process.

Above the metamorphic rocks lie numerous
beds of sand, lime, flag-stone, and shale. These

OLDER PALEOZOIC PEEIOD. 65

are the first rocks in which fossils are found.
This formation is caUed by different names. In
our own islands it has been called the Cumlrimi
and Cambrian series, and Bilurian system, from the
localities where it was first and most successfully
investigated. On the Continent it is represented
by the slaty, flag, and sandstones, and grauwache.
This variety in nomenclature is exceedingly puzzHng
to beginners ; but in the past circumstances of the
science it could not weU be avoided. Eecent
authors show a desire to rectify this evil. It
would certainly be a great encouragement to the
study of the science if it were removed, as we
doubt not many are deterred from prosecuting
this dehghtful study by the hopeless confusion
they find themselves involved in, when they dis-
cover almost every author and labourer in the
field, employing a nomenclature of his own.

The rocks included under these various desig-
nations are here called FaJaozoic. This term,
indicating merely the fact that the strata so called^
contain the fossil rem'ains of the earHest formed
animals, may, "with great advantage, be employed
to designate a comprehensive group ; and, from its
perfect applicability, and the absence of any allusion
to theory, it is likely soon to come into general
use." But it is only of the older palceozoic period
we now speaji ; there is a middle and a neiver period
under this general designation, in the ascending

p

QQ AGE OF THE EAETH :

order, whicli will, by-and-by, demand our attention.
The following table will sbow the various rocks,
and the general order in which they occur in the
older Palaeozoic period. The number commences
with the lowest in order :—

7. Upper Ludlow sliale,

6. Aymestry orXudlow lime-
stone,

5. Lower Ludlow sliale,

Ludloio Series.

TJPPEE

SlLTJEIAN.

4. Wenlock limestone, | WenlocTc Series.

3. Wenlock shale, j

2. Caradoc sandstone, \ Lowee Silueian.

1. Llandeilo flags, )

This period includes seven distinct groups of
rocks, and these are separated by Sir E. I. Mur-
chison into two divisions, namely, the upper and
lower Silurian. The beds denominated the Llan-
deilo flags (1) are composed of sandy dark col-
oured deposits, splitting into flag-stones. They
contain mica and lime, but not in large quantities.
Immediately above these flag-stones, there is found
an immense mass of sandstone (2), with bands of
limestone. These, the oldest fossiliferous strata,
form the Protozoic group of Professor Sedgwick.
They consist, on the whole, of beds highly argillace-
ous or clayey, succeeded by others almost exclusively
arenaceous or sandy; "the clay being usually
changed into slates or shales, with cleavage planes,
and the sand forming sandstones ; usually fissile, or
splitting readily, in consequence of the presence of

OLDER PALAEOZOIC PEEIOD. Q7

mica distributed through the whole to a greater or
less extent.

" But these sandy and clayey beds are not with-
out occasional interruptions, caused by the interven-
tion of calcareous bands, or rather lumps of cal-
careous matter, which become graduaUy more
abundant and more extensive as we approach
the newer type; and it is chiefly in these lumps
that the fossils are found that characterise the
formation. In Merionethshire, however, and in
Snowdonia (the district of Snowdou), slaty masses
of great thickness contain, in certain places, fossil
bands, or are themselves fossiliferous ; and it has
been w^ell ascertained that there are several thou-
sand feet of these below the Bala limestone.

" Throughout this vast extent of vertical thick-
ness many species, and groups of species, are
perfectly continuous; and the Cumbrian and
Cambrian strata are not characterised by fossils
which separate them from the lower Siliman rocks.
The zoological type of these latter strata is thus
shown to be the oldest that can be detected in
jS'orth AVales, which is, beyond a doubt, that
country of all others in Europe, hitherto described,
where there is the most complete development of
the inferior strata."*

IS'ext in order comes the Wenlock shale (3), a
large mass of clayey beds, containing occasionally
* Ansted.

r 2

68 AGE or THE EARTH:

impure limestone. The "Wenlock limestone (4)
rests conformably on the shale, and is largely and
beautifully developed in some parts of England.
It is seen to great advantage in the fine escarpment
of Wenlock Edge : and it forms the site of Dudley
Castle. The concretions are massive, used for
limeburning, and are generally loaded with fossils —
corals and encrinites. The lower Ludlow shale (5)
resembles that already described. The Aymestry
limestone (6) differs from the Wenlock limestone,
and is many feet thick. It contains numerous
fossils, for a bed so low in the series of strata ; and
one of them is remarkable, and of great beauty,
namely, Fentamerus Kniglitii. Above this lie the
upper Ludlow shales ; some of which are absolutely
filled ^\ith the shells of a species of Brachiopoda
(Terebratula navicula).

The rocks of this period, it thus appears, contain
fossils in great abundance, principally of creatures
of a comparatively simple organization. MoUusks
and crustaceans are found in vast numbers : and
the same species are spread over extensive portions
of the earth in similar formations. Corals also
abound, and, as in later formations, compose, in
great part, some of the calcareous beds. In the
lower rocks of this period there are no remains of
fish ; but in the upper they make their appearance,
though only in a fragmentary state.

"The upper beds of the upper Ludlow rock —

OLDEU pal-t;ozoic period. G9

those, therefore, which form the uppermost and
newest of the Silurian system — consist chiefly of
yellowish sandstones of very fine grain, and slightly
micacious, which succeeded the calcareous strata
just described, with the interruption of a greyish
coloured stone. Near Do^Ynton Castle there is a
bed of greenish-grey argillaceous sandstone, resting
on these sandy and flaggy beds, and almost made up
of the remains of fucoids, and the columns of some
soft zoophyte, which is overlaid by another fossil-
iferous bed, seldom exceeding a few inches in thick-
ness, and occasionally dwindling to a quarter of an
inch. This singular stratum is a matted mass of the
scales, defensive fins, jaws, teeth, and coprolites of
fishes united together, with a few small shells, by a
cement in which various proportions of carbonate
of lime, iron, phosphate of lime, and bitumen are
disseminated. Above this again, a succession of
micacious sandstones passes insensibly into the
lower beds of the old red sandstone, and completes
the series of Silurian strata."*

These formations, with their characteristic or-
ganic remains, occur in very distant parts of the
earth. The same, or similar rocks, are largely
developed in Germany, Scandinavia, Kussia, Africa,
Australia, North and South America.

Now, the reader will observe that this system,
composed of many thousand feet of various kinds
* Ansted.

70 AGE OF THE EAETH.

of rock, lias been gradually deposited at tlie bot-
tom of the then existing seas. The appearance of
the beds indicate this; their mineralogical charac-
ter points to the same conclusion. The fossils
Tvhich they enclose demonstrate also their sedi-
mentary origin. This is the settled opinion of
every competent authority upon the subject. And
the geologist, therefore, concludes, on what appears
to him sufficiently good evidence, that a very long
period must have elapsed from the time when the
substance of the Llandeilo flags was carried down
wards to the sea, by chemical and mechanical
causes, and spread out upon its bottom, till the
time when the upper Ludlow shales were deposited.
"We dare not venture to fix the length of this
period ; for although we may be persuaded that it
is indeed long, yet the evidence is such that our
conclusions, in regard to time, are not absolute, but
comparative. It is, however, within the truth to
say, that it must have extended over many thousand
years. But the reader is reminded that the rocks
of this period constitute but a small portion of the
earth's crust, and therefore scarcely help us to an
approximation to its age.

CHAPTER VI.

AGE OF THE EAETH.— MIDDLE PALEOZOIC
PERIOD.

In the ascending order, the next system the geolo-
gist reaches, is that commonly known as the Old
red sandstone, or Devonian. It is, in many
respects, a system of great interest. The extent of
its development, the physical aspects it presents,
and the organic remains enclosed in its various
beds, render its investigation a source of no ordi-
nary interest to the naturalist. Strange as it may
appear, little was known of this system till within
a few years. The notices of it were few, brief,
and frequently incorrect. Such was the ignorance
that prevailed upon the subject, that it was pro-
posed, at a date not very far back, to divide its
rocks between the system on which it rests, and
the carboniferous system that overlies it.

Little more than twenty years ago, the formation
so largely developed in Devon, and hence caUed
Devonian, was a terra incognita to geologists. In

72 AGE OF THE EARTH :

Scotland, and on the Continent, very little more
was known of it at that period, though it exists in
these countries in enormous masses.

"Within the last twenty-five years, and especially
since the year 1836, a band of most devoted and
able geologists have been indefatigable in their
investigations into this system, among whom are
Murchison, Sedgwick, and H. Miller. The results
of their labours are now before the public. Two
points have been established by them : — namely,
first, a great and interesting system is proved to
exist at a point in the geological scale that for-
merly was blank, or stood as the border-ground
of the upper Silurian and the carboniferous sys-
tems. Secondly, this system is shown to contain,
within its stony embrace, a cabinet richly stored
with organic remains — the prevailing type of which
is that of fishes.

"What is known under the names Old red sand-
stone and Devonian, is here included in the desig-
nation Middle Falcsozoic JPeriod. The following
tabular view of the strata, as they are developed
in Scotland, is taken from Mr. Miller's work, the
" Old Eed Sandstone, or New "Walks in an Old
JField," — a work of great value to the student of
this science, and so wonderfully popular in its
descriptions of rocks and organic remains, that it
is equally prized by the general reader. The beds
are placed in natural order.

MIDDLE PALiEOZOIC PEEIOD. 73

(8. Yellow sandstone.
7. Impure limestone (fossiliferous.)
6. Gritty red sandstone.

Middle. 5. Fissile sandstone (fossiliferous.)

'4. Red and variegated sandstones.

LowEE 3. Bituminous schists (fossiliferous.)

FoRiiATiONS. j 2. Coarse sandstones.
1,1. Great conglomerate.

The entire series is not to be found in one
locality. In every instance, one or more of the
members is absent; but when the results of the
researches of various individuals, carried on in
different localities, are brought together, the system
is completed.

This formation is very largely developed in
Scotland. It fringes the coast of a great portion
of the northern part of the island ; forms immense
patches, sometimes rising to great elevations, in
inland districts ; caps some of the -western isles,
and stretches along the south margin of the
G-rampians from the Atlantic to the German
Ocean. At certain points in the band that crosses
the island from south-west to north-east, the beds
are disturbed and tilted up on their edges, form-
ing scenes of romantic interest. On the east,
tliis gives a boldness to the physical features of
the country, which the overlying formation fails
to impart.

In the western district of Perthshire, the con-

74 AGE OF THE EAETH :

glomerate, associated with bands of dark sandstone
and slate, forms a range of low heath-clad hills.
The town of Callander is situated in a lovely vale,
formed by a fault in this formation, down which
the Teith pours its crystal waters. The mass,
which formerly occupied the site of the town, has
apparently been hitched northwards; and now
overhangs this summer retreat, presenting, with
its wooded face, an object of picturesque beauty.
The same beds extend to the mouth of the Frith
of Clyde, and again appear in the island of Arran,
In this last locality, on the north-east side of the
island, on either side the romantic Glen Sannox,
the conglomerate stands out in bold and elevated
masses. Northwards of north Glen Sannox, im-
mense blocks are strewed, in the wildest profusion,
upon the white sea-beach, having been loosened,
at no distant date, from the face of the mountain.

The lowest member of this formation is the
great conglomerate (1). It is composed, as the
name implies, of pebbles adhering together, and
forms a rough, hard rock, largely developed.
Next in order comes coarse sandstone (2), con-
taining a few pebbles. Above this lies an im-
mense thickness of schist (3), containing beds of
limestone, in which are found a large assortment
of fossils. This is followed by large masses of red
and variegated sandstone (4). Still higher, the
middle group (5) of the old red sandstone is met

MIDDLE PALiEOZOIC PEKIOD, 75

with. It consists of beds of sandstone rock,
whose i3revailing colour is grey, and corresponds
to the English cornstone. This is succeeded by
beds of variegated sandstone and newer conglom-
erate (6), followed by limestone (7), fossiliferous ;
and, though only a few yards thick, extending
over a large tract of country. The whole is sur-
mounted by thick masses of yellow sandstone (8).

"The lowest beds of the Devonian, or middle
Palaeozoic period, in the north-west of England,
are to be sought for among the calcareous slates
of Cornwall and South Devon. These calcareous
slates are occasionally fossiliferous, and are based
upon an impure limestone, which thins out toward
the north end of Grerrans Bay, where all traces
of organic remains are lost. The Plymouth lime-
stone in the south, and a group of coarse arena-
cious beds in the north of Devon, together with
the general series of Cornish rocks, are all included
among these calcareous slates. Throughout the
whole series fossils occur, but they are very un-
equally distributed, being locally abundant, al-
though, owing to the metamorphic character of
many of the beds, they are sometimes much
altered, and frequently obliterated. The lower
group just described is covered up in South Devon
by an extensive series of coarse red flagstones and
slates, which are thought to correspond with simi-
lar beds in Exmoor forest, and are overlaid by

76 AGE OP THE EAETn :

other slates without limestone, and rarely con-
taining organic remains. On the two sides of the
great trough of the culm measures there is, how-
ever, a considerable difference of mineral structure,
the beds in North Devon being, on the whole,
coarser than the others, and irregularly calcareous,
while the South Devon and Cornish series contains
numerous fossiliferous calcareous bands.

" The development of the old red sandstone, and
the contemporaneous beds in Ireland, is peciiliarly
interesting, as completing within the circuit of our
own island the whole of the chain of evidence
necessary to establish the true place of the Devo-
nian grauwacke. In the south of Ireland, as in
the south of Scotland, the sequence is perfect from
the upper beds of the Silurian system into- the
lower beds of an extensive series of coarse con-
glomerates, which there represents the old red
sandstone, and these pass upwards through the
numerous gradations of the same formation in
Herefordshu^e, until they are at length replaced by
roofing slates, resembling those at the base of the
culm measures of Devonshire, and are finally suc-
ceeded by similar strata, the great coal fields of
the south of Ireland assuming the exact character
of the Devonian culm. " It is clear that the forma-
tions in Devonshire, containing fossils that are
intermediate in character between the calcareous
and Silurian systems, must themselves occupy an

MIDDLE PALJEOZOIC PEEIOD. 77

intermediate position, and must, therefore, be on
the parallel of some part of the old red sandstone,
which is thus shown to fill up the whole intervening
space."*

TJiere can be no question as to the origin of
the strata just rapidly glanced at. They have
been formed in the depths of ancient seas and
oceans. During the formation of the great con-
glomerate, it is supposed that the waters were in
a state of unwonted commotion. The pebbles of
which it is composed are large, and all of them
much rounded or water worn, leading us to con-
jecture that, perhaps, the ocean-currents were
more powerful then than they are at present. Be
this as it may, the depositing of this enormous
mass must have been the work of time.

Several of the beds above the conglomerate are
composed of the same materials, only, instead of
being in the shape of large pebbles, they are
ground down to the finest sand. This process
must have been tedious, for it was mechanical.
That is, the quartz, of which they are composed,
must have been broken up into fragments ; these
again were exposed to the wasting eifects of air
and water, till they were reduced to fine powder ;
and layer after layer was deposited, till the beds
were formed. Had there been a hand to mark
the passing time, for these strata alone, a long
* Ansted, vol. i., pp. 161-2.

78 AGE or THE EAETH :

series of years, if not ages, would have been
registered.

But this system includes numerous bands of shale
and limestone, which bear distinct evidence of
gradual formation. It is true, that in some cases
the bottom of the sea appears to have been dis-
turbed, and the matter, held in suspension by the
waters, might then be more rapidly deposited ; but
even such cases do not allow us to dispense with
time. The general appearance, however, leaves no
doubt on the mind, that the process of formation
was slow, and carried on in tranquil water. While
the position of some of the fossils proves, either that
the animals yielded their Hves with a struggle, or
were tossed about after death, their remains being
distorted and sometimes found only in fragments ;
that of others shows, that they have taken their
places in the muddy sediment in which they have
been so long entombed, as quietly as could weU be
imagined. Not a bone is displaced, not a plate or
scale disturbed, not a fin disordered. When death
had done its work, the lifeless body seems to have
speedily sunk to the bottom; it rested easily on
the fine, soft sediment, and was soon enclosed by
the matter that continuaUy dropt from the waters

over-head.

A few feet of such deposits would require, so far
as we can judge from the operations of nature in
the present time, many years to accumulate ; when

MIDDLE PALJ^OZOIC PEEIOD. 79

the depth is manj^ yards, we must draw much more
largely upou time.

It is eloquently remarked by the author of " The
Old Eed Sandstone," in one of those gorgeous pas-
sages with which that work abounds, — " Ages and
centuries passed, but who can sum up their num-
ber ? In England the depth of this middle forma-
tion greatly exceeds that of any of the other two ;
in Scotland it is much less amply developed ; but
in either country it must represent periods of scarce
conceivable extent. I have listened to the contro-
versies of opposite schools of geologists, who from
the earth's strata extract registers of the earth's
age of an amoimt amazingly different. One class,
regarding the geological field as if under the in-
fluence of those principles of perspective, which give
to the cottage in front more than the bulk and
altitude of the mountain behind, would assign to
the present scene of things its thousands of years,
but to all the extinct periods, united, merely their
few centuries; while with their opponents, the
remoter periods stretch out far into the bygone
eternity, and the present scene seems but a narrow
stripe running along the foreground. Both classes
appeal to facts ; and leaving them to their disputes,
I have gone out to examine and judge for myself."
And, what is the conclasion to which he has
come ? Here it is :— " The slopes of an ancient
forest incline towards a river that flows sluggishly

80 AGE or THE EAETH:

onwards tliroiigh a deep alluvial plain, once an ex-
tensive lake. A recent land-slip has opened up one
of the hanging thickets. Uprooted trees, mingled
with bushes, lie at the foot of the slope, half-buried
in broken masses of turf; and we see above, a sec-
tion of the soil from the line of vegetation to the
bare rock. There is an under belt of clay and an
upper belt of gravel, neither of whicli contains any
thing organic ; and overtopping the whole we may
see a dark-coloured bar of mould, barely a foot in
thickness, studded with stumps, and interlaced
with roots. Mark that narrow bar : it is the geo-
logical representative of six thousand years. A
stony bar of similar appearance runs through the
strata of the Wealden: it, too, has its dingy colour,
its stumps, and its interlacing roots ; but it forms
only a very inconsiderable portion of one of the
least considerable of all the formations ; and yet,
who shall venture to say that it does not represent
a period as extended as that represented by the
dark bar in the ancient forest, seeing that there is
not a circumstance of difference between them ?

" "We descend to the river side. The incessant
action of the current has worn a deep channel
through the leaden-coloured silt ; the banks stand
up perpendicularly over the water, and downwards,
for twenty feet together,— for such is the depth of
the deposit, we may trace layer after layer of reeds,
and ilags, and fragments of drift-wood, and find

MIDDLE PALEOZOIC PEEIOD. gl

here and there a few fresh-water shells of the
existing species. In this locality six thousand
years are represented by twenty feet. The depth
of the various fossiliferous formations united, is at
least fifteen hundred times as great."

"WTiat with the great conglomerate, the nume-
rous beds of sandstone, and the strata of shale and
limestone, the Middle Falceozoic Feriod must have
extended over an enormous stretch of time.

CHAPTEE YII.

AGE OF THE EARTH.-NEWER PALEOZOIC
PERIOD.

Immediately above the old red sandstone, but
distinct from it, is the carhoniferous si/stem, some-
times, but incorrectly, called the coal measures.
The JSFewer FalcBOZoic Period includes all the rocks
of the carboniferous system, together with the lower
new red conglomerate and the magnesian limestone,
as appears from the following table :—

,. ^ \ Maqnesianlime-\

7. Magnesian limestone, I J^^^^^^ ^^ ^^^. \

6. Lowernewred conglomerate, J • mean system. \ Newer
5. Upper coal gi'it, >, rPAL^ozoiC

4.. Coal measures, _, , .„ Period.

*• ' Carhoniferous I

3. Millstone grit, V ^sUm. ^

2. Mountain limestone,

1. Lower carboniferous shales,'^

The carboniferous system is more or less de-
veloped in many countries, removed from each other
by great distances. Extensive coal-fields, with their
accompanying rocks and shales, exist in many parts
of the British isles. They ai-e found on the Con-

NEWER PALiEOZOIC PERIOD. S3

tinent, and in Eussia ; in North and South America ;
in China ; in the islands of the Pacific, &c.

Our remarks have reference particularly to the
system as developed in Britain. It is generally
found occupying basin-shaped depressions in the
older formations, as the South Welsh coal-field, the
great North of England deposit, and the Scottish
system. The latter occupies the vaUey of the Forth
and Clyde, bounded by the older paleozoic rocks
on the south, and the middle paleozoic rocks on
the north. In connexion ivith this system, it is
important to remark, that the various rocks are not
always developed in precisely the same order : some
of them occasionally appearing transposed. In
many instances several members are absent ; the
above appearance may partly be attributed to' this
circumstance. The lower shales are awanting in
many localities ; in others, the mountain limestone
is displaced by enormous masses of coarse sand-
stone, and even the coal-seams are sometimes ab-
sent. But, as a whole, there does not appear any
reason why we should not receive the order of the
strata as arranged in the tabular view inserted in
the previous page.

Viewing the system, then, not as it is developed
in any one locality, but as it is constituted on the
results of geological investigations in many locali-
ties, we commence with the shales (1) as its lowest
member. Next in order comes the mountain lime-
g2

84 AGE OF THE EARTH :

stone (2). By some writers this rock is called the
"coral" limestone, from the circumstance of a
great part of it being composed of shells and corals.
In Scotland it is generally found occupying the
lowest place in the series, although in some in-
stances it is absent. It is largely developed under
some of the coal-measures in England ; and at its
out-crop, frequently rises to considerable elevations,
giving to the locality a hilly aspect. It has also
been traced in other parts of the world over vast
areas.

Above this lies the millstone grit (3), a coarse
sandstone ; and over it, again, are deposited the
real coal-measures (4). They consist of numerous
beds of coal, from a few inches to a number of feet
thick, alternating with bands of shale, sandstone,
limestone, and ironstone. These bands, as well as
the coal-seams, are of aqueous formation. At pre-
sent we ask the attention of the reader to the
nature and manner of formation of the latter. It
is now universally admitted that coal is of vegeta-
ble origin ; that is, it is composed of vegetable
matter — plants, ferns, and trees. " And there are
two hypotheses as to the mode in which it was
brought together in such vast quantities. Deluc,
Brongniart, Dr. Macculloch, and Mr. Hutton of
Newcastle, think that the plants generally grew
and died on the spot where the coal exists, and that
a bed of coal was analogous in its origin to a peat-

NEWER PALAEOZOIC PERIOD. 85

bog. The other hypothesis (which is perhaps more
generally received) assumes that the vegetable mat-
ter was swept from the laud iuto estuaries or lakes
by inundations and streams, as the trunks and
branches of trees, with plants and foliage, are car-
ried down, at the present time, by the Mississippi
and St. Lawrence. The difficulty of accounting
for the immense accumulations of vegetable matter
spread over such extensive areas, is great in either
way. But without going into the comparative
merits of the two hypotheses, the former is assumed
as true, for the purpose of illustration, in the fol-
lowing remarks : —

"Coal was analogous in its origin to modern
peat, and each bed was most probably formed
on an extended surface of marshy land covered
with a rank vegetation. The finest caking coal,
Mr. Hutton considers as a crystalline compound,
whose constituents had been in a state of solution ;
but slate coal and cannel coal often bear distinct
impressions of plants. The new method of cutting
minerals into slices so thin as to be transparent,
of which Mr. AVitham has made so happy a use,
has been applied to coal ; and by examining these
with the microscope, the vegetable structure has
been detected, where no external trace of it was
visible. In cannel coal it exists throughout the
whole mass, while the fine coal retains it only in
small patches, which appear as it were mechanically

86 AGE OF THE EAETH :

entangled. Among other indications of the lig-
neous origin, tubes have been discovered, filled with
a yellowish, resinous matter, which is the most
volatile part of the coal, being what is first driven
ofif by heat.

"All coal, therefore, had originally existed in
the state of plants or trees. About three hun-
dred species have been found in the sandstone
and shale of the coal-measures; and the greater
part of these probably exist in the coal itself,
though the tenderness and opaqueness of the
material render it difficult to detect them by ex-
amination. The three hundred species are all
extinct. About two-thirds of them are ferns ; the
others consist of large coniferse (allied to the pine),
of gigantic lycapodiacese, of species analogous to
the cactese and euphorbiacese, and of palms. The
plants indicate a moist climate, as hot as that of
the tropics ; and this holds true in the coal plants,
not only in England, but at MelviUe Island within
the polar circle. Dr. Hutton thought that the
vegetables had been carbonized by heat ; but Dr.
Macculloch contends, on good grounds, that the
change has been efl'ected solely by water and
pressure, and that by these agents peat is capable
of conversion into coal."*

On either hypothesis, the formation of the coal
measures must have occupied a period of time, to
M'Lareu's " Geology of Fife and the Lothians."

NEWEB PALEOZOIC PERIOD. 87

wliicli six thousand years bear but a small propor-
tion. We shall return to this point again, when
the other beds have been enumerated.

The upper member of the carboniferous system,
according to the present arrangement, is the coal
grits (5). Closely connected with this, and in
many instances lying conformable to it, is a rock
which was formerly not included in this series ; —
the new red conglomerate (6). It is very ii-regular
in thickness ; and from below, where it is a coarse
conglomerate, it gradually approximates to fine
sands, and these again to marly beds, till at length
it passes into the magnesian limestone. This
formation must formerly have existed over a much
larger area ; at present it is limited in extent.
The magnesian limestone (7), the highest member
of the newer palaeozoic period, includes an inte-
resting series of rocks. It is often earthy, some-
times hard and crystalline, and furnishes a field
for study deeply interesting to the geologist.
Towards its upper margin, there are beds of red
marl and gypsum, and grey limestone in thin beds.
We must refer the reader to those works that
treat professedly of the science, for a full descrip-
tion of this, as well as of the other systems so
briefly sketched in these chapters.

The equivalents of these rocks on the Continent,
and in the east of Bussia, are largely developed,
and it has been proposed to call them the " permian

88 AGE OF THE EAETH :

system," from the country where they are most
fully exhibited.

This upper period of the ancient fossiliferous
rocks is very rich in organic remains. Shells, and
corals, and fishes, occur in great abundance, but
the prevailing fossil type is that of plants. It is
not so much to describe the fossil remains of this
system that we set ourselves, but rather to show
that time must have been largely consumed during
the depositing of those beds in which there are
enclosed so many fossils, and many of which are
exclusively composed of decayed vegetation.

"We again avail ourselves of a paragraph from
Mr. M'Laren's work. " In the coal, therefore,
familiarly used in our houses, w^e have the forests
of primeval times deprived of their watery and
volatile parts, but preserving all their combustible
matter, laid up for our use, as it were in vast
cellars under our feet, closely packed, and pro-
tected from air, rain, and floods, by a solid cover-
ing of rock and soil. Few of those who are in the
daily enjoyment of the comforts and advantages
derived from abundant supplies of this fuel, think
of the long and operose processes by which it was
prepared in the laboratory of nature. A short
calculation will explain what is here meant.
"Wood affords in general about twenty per cent.,
and coal about eighty per cent., of charcoal.
Neglecting the oxygen and hydrogen, therefore,

NEWER PALiEOZOIC PERIOD. 89

it must have required four tons of wood to yield
the charcoal which we find in one ton of coal.
Let us, then, suppose a forest composed of trees
eiglity feet high, that the trunk of each tree con-
tains eighty cubic feet, and the branches forty,
making 120; the weight of such a tree, at 700
sp. gr., will be two and a quarter tons ; and allow-
ing 130 trees to an acre, we have 300 tons on that
space. Supposing the portion that falls annually,
leaves and wood, to be equal to one-thirtieth, we
have ten tons of wood annually from an acre, which
yields two tons of charcoal ; and this charcoal, with
the addition of bitumen, forms two and a half tons
of coal. Now, a cubic yard of coal weighs almost
exactly one ton; and a bed of coal one acre in
extent, and three feet thick, will contain 4,840 tons.
It follows, therefore, that one acre of coal is equal
to the produce of 1,940 acres (that is, 4,840 divided
by two and a half) of forest ; or if the wood all
grew on the spot where its remains exist, the coal
bed three feet thick, and one acre in extent, must
be the growth of 1,940 years ! Even if we suppose
the vegetation, as that of a tropical climate, to be
twice as rapid as I have assumed, we shall still
require about a thousand years to form a bed of
coal one yard thick ; and for the thirty-six yards
of coal in the Mid-Lothian field, a period of 3G,000
years! When we reflect farther, that the coal
constitutes only one-thirtieth part of the entire

90 AGE OF THE EAETH :

series of beds comprehended in the group, some of
which were probably formed by as slow a process,
we shall have no reason to reject Dr. Macculloch's
estimate of 600,000 years as too long for the
production of the whole mass."

Such is the conclusion to which these practical
geologists, whose names have been mentioned,
have come. Possibly some errors may have crept
into their calculations, which may render it neces-
sary to modify it slightly; but it is impossible,
with the facts of geology before us, to set it aside.
Nay, we speak the mind of the vast majority of
men of science when we affirm, that this calcula-
tion is vrithin, rather than beyond the truth. It
will not do for Christians to deny the conclusion,
on the ground that the Mosaic narrative teaches
that the earth is only about six thousand years old.
This is attributing to Moses a sentiment which his
language does not imply ; and those who still cling to
it, would be better engaged in re-examining the nar-
rative, than treating with contempt, or opposing, with
their ipse dixit, the plainest evidence of the senses.

But long as the carboniferous system is believed
to have been in depositing, the Newer Palaeozoic
rocks were still longer; for, in addition to the
carboniferous series, they include the lower new red
conglomerate and the magnesian limestone, two
formations which increase the thickness of the
group by at least 800 feet.

CHAPTEE VIII.

AGE OF THE EARTH.— OLDER SECONDARY
PERIOD.

In tlie preceding chapters we have presented a
rapid sketch of the older fossiliferous rocks,
known, in recent works on geology, as the rocks
that occupy the older, middle, and newer palaeozoic
periods. These constitute a large portion of the
crust of the earth, and supply abundant evidence
in support of the opinion, that a long series of
ages must have passed away during their for-
mation.

Above these vast formations lie the strata of
the Secondaet Period. These have been sub-
divided into three divisions ; and under each is
arranged certain groups of rocks. Under the
older secondary period we have the liassic group,
and the upper beds of the new red sandstone,
as seen in the following table : —

5. Upper lias shale and marlstone, . . . \

4. Lower lias shale, ! Liassic ^ Qlder

3. Lower lias limestone, J group. I gj-coKDAEY

2. Saliferous, red, and variegated marls, ) Upper Pekiod.
1. Red sandstone and conglomerate,.... j new red..

92 AGE OF THE EAETII :

The lower new red conglomerate and magnesian
limestone have been separated from the older
secondary period, and classed with the carbonifer-
ous group, because of their fossil contents being
much more allied to the latter than to the former.
The lowest beds in this group (1) are composed
of sandstones of a whitish colour, and conglo-
merates composed of pebbles of quartz, and frag-
ments of other old rocks. This formation is found
occupying large areas in England, but is very spa-
ringly developed in Scotland. In the latter country
the best view of it is to be seen in the island
of Arran, from the south of Brodick bay to
a point several miles north of that delightful
watering-place. On the Continent, the hunter
sandstein is the equivalent of these beds. Over
these lie a number of beds that go by the name
of "saliferous, red, and variegated marls" (2).
These consist of numerous bands of clay, of various
colours, alternating with gypsum, sandstone, marl,
and rock-salt. The total thickness of the masses
of rock-salt is fully 60 feet. In the districts where
this formation abounds, there are numerous salt
springs. The continental group, entitled the heuper,
is supposed to correspond with these beds. In the
British isles there is no formation corresponding
with the muschelhalk of the Continent — a series of
great interest, and highly fossiliferous. From the
fact of the continental strata of this age being

OLDEE SECOI^^DAET PERIOD. 93

divisible into three distinct parts, it has been
called the "triassic system."

Next in the ascending order, we encounter the
liassic group, consisting of three members. The
lowest (3) is a limestone, associated, in many in-
stances, with thick beds of shale passing into
sandstone. These lie conformable to the upper
beds of the new red. In this division there is a
thin band of limestone, almost entirely composed
of organic remains, and which must have occupied
no little time in forming. The middle divi-
sion (4) is made up of numerous bands of dark-
coloured clay, sand, and impure limestone, some
of which contain interesting fossils. The upper
division of the lias (5) is almost entirely composed
of shale, beds of limestone being interspersed.
Some of the shales are very hard, and extremely
fossiliferous. The interesting organic remains
that belong to this series, are well known to be
numerous.

The aspect of the districts where these rocks
prevail is tame, their position being horizontal or
nearly so. In cliffs, or where they abut against
the older rocks, they present a singular appearance.
Beds of various colours, white, dark, grey, and red,
alternate with each other, giving the system an
internal aspect exclusively its own.

In the formations that have been enumerated in
these paragraphs, there is much evidence in favour

94 AGE OF THE EAETH.

of gradual deposition. The pebbles that compose
the conglomerate are all rounded by exposure to
currents of water ; nor could this exposure be of
short duration, since many of them are fragments
of the hardest rocks. More time still would be
required to grind down and deposit the material of
which the numerous sandstone beds is composed.
In addition to these, there are the numerous beds
of shale and bands of limestone, all requiring
long periods to accumulate.

CHAPTER IX.

AGE OF THE EARTH.— MIDDLE SECONDAEY
PERIOD.

The Oolitic series of rocks next demands our
attention.* It is principally composed of Lime-
stone of a peculiar character, accompanied with
beds of clay and sand. It rests upon the lias
described in the preceding chapter, and is over-
laid by the wealden series, which is also included
in the Middle Secondary Period. The oolitic and
wealden rocks together, make a mass of nearly
three thousand feet thick, and are, in many respects,
important to the country where they are fuUy
developed. They have their representatives on the
Continent of Europe, in the " Jura-kalk formation."
The series of beds enumerated below, are not aU
found in any one locality in England, or any where

* This term is compounded of two Greek words, oon, egg,
&nd lithos, stone, and literally signifies egg-stone. A species
of limestone is called oolite, because it is composed of small
rounded particles Uke the roe of a fish ; and the series of
rocks in which this limestone occurs is named, on this ground,
the oolitic system.

96

AGE or THE EAETH.

else; but this table is presented as tbe result of nume-
rous investigations carried on in different localities.

17. Weald clay, ^

16. Hastings sand, I Wealden formation.-)

15. Purbeckbeds, i

14. Portland stone, ^

13. Portland sand, I Upper oolites.

12. Kimmeridge clay, . . . j

•\

Middle oolites.

Loicer oolites.

Middle

. Secondaey

Peeiod.

11. Upper cal. grit, .
10. Coral rag,

9. Lower cal. grit, .

8. Oxford clay, ....

7. Kelloway rock, .

6. Cornbrash,

5. Forest marble, .

4. Great oolite, &c.

3. Fuller's earth, .

2. Inferior oolite, .

1. Calcareous sand,

The lowest beds (1) of this period are a yellowish
sand, and pass into the upper rocks of the Has.
They contain niicacious and calcareous matter, but
in limited portions. The inferior oolite (2) succeeds,
and is composed of a number of beds of limestone
in some localities, as in the north of England, iron-
stone and sandstone occupy their place. A series
of marly beds (3) overlie the inferior oolite, among
which there are two— the one, a kind of clay, called
"fuller's earth," and the other a flag-stone, called
" stonefield's slate," considered of importance— the
former for purposes of utility, the latter as being the
matrix of organic remains of a peculiar character.

MIDDLE SECONDARY PERIOD. 97

JS'ext in succession comes the great oolite (4).
It consists of numerous beds of a coarse shelly Ume-
stone, alternating mth excellent building stone.
The Bradford clay, so celebrated for its peculiar
fossil, the apiocrinite, occurs in this series. Imme-
diately above the Bradford clay, there are several
rocks that go by the name of forest marble (5).
These are partly coarse stone, sandy clay, and partly
thick beds of Hmestone. The latter is the forest
marble, and gives its name to the series. Organic
remains are so numerous in some parts of it, that
they compose almost the entire substance of the
rock. The lower oolites are capped hj the corn^
brash (6),— a term which is probably derived from
the excellence of the corn land, which results from
the decomposition of the limestones, and their
mixture with the sandstones and clay,— the highest
member in the series. It is of variable thickness,
and consists of beds of clay and sandstone.

The underlying bed (7) of the middle oolites is
a calcareous sandstone, only a few feet thick, and
containing numerous fossils. Above this is' the
principal bed of the series, the Oxford clay (8).
It extends over a great part of England, and pre-
sents a thickness of several hundred feet. It is
nearly horizontal, and lies conformable upon the
beds beneath. The appearance it presents is that
of a thick bed of stiff clay, of a light blue
colour. It contains numerous fossils, many of

H

98 AGE or THE EAETH :

them in a perfect state of preservation, being
enclosed in a case of iron pyrites whicli abound in
tbe clay.

The upper beds (9, 10, 11) of this series are
composed of calcareous and sandy matter. The
former is called the "coral rag," from the cir-
cumstance that it is composed chiefly of corals. The
latter constitutes the "grits" that lie above and
below the coral bed. The thickness of the " rag"
is nearly forty feet, and is frequently, almost
entirely, composed of beautiful and well-preserved
corals. This bed alone must have occupied a very
long period in its formation.

The upper oolites consist of three beds. The
first (twelfth, in the preceding table) is a blueish
grey clay, of considerable thickness, but not of
o-reat extent. It contams numerous fossil impres-
sions, but not in a good state of preservation.
Above it lies the Portland sand (13), an arena-
ceous mass, containing green spots. This passes
into the overlying bed called the Portland stone
(14), a mass of limestone much used for building.
There is a remarkable bed, not thicker than a foot,
at the top of the Portland series, but which extends
over a large space. It is called by the workmen
the " dirt-bed," and consists of a dark loam. Prom
discoveries lately made, and extensive investigations,
it is believed that this bed represents the site of an
ancient forest. Trunks of trees are found in frag-

MIDDLE SECOXDAET PEHIOD. 99

ments aU around; while their roots are still fast in
the metamorphosed soil.

Tlie oolitic system is largely developed in various
countries on the Continent of Europe; and late
investigations show that it also exists in Asia In
Scotland patches of the system are found in the
extreme north. But this is a dark chapter in
geology, so far as the great continents of the earth
are concerned.

The remains of saurians are abundant in these for-
mations. Some which are found in great numbers
m the has, exist here, and pass upwards into the
weald. Fishes are numerous, as weU as shells and
corals. Plants occur in several of the beds In
the "stonefield slate" the bones of the first fossil
m connexion with the class mammama are found

Leaving the oolites, we pass upwards to a series
ot strata of fresh water origin, called the wealden
tonnation. The lowest member of which, and that
which overlies the Portland stone, is the purbock
series (15). These strata consist of a number of
coarse and fine limestones, alternating with bands
of clay and beds of fossil shells. The middle
member is called the "Hastings sand" (16), and
13 the most important in the wealden formation.
It IS much thicker and more extensive than the
otiiers, stretching over a large area. It is made up
of numerous beds of sand, grit, shale, and sandstone
It occupies tlie cliffs on the coast of Dorsetshire
II 2

100 AGE or THE EAETH.

and on the south-east coast. The fossil remams
of this group are also interesting. The highest
member of the formation is the "weald clay" (17).
It is but sparingly developed, and consists of beds
of shelly limestone, sandstone, ironstone, and numer-
ous thin layers of clay. Some of the limestone
bands are almost entirely made up of shells, and
have been much used in the decoration of churches,
being admirably adapted for the smaller shafts of
the gothic pillars.

The seventeen members of the Middle Secondary
Period, each of which is subdivided into a number
of beds, must have occupied a long series of years
in accumulating. Even the thinnest stratum re-
quired time ; how much more those strata that are
composed, in whole or in part, of fossil shells or
corals, and that " dirt-bed," above referred to, only
a foot thick, and which had nourished the sapling
into a stately pine, ere yet the fresh water wealdeu
had spread itself over it, and enclosed its prostrate
forest-trees.

CHAPTEK X.

AGE OF THE EARTH.-NE^VEE SECONDARY
PERIOD.

We have now got well up tlie geological scale!
The metamorphic rocks, the older, middle, aud
newer palaeozoic, and the older and middle secon-
dary formations, are left behind us. This chapter
will be devoted to the Newer Secondary Period
that is, those rocks that go by the name of the
cretaceous system.

The following table presents them at one view:—

6. Upper chaJk (with flints) ..
5. Lower chalk (without flints) .

4. Chalk marl

3. Upper greensand

2. Oault .*"'..

1. Lower greensand

Cretaceous Newer
system. ( Secondary
/ Period.

The aspect of the country where this system is
exhibited is somewhat peculiar. The prevailing
colour of the rock is white, and it stretches over
considerable areas in the soutli of England in the
form of low undulating and rounded hills. It

102 AGE OF THE EAETH :

is absent from the strata of the north of England
and Scotland, except it be in the isle of Skye.
In Ireland it is sparingly developed.

The foreign rocks of this period are widely
spread over many countries. From France they
extend into Belgium ; thence they are traced over
eastern Europe, and many of the Grecian Isles.
They exist in Russia, and extend into Asia Minor.
In Syria they occur, and also on the southern
plains of India. North America has vast fields
of this age, without the true chalk, but containing
the characteristic fossils. In South America the
cretaceous rocks stretch from Columbia to Tierra
del Euego, along the whole extent of that vast
continent, giving off a side-patch to the country of
Brazil.

The lowest member of the British group is the
" lower greensand " (1). It is made up of several
beds, and does not pass into the under-lying weal-
den. In the lower part, beds occur containing
calcareous matter to such an amount as to permit
of their being worked for lime. Small green grains
of silicate of iron abound ; hence the name of the
beds. Immediately above these is found a dark
coloured sand, of considerable thickness, and con-
taining silicified wood ; above which is another of
a yellow colour, from the presence of iron. Another
sandy bed completes the lower greensand series.
The second member of the cretaceous system ia the

NEWER SECONDARY PEraOD. 103

gault (2). This member is often above 100 feet
thick, and is composed of a stiff blue clay, contain-
ing green particles and nodules generally enclosing
fossils. The upper greensand (3) does not attain
to a great thickness, but is famed for a particular
kind of sandstone, used for lining furnaces. This
member passes upwards into the chalk. All these
beds are more or less fossiliferous.

Kext in the ascending order comes the true
chalk formation, separated in the table into three
parts. The chalk marl (4) lies below the real
chalk, separating it from the underlying green-
sand. It consists of hard beds of a grey appear-
ance, but does not attain to a great thickness.
Above the marl the chalk appears, but without
flints (5). It increases in whiteness as you ascend,
and at length exhibits a few nodules of flint.
This brings us to the upper bed of the cretaceous
system (6) which contains numerous nodules of
flint, which speedily arrange themselves into layers,
alternating with the upper beds of chalk.

This is a wonderful formation. The carbonate
of lime, of which it is composed, is in a very
different state from that which occurs in any
other formation. The nodules of flint, arranged
as they are, present a difficulty which science has
not yet overcome. All of them seem to contain
organic matter as a nucleus ; in many of them the

104 AGE OF THE EARTH.

fossil is distinctly recognized under a powerful
glass.

However tliese points may be settled, it appears
certain that tliese beds add to the antiquity of the
earth. Come Avhen the solution may, there is little
likelihood of it shortening, but every probability of
it extending the period that has elapsed since G-od
called into existence the " heaven and the earth."

CHAPTER XI.

AGE OF THE EAKTH.— TERTIAEY PERIOD.

UxDER the name of the Tertiary formations, the
remainder of the rocks that compose the crust
of the earth are known. There is reason to be-
lieve that great changes had taken pL^ce before
and during the depositing of these rocks. The
contrast between them and those of the former
periods is striking, and early arrests the geological
student. The older rocks extend over much larger
portions of the earth's surface, and are distin-
guished not simply, nor principally, by their mine-
ralogical character, but by their fossil contents.*
The tertiary, or newer rocks, on the other hand,
are local in their development, and in different
localities frequently present a new class of fossils.
A great proportion of the organic remains of this
period have their living representatives in present
natui-e. Between the systems of which we now
speak there is no connectmg link, no transition
rock, by which the one is held, though in distant

* Memoii- of Dr. William Smith, by Professor PhiUips, p. 28.

106 AGE OF THE EAETH : *

reiationsliip to the other. They stand apart, and
present a chasm in the geological scale, -which no
discoveries in any part of the world have enabled
us to bridge over.

On these grounds they are called modern, and
the others ancient. But there is great danger
of our misunderstanding these terms. The facts
that have been enumerated in preceding chapters
will enable the reader to form some distant con-
ception of what is meant by the rocks of the
palaeozoic and secondary periods being called
ancient ; a word or two may be necessary to pre-
vent the term modern, as applied to the tertiaries,
from misconception. It is not intended to affirm
that the tertiary rocks were deposited during, or
at the close of the deluge of Noah. ]S"either is it
intended to be affirmed, that during the period
that elapsed between the Mosaic creation and that
event, these deposits were accumulated. Nor is it
meant that they are to be viewed as the result of
the earth exchanging its chaotic state for that of
order and beauty, six thousand years ago, at the
wiU of the Great Creator. They are modern in
comparison with the other class of rocks; but
yet are much older than the date of the Mosaic
creation.

The series is arranged into four divisions, as vnR
be seen by glancing at the table. It is only the
British rocks that are here enumerated ; we have

TEETIART PERIOD. 107

thoiiglit it best to abide by the order in whicli the
other tables have been arranged, although, in this
instance, by inserting the foreign instead of the
British rocks, the series ^Yould have been more
complete.

7. Diluvium and alluvium... Pleistocene.
6. Till of the Clyde vaUey...)

^•""-« l''"''""- IT.BXX...

4. Eed crag ) )- ^

3. CoralHnecrag } ^^'''^'' ^^^^^^^

2. Bagshot sand

1. London clay ^ :Eocene.

The London clay (1), a formation of above 1,000
feet thick, lies conformable upon the chalk; but
there is evidence, in the upper surface of the latter
being water-worn, and frequently scooped out into
hollows, that a long interval elapsed between the
depositing of the cretaceous system and the lowest
of the tertiary formations. A bed of shingle some-
times intervenes between the London clay and the
chalk. This member of the series is made up of
numerous beds of sand, clay, loam, earth, and lime.
The principal portion is of a darkish colour, tough,
find is frequently mixed with sand. The Bagshot
sand (2) is composed of beds of various kinds, but
chiefly silicious. Little can be said of this mem-
ber. These two are named the eocene rocks, from
the circumstance that their fossils present, for the

108 AGE OF THE EAETH :

first time, a few species of creatures yet alive upon
tlie earth.*

Above these lie newer deposits, all of which go
by the name " crag." According to the table they
are three in number. They represent the middle
and upper tertiary rocks, and are more fully de-
veloped in other parts of Europe. The lowest, or
coralline crag (3), is a very limited bed, and con-
sists, in some places, entirely of the remains of
zoophytes and shells, and in others it is composed
of marl and stone. The next in order is the red
crag (4) ; it takes its name from its colour. It is
also limited in extent, but is characterized by a
number of interesting fossils. Some of the shells
are elegant, and finely preserved. These two beds
constitute, according to Lyell, the middle tertiary,
or miocene f period.

The newest deposits of the tertiary period are
but sparingly developed in the British isles. They
are generally spoken of as two in number: first,

* Eocene. — A name given to the lowest division of the
tertiary strata, containing an extremely small per centage
of living species amongst its fossil shells, which indicate
the first commencement or dawn of the existing state of the
animate ci'eation. From the Greek words, eos^ the dawn,
and A:ainos, recent. — Lyell.

t A term compomided of two Greek words, meioriy less,
and kainos, recent. A greater proportion of its organic
remains have reference to Hving species, than those of the
rocks below.

TERTIARY PERIOD. 109

the Norioicli crag (5), and the Clyde till (6). The
former consists of beds of sand and loam, with
shells, and is well exposed at Norwich ; the latter
is a stiff clay and gravel unstratified, and containing
fragments of rock both angular and rounded, and
is exhibited in the valley of the Clyde. These are
the rocks * oi ^q pliocene \ period of Lyell.

It only remains that Ave should refer to the
surface matter, and thus finish this very brief
description of the series of rocks that are known to
exist in the crust of the earth, and which have been,
to a greater or less extent, examined by the hand
of the geologist. In many parts of the world,
extensive irregular beds or patches of gravel and
boulders are met with. Sometimes they are spread
over low tracts of country, and at other times are
found occupying elevated locaHties. This is what
is called diluvium, and seems to be due to the
powerfLd and repeated influence of water. Distinct
from these, there are other deposits frequently met
with of very recent formation. They sometimes
indeed contam water-worn fragments, but their
character is that of fine soft sand and mud, de-
posited in lakes and at the mouths of rivers.

* In geological language all the beds are called " rocks,"
whether stone, sand, claj, or marl,

t A term compounded of two Greek words, ijleion, more,
and kainos, recent. The majority of fossil shells in these
beds are of recent species.

110 AGE OF THE EAETH.

This is alliiviym, aud is due also to water, but
under very diiFerent circumstances from the for-
mer. This is the pleistocene^ period of Lyell.
The fossils belong to living species.

Coeval with these, and in many instances of a
later origin, there are extensive beaches and peat-
beds — raised shores and sunken forests, all re-
quiring time ; but as some of these may be allowed
to have been deposited and formed within what is
ordinarily imderstood by the historic period, they
do not serve the argument in support of the anti-
quity of the earth ; and they can well be dispensed
with. Leaving out of account all those beds, the
formation of which may be supposed to have taken
place about or subsequent to the Mosaic era, there
is still left abundance of evidence to prove that,
during the tertiary period, long ages must have
elapsed.

* Compounded of two Greek words, pleistos, most, and
kainos, recent.

CHAPTER XII.

AGE OF THE EARTH.— QENEEAL REMAEKS ON
THE DIFEERENT FORMATIONS.

Hayixg enumerated and briefly described all the
stratified formations that are known to occur in
the crust of the earth, we proceed to make some
general remarks, founded upon the facts that have
passed before us. Let it be understood, that the
object of these remarks is to prove, on geological
grounds, the gTeater antiquity of the earth than
that generally assigned to it.

The first argument in favour of the antiquity of
the globe is founded on the nwnher of strata that
go to maJce u'p its crust. The crust of the earth, or
that rocky band that surrounds and encloses its
molten contents, is supposed to be about ten miles
thick. The greater part of this mass has been ex-
amined, the convulsions in nature having laid open
or tilted up, in one locality or other, almost all the
formations of which it is composed. To accomplish
this apparently impossible task of examination, the
geologist has but to walk over the uplands, ascend

112 AGE OF THE EAETH :

the river beds, penetrate the gloomy ravines, climb
the mountain ridges, and descend the min^s that
pierce the strata to considerable depths. In this
way all those formations, enumerated in preceding
chapters, have been examined by those who make
this department of nature their study.

At present we leave out of view the granite and
other igneous rocks ; also the metamorphic rocks ;
namely, gneiss, mica-schist, and clay-slate. The
number of distinct beds above these is upwards
of fifty, according to the foregoing tables; and
numbers of them are from one hundred to many
hundred feet thick. Of course these beds do not
occur in a regular series, one above the other ;
were this the case, the crust of the earth would
resemble the concentric layers of an onion, and
would be much beyond ten miles thick. They
lie in patch-like masses : generally speaking, the
more ancient are the most extensive, and the
more recent the most circumscribed. All these
beds bear distinct evidence of their formation by
the agency of water. This cannot be disputed,
if we are to take present nature for our guide;
and surely, on such a subject, analogy is an argu-
ment in which we may place some confidence.
The rocks deposited by these ancient seas and
lakes present the same appearances at this distant
date, as are observed in estuaries, the margins of
lakes, and the shores of the ocean at the present

GEXEEAL RE^IAEKS. 113

day. The fine mud is seen in thin layers as it
originally subsided to the bottom of the waters.
The sandstones bear the impress of the receding
wave on the ancient sea-beach. Nay, the surface
of the rock bears the distinct foot-prints of crea-
tures that traversed the shore, and it is sometimes
pitted with the heavy rain-drops that liave fallen
upon it, when yet an expanse of loose sand
exposed to the weather.

It is not more certain that these stratified
rocks are of aqueous origin, than that the various
formations have been deposited in succession.
The evidence of this remark will be more fuUy
brought out in illustrating points that will come
under discussion as we proceed with the subject.
Meanwhile, it may suffice to state, that this is
proved both from the mineralogical character of
the formations, and their fossil contents. Not
only is this true of the various formations, or
groups of strata; as a general principle it is also
true of the members of each of these formations.
Those beds previously enumerated are not simply
proved to be of aqueous origin, but also to have
been deposited in succession. The same rock, or
its equivalent, in other parts of the world, would
be deposited during, or about the same period;
but this was not the case with rocks whose posi-
tions in the scale were apart from each other.
To iUustrate our meaning:— The British chalk

114 AGE OF THE EAKTH :

beds, and their foreign equivalents, were deposited
during the same period ; but the upper chalk,
and the London clay, were deposited in succession.

That this long series of rocks occupied numer-
ous ages in accumulating, is obvious, first, from
the fact, that many of them are of enormous
thickness. Secondly, each group required for its
perfection at least two (in many instances a
greater number) changes of land and water.
Now, judging from the operations of nature in
the historic period, we may conclude that these
changes were gradual; and if gradual — indeed
many of the rocks bear internal evidence to the
fact — who can reckon the time consumed in their
formation ?

The second argument in favour of the antiquity
of the globe is drawn from the nature of the
strata, or their mineralogical character. Under
this argument we do not include those rocks that
are composed, to any extent, of organic remains ;
their proper place is in connexion with the next.
The rocks of ^^-hich we now speak, namely, the
coarse and fine sandstones — the beds of shale,
marl, clay, slates, &c., are composed of older rocks.
Let us take the old red sandstone as an illus-
tration. The conglomerate, so largely developed
in this system, is not a rock composed of new
materials ; the geologist recognises the pebbles,
of which it is ahnost entirely made up, as belong-

GENERAL REMARKS. 115

ing to rocks lower in the series. And the finer
beds that accompany and overlie the conglomerate,
are obviously, in many instances, composed of the
same material ground into small particles. But
this process must have been carried on after the
deposition and consolidation of the underlying
conglomerate. Tliese illustrations apply to the
whole class of rocks of which we are now treating.
The material of which they are composed, whether
in its present combination in the shape of shale,
clay, flags, or sandstone, has, in every instance,
been associated with, or itself constituted the
rocks that precede these in the series.

These remarks raise several questions, each of
which leads us to draw largely upon time. Before
the great conglomerate, the lowest member of the
old red, was deposited, the pebbles of which it is
principally composed must have existed in the
shape of quartz rock in beds or masses ; and truly
they must have occupied large areas of the surface
of the earth as it then was. These masses must
have been broken up into fragments of aU sizes,
probably by internal commotions, aided by the
influence of water. Suppose the quartz reduced
to fragments of the required size, might it not
speedily be agglutinated where it lay, and thus
constitute the great conglomerate? A theorist
might reason thus; but assuredly no one who
had looked upon nature with his own eyes could,
I 2

116 AGE OF THE EAKTH :

for a moment, acquiesce in it. Instead of the
broken quartz being immediately consolidated into
a new rock where it lay, it has clearly been ex-
posed to the influence of powerful waves or
currents, long continued, till fragments that were
once rough and angular have become smooth and
rounded. How long a mass of pebbles consti-
tuting a bed of conglomerate some hundred feet
thick would require to be rubbed down to the
size and form in which we find them, it is not for
us to say. Only the period must be measured by
ages instead of years. And, while speaking of
conglomerates, Ave may remind the reader that
this period must be multipHed by the number of
conglomerate beds that occur in other formations.

The conglomerates deposited, we must find time
for the formation of the sandstone. The beds
of this rock are often very thick, and are exceed-
ingly numerous. The matter of which they are
composed has originally existed as rock, and
through long exposure to the atmosphere, the
showers of heaven, the continuing influence of
ruiming water, and the incessant beat of the ocean
wave, it has been disengaged from its original
combinations, carried downwards to the ocean, and,
after being held for a time in suspension by the
water, is spread out upon its bottom. This is not
the work of a few years. But how are the de-
mands upon time increased, when we reflect that

GEKEEAL EE:NrAI^E:S. 117

rocks thus formed by slow degrees, are consoli-
dated, heaved upwards, exposed to the elements,
and then by partial decay supply the material
for beds higher in the series, and which also pass
through the same tedious processes in their for-
mation !

Perhaps the immense beds of shale, and clay,
that intermingle with the harder rocks, required
a period to accumulate, little short of that which
must be granted to the sandstones. The material
of which they are composed has also been supplied
by mechanical and chemical causes, and, in course
of time, accumulated to the extent we find them
developed in the various formations.

The mineralogical character of the rocks, then,
unquestionably proves their formation to have been
slow, and continued over a period of time to us
immeasurable.

The third argument in favour of the antiquity of
the globe is drawn from the fossil contents of the
strata. The strata enumerated are many of them
fossiliferous ; few of them are entirely destitute of
organic remains. In the older rocks we have fishes,
shells, and plants : in the more recent, shells in
greater abundance, plants in large quantities, and
bones of quadrupeds and birds are associated with
the impressions and skeletons of fishes. The
presence of these remains and the nature of them,
lead us to assign a much longer period for the

118 AGE or THE EAKTH :

depositing of the rocks in which they occur, than
is generally allowed.

There are fishes of all sizes and yarious ages:
like the fishes in the present seas, they must have
required time to arrive at maturity. The position
in which they are frequently found, when their
stony matrix is opened, indicates that they have
sunk in the mud of the sea-bottom, and been over-
laid with newer sediment. This was the work of
time. And the time required for the depositing of
one fish formation, must be multiplied by the
number of such formations the crust of the earth
contains. The same line of argument is applicable
to the fossil shells, plants, and bones that are
scattered so profusely throughout the strata.

In carrying out this argument we must refer to
the fact that some rocks of the series are entirely,
or in great part composed of animal or vegetable
remains. The coal is a familiar illustration. That
this rock is composed of vegetable matter is now
universally acknowledged. In the sandstone and
shales that occur in the coal measures, many plants,
in fragments, are found imbedded ; but when the
coal is examined, no doubt rests on the mind as to
its composition. By a lately invented process,
already referred to, this examination is carried on
with great accuracy. The coal is sliced into thin
leaves, and placed under a powerful glass. In this
way the peculiar character of the stem under ex-

GENEEAL EEMAEKS. 119

amiuation is at once recognised, and tlie fact
established that the coal is of vegetable origin.
An obvious inference is drawn from this fact.
The growth of these plants and trees required
time ; and the produce of many generations was
required to make up even a thin bed of coal ; the
depositing and consolidating, therefore, of only one
bed, must have stretched over a long period. It
may be granted that vegetation, during the epoch
of the earth's history of which we are now treating,
was more rapid and luxuriant ; still our conclusion
is not much affected thereby.

Some limestones are known to be composed
almost entirely of organic remains. The exuvice of
creatures, all too minute to be detected by the
unaided eye, are collected in such masses as to
furnish beds of rock many feet thick. It is super-
fluous to say, that the formation of such rocks must
have been the work of time. Again, it is well
known that corals enter largely into the composi-
tion of limestone. In some instances, it would
appear that the rock is one mass of these zoophytes.
Now, from all we have been able to learn of the
habits and modes of operation of these diminutive
labourers, we are left to conclude, that the general
progress of the mass of calcareous matter which
they secrete, is slow. It has been calculated that
the growth of six inches requires a century. Let
the thickness of the beds and the number that

120 AGE OF THE EAETH :

occur in the earth's crust, be taken into account,
and we again find ourselves driven backwards into
an unknown antiquity.

The following description of the coral pol;y^e is
taken from a recently published paper on " Coral
and the Coral Maker : " —

" By no means so highly endowed as the insects
with which, in common speech, it is generally
associated, it is one of the simplest of organized
beings, and yet, strange to say, one of the mightiest
of agents in producing great physical changes. All
the huge creatures that geology has made Ivnown
put together, with all the whales, and sharks, and
gi-eat fish innumerable, that have swarmed in the
ocean from the days of Adam till now, have done
far less to alter the character of the earth's surface
than the successive generations of these coral
polj^Des, which have been quietly at work the
while in those same waters. And let us here
say, that the vast structures which these little
creatures raise up from the deep abysses of the
ocean are really much more curious in their cha-
racter than most people suppose. The common
idea, that coral is a mere assemblage of cells which
the coral animals have made to live in, is one of
those popular errors which ought to have been long
ago exploded. It is nothing of the sort. The little
star-like sets of delicate plates which any one may
see in a piece of ordinary reef-coral, are no more

GENEEAL EE3IARKS. 121

the sides or walls of a cell in which the coral polype
lived, than are the bones of a dog the walls of a cell
in which the dog lives. They are the veritable
internal skeletons of the coral polypes, and the
whole mass of coral is nothing more than so many
successive coats or layers of tliese individual skele-
tons. This may seem very strange, but it is never-
theless perfectly true. The entire mass of stony
matter forming a branch of ordinary reef-making
coral, has been formed icitJii7i the substance of the
polypes that produced it, and each separate star-
shaped cluster of plates is neither more nor less
than the cast or skeleton of an individual polype.

" It will be obvious, from what has just been said,
that the coral animal does not onake the coral — at
least, in any proper sense of the word. The com-
mon notion, that the stony mass is built up particle
by particle, as the bee builds its honeycomb, that
the coral is thus something external to the animal,
and made by an intentional act, is altogether a
mistake. We have already explained tliat it is
produced within the substance of the polype, and
it ^-ill be seen that, properly speaking, it cannot
be said to be made at all, since it grows, just as
much as our own bones gi'ow, and quite as inde-
pendently of the will of the polype. All that has
been said and sung, therefore, about the ingenuity
of the little polype as an architect, about its
'industry' and important labours, goes for nothing.

122 AGE OF THE EAETH :

It is really no more an architect than an oyster,
and its coral-making is in no sort to be regarded as
an act of labour.

" The true nature of coral formations will be more
apparent, if we consider for a moment in what
condition they are found while still growing at the
sea-bottom. Let us suppose, then, that by some
contrivance or other, we have managed to get up a
mass of living coral from the sides of a coral reef,
and that we have it now before us in a parlour
aquarium. What shall we see ? "Well, observe, in
the first place, that the entire mass is covered with
a coating of gelatinous flesh, which completely
conceals the hard, stony coral. Look narrowly,
and you will also perceive that this fleshy coating
is nothing more than an extension of the gelatinous
substance of the polypes which so thickly stud its
surface, and that the entire colony is not merely
closely compacted together as to space, but that
there is thus a most intimate organic connexion
subsisting between them. Each polj^^e, indeed,
has its own separate mouth and tentacles, and its
own separate stomach ; but beyond this, it has little
claim to be regarded as an independent being.
Any one, looking attentively at a mass of living
coral in the manner we have supposed, would
naturally come to the conclusion that the entire
zoophyte is properly to be regarded, not as a
society of separate individuals, but as one com-

GENEEAL EEMARKS. 123

pound being, fed and nourished by a multiplicity of
separate mouths and stomachs. This is undoubtedly
the correct view of these coral masses, and it is only
on such a supposition that we can explain many of
the details of their economy."

In connexion with this argument, there is still
another point to which reference should, in justice,
be made. The fossils that exist in a given forma-
tion, are not identical with those that exist in the
overlying group. They may, and do present resem-
blances, more or less near ; but there is a change ;
and such a change as indicates that between the
close of the one formation, and the opening of the
other, a considerable period has elapsed. This
remark is applicable to the formations of the
palaeozoic and secondary periods ; hence each group
has its characteristic fossils. It is also true in
regard to the rocks of the tertiary period, viewed
as groups. But it does not apply to the upper
beds of the secondary, and lower beds of the tertiary
formations. The time that transpired between the
depositmg of these, was such as, together with the
changes that took place, to break the connexion
entu-ely between the fossils of the one and those of
the other. No species found in the chalk, the
upper bed of the secondary formation, extends into
the London clay, the lowest in the tertiary groups.
There is here a break, of a much greater extent
than those that appear to exist between each

124 AGE OF THE EARTH;

formation and its successor, of tlie older periods ;
and the length of time which it represents, though
uncertain, must be great.

The only other argument produced in favour of
the antiquity of the globe, is derived from the
relative position in loJiich the various groups tTiat
compose the crust are placed. Groups of rock
either lie conformable or unconformable to each
other. There are few that lie conformable, that is,
as you would place one volume fair upon another.
But even when this is the case, there are certain
indications at the junction that demonstrate, that
the surface of the lower group was long consolidated,
and perhaps exposed to the elements, before it was
overlaid by the beds of the upper. Thus, if we
find the surface-rock partially decomposed and
removed, what remains, hollowed out by water,
and these hollows occasionally containing loose
pebbles, we may reasonably conclude that these
effects — the result of time — were produced before
the overlying rock had been deposited. Again, if
we find that the overlying rock has imbedded in it
numerous fragments of the bed on which it rests,
is it not reasonable to conclude that the one was
formed long before the other ? These are not sup-
positions, though put in that form ; they are facts,
which have been observed at the junction of the
London clay with the chalk.

The great proportion of the groups into which

GENERAL EEMAEKS. 125

the rocks are divided, lie unconformable to each
other. This may be illustrated by the appear-
ance which a number of volumes present when
thrown down carelessly into one heap. They take
all angles. One lies on its side ; another is tilted
up on its edge ; and a third lies flat across it. So
with the diflerent groups of rock. The old red
sandstone is, in some localities, placed almost ver-
tically. The mountain limestone abuts against it,
but inclining more to the horizontal; and so on.
The relative position in which these rocks are
placed is an argument for the antiquity of the globe.
It runs thus : — The old red sandstone, for example,
when formed, must have been horizontal, or nearly
so. It has since been elevated ; but this could not
be elFected before it was consolidated. AVhen par-
tially elevated, the mountain limestone was de-
posited ; then both underw^ ent another upheaving ;
not, however, before the latter rock had been con-
solidated, that it might retain the position to which
it w"as now raised. Similar must have been the
process of deposition, consolidation, elevation, and
denudation, throughout the whole series of groups
which the crust of the earth presents. *

* It has been maintained with great fierceness, that the
crust of the earth, with all its diiTorent formations and fossil
contents, was brought into existence at once, six thousand
years ago ; and that all the reasonings and deductions of geo-
logists are presumptuous and atheistical, since thej "give God

126 AGE OF THE EAETH :

We present, in addition to these arguments in
favour of the antiquity of the globe, the following
ingenious one by the late Mr. H. Miller, drawn
from the " coast line " of our own shores : —

" There runs round the shores of Grreat Britain
and Ireland a flat terrace of unequal breadth,
backed by an escarpment of varied height and
character, which is known to geologists as the Old
Coast-line. On this flat terrace most of the sea-
port towns of the empire are built. The subsoil,
which underlies its covering of vegetable mould,
consists usually of stratified sands and gravels,
arranged after the same fashion as on the neigh-
bouring beach, and interspersed in the same man-
ner with sea-shells. The escarpment behind, when
formed of materials of no great coherency, such as
gravel or clay, exists as a sloping, grass-covered
bank, — at one place running out into promontories,
that encroach upon the terrace beneath, at another
receding into picturesque, bay-like recesses ; and
where composed, as in many localities, of rock of
an enduring quality, we find it worn, as if by the

the lie." We presume that no intelHgent person who had
made himself but tolerably acquainted with geological pheno-
mena, would have committed himself to such language. It
would be quite as much in keeping with the spirit of an
humble inquu-er, to suspect one's own interpretation of the
narrative of Moses, as dogmatically to oppose the facts of
natm'e.

GENEEAL REMARKS. 127

action of the surf, — in some parts relieved into
insulated stacks, in others hollowed into deep
caverns, — in short, presenting all the appearances
of a precipitous coast-line, subjected to the action
of the waves. 'Now, no geologist can, or does,
doubt that this escarpment was at one time the
coast-line of the island — the line against which the
waves broke at high-water in some distant age,
when either the sea stood from twenty to thirty-
feet higher along our shores than it does now, or
the laud sat from twenty to thirty feet lower. Nor
can geologists doubt that along the flat terrace
beneath, with its stratified beds of sand or gravel,
and its accumulations of sea-shells, the tides must
have risen and fallen twice every day, as they now
rise and fall along the beach that girdles our country.
But, in reference to at least human history, the age
of the Old Coast-line and terrace must be a very
remote one. Though geologically recent, it lies
far beyond the reach of any written record. It has
been shown by Mr. Smith, of Jordan Hill, one of
our highest authorities on the subject, that the
wall of Antoninus, erected by the Eomans as a
protection against the jN"orthern Caledonians, was
made to terminate at the Firths of Porth and
Clyde, with relation — not to tlie level of the Old
Coast-line, but to that of the existing one. And
so we must infer that, ere the year a.u. 110 (the
year during which, according to our antiquaries,

128 AGE OF THE EAKTH :

the greater part of the wall was erected), the Old
Coast-line had attained to its present elevation
over the sea. Further, however, we know from
the history of Diodorus the Sicilian, that at a period
earlier by at least two hundred years, St. Michael's
Mount, in Cornwall, was connected with the main-
land at low water, just as it is now, by a flat
isthmus, across which, upon the falling of the tide,
the ancient Cornish miners used to carry over their
tin in carts. Had the relative levels of sea and
land been those of the Old Coast-line at the time,
St. Michael's Mount, instead of being accessible at
low ebb, would have been separated from the shore
by a strait from three to five fathoms in depth. It
would not have been then as now, as described in
the verse of Carew —

" ' Both land and island twice a-dav.' "

"But even the incidental notice of Diodorus
Siculus represents very inadequately the antiquity
of the existing coast-line. Some of its caves, hol-
lowed in hard rock in the line of faults and shifts
by the attrition of the surf, are more than a hun-
dred feet in depth ; and it must have required many
centuries to excavate tough trap or rigid gneiss to
a depth so considerable by a process so slow. And
yet, however long the sea may have stood against
the present coast -line, it must have stood for a con-
siderably longer period against the ancient one.

GENERAL EEMAEKS. 129

The latter presents generally marks of greater
attrition than the modem line, and its wave-hol-
lowed caves are of a depth considerably more pro-
found. In determining, on an extensive tract of
coast, the average profundity of both classes of
caverns, from a considerable number of each, I
ascertained that the proportional average depth
of the modern to the ancient is as two to three.
For every two centuries, then, during which the
waves have been scooping out the caves of the pre-
sent coast-line, they must have been engaged for
three centuries in scooping out those of the old
one. But we know, liistorically , that for at least
twenty centuries the sea has been toiling in these
modern caves ; and who shall dare affirm that it
has not been toiling in them for at least ten cen-
turies more ? But if the sea has stood for but even
two thousand six hundred years against the present
coast-hne (and no geologist would dare fix his
estimate lower), then must it have stood against
the old line, ere it could have excavated caves one-
third deeper, three thousand nine hundred years.
And both periods united (six thousand five hundred
yeai's) more than exhaust the Hebrew chronology.
Yet what a mere beginning of geologic history
does not the epoch of the Old Coast-line form ! It
is but a mere starting-point from the recent period.
Not a single shell seems to have become extinct
during the last six thousand five hundred years !

K

130 AGE OP THE EAKTH:

The shells which lie embedded in the subsoils be-
neath the Old Coast-line are exactly those which
still live in our seas."

Such is the evidence supplied by geology in favour
of the greater antiquity of the earth, than that
generally assigned to it. It will be observed that
this science does not fix on it a certain age ; it sim-
ply demonstrates that it is much older than six
thousand years. Greology, when kept in its proper
province, is not careful to answer on this point ; its
object is to investigate the present state and past
changes of this planet ; it has no concern about its
origin. And what a scene does it disclose ! Change
after change is presented before us ; rather we are
asked to contemplate one grand ceaseless process,
which began when the foimdations of the earth
were laid by the Almighty, and has not yet accom-
plished its destined cycle.

How varied are the aspects this planet presents
in the course of these vast revolutions ! The first
certain glance we obtain presents to our view a
world whose seas teemed with living inhabitants,
chiefly of the fish tribes, of various size, of the most
fantastic shapes, and the most elegant colours.
Perishable as the last quality is, we have seen it
rise, phoenix-like, from the plates of one of these
fossil fishes, under the influence of a powerful glass,
in hues that rival those of the rainbow. Mean-
while the land presents but a scanty vegetation.

GENEEAL EEMAEKS. 131

which may give shelter and support to living crea-
tures, hut none of which come within the sphere
of our vision. Another turn, and the earth is
clothed with a luxuriant and extensively distributed
vegetation, resembling that of the tropics in the
present time ; while the seas and lakes swarm with
shell and other fishes. "We look again, and behold
creatures of monstrous size, and singidar conforma-
tion, basking on the banks of rivers, waddling in
the fenny pools, crawling on the moist earth, or
floating heavily through the air. Another glance,
and the noble forests are seen to give shelter to
quadrupeds, in comparison with which the largest
of the present time appear dwarfish. They browse
upon the leaves and tender sprouts, or burrow in
the earth in search of roots. Still another glance,
and these creatures are being replaced by others
more nearly approaching the type of living creation.
In all this there is the amplest evidence that the
Creator of the "heaven and the earth" is great,
and wise, and good. His power is felt in every
change. His wisdom is manifest in every arrange-
ment ; and every plant, and tree, and creature,
speaks of his goodness. Tnis eaeth of oues is

TKE THEATEE, ON WIIICU HAS BEEN niSPLAYED
THESE AND OTHEE ATTEIBUTES OF DeITY, FOE
AGES FAE BEYOND ALL HUMAN EECKONING.

CHAPTEK XIII.

STATE OF THE EAETH AT THE OPENmG OF
THE HISTOKIC PEEIOD.

Gen. i. 2. — " And the earth was without form, and void : and
darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of
God moved upon the face of the waters."

VIEW TAEEN OF THE FIEST TERSE AGREES WITH ALL THE
FACTS OF SCIENCE, AND VIOLATES NO TEEMS ElIPLOTED
IN THE NAEEATIYE. — COLLISION BETWEEN SCIENCE AND
SCEIPTUEE TO BE AVOIDED. — MEANING OF THE TEEM
"EAETH" INI'THIS connexion.— ME. H. MILLEE ON THIS
THEOET. — SEASONS FOE REJECTING HIS VIEW. — THE STATE
OF THE EAETH. — THE STATE OF THE SEA. — THE STATE OF
THE ATMOSPHEEE. — THE EENOVATING POWEE.

I:s" a former chapter we endeavoured to show that
the first verse of the Mosaic narrative yields the
best sense when understood as containing a sepa-
rate proposition. As it appears to us, this view
agrees with aU the kno\^Ti facts of science, and does
not violate any of the terms employed. It was
further hinted, that the object of the inspired his-
torian is not to supply a theory of creation, but to
furnish a somewhat detailed account of the creation

IIISTOmC PEEIOD. 133

of mau, and the creatures belonging to liis epoch.
This he does in the body of the first chapter, whilst
the first verse contains the important announce-
ment, that the universe of matter did not exist
from eternity, nor by chance, but had a beginning,
and is the work of the 0>'e Teue God.

It is about 6,000 years since man was placed
upon the earth; but the "beginning" was long
prior to that event. Moses assigns no date to the
"beginning," and we cannot. But there are suffi-
cient data, as we have seen, on which to rest the
conclusion, that long ages had revolved between
the creation of the universe and the creation of
man. Written records previous to the Bible we
have none ; but there are others, in a state of mar-
vellous preservation, inscribed by the finger of God
himself, which no hand can fidsify, and no time
effiice. They are safely lodged in the archives of
the globe. "We refer to organic remains, and other
indications of age, that appear in all the formations
of the earth. The geologist descends into this
storehouse of old records, and returns to spread
before our wondering gaze its multifarious contents.
"We conclude that these remains once belonged to
living creatures : — that those bones, which are found
in such prodigious quantities in many of the rocks^
were once joined together, were clothed with flesh
and sinew, and moved to and fro upon the earth.
And because of the positions they are known to

134 STATE OF THE EAETH:

occupy being, in most instances, many feet beneath
the surface, we conclude tliat long ages must have
passed since they were enclosed in their stony beds.
Any other view appears to us to place the
statements of the "Word of God in opposition to
the facts gathered from his works ; — an unnatural
and dangerous collision. Of all men, Christians
should anxiously avoid pressing matters to this
result. The man whose religion, although called
by the name of Christian, is truly a sort of in-
differentism, will be visited by very little concern
when there appears something like contradiction
between these two volumes; the man of no religion,
who imagines the Bible a forgery — this has never
yet been proved — will rejoice at every apparent
discrepancy, and fortify himself anew in his un-
belief. To the Christian there is intrusted, not
only the defence of the book of revelation, but also
the arduous and dangerous work of demonstrating
the harmony that exists, has existed, and, we be-
lieve, will exist, between the word and the works
of God. The danger to which an individual is
exposed, who feels it to be his duty to labour in this
field, does not arise so much from the subject on
which he is engaged, as from unreasonable pre-
judice in some instances, and groundless fear in
others, on the part of those who revere and love
the Eible, to enlarge and strengthen the evidence
in support of which he is spending his time and

niSTORIC PEEIOD. 135

strength. The Christian geologist must not be
discouraged; the work is God's, and He will pro-
tect as well as guide the humble, persevering
labourer.

Before proceeding to speak of the state of the
earth at the opening of the historic period, we must
inquire what is the import of the term " earth " in
this connexion.

We are aware that the plain reader finds no
difBculty here, and perhaps he will not thank us
for disturbing the placid flow of his thoughts.
But truth is better than tranquillity : the ripple in
the stream beautifies the waters. Assuredly it
would have been the easiest method to have fallen
in witli the ordinary opinion ; but whether the
safest remains to be seen. Truth must be stated
and defended; and long received opinions must
not scare us from duty. Besides, this is not the
time to shrink from a candid and thorough inves-
tigation of every article of our faith. Truth invites
investigation ; and if this were more honestly en-
gaged in, there would be fewer votaries of a cold
and heartless unbelief. Once, opinions might have
been taken up and acted on without inquiry ; but
assuredly that time is past. 'We rejoice at the
dawn of a better day. Ignorance may serve the
ends of superstition ; it may, under the specious
garb of a little learning, foster the principles of
scepticism ; but it has no afiinity with Truth. The

136 STATE OF THE EARTH :

religion of Jesus comes to the liglit ; so does the
book in which it is contained ; and the more pene-
trating the ray that falls upon both, the more do
they stand forth consistent, incontrovertible, sub-
lime.

The term earth is commonly understood to mean
the globe in this connexion ; and the phrase, "with-
out form, and void," as descriptive of its external
state and appearance, immediately before man was
placed upon it. Now, although the earth was
brought into existence long prior to this point
in time, we would not for a moment question that
Grod was able to place it in that chaotic state, in
which it is supposed to have been at the commence-
ment of our epoch. He who called it into existence
was undoubtedly able, had he seen meet, to reduce
it to chaos. The question is not whether God were
ahle to do this, — but, Did he do it ? Was the
wliole earth in a state of chaos immediately before
the work of the first day ? This is the question.
It involves nothing as to the poiver of God ; he
who replies in the negative, no more, of necessity,
limits the power of the Creator, than he does who
replies in the affirmative. To suppose he does, is
to miss the true idea. Many who are opposed to
geology have fallen into this mistake, and wasted
their energies in beating the air.

"We understand the term " earth " in this verse
to refer to a 'portion of the globe, and not to the

HISTOEIC PERIOD. 137

whole. "We are bound, with all explicitnesa, to
state the grounds on which this opinion rests.

First, when joined with heaven, as in the phrase
"heaven and earth," the reference is clearly to the
earth, as a part of the material universe. Secondly,
when occurring alone, the idea attached to it by
those to whom this record was first given, and by
its readers for many generations, was not that of
the whole globe as we understand it, for this simple
reason, that they had no notion of the earth being
a globe. Their idea of the earth, as we have abeady
shown, Avas that of a vast plain, cut short on all
sides by the horizon. In truth, this is the precise
idea attached to the term by us, but on very dif-
ferent grounds. Thirdly, the term is frequently
used in Scripture in this sense. So extensive is
this use of the word, that commentators admit that
its ordinary meaning, when not explained by the
context, is a limited portion of the earth's surface.
This portion may be large or small, as the case may
be. Foiu-thly, this is the only sense, so far as we
can judge, that accords with geological appear-
ances. There is no geological evidence that the
ivhole earth ever teas, at one period, in a state

of chaos, ESPECIALLY IMMEDIATELY BEFORE THE

CREATION OF MAN ; but there is much to lead us
to conclude that all the great changes it has under-
gone were partial :— that is, for the time, passed
over only a limited portion of its surface. The

138 STATE OF THE EAETH;

whole globe has, indeed, undergone such changes
as are fitly described by chaos, but piecemeal, if we
may be allowed the expression, and at widely sepa-
rated periods. The impress of many is clearly
traced in the crust of the earth.

Here we shall extract somewhat fully the pub-
Kshed opinion of Mr. H. Miller on this question.
Having a very high respect for this distinguished
geologist and liberal minded Christian, it is with
the greatest deference that we differ from him ;
but in such matters we may not be permitted to
call any man master. The attention of the reader
IS specially directed to the sentences in italics : —

" Both schemes," that is,'those of Drs. Chalmers
and J. Pye Smith, " exhibit the creation, recorded in
G-enesis, as an event which took place about six
thousand years ago ; both describe it as begun and
completed in six natural days ; and both represent
it as cut olf from a previously existing creation by
a chaotic period of death and darkness. But while,
according to the scheme of Chalmers, both the
biblical creation and the previous period of death
are represented as co-extensive with the globe, they
are represented, according to that of Dr. Smith, as
limited and local. They may have extended, it is
said, over only a few provinces of Central Asia, in
which, when all was life and light in other parts of
the globe, there reigned for a time only death and
darkness amid the welterings of a chaotic sea ; and

HISTOEIC PEEIOD, 139

whicli, at the Divine command, was penetrated by-
light, and occupied bj dry land, and ultimately, ere
the end of the creative week, became a centre in
which certain plants and animals, and finally man
himself, were created. A^id this scheme, ly leaving
to the geologist in this country and elsewhere, save,
jy}^hn])i in some unhnoivn Asiatic district, his un-
hroken se?'ies, ce?'tainly does not conflict icith the
facts educed ly geologic discovery. It virtually
removes Scripture altogether out of the field. I
must confess, however, that on this, and on some
other accounts, it has failed to satisfy me. I have
stmnhled, too, at the conception of a merely local
and limited chaos, in which the darkness would he so
complete, that when first penetrated ly the light,
that penetration could he described as actually a
making or creation of light ; and that, ivhile life
ohtained all around its precincts, could yet he
thoroughly void of life. A local darkness, so pro-
found as to admit no ray of light, seems to have
fallen for a time on Egypt, as one of the ten
plagues ; but the event was evidently miraculous ;
and no student of natural science is entitled to
have recourse, in order to extricate himself out of
a difficulty, to supposititious, unrecorded miracle.
Creation cannot take place without miracle ; but it
would be a strange reversal of all our previous con-
clusions on the subject, should we have to hold
that the dead, dark blank out of which creation

140 STATE OF THE EAETH :

arose was miraculous also. And if, rejecting mira-
cle, we cast ourselves on the purely natural, we
find that the local darknesses, dependent on known
causes, of which we have any record in history,
were always either very imperfect, — like the dark-
ness of your London fogs, — or very temporary, —
like the darkness described by Pliny, as occasioned
by a cloud of volcanic ashes ; — and so, altogether
inadequate to meet the demands of a hypothesis
such as that of Dr. Smith. And i/et, further, I am
disposed, I must add, to loohfor a hroader and more
general meaning in that grand description of the
creation of all things, with ivhich the Divine Record
so appropriately opens, than I could recognise it as
forming, ivere I assured it referred to hut one of
many existing creations — a creation restricted to,
jnw^hap, a few hundred sqiiare miles of country, and
to, nmyha^, a few scores of animals and plants T

1. In connexion with this extract we remark,
in the first place, that Mr. Miller states the case
fairly; and enters his dissent to this theory wdth
the entii'e absence of that intolerable flippancy that
too frequently characterizes the language of those
who know nothing at all about the subject.

2. He distinctly admits that the theory of recon-
ciliation advanced by the late Dr. Pye Smith, and
advocated in this volume, does not run counter to
the facts of science. His words are, " Certainly
(it) does not conflict with the facts educed by

HISTOEIC PEEIOD. 141

geologic discovery." This testimony is of great
importance.

3. On what grounds, then, does Mr. Miller
reject this theory, the only one of which, per-
haps, the same could he said — that it does not
" conflict" with the facts of geology ? (1) " It vir-
tually removes Scripture altogether out of the
field." "I must confess," says he, "that on this,
and some other accounts, it has failed to satisfy
me." "We cannot see how this theory of recon-
ciliation, which is admitted not to jar with the
facts of geology, " virtually removes Scripture out
of the field," any more than Mr. Miller's own
theory does ; and even though it did, — if the nar-
rative received no injury in the process, — we cannot
perceive how it could be made a ground for rejecting
the theory. But it does not remove Scripture out
of the field, either really or virtually. It gives to
the first verse in the narrative its most comprehen-
sive and approved meaning. It gives to every
other part a sense quite in accordance with the
principles of philology. (2) "I have stumbled,
too, at the conception of a merely local and limited
chaos," — not, as we understand, because the con-
ception of a local and limited chaos " conflicts" with
the discoveries of geology, but because " the dark-
ness would be so complete, that when first pene-
trated by the light, that penetration could be
described as actually a maJdng or creation of light."

14;2 STATE OF THE EAETH :

We may observe, that the same objection may be
taken to a universal as to a limited and local chaos
— to a chaos that brooded over the whole globe
millions of years ago, as to a chaos that brooded
over a portion of the earth's surface some six thou-
sand years back ; for on either supposition the
heavenly bodies— the light-bearers — existed pre-
viously. " In the beginning Grod created the
heaven and the earth; and ciftericard the earth
was without form and void." But the force of this
objection lies in attaching a meaning to a term
which it does not necessarily bear. The " dark-
ness" was not absolute, as Mr. Miller takes for
granted. The original term does not imply that.
" The Hebrew word," says Dr. Pye Smith, " does
not necessarily mean the absolute privation of light:
it is used in relation to various circumstances of
partial darkness ; and we know that conditions of
the atmosphere have locally happened, in ancient
and in recent times, in which the noonday has
become dark as an ordinary night." We perfectly
agree with Mr. Miller when he writes, that "no
student of natural science is entitled to have re-
course, in order to extricate himself out of a dif-
ficulty, to supposititious, unrecorded miracle ;"
but it appears to us, that when philology is allowed
to contribute her share of elucidation, as well as
geology, to the text, there is no necessity for adopt-
ing this course. (3) Another reason why Mr.

niSTOEIC PERIOD. 143

Miller rejects this theory is, that, while life obtained
all around the precincts of the local chaos, he can-
not see how the portion of the earth that was in a
state of chaos "could yet be thoroughly void of
liic." It is admitted that a limited and local chaos
does not " conflict " with the facts of geologic dis-
covery ; is it not possible that such a condition as
that chaotic portion of the earth is supposed to have
been in, may have been accompanied by such convul-
sions, and ejections of deleterious matter, and the
prevalence of noxious vapoiu's, as to render it, for
the time, incapable of supporting life ? The Hebrew
phrase rendered "without form and void," is de-
scriptive of anything that is " empty, unsubstan-
tial, and useless.'" And then we must remark,
that we have a standing fact, in the Dead Sea,
illustrative of our opinion. To use the words in
which this objection is couched : Here we have an
inland sea, which, " while life obtains all around its
precincts," is yet itself "thoroughly void of life."
It does not affect the argument otherwise than to
add strength to it, to reply. True, but the waters
of the Dead Sea are known to be unfavourable to
the existence of life : for this proves that what
appears to some as an unwarrantable assumption,
is, after aU, a fact not miknown in the workings of
nature. (4) "And yet, further," says Mr. Miller,
" I am disposed, I must add, to look for a broader
and more general meaning in that grand description

144 STATE OF THE EAETH :

of the creation of all things, with which the Divine
Eecord so appropriately opens, than I could recog-
nise it as forming, were I assured it referred to but
one of many existing creations," &c. In the first
place, let the reader remark, that we give the
broadest and most general meaning to the descrip-
tion of " creation " with which " the Divine Eecord
so appropriately opens." That description refers
to " all things ;" and is couched in these words, —
" In the beginning God created the heaven and
the earth," — all things — the material universe.
Let the reader remark further, that, even granting
Mr. Miller's position for a moment, the narrative,
from the second verse onwards, does not describe
the creation of all things, but only the creation of
2, fractional part of " aU things." Now, it appears
to us, that, in principle, there is little difference
between the remodelling of the whole earth and the
remodelling of a part of it. Absolutely speaking,
there is very little difierence between our referring
this descriptive narrative to one world of myria<is
of existing worlds, or "to one creation of many
existing creations." This "creation" or remodel-
ling process cannot be insignificant, when it was
preparatory to the introduction of Man, even
though it may have been " restricted to, mayhap,
a few hundred square miles of country, and to,
mayhap, a few scores of animals and plants." It
was the grandest and most glorious of all creations,

niSTORIC PEEIOD. 145

since it was the creation in \yliicli was included the
only creature that bears the image of God.

However much, then, we may be inclined to defer
to Mr. Miller as an authority in the science of
geology, for these reasons, all too briefly stated,
it may be, for many readers, we are compelled to
travel by another road when we come upon the
border ground that lies between geologic science
and the Mosaic narrative.

It may be objected that we are making revela-
tion bend to science. This we cannot admit. We
are giving a meaning to the term " earth" which it
very often has in the Bible, and which is not con-
tradicted by any part of this narrative, so far as we
are aware ; and should this view be supported by
the facts of geology, as it is, this appears to us to
be using science properly, in such a connexion, and
not setting it up as an authority above the Bible.
Should it be objected further, that this opinion
never would have been broached, had it not been
suggested by geology, our reply is simply this : —
1. Xo one is at liberty to say, what opinion will,
and what opinion will not, be evolved in the course
of time, under the searching analysis of steadily
dii'ected criticism. 2. In obtaining a new idea in
religion, morals, or physics, something must act the
'•prompter;" and can the objector say why the
suggestions of geology must be laid aside, while

146 STATE or THE EAETH :

those proceeding from other quarters are received
with open arms ?

We take the facts of science to enable us to
perceive more clearly the import of the statements
of inspiration. There is nothing wrong in this,
else all external helps to biblical interpretation
must be cast aside. The discoveries of the traveller
are seized upon to enable us to understand some
reference to a country but little known. The dis-
coveries of the astronomer are welcomed to elucidate
some general statement connected with the starry
heavens, which otherwise would remain to us un-
meaning. On what ground are we to reject the
researches of the geologist, when, perchance, by
their judicious application, light may be thrown
upon such portions of Scripture as the present ?

Because the term very frequently has this mean-
ing in Scripture ; because there is nothing in the
narrative to oppose it ; because it is the only one
in harmony with the known facts of geology, we
assign to it in this verse, and throughout the
chapter, a limited signification. We understand it
to refer to that portion of the earth which the
Creator destined for onan's abode ichen he should
hring him into escistence, and ichich ivas prepa^^ed
for his reception in the manner descrihed in this
narrative.

But it may be asked, What have we gained by

IIISTOEIC PEEIOD. 147

this interpretation ; — was it worth while to unsettle
long cherished opinions for tlie good that may flow
from it ? If we have gained the true idea in the
passage, is not that enough — is not that full com-
pensation for siu-rendered opinions ? The fact is,
if we gain not this, we gain nothing ; but if we
arrive at the truth, though late, we gain all that is
worth gaining. Of what value is the imitation
diamond in the estimation of the mineralogist,
though it bears such a close resemblance to the
real that it has long passed unquestioned among
dealers in precious stones ? The real diamond is
the gem — it is the pearl of great price. Truth is
the diamond ; and what may have long passed for
it, may, after all, be but an imitation. Is there
nothing gained when we have got possession of the
real gem ? "VVliat have we gained by this interpre-
tation ? Is it of no importance to show that the
word of God is not opposed by the well attested
facts of nature ; — that nature and revelation, so far
as they refer to the same subjects, speak the same
language — move in the sweetest harmony ? "What
have we gained by this interpretation ? Have we
not, thereby, i)lucked a poisoned weapon from the
liand of the unbeliever ?

This being the view we take of the term " earth,"
in this passage, what meaning do we attach to the
phrase "Mithout form and void"? In the Chaldee
it is rendered "desert and empty;" and in the

148 STATE OF THE EAETH :

G-reek, "invisible and decomposed." The same

terms occur in other parts of the Bible, and are

there applied to barren wastes and deserted ruins.

The opinion expressed above, of the term "earth,"

does not demand a departure, to any extent, from

the commonly received view of the phrase under

consideration; — only, it must be understood as

referring to a limited, and not to a universal chaos.

The portion of the earth's surface which, six

thousand years ago, underwent the changes recorded

by Moses, presented at this time a confused,

gloomy, ruinous appearance. It was a chaos. It

was brought into this state by the appointment

and power of G-od, probably through the operation

of natural causes, such as those deep-seated powers,

which, in their awful movements, elevate one part

of the earth's crust, and depress another. There

mio-ht be a miracle in the case ; but of this we have

no intimation ; and it is not the part of man to

ascribe to miracle, what may be the result of

natural causes, to hide his ignorance, or to buttress

an erroneous interpretation. The crust of the

•earth presents numerous indications of changes,

such as we conceive this to have been, having

taken place in the previous history of the globe.

In all probability, many of the formations, at

one stage or other of their progress, presented an

appearance similar to the Mosaic chaos, and might

have been described by the j)hrase, " without form

HISTORIC PERIOD. 149

and void." Kor are there wanting indications of a
power still residing in nature, capable, when the
will of Grod would have it, of again rendering the
surface of the earth, or a part of it, waste and
desolate. Let any one, sceptical on this point,
read chapter xiv. of Darwin's Journal of a voyage
round the world,* and he will doubt no longer.

Tliis, then, was the state of that portion of the
earth's surface which was destined so speedily to
be the theatre of the creation described in the
remainder of the first chapter of Grenesis, It was
waste and desolate, having been submerged; but
soon, at the voice of God, the dry land will again
appear.

The question may occur to some, If this was the
state of a poi^tion of the surface of the globe, in
what state was the remainder ? The Bible, accord-
ing to the interpretation adopted above, does not
enable us to furnish a reply to this question. All
that can be said, therefore, in reply, is this, that
from the discoveries of geology, we believe that the
other portions of the surface were divided between
land and water, as at the present day. The former
was portioned out into islands and continents, with
their sweeping plains, their hilly uplands, and their
lofty mountains; while the latter washed and
wasted their shores with incessant rolling. And
both land and water, with tlie exception of tlie
* Murray's Home and Colonial Library, No. 33.

150 STATE or TKE EAETH :

cliaotic portion, were then, as now, teeming with
life.

In this chaos, water prevailed. Indeed, the land
was now submerged. The waters seem to have
been in a perturbed state, and loaded with matter
unfavourable to the existence of life. The records
of natural phenomena supply numerous instances
in which vast quantities of fish, and other creatures,
have been deprived of existence upon the escape of
gases, or molten matter, during a commotion in the
earth. None of these may have been upon a scale
equal to this; but the same principle is perhaps
embodied in them. When the poisonous influences,
in these analogous cases, have disappeared, the
locality is peopled again from the neighbouring
seas ; but in the case in hand, the chaotic waters,
purified, and fitted to be the habitation of living
creatures, have these provided for them by an
express act of creative power. God said, "Let
the waters bring forth, and it was so."

The earth and the waters being in this state,
how was it with the atmosphere ? The reader may
deem this question superfluous, since it is stated
that the firmament was not made till the second
day. The meaning of the verse, where this state-
ment occurs, will be given when we arrive at it, in
the course of the exposition ; meanwhile we may be
assured that there was an atmosphere at this time,
and long prior to this. Had there been no atmo-

HISTOEIC PERIOD. 151

sphere, darkness, such as this was, would not have
sat upon the face of the deep. The darkness here
referred to, we understand to have been the state
of the atmosphere at this time. As below all was
ruin, the crust of the earth apparently broken up,
and all order at an end, so above all was darkness
and gloom. The scene was perfect of its kind;
each part harmonized vrith the other. The per-
turbed waters rolled heavily over the submerged
earth ; and over them stretched a mantle of dark-
ness resembling night. The original term, as we
have already seen, does not mean absolute darkness,
such as our night would be were there no atmo-
sphere, and both seasons — night and day — would
be, if there were no light-imparting body ; — but a
state of the atmosphere presenting the appearance
of a close, gloomy night.

"Was this state of the atmosphere miraculous, or
was it the result of natural causes, directed by the
wisdom of Grod ? There might be a miracle, as in
the former case, but as no mention is made of it,
and as this state of the atmosphere might be pro-
duced, and sustained for a time, by natural causes,
we are led to ascribe the result to the latter rather
than to the former. Such a change as that, which,
we think it probable, this portion of the earth
underwent, prior to the six creative days of Moses,
was calculated to produce a great change upon the
air that floated over it. Gases would be given off

152 STATE OF THE EAETH :

from tlie disturbed earth, and moist vapours would
rise from the waters; and their meeting-place
would be in the air. The addition of these to the
atmosphere might produce such an effect, as would
prevent the rays of the sun, though shining over-
head, from penetrating to the earth's surface. This
heavy, opaque, gloomy atmosphere, therefore, may
have been the result of those changes the earth at
this time underwent. And like "ancient night,"
it brooded over the face of the deep.

Such was the appearance which this portion of
the earth's surface presented, prior to the acts of
creative power, of which it was soon to become the
theatre. Chaos is to remain no longer ; order and
beauty are soon to take its place. That region in
which roll gloomily the destructive waters, and
over which hangs an atmosphere that shuts out the
fair sun from looking upon the wide-spread ruin
beneath, is soon to be adorned with virgin vegeta-
tion, stocked with birds, and beasts, and creeping
things ; and above all to become the dwelling-place
of a nobler creature than had yet trod the earth.
The word has gone forth ; the remodelling process
has begun : " The Spirit of the Lord moves upon
the face of the waters."

This was the power by which the earth was
renovated, and the creative acts that followed
accomplished. The word rendered "Spirit," pro-
perly means "breath," or "windj" hence some

HISTOKIC PEEIOD. 153

have thought, that the phrase is intended to teach
us, that the breath or wind of the Lord, that is,
according to Hebrew idiom, a mighty wind, passed
over the chaotic mass. It is better to retain the
common meaning ascribed to the term, which is,
the power, or energy, of the Lord ; and this divine
energy was now put forth upon this portion of the
globe, that, from its present state of disorder and
ruin, order might be evolved. The term is un-
doubtedly used in this sense in numerous instances,
when the theme is the same or similar. Psalm
xxxiii. G : "By the word of the Lord were the
heavens made ; and all the host of them by the
breath of his mouthr — Vs2Xm civ. 30: "Thou
sendest forth thy Spirit, they are created; and
thou renewest the face of the earth." — Job xxvi.
13 : " By his Spirit he hath garnished the heavens."
In these passages the idea of power is distinctly
brought out ; this also we understand to be the
idea in the clause under consideration. The power,
or energy of Grod, was exerted upon the chaotic
mass, with a view to those sublime results that this
chapter records.

The phrase, " moved upon the face of the waters,"
is a very singular, but impressive one. " The
original implies a gentle waving or fluttering
motion, like that of a bird over its young."*

Great was the disorder in which this portion of
* Bush on Genesis.

154 STATE OF THE EAETH.

tlie earth's surface was placed; deep was the gloom
that hung over it ; sublime Avas the work contem-
plated ; but the energy put forth is competent to
the mighty task. The darkness is rolled bacS into
night; the chaos gives birth to "dry land," and
collected waters; and a platform is raised, on
which those mighty acts, that tell of God's
"glorious majesty," are about to be performed.
"Is any thing too hard for Jehoyah ?"

CHAPTER XIV.

CREATIVE DAY8 — ARE THEY INDEFINITE
PERIODS ?

VAEIOUS OPINIONS ON THIS POINT. — FIE3T ARGUilENT IN
FAVOUE OF INDEFINITE PEEI0D3. — SECOND AEGUMENT. —
THIED AEGUMENT. — THEOET AS MODIFIED BY ME. H.
MILLEE. — OBJECTIONS. — THE DATS NATFEAL DATS. —
PEOOF.

The plain reader has no difficulty in understanding
what is meant by the term " day " in this narrative.
He believes it to be an ordinary day — a period
extending over twenty-four hours. This has not
always been the case with his more learned brother ;
he has sometimes expressed doubts on the subject,
and in some instances has set himself to prove that
the "evening and the morning, — one day," consti-
tute a period of time of many thousand years'
duration. Since diversity of opinion exists upon
the point, and since it is necessary to have a fixed
idea attached to the tenn, before proceeding to
examhie the work of the respective "days," we

156 CEEATIYE DATS :

deem it imperative to devote this chapter to the
subject.

"We shall only bring forward two views, that
which makes the " days " indefinite periods, and
that which ascribes to the term its natural mean-
ing. Those who take the former of these views
maintain, that the six creative days are to be
received in a figurative, not in a natural sense.
Each day is understood to include an indefinite
period of time, in which the surface of the earth
underwent numerous and important changes.
From the arguments generally advanced in favour
of this opinion, we select three, on which we ofter
a few observations.

First, the facts of geology make large demands
upon time. The advocates of this view were aware
that many facts had been brought to light by the
patient exertions of geologists, which, on the one
hand, could not be questioned, and on the other,
could not be reconciled with the ordinary interpre-
tation of the Mosaic narrative. The opinion long
received, even among scientific men, was tliis —
That the "heaven and the earth" were created,
that is, brought into existence, about six thousand
years past ; and that all the phenomena, both in
connexion with stratification and the department of
organic remains, were to be ascribed to the deluge,
to the period which elapsed between the Mosai6
creation and that catastrophe, or to that state of the

ARE TUEY INDEFIXTTE PERIODS ? 157

earth indicated by the x)hrase, " without form and
void." Tliis interpretation gradually lost its hold
upon the mind of Christian philosophers. With
this change of opinion, there arose a prejudice
against the science. We can call it by no other
name ; for although the language of some was dis-
respectful to the inspired volume, this was, at the
time referred to, by no means the character of the
writings of geologists as a body. So high was feel-
ing permitted to run, that men, decidedly friendly
to religion, were branded with infidelity for ceasing
to hold, what they believed to be, an erroneous
view of the Mosaic record. It was strongly felt
that the age of the earth was much more remote
than philosophers and divines had taught. As just
notions of stratification gained ground, the geolooist
found himself compelled to fall back upon time, and
place the changes, that had so often swept the earth,
in ages long prior to the date of the first chapter
of Genesis. The examination of the numerous
fossils, that began to be disinterred, led to the same
conclusion.

Many philosophers and divines now admitted
the necessity of referring, alike the formation and
position of the strata, to changes that had taken
place long before tliere was a human eye to witness
them, or a human pen to trace their consequences,
or record their order. The theory of " indefinite
periods," as it is called, was thought to remove all

158 CEEATIYE DATS:

difficulties, and place at the disi^osal of tlie geologist
a stretch of time amply sufficient for tlie formation
and consolidation of the various strata. His epochs
expanded as his facts accumulated, or his imagina-
tion soared higher in its daring flights. Time was
the article in demand, and time was gained ; but,
as we believe, at the cost of what is even more
precious — Truth.

Secondly. It is argued that the order in which
fossils are found in the crust of the earth supports
this theory. As in the fii'st chapter of Genesis
there is observed the most beautiful order in the
subjects of the six days' work, and as a similar
order was observed in the fossils, at an early stage
of the history of the science, it was immediately
concluded that there existed a close connexion
between the two. The epoch, denominated in the
narrative the "first day," and on which nothing
having life was made, was believed to correspond
with those parts of the crust destitute of organic
remains. The second period, or "day," was also
devoted to the production of the non-fossiliferous
rocks. The third period, or " day," was believed
to be the time when the carboniferous system was
deposited. And so with the other days and the
succeeding formations. The idea was a fine one,
and every efi'ort was made by its advocates to fix it
upon a sure foundation. Some of the greatest men
in science and philosophy gave it their sanction,

ARE TUET INDEFINITE PERIODS? 159

and laboured to establish and extend it. But
truth will not falsify herself, to sustain the infalli-
bility even of her most distinguished votaries. It
still lingers in the minds of not a few ; the apparent
ease, with which it removes the difficulty, recom-
mends it to some, its poetic beauty may make
others loath to part ^vith it ; but in this science we
are guided by facts, not by poetry.

Thirdly. It is alleged that the term day in the
original language flivours this theory. It literally
means a period of time, without fixing its extent.
It may be twenty-four hours, a life-time, a thou-
sand years, or an indefinite period. In all these
senses it occurs in Scripture. The corresponding
word in the Grreek is also indefinite in its meaning.
The same may be said of our own term, day. The
meaning, therefore, in any given place, is to be
fixed by the context, or those circumstances, of an
external nature, which must be taken into account,
when expounding many portions of the Bible.
In the present case, it is thought the circum-
stances are such as to demand this interpretation.
Such are the leading arguments in favour of this
theory; and however formidable they may have
been, when originally propounded, time has supphed
their refutation. The discoveries of geology have
sll0^vn that the second argument has no founda-
tion in truth. The Jirst is not peculiar to the
theory before us : -both opinions, announced in

160 CREATIVE DATS:

this chapter, demand time. The reasonings in
connexion mth the tliird might have been spared.
But we must be allowed to amplify a little on these

points.

According to both theories we must draw largely
upon the past ; in both cases we are free to do so,
it being understood that the theory which receives
the "days" in their natural import is conjoined
with that which receives the first verse as an inde-
pendent proposition, followed by a break of indefi-
nite extent ; we submit, therefore, that this is no
argument in support of the one in preference to the
other. It must consequently be laid aside.

Whatever be i^Q ])resent feeling of the advocates

of this theory, in reference to the second argument,

we suspect it must originally have been the leading

one. We do not write for geologists; we therefore

state, what is well known to them, for the benefit

of the common reader, that the discoveries of the

last five-and-twenty years have proved, as far as

such a point can be proved, that this argument

will not hold. A better acquaintance with the

secrets of nature convinces us that there is not

such correspondence, as was alleged, between the

creative days and the systems of which the crust of

the earth is composed. It is true that the lowest

rocks, with which we are acquainted, are destitute

of organic remains ; but many things conspire to

show, that what we may deem the oldest rocks

ARE THEY INDEFINITE PERIODS? IGl

are, iu many instances, mucli newer than the fos-
siliferous beds above them. It is stated in a work
in which this theory is ably supported,* that the
carboniferous system agrees with the third "day "
in the narrative, because during that period the
first Hving things were made, namely, "plants and
trees." Many thousand feet beneath this system
fossils abound in prodigious quantities; and these,
too, belong especially to creatures, not to plants!
Some of the latter, indeed, occur ; but the prevaH-
mg type is that of creatures belonging to the
waters. The first fossHs are those of creatures,
and these, though low in the scale, are yet not thJ
lowest. This statement may be verified by examin-
ing any recent respectable work on the science.
This is fatal to the argument ; and with it the
theory itself must come down.

In his last and very able work,t Mr. MiUer
announces the following modification of this theory;
but few readers, we opine, wiU be satisfied with
his waiving the philological argument in such a
matter. The question can only be settled by an
appeal to philology and geology ; and it will not do
to waive the former, or treat all its deductions as
unworthy of attention, because some of them mav
be fanciful, or even false.

" Waiving, however, the question as a philological

* De Luc's Letters ou Geology, f Testimony of the Rocks.
M

162 CREATITE DATS:

one, and simply holding with Cmder, Parkinson,
and Silliman, that each of the six days of the
Mosaic narrative in the first chapter were what is
assuredly meant by the dai/ referred to in the
second — not natural days, but lengthened periods
— I find myself called on, as a geologist, to ac-
count for but three of the six. Of the period
during which light was created — of the period
during which a firmament was made to separate
the waters from the waters — or of the period
during which the two great lights of the earth,
with the other heavenly bodies, became visible
from the earth's surface, we need expect to find no
record in the rocks. Let me, however, pause for
a moment, to remark the peculiar character of the
language in which we are first introduced in the
Mosaic narrative to the heavenly bodies — sun,
moon, and stars. The moon, though absolutely
one of the smallest lights of our system, is described
as secondary and subordinate to only its greatest
light, the sun. It is the apparent, then, not the
actual, which we find in the passage — what seemed
to be, not what ivas ; and as it was merely what
appeared to be greatest that was described as
greatest, on what grounds are we to hold that it
may not also have been what appeared at the time
to be made that has been described as made ? The
sun, moon, and stars, may have been created long
before, though it was not until this fourth period

AEE THEY INDEFINITE PERIODS? 1G3

of creation that they became visible from the earth's
surface,

" The geologist, iu his attempts to coUate the
Divine with the geologic record, has, I repeat, only
three of the six periods of creation to account for—
the period of plants, the period of great sea mon-
sters and creeping things, and the period of cattle
and beasts of the earth. He is caUed on to ques-
tion his systems and formations regarding the
remains of these three great periods, and of these
only. And the question once fairly stated, what, I
ask, is the reply ? All geologists agree in holding
that the vast geological scale naturally divides into
tliree great parts. There are many lesser divisions
—divisions into systems, formations, deposits, beds,
strata;— but the master divisions, in each of which
we find a type of life so unlike that of the others,
that even the unpractised eye can detect the dif-
ference, are simply three,-the PahTozoic, or oldest
fossiliferous division; the Secondary, or middle
fossiliferous division; and the Tertiary, or latest
fossiliferous division.

"In the first, or PakTozoic division, we find
corals, crustaceans, molluscs, fishes, and, in its
later formations, a few reptiles. But none of these
classes of organisms give its leading character to
the Pala)ozoic,-they do not constitute its promi-
nent feature, or render it more remarkable as a
scene of life, than any of the divisions which foi-
M 2

164 CEEATTTE DATS :

lowed. That wliicli chiefly distinguished the Palae-
ozoic from the Secondary and Tertiary periods was
its gorgeous flora. It was emphatically the period
of plants, — " of herbs yielding seed after their
kind." In no other age did the world ever witness
such a flora ;— the youth of the earth was peculiarly
a green and umbrageous youth — a youth of dusk
and tangled forests — of huge pines and stately
araucarians — of the reed-like calamite — the tall
tree-fern — the sculptured sigillaria — and the hirsute
lepidodendron. "Wherever diy land, or shallow
lake, or running stream appeared, from where Mel-
ville Island now spreads out its ice-wastes, under
the star of the Pole, to where the arid plains of
Australia lie solitary, beneath the bright cross of
the south, a rank and luxuriant herbage cumbered
every foot-breadth of the dank and steaming soil ;
and even to distant planets our earth must have
shone through the enveloping cloud with a green
and delicate ray. Of this extraordinary age of
plants, we have our cheerful remembrancers and
witnesses in the flames that roar in our chimneys
Avhen we pile up the Tvinter fire, — in the brilliant
gas that now casts its light on this great assem-
blage, and that brightens up the streets and lanes
of this vast city,* — in the glowing furnaces that
smelt our metals, and give moving power to our

* This lecture was delivered in London.

AEE THET INDEFINITE PERIODS ? 165

ponderous engines, — in the long, dusky trains that,
with shriek and snort, speed dartlike athwart our
landscapes, — and in the great cloud-enveloped
vessels that darken the lower reaches of your noble
river, and rush in foam over ocean and sea. The
geologic evidence is so complete as to be patent to
all, that the first great period of organized being
was, as described in the Mosaic record, peculiarly a
period of herbs and trees, ' yielding seed after their
kind.'

" The middle great period of the geologist — that
of the Secondary division — possessed, like the
earlier one, its herbs and plants, but they were of
a greatly less luxuriant and conspicuous character
than their predecessors, and no longer formed the
prominent trait or feature of the creation to which
they belonged. The period had also its corals, its
crustaceans, its molluscs, its fishes, and, in some
one or two exceptional instances, its d^varf mam-
mals. But the grand existences of the age, the
existences in which it excelled every other creation,
earlier or later, were its huge, creeping things — its
enormous monsters of the deep, — and, as shown by
the impressions of their footprints stamped upon
the rocks, its gigantic birds. It was peculiarly the
age of egg-bearing animals, winged and wingless.
Its wonderful ivkaJes, not, however, as now, of the
mammalian, but of the reptilian class, — iclitliyo-
saui's, plesiosaurs, and cetiosaurs, must have tem-

166 CEEATITE DATS :

pested the deep ; its creeping lizards and crocodiles,
such as the teleosaurus, megalosaiirus, and iguano-
don, — creatures, some of which more than rivalled
the existing elephant in height, and greatly more
than rivalled him in bulk, must have crowded the
plains, or haunted by myriads the rivers of the
period ; and we know that the footprints, of at least
one of its many birds, are of fully twice the size of
those made by the horse or camel. "We are thus
prepared to demonstrate, that the second period of
the geologist was peculiarly and characteristically
a period of whale-like reptiles of the sea, of enor-
mous creeping reptiles of the land, and of numerous
birds — some of them of gigantic size ; and, in meet
accordance with the fact, we find that the second
Mosaic period, with which the geologist is called on
to deal, was a period in which Grod created the fowl
that flieth above the earth, with moving [or creep-
ing] creatures, both in the waters and on the land,
and what our translation renders great whales,
but what I find rendered in the margin, great sea-
monsters.

" The Tertiary period had also its prominent class
of existences. Its flora seems to have been no
more conspicuous than that of the present time ;
its reptiles occupy a very subordinate place ; but
its beasts of the field were by far the most wonder-
fully developed, both in size and numbers, that ever
appeared upon earth. Its mammoths and its mas-

ARE THEY I>'DEFI>'ITE PERIODS ? 1G7

todons, its rliinoceri and its hippopotami, its enor-
mous dinotherium and colossal megatherium, greatly
more than equalled in bulk the hugest mammals of
the present time, and vastly exceeded them in
number. The remains of one of its elephants,
Elejylias jJrimi^eniiis, are still so abundant amid the
frozen wastes of Siberia, that what have been not
inappropriately termed ' ivory quarries,' have been
wrought among their bones for more than a hundred
years. Even in our own country, of which, as I
have already shown, this elephant was for long ages
a native, so abundant are the skeletons and tusks,
that there is scarcely a local museum in the king-
dom that has not its specimens dug out of the
Pleistocene deposits of the neighbourhood. And
with this ancient elephant there were meetly asso-
ciated in Britain, as on the northern continents
generally all around the globe, many other mam-
mals of corresponding magnitude. ' Grand, indeed,'
says an English naturalist, ' was the fauna of the
British Islands in those early days. Tigers, as
large again as the biggest Asiatic species, lurked in
the ancient thickets ; elephants of nearly twice the
bulk of the largest individuals, that now exist in
Africa or Ceylon, roamed in herds ; at least two
species of rhinoceros forced their way through the
primaeval forest ; and the lakes and rivers were
tenanted by hippopotami as bulky, and with as
great tusks, as those of Africa.' The massive cave-

168 CEEATITE DATS :

bear, and large cave-hya^na, belonged to the same
formidable group, Avith at least two species of great
oxen {Bos longifrons and Bos primigeniiis), with
a horse of smaller size, and an elk {Megaceros
mhernicus), that stood ten feet four inches in
height. Truly, this Tertiary age— this third and
last of the great geologic periods— was peculiarly
the age of great ' beasts of the earth after their
kind, and of cattle after their kind.' "

We have quoted this very eloquent passage,
partly because it furnishes a most admirable sum-
mary of the results of geological discovery. But
we must confess that the author, notwithstanding
the great scientific skill and ingenuity which he
manifests, fails to convince us that the theory of
indefinite periods is the true one.

It may not be that the advocate of this theory is
bound to give some account, geologically, of the six
periods ; but sure we are that the majority of think-
ing readers will desiderate some attempt, at least,
in this direction.

Waiving this point, on what ground is it that
the advocate of this theory picks out from the six
Mosaic days the three that appear to resemble his
three geologic periods, and not take them in suc-
cession ? He selects the third, the ffth, and the
sixth day, and alleges that all the geologist has to
do is to show that his three periods correspond with
these days.

ARE THEY INDEFINITE PERIODS ? 169

But, is he at liberty to pick and choose tliis way ?
Ought he not to take the days in unbroken suc-
cession, as his periods follow in unbroken succes-
sion ? What does he make of the fourth Mosaic
day ? AVhat does he mean by the ii'ork of that
day ? It was a 'period^ according to his idea ; but
what was done in it ? He replies, — " It was the
period during which the two great lights of the.
eai'th, with the other heavenly bodies, became
visible from the earth's surface." AVill the geolo-
gist affirm that the sun, moon, and stars were not
visible from the earth's surface before the fourtli
Mosaic day — that is, the period (to which he does
not give a place) that intervenes between the
Palaeozoic and the Secondary periods ? Does he
believe, that during that immense stretch of time
in which the Silurian, the old red sandstone, and
the carboniferous systems were accumulating, that
the sun was never visible from the earth's surface ?
Does he believe that the sun never shone upon the
earth during its " green and umbrageous youth " ?
We should like to have such questions as these
discussed by a competent pen, — and no shrinking.

Although we have, in the above paragraph, placed
the fourth Mosaic day between the Palaeozoic and
Secondary periods, yet the advocates of the theory
we are now combating leave no room for it there.
Now, they may not feel bound to account for it
geologically ; but we must protest against their

170 CEEATIYE DATS :

sliiiffling it out of its place altogether. This is
putting the Mosaic narrative on a procrustean bed ;
it is not a reconciliation.

But, further, in seeking to reconcile the two
records, the geologic and the Mosaic, the essential
meaning of each must be retained ; and the problem,
therefore, to be solved is, — Given, fico records of
one event, to find tlie jpoint at icliicli tliey meet and
Jiarmonize. Such a view of the geologic record
must be taken as shall not "conflict" with estab-
lished facts : and such a view of the Mosaic record
must be taken as shall not clash with the deduc-
tions of philology. Now, so far as the science is
concerned, we have no fault to find with ]Mr. Mil-
ler's summary ; we believe in the three grand sys-
tems which he so graphically describes. But we
entirely demur to the assumption that they corre-
spond with — that they are the geological represen-
tatives respectively of — the thii^d, the fifth, and the
sixth day. The reader must remember that it is
not enough that the facts of geology must be fairly
represented ; it is equally necessary that the legi-
timate deductions of philology should be respected.

"What, then, is the essential idea in the Mosaic
narrative ? Beyond all doubt, the narrative of the
tJiird day is intended to convey the idea that on
tJiat day the "grass," the "herb yielding seed,"
and the " fruit-tree yielding fruit after his kind,"
were created — and these only. IVlr. Miller says

ARE TIIET INDEFIKITE PERIODS ? 171

tliat tlie Mosaic narrative describes the third day
" as j^fczJ/^r/y a period of herbs and trees;" whereas
the true idea in the narrative is, that it is exclu-
sively the period (the day) of herbs and trees !
But this, the only idea that can be brought legiti-
mately out of the passage, does not correspond with
the geological idea in the Paleozoic period. The
Mosaic "day" is a day of "plants" exclusively ;
the Pahrozoic period has its " corals, crustaceans,
molluscs, and fishes " in vast numbers, and in its
later formations even "reptiles," as well as its
" gorgeous flora." In one point only they meet —
both have to do with "plants ;" infive points they
disagree, for on the third Mosaic day there were
no "corals," no " crustaceans," no " molluscs," no
"fishes," no "reptiles," brought into existence.

It is just as clear that the narrative of the Jifth
day's w^ork is intended to teach us that, on tliat
day, and not till tliat day, " God created great
whales, and every living creature that moveth, ivliich
the waters brought forth abundantly, after their
kind, and every winged fowl after his kind." We
admit that " the second period of the geologist was
peculiarly and characteristically a period of whale-
like reptiles of the sea, of enormous creeping rep-
tiles of the land, and of numerous birds," but we
do not admit that this period is identical with the
fifth Mosaic day. One point of disagreement, so
vital as the one we are now to mention, is enough

172 CEEATIYE DAYS :

to Yitiate tlie whole : Geology proves that the seas
were stocked with "living creatures" many, many
ages prior to the Secondary period, — prior, indeed,
to the existence of any species of plant whatever ;
but the Bible tells us that " every living creature
that moveth, which the waters brought forth abun-
dantly," was created on the Jlftli day. By no legi-
timate process of criticism, by no liberal application
of enlightened exegesis, can you bring any other
meaning out of these words. But that meaning is
at irreconcilable variance with this theory.

Is it the case, then, that geology and the Bible
are irreconcilably at variance ? By no means.
The conclusion to which we have been led, after
allowing full scope to the science, and explaining
the narrative according to the legitimate meaning of
the language, is this — that the theory that receives
the Mosaic days as indefinite periods of time, and
would in this way reconcile the narrative with the
science, hopelessly fails in the attempt. But that
does not prove that reconciliation is impossible.
"We believe that the theory advocated in this
volume furnishes the most stable ground, as yet
discoverable, on which a substantial reconciliation
is effected. "We take the science as it is ; we take
the narrative as it is ; and, without doing violence
to either, we believe that he who reads this work
carefully, ■^'ith intelligence, and without prejudice,
will allow that, though not without its difficulties.

AEE THEY INDEFINITE PEEIODS ? 173

yet this theory is the most secure of all that have
beeu promulgated.

In regard to these discussions, we have further
to remark, — the foct of the term " day " by itself
considered, being indefinite in its import, is granted,
and ought always to have been granted ; but that
is not enough to fix upon it, in this connexion, the
idea of an indefinite period, and not an ordinary
day. All parties allow that the context decides the
meaning in a given place ; but there is nothing in
the narrative, that we can discover, to compel us
to attach this idea to it in connexion with the
Mosaic creation.

Besides, there is another " objection to such an
interpretation on geological grounds : and had we
ever seen it noticed by any writer, we should feel
confident, that it is more difficult to be surmounted
than the exegetical difficulty. Universally, we be-
lieve, those who adopt this interpretation suppose,
that every species of animals and plants on the
globe, fossil as well as liviug, was created during
the six demiurgic periods. Consequently, all those
100,000 species of plants, cryptogamian as well as
phenogamian, now growing on the globe, must have
been created during the third period ; for Moses
does not describe any creation of vegetables after
the third day. All those species of animals that
now live in the waters, the zoophyta, testacea, the
Crustacea, and the fishes, and the sea monsters, as

174 CEEATIYE DAYS:

well as flying birds and insects, must have been
created on the fifth day, for the same reason ; and
in like manner, on the sixth day, the land animals.
" But it is a well-established fact, that of more
than 3,000 species of plants and animals that are
found fossil in the secondary rocks, not a single
species corresponds with any now living on the
globe ; and even out of the 3,000 fossil species in
the tertiary formations, less than 600 are iden-
tical with living species ; and most of those, that
are identical, occur in the uppermost members
even of the tertiary strata. JS'ow, if existing
species were created at the same time with the
extinct ones, can any reason be given why their
remains are not found mixed together ? Even if
we could show how a few species might be absent
in the rocks, although now alive on the earth, yet
it seems clear to us that the total dissimilarity
between living and fossil species is entu'ely inex-
plicable on the supposition that they were contem-
porary inhabitants of the globe. "VYe know that
our present species are continually dying, and that
their harder parts are as easily preserved as those
of the extinct species ; and the conclusion is irre-
sistible, that they did not exist at the same time on
the earth ; otherwise, their remains must have been
found in rocks." *

* " The Connexion between Geology and tlie Mosaic His-
tory of the Creation." By Professor Hitchcock. Clarke's

ARE TIIET I>'DEEINITE PERIODS ? 175

On these grounds Ave reject the theory of " in-
definite periods ;" and have little difficulty in recon-
ciling, in our OAvn mind, the interpretation of the
term which makes it mean a natural day, with the
facts of geology. It has always appeared to us
next to impossible to read the narrative, and ques-
tion the idea attached to the term yoiri^ day. The
case is so clear, that it requires simply to be stated.
Each day is said to be composed of " evening and
morning." By what process of ingenious criticism
shall this definition be made to apply to an inde-
finite period ? AVe are aware that much has
been written on this point, especially by Grerman
authors; but when looked at with the eye of
common sense, it may be received as an evidence of
the critic's erudition, but not as a demonstration of
the truth of his theory. Much of the discussion
that has arisen upon this point is altogether un-
called for. The question is not, what is the radical
meaning of the original term translated day — here
all critics are agreed — but what idea does the con-
text fix upon it in this instance ? Now, that this
definition compels us to receive it as a natural day
appears to us obvious. Besides, the same word that

edition, pp. 69, 70. "We would xirge the reader, who wishes to
have the subject in hand more fully discussed, to consult this
work, on the one view ; and, in fairness, the Letters of De
Luc, and Trofossor Sillinian's "Wonders of the Eartli, and
Truth of the Eible ," on the other.

176 CEEATIYE DATS :

is six times employed in connexion witli the work
of creation, is also employed to designate the seventh
day. If, therefore, the term in one part of the nar-
rative means an indefinite period, it must have the
same meaning throughout, there being nothing to
lead us to suspect a change of sense. If the six
creative days are to be received as periods of in-
definite extent, so also must the seventh day. Some
of the advocates of this view have felt the necessity
of being consistent, and pronounce in favour of this
conclusion. But how can this view of the seventh
day be reconciled with the numerous references in
Scripture, which obviously understand it to have
been an ordinary day ?

We are satisfied with the definition furnished by
Moses himself — " the evening and the morning —
one day" — and from the statements and reasonings
already placed before the reader, we trust that he
is persuaded that this view is in harmony with
scientific truth.

Time is demanded ; this we have shown at some
length : but it appears to us unnecessary to adopt
such an interpretation to obtain it. Take the view
we have ventiu-ed to give of the first two verses of
the narrative, and all that geology demands, or can
demand, is at her disposal. Unfettered, then, by
any dogma, she goes forth to her sublime fields of
research, and returns, without fear, with her pre-
cious discoveries. She no longer looks askance

ARE THEY INDEFINITE PERIODS? 177

upon tlie Eible, and the Bible no longer looks with
suspicion upon lier. She becomes a powerful
auxiliary to religion ; and religion smiles upon
and sanctions her efibrts. Both labour in the
same field, though they have entered by different
avenues. The object of both is alike — the develop-
ment of the character of Deity: to this end the
one labours among the manifold works of creation,
the other unfolds the more sublime work of re-
demption.

CHAPTEK XV.

THE WOEK OF THE FIEST DAY.'

G-EN i. 3—5. — " And God said, Let there be light : and there
was light. And God saw the light, that it was good : and
God divided the Hght from the darkness. And God called
the hght Day," &c.

CHAEACTEE OF THE FAEEATIVE.— WOEK DONE ON THE PIEST
DAY. — ITS CHAEACTEE. — DEFINITION OF THE PEEIOD. —
OTJE YIEW OPPOSED BY TWO CLASSES OF PEESONS. — A
WOED TO EACH.

We have been long detained upon the questions
that have passed before us in the preceding part
of this volume ; not, however, we trust, without
profit. There is nothing now between us and the
examination of the work of the six days, but a cer-
tain reverential, soul-prostrating feeling, which one
cannot but experience in attempting the exposition
of a description so sublime and unapproachable :
the exposition is embodied in as few words as pos-
sible, bemg persuaded that by so doing, we will
best accomplish our purpose, and show becoming
reverence for this inimitable composition.

WORK OF THE FIRST DAT. 179

The work of the first day consisted in the pro-
duction of light, the separating the season of dark-
ness from that of light, and the attaching to each
its appropriate name.

" And God said, Let there be light : and there
was light." "We are not to conceive of the Creator
as standing over chaos, and uttering these words, —
"Let there be light." The language does not
demand this literal interpretation. Eor Him to
speak is to ivill. This is frequently the idea at-
tached to the term "said," when applied to Grod;
this appears to be its import throughout the nar-
rative. From His throne in glory He idlled that
light should be, and it immediately burst through
the vapoury atmosphere, but not with the brilliancy
of the fourth day. The sun, the source of light to
our planet, was not yet visible. This luminary was
unquestionably in existence at this time, and shone
from his place in the heavens ; but by reason of
the "darkness" that overspread this portion of
the earth, his beams reached not its surface,
till the Creator willed they should, on the fourth
day.

What is understood by the sun being " made "
on the fourth day, will be stated in due course ;
meanwhile we remark, that, to speak of the light
existing before the sun was created is absurd, as
the latter is, so far as we know, the source, or
cause of the former. Many are the puerile notions
n2

180 woee: of the fiest day.

which have been printed by commentators on this
point ; and many are the objections which Christians
urge to the reception of such a theory of recon-
ciliation as we are now endeavouring to establish,
that would never find embodiment in good English,
were they a Httle better informed on the subject.
Indeed, we want, at this day, an intelligent, com-
prehensive, trust- worthy exposition of the narrative
»f the creation, which could be put into, the hands
of thinking readers. Light was now present upon,
and difiused over, that portion of the globe that
was so lately a chaos, but the sun from which it
emanated was not yet visible. We are not called
upon to discuss the nature of light : this would be
in us presumption. If those whose study it is to
investigate such matters have not yet been able to
agree, it ill becomes one who takes but 'a passing
glance at the subject to decide.

" And G-od divided the light from the darkness ;"
or, as it literally reads, he " separated between the
light and between the darlmess." This portion of
the earth's surface had been, we Imow not how
long, in a chaotic state ; darkness had sat upon it ;
it is now disturbed, dispelled, and in its room a
grateful, refreshing light has been difiused. The
locality was not again to be clothed with darkness,
as mth a mantle; it would indeed come, when
night approached, but only to be relieved by to-
morrow's dawn. The Creator has now established

WOEK OF THE FIEST DAT. 181

the order wliich would never fail. Light had come
in upon the previously existing night, and though
night would again overshadow the earth, it was
only to be succeeded by a new diffusion of light.
The idea of succession, as well as separation, seems
implied in the phrase under consideration.

" And God called the light Day, and the darkness
he called Night." Light and darkness now receive
their distinctive appellations. The former is called
day. Much ingenuity has been expended on the
question, lYliy is light called by this name ? The
root of the Hebrew word is lost. Perhaps the best
opinion is that which derives it from a verb, that
means to be warm, hot, &c. According to this
view the name is descriptive of the season. This
is most probable, for every one knows, that in
Oriental countries the day is hot to a degree of
which we Europeans have no experience. The
latter is called niglit. When the sim shone not,
and the earth was wTapt in darkness, it was
night.

This was the work of the first day. It was most
excellent, "And God saw the light, that it was
good." It was precisely what its Maker purposed
it should be ; and served all the purposes contem-
plated by him. It irradiated the earth, and warmed
its cold, saturated surface ; it was also pleasant
and refreshing. " Truly the light is sw^eet, and a
pleasant (good) thing it is for the eyes to behold

182 WOKK OF THE TIEST DAT.

the suu," Eccles. xi. 7. God saw that it was good ;
that is, he marked its adaptation to the end in
view.

"And the evening and the morning were the
first day." The Hebrew phrase literally rendered
reads thus : — " And there was evening, and there
was morning, — one day." It will be perceived
that the term day, in this clause, has a wider sig-
nification than it has in the previous part of the
verse. There it means the season of light in
opposition to the season of darkness, that is, from
sunrise to sunset ; here it means the period of
twenty-four hours, including both seasons. The
evening and the morning were the ^rst day. Pre-
vious to this there had been a chaos ; a deep, wide-
spread darkness had brooded over it. During the
existence of this state of things, there was no sen-
sible alternation of light and darkness, — all was
darkness. The narrative does not profess to de-
scribe the state of the earth previous to the time
when this gloomy ruin was superinduced upon this
portion of its surface ; it refers only to its actual
state when the divine energy went forth to evolve
the new and glorious creation. The result of the
first expression of the divine will, in connexion
with this chaos, was the establishment of the
season of light, distinct from the darkness that
then prevailed. There was evening ; that was the
termination of the long continued darkness; —

WORK OF THE FIEST DAT. 183

there was morning ; that was the newly diffused
light ; and both constitute the first day.

" Confusion heard his voice, and wild uproar
Stood rul'd, stood vast infinitude confined ;
Till at his second bidding darkness fled,
Light shone, and order from disorder sprung."

The Jewish mode of reckoning the day is, in
all probability, to be traced to this source.

We may be asked, Was this the first day of time ?
From what has been already advanced, the answer
will be anticipated,— it was not. So far as facts,
and arguments founded upon these, can establish a
point, this one appears to us to be established,
namely, that time had begun its cycles long ere
this. AVith what propriety, then, can it be called
the first day ? Is there not a manifest contradic-
tion bet^veen the statement of this narrative, and
the conclusions of science ? No : Eecall the prin-
ciple of interpretation adopted in these pages, and
the opinion expressed of the term " earth " in the
second verse, and the difficulty will disappear.
The narrative, from the second verse downwards,
has exclusive reference to the period when man,
and the creatures that were made with him, were
placed upon the earth. This epoch opened with
a portion of the earth's surface in a state of ruin,
which, at the will of God, gave place to order and
beauty. The first step in the process was the
diffusion of light over the locality. This was the

184 WOEK OP THE FIEST DAT.

first day of the epoch: the Bible says nothing
more. The statement appear to us very plain, and
perfectly consistent with the facts of science.

The theory stated in former chapters, and partly
illustrated in the present one, has not been hastily
adopted; it is not advanced without much and
anxious reflection, and whatever be the treatment
it may receive, one thing we are assured of, — it
appears to be the only safe ground on which the
narrative can rest. Some may suppose that it
rests securely on other and more generally received
grounds ; but if we may be allowed to express our
own experience, we tell them, that in proportion as
the mind opens to the comprehension of this vast
subject, in the same proportion does it discover
the baseless nature of many commonly received
opinions, and the stern necessity under which it is
laid to advance, and take possession of new ground.
In doing this we are exposed to the opposition
of two very different parties : — the pious Christian,
whose mind is never disturbed by the war of
scientific principles, and who fancies himself secure
in his opinion, simply because he knows not the
dangers that beset it, and the fallacies on which it
rests ; and the shrewd sceptic, who rejoices at the
discovery of every apparent contradiction between
nature and revelation, — who is sharp enough to
perceive the impregnable nature of our position,
and who feels that, if allowed to be occupied with-

WORK OF THE FIEST DAT. 185

out molestation, so far as this department of
science is concerned, he must, " vanquished, quit
the field." It would not surprise us, then, though
this interpretation were to be assailed, on the one
hand by many who are devoted to the word of
God, but who are entirely ignorant of, or but
partially acquainted with, physical science ; and on
the other, by those who, although acquainted to
some extent with science, pay no manner of regard
to that word.

To the former we would say, — Brother Christians,
calm your fears ; that which you prize greatly, and
tremble for, is safe. Christian geologists are doing
our common cause a service which you may live to
acknowledge, but never to estimate fully. Grene-
rations yet unborn will be better able. With
humility we presume to think that this interpreta-
tion unites the chain of natural and revealed
truth — a chain, the beautiful proportions of whidh
too many Christians are unable to appreciate, be-
cause they give not themselves to the careful study
of these and kindred subjects.

To the latter we would say, — Friends, your
restless anxiety does not astonish us. You have
long proclaimed war with the Bible. Again and
again your weapons have been wrested from you ;
again and again you have been compelled to change
your ground and mode of attack ; again and again
you have been beaten from the field. We have

186 ttork: of the piest day.

•
beaten you on the plains of antiquarian research, —

you dare not stand by while we trace the inscrip-
tions from ancient Nineveh, or decipher the hiero-
glyphics of the Nile ; we have beaten you from the
wide fields of astronomy, — we never meet you there
now. Chased from the heavens, you take your stand
upon the earth. The weapons supplied by astro-
nomy having failed, you have grasped those fur-
nished by geology. Tour new weapons will soon
fail you. Tou have a presentiment of this ; we
therefore wonder not at your trembling anxiety at
the advanced position of christian geology, seeing
the shadow of a fresh disaster may even now be
darkening your path. "We enter the lists with
you. Choose your own ground. Do you say the
formations of which the crust of the earth is com-
posed ? — we meet you there. Do you prefer the
department of organic remains ? — we meet you
there. From either department we ask you to
produce a single fact, or argument, contrary to
Scripture properly understood. "VYe are bold to
say, that in the wide domain of geological science
there does not exist a fact, that will bear scrutiny,
that jars with the interpretation we have ventured
to lay before you in this work. Have a care then,
friends, how you act. Cease to oppose the Bible,
for your opposition will be of no avail. Say not
that nature contradicts revelation, lest it should
turn out that your assertion proves nought but

WOEK OP THE FIRST DAT. 187

your ignorance or malice. Be at length persuaded
that the book tliat has weathered the storm so
long, without sustaining any harm, is indeed
divine, — the revelation of God's will to men. Not
only cease your opposition ; listen to its teaching.
Your soul is precious, but it is sinful ; this you
cannot doubt, if you listen to the voice of con-
science. Sin involves misery. There is nothing
in nature to remove your guilt, — to calm your
conscience, — or to avert approaching ruin. In the
Bible there is a remedy. Try it : it is the blood
that was shed on Calvary. You stand back;
nay, rather approach. Multitudes, sinful, and un-
happy, and proud, as you are, have come to this
Saviour, and have been humbled, pardoned, and
blessed Avith peace and joy. 0 Spirit of the Lord,
move upon the dark polluted soul and troubled
conscience, and, as from ancient chaos, evolve the
new life — a holy, happy state of things !

" Turn, then, and view those streams where spuits sport,
Q.uaffing immortal life, preparing aye
For higher and intcnscr bemg still."

CHAPTEK XVI.

THE WOEK OF THE SECOND DAY.

Gen. i. 6—8.—" And God said, Let there be a firmament in
the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from
the waters. And God made the firmament, and divided
the waters," &c.

THE NAEEATIVE, 80 FAE AS EXAMINED, IN HAEMONT -WITH
NATTIEAL PHENOMENA. — TEUE ALSO OE THE PAET UNDEE
CONSIDEEATION. — THE WOEK OE THE SECOND DAT. —

■ GOD MAKES THE EIEMAMENT. — APPOINTS IT TO ACCOM-
PLISH HIS PUEPOSE IN THIS DEPAETMENT OF THE GEEAT
PLAN. — ITS USES. — SECOND DAT.

We have endeavoured to furnish such an interpre-
tation of the previous portion of this narrative, as
comports with the established facts of modern
geology. That interpretation it was our aim to
prove conformable to the general use of Scripture
language, and the principles of an enlightened
exegesis. Though entirely satisfied in our own
mind on the point, we are aware that others may
admit the conclusions deduced, with hesitancy.
But we feel persuaded, that the more thorough
one's knovf ledge is of natural science, the more

WOEK OF THE SEC0:N'D DAT. 189

readily will they be acquiesced iu. They may be
opposed by tbe partially informed ; but he who, by
liis o^\Ti attainments, is able to judge, if not con-
vinced, will express himself with caution. On this,
ns on every other subject of human speculation,
the captious and cavilling are the least informed.
It is easy to deal mth the man of solid information :
ignorance generally betrays itself iu silly, stubborn
dogmatism.

If our interpretation be correct, then, there
exists perfect harmony between the facts of science,
and those parts of the narrative already examined.
The same principle of interpretation, applied to the
remaining parts, will place them upon the same
foundation. Thus we cannot doubt it will appear
manifest, that the discoveries of science do not
contradict the Mosaic record.

Tlie passage under present consideration is that
which embodies the work of the second day. At
the win of the Almighty, light has again shed its
refreshing radiance over the chaotic mass ; but the
atmosphere is still dense and unwholesome, alto-
gether unfit to be the medium of life and health.
The process necessary to fit this element for the
discharge of its various functions, is now about to
be instituted. God speaks, — rather wills, and the
work is done.

"And God said. Let there be a firmament in
the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters

190 WOEK OF THE SECOXD DAT.

from the waters." Mrmament. This term comes
from a root that means to beat, to spread out by
beating. By the ancients it was used to designate
the blue vault above us, and corresponded with a
free use of the term heaven. Hence the expres-
sion of the Psalmist :— " Who stretched out the
heavens like a curtain," Psalm civ. 2. In this
'expanse it was supposed, that the sun, moon, and
stars were fixed — stuck up like so many lamps to
light this little world of ours. The language of
the seventeenth verse of this chapter might easily
give rise to this opinion. " Grod," it is there said,
" set them — the sun, moon, and stars — in the firm-
ament of the heaven, to give light upon the earth,"
The firmament, as now understood, designates that
region that surrounds our globe, and in which float
the clouds that shade us from the scorching beams
of summer, or drop upon us the genial showers of
spring. Astronomy has, indeed, attached to it
another meaning. Those immense clusters of stars,
made up of innumerable solar systems, and which
appear under a powerful glass to be floating in
boundless space, are called "firmaments;" but
with this sense of the term our subject has no con-
nexion.

rirmament, we understand to be equivalent to
our term atmosphere. It therefore designates that
body of air that surrounds the planet on which we
dweU. It is everywhere present on the surface.

WOEE OF THE SEC0:N"D DAT. 191

penetrating every ravine, floating in every valley,
and enveloping every moimtain. It is supposed to
extend thirty or forty miles above the surface.
Clouds float plentifully in it ; but they are believed
to rise no higher than ten miles. According to
the interpretation given of the term "earth" in
the second verse, so must be the idea attached to
the firmament in this verse. The former meaning
a portion of the earth's surface, the latter, though
in its widest acceptation it designates the whole
aerial coating that envelopes the globe, yet, in its
present connexion, must be understood as referring
to that portion of the atmosphere, that overspread
the chaotic mass.

"And God made the firmament." The idea
generally attached to this clause is that of a proper
creation. It is thought that at this time the
atmosphere was brought into existence by the will
of God ; that previous to the second day there was
no aerial substance surrounding the globe. It is
well that the language does not demand this inter-
pretation ; for we fear it would have been found to
oppose the principles of natural science, in such a
manner, as would render reconciliation hopeless.
Light existed on the previous day ; but such light
as could not exist in the absence of the atmosphere.
It is true that nothing is impossible with God;
but are we justified in falling back upon the super-
natural, merely to spare the confession, that our

192 WOEK or THE SECO^•D DAT.

view of tlie passage is erroneous ? The existence
of life previous to this date, as proved by the exist-
ence of fossils, and the existence of the organs of
vision in these fossils, similarly constituted to our
own, establish the conclusion, that an atmosphere
enveloped the earth previous to the second day in
the Mosaic account.

The narrative is not opposed to this conclusion.
It has been already stated that the existence of
light on the first day presupposes its truth. "We
have now to add that the Hebrew word rendered
"made," does not primarily mean create; its pre-
vailing signification is to make, prepare, &c.* It
is a different word from that rendered " create " in
the first verse, and appears to be less powerful.
Sometimes it is properly rendered create ; but this
is always regulated by the subject or the context.

In the passage before us, we understand it in
the sense of, to prepare, or arrange. It is a strong
presumption in favour of this interpretation, that
while it gives to the term its primary sense, it
meets every requirement of science. " Grod said,
Let there be a firmament," that is, an atmosphere
capable of discharging aU its functions ; and Grod
prepared the firmament, all disordered, like the
earth on which it rested, for these pui'poses. It
was motionless, stagnant, dingy, lifeless. But no
sooner does the will of God go forth, than with
* Gesenius,' Lexicon.

WORK OF THE SECOND DAT. 193

silent but sublime efficacy, the stagnant atmospbere
is imbued with a living principle; God wills its
renovation, and it was effected.

Let no one suppose that this work is unbecoming
the dignity of Grod, or unworthy of a place in the
opening pages of our sacred book. It appears to
us that this narrative, the first verse excepted,
refers to a remodelling process that passed upon a
portion of the earth's surface, and includes an
account of the creation of the various creatures
destined to inhabit the renovated land ; and in the
renovating process, as well as in the creative acts,
we see much that is Godlike. In the beginning
God created all things by the word of his power ;
we cannot suppose it derogatory to his character
to find Him re-arranging and beautifying, even a
limited portion of his universe, for the reception
of innumerable creatui-es, and especially the crea-
ture whom he formed in his own image.

The Creator willed that there should be a firma-
ment in the midst of the waters, to divide the
waters which were under the firmament from the
waters which were above the firmament: and it
was so. "In the midst of the waters;" rather,
" between the waters." This is the only use which
the narrative informs us the atmosphere was put to
at this time ; but it served other purposes, to which
reference will be made in following pages. "The
waters which were under the firmament," are

194 WOEK OF THE SECOND DAT.

generally understood to be the "waters" men-
tioned in the tenth verse, and which, when gathered
together, were called "seas." What are we to
understand by the waters separate from these, and
said to be above the firmament? The general
answer to this question is, that reference is here
made to the water which is known to lodge in the
atmosphere. It ascends from the earth under
certain circumstances, and is stored up in the
heavens, till a wise and beneficent Providence
dispenses it again to refresh and beautify the
ground. It exists in the shape of clouds and
vapour. Previous to the work of this day, the
atmosphere being in a state of derangement, the
watery vapours approached so near the surface of
the earth, that there appeared to be no line of
demarcation : — the one merged, as it were, into the
other. Now, the effect of the atmosphere being
renovated, immediately appeared in the separating
between the waters below, and the waters above.
The surface of the former assumed a definiteness,
the moist mists being rolled away ; and the latter
carried upwards to the higher regions. Thus God
made, or prepared, the firmament, and divided the
waters which were under it from those which were
above it.

"And God called the firmament heaven." It
has been already remarked, that the term heaven is
used in various senses in the Bible. In its highest

WORK OE THE SECOND DAT. 195

sense, it refers to the habitation of God's throne ;
in its lowest sense, it is applied to the coating of
air that surrounds the earth, as in this clause. The
phrase, " Let it divide," does not simply mean, let
it separate ; but also, let this separation continue.
By means of the firmament, let there be a lasting
separation between the seas beneath, and the
watery clouds above. It was so, in obedience to
the Divine will ; it is still so, in accordance with
that omnipotent will. The phrase, " Let there be,"
is equivalent to an expression of the Divine will.

" So even

And morning chorus sung the Second day."

The atmosphere is necessary to the existence
of life. "We can conceive of a globe like this earth
existing without an atmosphere, but in that case it
would be entirely destitute of life. No terrestrial
creature, as presently constituted, could have been
brought into existence; or if, at the will of the
Almighty, it had stood forth, it would have sunk,
the next moment, into non-existence. No plant or
tree would have found a place upon the earth, to
deck its plains, and relieve the dull uniformity of
its surface. "Without this important appendage, it
would have presented a dreary aspect, — it would
have been a waste portion of the universe of God.
The mountain and hill would have had no grassy
covering ; the valleys would have yielded no pas-
ture, and the plains would have been so many arid
o 2

196 t\'oee: of the second day.

deserts. No fishes would have gambolled in its
oceans, or sported in its lakes and rivers. Ko
beast of prey would have roamed its wilds ; no
cattle browsed upon its mountains ; no flocks fed
upon its plains. There would have been no groves
with their solemn shade, and no sweet songsters to
render vocal the earth with their melody. There
would have walked the earth no creature bearing
its Maker's image, to admire the works of his
hands, and adore his glorious character. All
existence, animate and inanimate, depends upon
the presence of the atmosphere; hence, before
either plant or creature was placed upon the earth,
God "made the firmament." Were it, by some
means, to be removed, all that partakes of anima-
tion would cease to exist. Plants would droop and
decay, creatures would instantaneously perish. It
is to be observed further, that life depends upon
the atmosphere as 'presently constituted. "Were
it to be vitiated by the introduction of some
foreign element, or even were its component parts
— oxygen and nitrogen — to come together in dif-
ferent proportions, the result would be the same.
Death would usurp universal sway, and desola-
tion spread her gloomy mantle over this fair
earth.

But suppose life to exist without an atmosphere,
in what circumstances would man find himself
placed? The contrast between the present and

WORK OF THE SECOND DAT. 197

supposed state %f things would be very striking ;
and would show, in a forcible manner, the impor-
tant uses of this element. Were it removed, both
the individual and social happiness of our race
would be affected, to a far greater extent than is,
at first view, believed. It would then be found
that it served numerous purposes, which could not
be accomplished by any other means with which we
are acquainted. The bodily organs would be greatly
impaired, and in many instances they would cease
to be of any service to their possessor. The range
of our vision, for example, would be greatly circum-
scribed, and within the limited sphere, the aspect of
things would be greatly altered.

The atmosphere is the medium by which light is
diffused. But for it, every spot, on which the sun
did not directly strike, would remain in unmitigated
darkness. The shaded sides of mountains would
rest in impenetrable gloom. Our streets would
present alternate patches of bright sunshine, and
pitchy darkness, as the sun's rays fell upon them,
or were intercepted by some opaque substance.
The houses we live in would, at midday, present
the same gloomy appearance, with the exception of
those small portions of them, that were favoured
with the direct rays of the luminary of day. We
would either be exposed to the intolerable glare of
a scorching sunshine, or else enveloped in darkness
that might be felt. There would be no shade, the

198 WOEK or THE SECOND DAT.

most grateful of all light to our e^. There would
be no twilight, with its mellow radiance, to soothe
our care-worn souls, and invite us to repose ; — no
dawn, with its blushing beauties, to warn us of the
approach of daj, and beckon us to activity. Day-
would close, light would depart and darkness come,
as if the sun were quenched in a moment of time.
Day would again open, as if some unseen hand
raised the curtain of black night, and permitted the
sun to pour his burning rays instantaneously upon
the earth.

By the universal diffusion of the atmosphere,
objects, on which the sun does not shine, become
visible; — rather, our eye is thereby enabled to
receive the miniature picture of these objects.
In its absence this organ would be of compar-
atively little service to us, as many of the objects,
that now come within the range of our vision,
would then have been without it. There would be
the eye, and the objects toward which it should be
directed, but the medium of intercourse was wanting.
Those objects only, on which the sun shone for the
time, would be visible, aU others would be wrapt in
gloom. One has only to reflect how much this
would mar the unity and breadth and beauty of the
landscape, to perceive how completely it would rob
us of much of our purest enjoyment.

Every one is aware of the wonderful mechanism
of the human ear, so nicely fitted to catch the

WORK OF THE SECOND DAT. 199

pulsations of sound, and transmit to tlie soul the
sensations, as the case may be, of joy, fear, or sad-
ness. This exquisitely finished organ would be
absolutely useless, were there no atmosphere. It is
on the gentle undulations of the air that sounds are
wafted to the ear. Without it, the faculty of
speech, also, would be superfluous. We might
meet mth our fellow-creatures, but could hold no
oral intercourse with them. We might express
our thoughts in words, but there being no medium
of conveyance, they would remain ignorant of what
was expressed, conscious only of the movement of
the lips. Think of our intercourse with one another
being confined to looks, and that, too, only in the
glare of sunshine! Supposing them to exist, we
would be unconscious alike of thrilling eloquence
and melting music ; — the hoarse rumbling of the
earthquake, and the sharp pealing of thunder.
What a world would this be were there no atmo-
sphere! Full of sounds, sweet and harmonious,
yet to us, the only creatures, so far as we know,
that could rationally enter into their enjoyment, a
world of silence, profound and eternal! Gifted
with the power of speech, not a syllable could we
comprehend, of all that was spoken ; provided with
the most perfect organ of hearing, no sweet sounds
of joy or sympathy could reach us ; supplied with
the most delicate organ of vision, it could only
partially be exercised.

200 WORK OF THE SECOND DAT.

The atmosphere serves the most important pur-
poses in the economy of human existence. It
sustains us in being, and fui-nishes a medium,
through which the various organs, with which God
has endowed us, may be exercised. It diffuses
everywhere a grateful light, whereby we are
enabled to view external objects with greater
distinctness, and in perfect harmony, thus con-
tributing, in no small degree, to the sum of human
happiness. It announces the approach of danger,
from whatever quarter it may come, by its invisible
but certain pulsations that strike upon the delicate
mechanism of the ear. By it, language is con-
stituted a palpable reality, and conveys to us
warning, encouragement, or sympathy. The orator
is indebted to the atmosphere for the effects pro-
duced by his public displays. It wafts to his
auditory the "thoughts that breathe and words
that burn." By means of it, they are warmed into
enthusiasm, or melted to tears. To it, too, the
musician is indebted for what success is accorded to
his divine art when the soul is roused to sublime
emotion, or soothed to delicious quietude.

Let us pause for a moment, at the close of this
day's work, cast our eye over the scene, and allow
our admiring homage to ascend to the divine Creator.
Over a vast region, in a state of wreck and ruin,
there hung an atmosphere of pitchy darkness. In
vain the sunbeams struggled to pierce it. It was

WORK OF THE SECOND DAT. 201

impervious. Shall the chaos defy the approach of
reuovating energy ? The atmosphere is lifeless, the
earth is lifeless, the waters are also lifeless. Here
is the reign of death and desolation : but shall death
reign for ever monarch of this region ? jN'o : the
Almighty Being, who, "in the beginning" called
"the heaven and the earth" into existence, willed
it should not be so. He said, Let there be light ;
and light was. This was the work of the first day.
He again speaks. Let there be a firmament ; and
the vapours disperse, the clouds rise in air, and
gentle breezes fan the surface of the waters. All
this is preparatory to the introduction of life, animal
and vegetable. How sublime the scene ! Will any
of my readers refuse to worship ?

"And the evening and the morning were the
second day." This day, like the first, is made up
of evening and morning, thus showing that the
period was the same— twenty-four hours.

CHAPTEK XVII. j

I

THE WORK OF THE THIRD DAY. ]

GEN.i.9 — 13. — "And God said, Let the waters under the '

heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry \
land appear : and it was so. And God called the dry land
earth." &c.

THE THEATEE OP OPEEATION CHANGED. — THE BOUNDS OE

THE WATEKS EIXED. — THE EAETH IS ESTABLISHED. — IN i

i

OBEDIENCE TO THE DIVINE COMMAND IT BEINGS EOETH :

GEASS — HEEBS — TEEES. — ALL GOOD. — THIED DAT. — GOD

IN THE WOEK. — THE TEUE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD.

We approacli the work of the third day. Des- •
cending from the higher regions, we occupy our- ,
selves in this chapter with examining what trans-
pired on earth. The theatre of action is an hum- ,
bier one, but not the less interesting because of ;
that. All being in order above, the great Archi- '
tect brings his wisdom and power to bear upon
that portion of the earth which still lies in chaos. i
"And God said, Let the waters under the ]
heaven be gathered together unto one place, — ]
and the gathering together of the waters called he ]

WOEK OF THE THIRD DAT. 203

seas." The creative energy put forth, was, as yet,
exercised exclusively upon the atmosphere. Now,
however, that energy is to go forth upon the
chaotic mass itself, and the effects are the same,
— order and beauty. First, the waters feel its
impulse, and, prompt to do their Maker's will,
"gather themselves together unto one place."
Let the waters under the heaven be collected to-
gether, and receive their fixed boundaries, over
which they are not again to pass, so long as
this new order of things shall last, willed the
Creator; and it was so. Before the word went
forth, the waters, in all probability, rose above
the district, and entirely, or nearly so, covered
the land. They now leave the region. " At
thy rebuke they fled; at the voice of thy thun-
der they hasted away. They go up by the
mountains; they go dowTi by the valleys unto
the place which thou hast founded for them. Thou
hast set a bound that they may not pass over ; that
they tui'n not again to cover the earth :" Psalm civ.
7 — 9. "The gathering together of the waters
called he seas." The name which the collected
waters now received is descriptive of their nature.
The Hebrew term comes from another, which means
"roaring," or "tumultuous agitation."

It is said in the narrative that the waters were
gathered unto "one place;" and in the Psalm
above referred to, they are said to have gone down

204 WOEK OF THE THIED DAT.

by the valleys unto "the place" which Grod had
founded for them. "We are aware that these
phrases have not hitherto been explained in accord-
ance with their strict signification, but have been
understood to refer to the basins in which are col-
lected all the seas and oceans that exist over the
face of the globe. But might they not be received
in their strict and legitimate sense, in connexion
with the interpretation here presented of the
leading points of the narrative ? They might ; and
in them we find something to strengthen our theory.
Suppose the writers were inspired to make such
announcements, in connexion with this subject, as
led us to conclude that the creative acts had reference
to a portion of the earth only, would not these have
been the very phrases they would have used in
speaking of the bed of the collected waters ? Their
being employed, therefore, in connexion mth the
waters, w^hich were drawn off from that portion of
the earth, which was in a chaotic state, may be
viewed as favourable to the new interpretation.

" Let the dry land appear — and God called the
dry land earth." It is obvious, from these state-
ments, that the earth was nearly, if not entirely,
covered with water ; but the latter, being gathered
together, the former appears. The dry land must,
at this moment, have presented a desolate appear-
ance. No pile of grass pierced its slimy covering ;
no herb raised its welcome form ; no tree relieved

wore: or the third day. 205

the dull, distant prospect. So lately under water,
it presented the forbidding aspect of an elevated
ocean-bed. But beauty trod upon the heels of
order. Another volition of the Divine will, and the
newly raised land flushed with the freshness of
spring, and smiled in the richness of autumn. The
dry land is called "earth." In accordance with
the opinion already expressed, this term is believed
to refer to that portion of the globe now emerged
from chaos.

Is the question started. By what means, if any,
was this order so speedily effected? Was it by
miraculous agency, or was it produced by causes
similar to those that sometimes astonish men still,
by the instantaneous manner in which they operate,
and the mighty consequences which they leave
behind them? Perhaps it is safer for truth to
reply that, probably, this new order of things
was brought about by natural causes, put into
operation at the command, and regulated and
controlled in their exercise, by the wisdom and
power of Grod. A great work was to be done;
the Creator had endowed nature with such powers
as might accomplish it : but these powers must be
directed towards the proper point, and must operate
at the proper time. The presence, and wisdom, and
power of Grod were demanded in this work, though
not in a strictly miraculous sense.

By the instantaneous application of some inter-

206 WOEK OF THE THIED DAT.

nal power, probably tbat of beat, certain parts of
tbe locality were elevated, and became dry land.
But elevation never takes place without a cor-
responding depression in other, and, it may be,
not distant parts. Into the depression the waters
were gathered ; and thus a separation was eiFected,
The language of the 104th Psalm, already quoted,
is favourable to this view. The commotion in the
earth appears to have been accompanied with
thunder in the air. The waters "fled," they
"hasted away." They roll down by the sides of
the elevated parts, sweep through the valleys, and
congregate where there is the greatest depression.
Eeference has been made in a previous chapter
to this power in nature, which may, under the
guidance of Grod, have brought about the change
under consideration, and which, in these times, has
not ceased to work.

The last creative act had order for its object ; the
next has beauty and utility. " And Grod said, Let
the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed,
and the fruit-tree yielding fruit after his kind,
whose seed is in itself, upon the earth ; and it was
so." The vegetable kingdom is here spoken of
under three simple divisions ; and these are adopted
in accordance with appearances. There is no botani-
cal arrangement according to philosophic principles
in the narrative, and it would be vain to attempt to
extract one from it. But simple and popular

WORK OF THE THIED DAT. 207

as this division is, it cannot be called contradictory
to the systems that at present obtain. It does not
profess to be a system, but a simple division of
plants on the ground of certain apparent distinc-
tions, and therefore cannot, in fairness, be brought
into competition with those of an elaborate nature
that have been, or are at present, held by botanists.
In our remarks we shall follow the plan of the
inspired writer.

The word rendered "grass," in the original,
means that which presented tender sprouts. The
term, therefore, may be understood as including all
the tender vegetation that appeared upon the
ground. In the production of this division of the
vegetable kingdom, there was no lengthened process
gone through. There was no sowing of seeds, no
transplanting of roots. The word was spoken—
rather the Divine will was expressed — that grass,
tender, sprouting plants, should be, and they were.
This was an act of creation. We may wonder, but
we cannot doubt, since Grod was the creator. It
was as easy for Him to cause the grass to spring up
at once, without having cast the seed into the soil,
as to produce it from seed by germination, and the
ordinary stages of growth.

" The herb yielding seed." Tliis phrase, in the
Hebrew, is peculiarly expressive; — it literally means,
the herb "seeding seed." In the Greek version
the same mode of expression is retained. The

208 WOKK or THE THIED DAT.

term is used to designate those plants which carry
seed, although they might, in a less advanced state,
be included in the former. It seems to include all
those plants that were created on this day, ranging
between the humbler vegetation, and the trees
which are yet to be noticed. Previous to this day,
the portion of the earth newly reclaimed from chaos
was destitute of herbs, as of every green thing ; but
God wills they should exist, and up they rise to
instant maturity. This also is an act of creation,
not the result of the operation of natural causes,
through a considerable period of time. G-od spake,
and it was done.

" The fruit-tree yielding fruit." In the original
it is, the fruit-tree " making fruit." This represents
the third division of the vegetable kingdom as it
was created on this renovated portion of the earth's
surface, at the time when God was preparing it for
a habitation for man and beast. The tree bearing
fruit "after his kind." There was a connexion
formed and fixed between the tree, produced in
a state of maturity, and its seed, as by the latter
the species was to be propagated. The trees now
formed, by the direct power of God, contain within
themselves the germ of future trees. Thus, from
one creative act, there flows a countless number of
generations, each bearing the lineaments of its
predecessor, and transmitting them to those that
follow. This will continue till the species is

WORK OF THE TIIIED DAT. 209

exhausted, and till the whole genus has served its
day.

The earth brought forth grass, and herb, and
tree; "and Grod saw that the work was good."
Every thing appeared in the manner, at the time,
and with the functions, which He willed. Thus
ended the work of the third day.

Tliere are many vague notions afloat on this
subject. One sometimes hears a person speak as
if the vegetation, to which we have been referring,
is identical with that which is found in a fossil
state. Nothing can be more erroneous. There
is no evidence that a single plant, brought into
existence on the third day of the Mosaic creation,
has ever been found in a regular geological for-
mation. Those found imbedded in the rocks,
belong to earlier creations.

In looking back over the day's work just ex-
amined, we must be struck with its magnitude.
Leaving out of view, for the present, the original
creation of the universe, what changes were pro-
duced in the short period of one day, upon the
earth ! The seas receive their bounds, and the
earth is elevated, and established as on foundations.
Its desolate surface is clothed with a mantle of
beautiful gi^een ; the herb shows its form, and sheds
its fragrance ; the tree waves its noble head, and
bends low its boughs with, golden fruit. These
p

210 WORK OF THE THIRD DAT.

works are great, and bespeak the presence of
Omnipotence.

It would be unphilosopbical to hold that chaos
evolved from herself the order that everywhere
appears. What can come of confusion ? Can I
believe that the pile of rubbish that marks the
site of Babylon, will ever produce a city, so beau-
tiful and magnificent as that, which witnessed
nightly the revels of the Chaldean Monarchs ?
Shall I see, as if by magic, street after street arise,
square after square occupy its ancient position,
temple after temple point its glittering canopy to
heaven ; — shall I see the city enclosed by walls,
filled with a busy, trading, pleasure-seeking popu-
lation,— and be told that all this order, and mag-
nificence, and life, has come of the pile of ruins ?
Could I believe this, I must be insane. Is it
more reasonable to believe that the chaos of Moses
— the ruin which then existed — produced the
order and beauty of this day ? Omnipotence was
present. The Divine energy it was, that fitted the
noxious atmosphere for the discharge of its func-
tions ; — that gathered together the waters ; — that
made the dry land appear ; — that clothed the land
with grass, and herb, and tree. This is the voice
of Scripture ; and it harmonises with the principles
of philosophy.

The work of this day was not only great, it was

WORK OF THE TniRD DAT. 211

also perfect. We would have arrived at this con-
elusion, from the reading of the simple statements
in which the narrative is couched ; but our convic-
tion of its truth is greatly strengthened by the ex-
pression of the Divine approbation. The work was
" good." There is no trial before the work is
entered upon, and when it is begun, there is
neither foilure nor delay. Grod said, Let the waters
subside, let the dry land appear, let the earth bring
forth grass, and herb, and tree, and it was so : and
all very "good." This perfection tells of the
wisdom that planned, as well as of the power that
executed the work. While we gaze upon it, let us
adore that great Being who is " fearful in working
and wonderful in counsel." Can you look upon a
complicated piece of mechanism, without involun-
tarily acknowledging that it had a designer, and
warmly expressing your admiration of his skill and
taste ? Can you behold a gorgeous palace, without
acknowledging the existence, skill, and ability of the
architect that planned and executed the grand de-
sign ? Nay, can you look upon the rudest hut that
ever sheltered human beings, and believe that it rose
without a builder, or that its builder was entirely
destitute of intelligence ? With what emotions
should we look upon the earth, with its covering of
verdure ! A savage may raise his hut ; but the
philosopher cannot make the grass grow. Human
p2

212 WORK OF THE TIIIED DAT.

skill may rear a palace ; but God frames and
fashions worlds.

Beader ! you acknowledge the power that ef-
fected the work, and you admire the wisdom that
planned it. You bow before the great Creator.
Your place at present is in the court of the temple
of Deity. "We would have you enter the temple
itself. Those who Avorship in the court see only
the beauty and magnificence of the external parts
of Jehovah's house ; enter, and you shall see the
King in his beauty, and hear his voice, proclaiming
in sweetest accents, " I am the Lord, the Lord God
merciful and gracious, keeping mercy for thou-
sands, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin."
The God of nature is the God of grace; but so
long as you linger among the works of nature, you
are only worshipping in the court. The view you
have may be gorgeous, and your soul may be ele-
vated within you at the scene; but it is not till
you meditate with becoming solemnity on the work
of redemption, that you will find yoiu'self in the
presence of God, and have your soul moved \dthin
you by the glory of his character. In creation
you behold power, but it is power exercised on
matter ; in the work of redemption you perceive
power creating anew a ruined mind. In creation
you behold wisdom regulating and arranging, so
that perfect order shall prevail among times and

WORK OF THE THIRD DAY. 213

seasons ; in redemption the same wisdom solves
the problem, how God can be just, and yet the
Saviour. In creation you behold goodness decking
with beauty and furnishing with " fruit good for
food," the earth, the appointed home of man only
for a short season ; in redemption the same good-
ness, under the name of mercy, fits the soul for,
and leads it forward to another world, where it
shall enjoy a full tide of felicity for ever.

You have followed us into the court ; go with us
into the temple. "We have endeavoured to point
out to you some of the lesser glories of our Father's
house ; will you turn aside from the contempla-
tion of the greater? Nay, you must not. You
have minds capable of thought and high reflec-
tion, but these minds must be enlightened and
guided ; you have hearts susceptible of deep affec-
tions, but these hearts require to be softened and
renewed ; you have spirits immortal in their nature,
but these spirits are estranged from God, and must
be brought back to him, that their immortality
may be happy. God hath appointed that all this
may be experienced by us if we will. Yes, there is
with him enlightenment for our mind, renewing
influence for our heart, salvation for our spirit.
This information the Bible contains ; to communi-
cate it, it was given. And on what condition may
all this be ours ? By going some distant and
dangerous pilgrimage ? — by engagi

214 wokk: of the thied day.

arduous undertaking ? — by undergoing some severe
penance ? ^o : It is hy helieving in the name of
the Lord Jesus Christ. —

" O how unlike the complex works of man,
Heaven's easy, artless, unencumbered plan ;
No meretricious graces to beguile,
No clustering ornaments to clog the pile ;
Prom ostentation as from weakness free,
It stands hke the cerulean arch we see,
Majestic in its own simpUcity.
Inscribed above the portals from afar,
Conspicuous as the brightness of a star,
Legible only by the light they give.
Stand the soul-quickening words — belieye AifD live."

CHAPTEK XVIII.

THE WORK OF THE FOURTH DAY.

Gen. i. 14—19. — " And God said, Let there be lights in the
firmament of the heaven, to divide the day from the night ;
and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days,
and yeai's," &c.

ALL THINGS AEE EEADY. — THE LIGHTS IN THE EIEMAMENT
OF HEAVEN. — THEIE FIEST USE.— SECOND USE. — THIED
USE. — WHAT MEANT BY THEIE BEING MADE ? — BY BEING
SET IN THE PIEMAMENT ? — OBJECTIONS STATED, AND
EEMOYED. — WONDEEFUL AGEEEMENT BETWEEN THE BIBLE
AND THE FACTS OF NATUEAL SCIENCE. — WHY DO MEN
STILL EEJECT THE BIBLE ?— CHAOS IN THE MOEAL WOELD.

All things are now ready. The earth, the air,
and the waters are prepared for the reception of
living creatures ; only the atmosphere must be still
more rarified, that the bright and warm beams of
the sun may fall upon the renovated earth, adding
glory to the day; and that the pale light of the
moon, and the glimmer of the distant stars, may
blush out, and relieve the deep gloom of night. It
is done ; and the light-bearers appear in their
places in the heavens.

216 WOEK OF THE FOrETH DAY.

" And Grod said, Let there be lights in the
firmament of the heaven." The term translated
lights in this passage is different from that used
in the third verse. In that passage it means the
subtle substance we call light, whether it issues
directly from the sun in infinitely small particles,
forming rays, or is produced by the gentle undula-
tions of the elastic fluid that is believed to occupy
stellar space. In this passage it means not the
light itself, but those bodies that afford light to
the earth. Its proper rendering, therefore, is,
"light-bearers." "God said. Let there be light-
bearers in the firmament of the heaven," They
were two in number, — the sun and the moon. In
addition to these, there is also reference to the
stars. These light-bearers were made on the fourth
day. The reference here is to their light-imparting
properties, not to their essential natures or magni-
tudes ; hence the sun and the moon are alike called
great lights, while the stars, many of which are larger
than either, are simply named — the light proceed-
ing from the latter, to an observer on this earth,
being dim and scanty.

These lights, or light-bearers, were intended to
serve certain purposes in the plan of the Divine
procedure. The first use to which we refer, is
stated in the 15 th and 17th verses — it was to give
light upon the earth. Previous to this, although
there was light, yet it was not so pure and perfect

WOEK OF THE FOURTH DAT. 217

as it now became ; and this change was due to the
presence of the sun. AYithout the heavenly bodies,
the earth would be wrapt in impenetrable dark-
ness,— at least, the present revelations of science
lead us to believe so. It would be uninhabitable, —
a waste portion of God's universe. Were they to
be obscured, by the atmosphere being rendered
more dense than it now is, our measure of light
would be less ; were it so dense that the sun's rays
could not penetrate it, there would be darkness
over the earth, and the effects would, in some
respects, be similar as if there were no sun at all,
but only a diffused light. When the earth was in
its chaotic state, it was nearly all one as if there
had been no sun. When the fourth day opened,
it was as if a subdued light fell upon surrounding
objects, the sunbeams struggling in vain to pierce
the dense atmosphere. But the sun, moon, and
stars are appointed to give light upon the earth,
and the condition of the atmosphere is so changed,
at the expression of the Divine will, that, on this
day, had there been a spectator upon the earth,
his eyes would have beheld the sun.

Another use was "to divide the day from the
night." During the chaotic state there was no
marked alternation of light and darkness — no
division of time into day and night, — all was
darkness. But when it was greatly dispelled on
the first day, then commenced the alternate seasons

218 WOEK OF THE TOTJETH DAT.

of light and gloom, — day and night. This effect
was produced by the sun, although his disc was as
yet invisible. On the fourth day, however, the
Creator appointed these great lights to this use ;
and had there been a human eye to have seen
them at this stage, they would have stood forth the
visible caiose of the division of time, the presence of
the sun making day — his absence, night ; — while
night had its gloom alleviated by the presence of
the moon and stars. Hence it is beautifully said,
that the greater light was "to rule the day," and
the lesser light " to rule the night." The sun, like
a monarch, wheels his course, no presumptuous
mortal being able to impede his progress ; the
moon, queen of night, walks forth in majesty, sheds
her mild radiance, and retires.

Again, they are said to be " for signs, and for
seasons, and for days and years." — "That is, let
signs be observed by means of them." The man-
ner iQ which the heavenly bodies were destined to
serve for signs, in the sense in which that term
generally occurs m the Scriptures, may be learned
from such passages as the following, — Luke xxi. 25 :
" AjQid there shall be signs in the sun, and in the
moon, and in the stars ; and upon the earth distress
of nations, with perplexity ; the sea and the waves
roaring." Acts ii. 19, 20: "And I will shew
wonders in the heavens above, and signs in the
earth beneath ; blood and fire, and vapour of smoke :

WOEK OF THE FOL'RTH DAT. 219

the sun shall be turned into darkness, and the
moon into blood, before that great and notable
day of the Lord come." They answer this end,
therefore, whenever the judgments of God, or
extraordinary events, are signified by remarkable
appearances in them. In this way, eclipses of the
Sim and moon, comets, meteors, falling stars, &c.,
serve as signs — i, e., as preternatural tokens or
monitions of the divine agency in the sight of men.
This is tlie genuine force of the original, which very
often conveys the idea of a miraculous interference
or manifestation. Psa. Ixv. 8 : " They also that
dwell in the uttermost parts are afraid at thy
tokens {signs).'" That they may have been de-
signed also to subserve important purposes in the
various economy of human life, as in affording
signs to the mariner to aid him in navigation, and
to the husbandman to guide him in regard to the
proper seasons for ploughing, sowing, planting,
pruning, reaping, is not improbable, though we
think this not so strictly the true import of the
original. But it is certain they have answered for
this end, and perhaps were so designed.

" And for seasons — Hebrew, set or appointed
times, from a root signifying to fix by previous
appointment. The phrase points not only to the
seasons of the year, which are regulated by the
course of the sun, and to the computation of
months and years, but also to fasts, feasts, and

220 TVOKK OF THE TOrETH DAT.

other religious solemnities, such as were appointed
to be observed by the people of Israel." *

But, may not these expressions also be intended
to teach us, that, as the heavenly bodies were now
rendered visible, to continue so for a period of time
known only to the Creator, so their presence in
the heavens is the guarantee of the stability and
perpetuity of this new order of things ? The dif-
ferent seasons owe their existence and regularity
to the influences of these "great lights" upon a
planet revolving on its own axis, and also revolving
round the sun : and so long as they endure we
have the pledge of the continuance and regular
return of the seasons. In this view, the heavenly
bodies are signs, and will continue to be signs, that
" while the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest,
and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and
day and night, shall not cease."

We come now to the consideration of an im-
portant question— What is the meaning of the
phrase, "God made two great lights?" This is
the point of difficulty in the passage ; but it must
be met, — it behoves us to grapple with it. The
ordinary interpretation maintains that the heavenly
bodies were created on this day ; but this opinion
is surrounded by innumerable and insuperable dif-
ficulties. We know that light existed on the first
day ', but whence did it come if these light-bearers
* Bush on Grenesis.

WORK OF THE FOUETH DAT. 221

were not then in existence ? It will not do to tell
us that nothing is impossible with God ; and it is
most suspicious, always on the appearance of a
difficulty, to betake oneself to miraculous agency.
There is no indication in the narrative that the
light of the first day difiered in its nature, and
sprung from a different source, from that of the
fourth day. And we ask, on what authority are
men to give forth their own conjectures as the truth
of God, and then anathematize those who venture
to differ from them ? Day and night existed
before this ; but how could these seasons of alter-
nate light and gloom be produced if there was no
sun? The first, second, and third day were in
every respect the same, only the light was more
subdued, as the fourth, fifth, and sixth day.
Whence this identity, if not from the fact, that the
cause in each case was the same ? There is nothing
in the record contrary to this conclusion.

There is, as we think, indubitable evidence sup-
plied by geology, that in epochs long prior to ours,
this planet revolved on its axis, was surrounded by
an atmosphere, was covered in part by seas and
oceans, was visited by the showers of heaven, and
blessed with the light of day. Its shape proves the
first assertion. The existence of plants and crea-
tures, growing from a tender state to maturity,
proves the second. The third is supported by the
character of the sedimentary strata. The pits found

222 WOEK OF THE TOrETH DAT.

existing upon the surface of sandstone beds, iden-
tical with those which the heaYj drops of a summer
shower leave on our own sea-beaches, indicate
plainly enough, that in these times rain did fall.
The slanting direction of many of these rain-pits,
informs us even from which quarter the wind
blew ! The existence of the organ of vision in pre-
Adamite creatures, constructed on the same prin-
ciples as our own, surely demonstrates the existence
of the medium in which alone that organ can be
exercised — light. "What comes, then, of the inter-
pretation that would bring the sun into existence
so late as the fourth day of the Mosaic creation ?

It is not wise on the part of Christians to set
aside those things enumerated above, without a
candid and intelligent examination of them . It may
be that they oppose their interpretation, and be-
tween the two there may exist a real, palpable con-
tradiction. If they are facts, as we firmly believe
them to be, they cannot be set aside. JSTeither can
they, and the interpretation on which we are
animadverting, be believed by the same mind at
the same time. Nor is the only conclusion which
can be drawn from the facts, a whit more friendly
to the interpretation, than the facts themselves.
If, then, this interpretation be true, the Bible is
contradicted by facts in natural science. But it is
now time to turn to the passage, and inquire
w^hether this view of it be the correct one.

WOEK OF THE rOTJETH DAT. 223

It is of the utmost importance, in investigating
any point, especially when it is clothed in a dif-
ferent language from our own, to ascertain the
exact meaning of the terms employed. There are
two verbs employed by the writer of the nar-
rative descriptive of the various acts of the
Almighty. These are translated in our version
by the terms, " create " and " made." There is
a distinction between tliem, although they are
occasionally interchanged. The Hebrew word
lara, rendered "create," means to give existence to
tliat which did not previously/ exist. Of course this
can only be predicated of God. This we have seen
is its import in the first verse. It has, however,
secondary meanings. On the other hand, the term
asha, translated " made," means primarily, to ivork
at a thing, to mamrfacture, to prepare. It is very
often used in connexion with the doings of God ;
but appears to convey a less forcible idea than the
other. In the seventh verse, it is used to describe
that change which the firmament underwent on
the second day; and that consisted in fitting or
preparing the atmosphere to accomplish the pur-
poses for which it exists. "VYe must assign to the
verb its literal signification in tlie sixteenth verse
also, and the difficulty will no longer exist, " God
rQ.2i^e— prepared — two great lights — he prepared
the stars also." Erom what has been already
stated, some idea will be gathered as to the prepa-

224 WOEK OF THE FOUETn DAT.

ration here referred to. " Grod said, Let there be
lights in the firmament of the heaven — and he pre-
pared two great lights." By the atmosphere being
brought into a pellucid state, an observer on the
earth, had there been one at this time, vrould
have beheld the heavenly bodies in their places,
serving those purposes already pointed out. Thus
G-od made the lights, and set them in the firma-
ment of heaven.

A similar mode of expression occurs in the 9th
chapter of Grenesis, where it is recorded that God
entered into covenant with Noah after the flood.
" This is the token of the covenant Avhich I make
between me and you, and every living creature that
is with you, for perpetual generations : I do set my
bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a
covenant between me and the earth. And it shall
come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth,
that the bow shall be seen in the cloud." This
passage has long been a standing objection to the
Bible. It has been said that the rainbow must,
according to physical laws, have existed previous
to the flood, and have stood forth in its uni'ivalled
beauty as often as showers fell from heaven : but
the Bible saith that this beautiful phenomenon
appeared for the first time after the flood ; there-
fore, the Bible must be false. In the first place,
who ever hears of an intelligent Christian denying
that the rainbow has existed ever since showers

WORK OF THE rOL'RTH DAT. 225

began to fall in sunshine ? Secondly, the Bible
does not teach that the rainbow existed only
posterior to the flood. This, like many other ob-
jections brought against this book, is an assump-
tion. The language is, " I do set, or appoint, my
bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token."
That is, the bow, which all along existed in the
cloud when rain descended, was now set apart, or
appointed by Grod to be a token of his faithfulness.
There is no contradiction here.

In like manner, the language of the passage
under consideration does not teach that the sun,
moon, and stars, were created on the fourth day;
but simply that they were prepared for, and set
apart to, certain uses on that day. What these
uses were, we have already seen. At this stage,
the clouds and vapours are rolled away, and the
great luminary appears in the firmament, ruling
the destinies of the day; while the moon stands
forth, decked in soft splendour, the presiding
genius of the night.

It has been objected, that it is absurd to speak
of light being made on the first day, while the sun,
the chief source of light, so far as we know, was
not made till the fourth. What has been advanced
demonstrates the perfect consistency of these two
statements, and the philosophical accuracy of both.
The sun was created neither on the foui'th nor first
Q

226 WOEK OF THE FOURTH DAT.

day of our epoch, but long prior to both, — namely,
in the beginning. The chaotic gloom was so far
dispelled on the first day, that light appeared ; it
was so entirely cleared away on the fourth, that
the sun, the source of light to our planet, himself
appeared. If our interpretation be correct, this
objection may be consigned to oblivion.

It has been objected further, that this part of
the narrative attaches too much importance to the
earth. Much ridicule has been poured forth on
this point, although it is hard to see the occasion
of it. There might have been some ground for the
objection, had the passage taught that the heavenly
bodies were created for the simple and sole purpose
of giving light to the earth. But it does not do
this ; nor is this idea anywhere taught in Scripture.
Some Christians, more pious than intelligent, may
have thought so, but this does not justify the
conduct here condemned. If I criticise a work,
candour demands of me that that work be careftdly
studied before my judgment is formed and published.
Let this treatment be given to the Bible, and this,
as well as other objections, will soon disappear.
The heavenly bodies gave light to the earth, six
thousand years ago, by God's appointment, as they
do at this day. But because the sun, moon, and
stars furnish our globe with light, no one thinks
of dreaming that there is thereby too much im-

WORK OP THE FOUETH DAT. 227

portance attached to it, or that these luminaries
exist for no other purpose than to afford light to
its numerous inhabitants.

There is still another objection wliich is brought
against this passage. The moon, as well as the
sun, is called a "great" light; but it manifests
great ignorance to class two bodies together, so
unlike each other in nature and magnitude. The
objector should have known, tliat these bodies are
spoken of here according to their appearance ; and
to the eye of a spectator they appear about equal.
The Bible treats not of astronomy any more than
of geology, but addresses itself to the common
apprehension of mankind. Philosophers them-
selves, in common intercourse, use the same lan-
guage. If the Bible had professed to furnish an
astronomical system, and employed the language
under consideration, the objection would have been
valid ; but it makes no such professions, therefore
the objection does not hold. This the objector
ought to know. If he does, how can he reconcile
his conduct with honour and integrity? If he
does not, is the case so pressing, is the Bible such
a pernicious book, that we must cast it from us at
the bidding of one who declaims against that which
he does not understand? We have more regard
to the dignity of our nature, and the claims of our
immortal spirit, than to follow such blind guides.

Every scientific work, though written by men of
q2

228 WOEK OF THE rOTJETH DAT.

the highest attainments, is corrected or contra-
dicted by its successors. There is not a work
written one hundred years ago on chemistry, astro-
nomy, geology, or any other of the sciences, which
is not at this day contradicted in a hundred in-
stances. And there exists not a work, that only in-
cidentally refers to science, written fifty years ago,
whose scientific statements could bear the scrutiny
of a mere beginner in the present day. Now, how
is it that a book so old, belonging to a people less
intelligent than some that have lived upon the
earth, happens to be the only one in existence,
whose incidental references to science bear the
closest scrutiny of this enlightened age ? There is
something remarkable in this. It is certain that
the Bible, in this respect, is superior to every other
book that has ever been written. Now, if these
other works have been composed by the wisest of
human kind, and yet are so full of errors in science,
must not the Bible, which contains no such errors,
have been produced by One wiser than the wisest of
men ? It appears to us impossible to avoid this
conclusion.

Why, then, you will ask, do all men not receive
the Bible as the book of God ? The answer which
we are forced to return to this question does not
reflect much credit on our aspiring humanity.
Many, it is well known, reject the Bible, without
being able to give a reasonable excuse for so doing.

WORK OF THE FOURTH DAT. 229

And, in the case of not a few young and enquiring
minds, it is sad to tell, that, without having given
due consideration — in some instances, without
having given any consideration at all — to the claims
of the Bible, and the arguments in its favour, the
whole of their reading and thinking is bestowed
upon the sophistical arguments, and unseemly
ridicule, of those who had rejected the Bible in
former times.

Is this fair treatment to give any book ? Espe-
cially is it fair and manly treatment to give the
Bible^a book supported by many arguments which
to this hour remain unanswered and unanswerable ?
It would, indeed, be a miracle were men who act
thus to give the book of Grod a cordial welcome.
Of all unreasonable men, we must be permitted to
say, that those who treat the Bible in this manner
are the most unreasonable. One who rejoices in
the cordial reception of this book, as the revelation
of Grod to men, may be allowed to press the argu-
ment in support of his cause, — which yet is not
his but God's. And surely those who are so
greatly taken with reason, will not be the first to
call him to hold his hand, nor the last to acquiesce
when the argument is fairly led.

Our attention has been directed to chaos, and
to the order and beauty that were evolved so glo-
riously by the Divine wisdom and power. But
there is another chaos more deplorable in its

230 WORK OF THE FOUETH DAY.

nature, and more disastrous in its consequences.
It exists Avlierever man exists. It is that state
into which man's spiritual nature has heen thrown
by the power and prevalence of sin. The soul of
man is a moral chaos. Everywhere there reigns
ignorance and unhallowed tempers ; men are hate-
ful, and hating one another. Everywhere there is
manifested the most profound indifference or levity,
towards subjects the most solemn and the most
momentous. Everywhere man has fallen below
the dignity and purity of his nature. Everywhere
he appears with the image of God, in which he was
made, defaced, and in many instances apparently
obliterated altogether. If we are to judge of men's
spirits by their actions, who can avoid coming to
the conclusion that they are the scene of spiritual
disorder, and the source of moral offensiveness ?

As on the physical, so on the moral world of
WTeck and ruin, a Sun has arisen with healing
under his wings. The Sun of Righteousness is
now sendinaj his beams athwart this earth. The
moral gloom is being roUed away from many parts of
its surface. The chaos is being changed into order
and beauty. This Sun shines upon many who are
not worthy of the privilege. Eor is it not the fact,
that multitudes hear of Christ, and even profess
his name, who yet remain ignorant, disobedient,
and unholy ? Many will not look ; and many
more walk about with bandaged eyes, declaiming

WORK OE THE FOTJETH DAT. 231

loudly, tliat because tliey^ forsooth, don't see him,
there is no Sun of Kighteousness at all ! But,
when the eye rightly beholds him ; when his
vivifying rays shine into the human spirit, then
there is light, and order, and holiness. When the
human spirit is brought into vital connexion with
tlie Lord Jesus Christ, it undergoes a thorough
change, — old things pass away, all things become
new.

Multitudes have undergone this change in the
past ; not a few are manifesting the fruits of it iu
the present ; it will become more extensively pre-
valent as the ages pass. What has been — what is
— is nothing to what will be ; for truth, and purity,
and goodwill shall yet dwell on this earth, and men
shall again bear the image of their God.

Meanwhile

The world shall bum, and from her ashes spring

New heaven and earth, wherein the just shall dwell ;

And after all their tribulations long,

See golden days, fruitful of golden deeds.

With joy and love triumphing, and fair truth :

Then thou thy regal sceptre shalt lay by,

For regal sceptre then no more shall need :

God shall be all in all. But, all ye gods,

Adore Him, who to compass aU this dies ;

Adore the Son, and honour him as Me."

CHAPTER XIX.

THE WOEK OF THE FIFTH DAY.

Gek. i. 20—23. — " And God said, Let the waters bring forth
abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl
that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of
heaven, &c."

THE WOEE PEOGEESSES. — THE AEEAXGEMEJfT NOT WHAT
WOULD HAVE OCCUEEED TO US. — WATEES STOCKED WITH
LIFE. — AIE EECEITES ITS INHABITANTS.— PEOGEESS UP-
WAEDS. — EVIDENCE OP DESIGN.

What a change is produced upon that portion of
the earth, which, four days ago, was in a state of
ruin ! How great the work, and how speedily and
efficiently it has been accomplished. The dense
atmosphere has been rarefied, and the heavenly
bodies, long obscured, are again visible. The waters
which prevailed during chaos, are purified of those
substances held in solution, and which w^ere unfa-
vourable to the existence of life ; — are gathered
together unto one place, and enclosed as with bars
and gates. The submerged earth is elevated into
graceful undulations, and these are adorned with

WOEK OF THE FIFTH DAY. 233

verdure. The work is rapidly progressing, but it
is not yet complete. That pure and balmy atmo-
sphere wafts onwards no hum of insect, or song of
bird ; its only burden is the sound of the rustling
leaf, or the rippling water. That deep, clear sea
shelters in its caverns no fish or moving creature ;
it is only agitated by its perpetual ebb and flow.
The new raised, and new clothed earth, is pressed
by the foot of no creature ; the life it supports is
no higher than that of a plant or tree. The scene,
however, will soon be changed ; the water, air, and
earth, are now to receive the living creatures fitted
to their diff'erent conditions.

The order in which the creatures were brought
into existence, and the localities in which they were
placed, are not those that would have occurred to
man had he been the contriver. In all probability
he would have placed the creatures upon the earth
first, and afterwards filled the air, if it had entered
into his mind that creatures could live there. As
for the waters, it would scarcely have occurred to
him that they could be the habitation of life.
How difi'erent are the thoughts and ways of God
from those of men ! He begins, where they would
end; He works, where they would not think of
working. "We perceive the beauty and wisdom of
the Divine plan when placed before us; but to
devise it, was above our powers.

First, the waters are stocked with life. " And

234 WORK OF THE TIFTH DAT.

God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly
the moving creature that hath life, — and Grod made
great whales, and every living creature that moveth,
which the waters brought forth abundantly, after
their kind." The waters were now freed from
those impurities which mingled with them in the
chaotic state : and when the element is prepared,
the creatures are made and placed in it.

The first expression to which we call attention
is, "the moving creatures." The original term,
rendered moving creature, comes from a verb which
means to increase or onultijply ra])idly. Hence it
has been thought, that the proper rendering is,
the rabidly multiplying creature. Hence, too, it
has been suggested, that the expression is equi-
valent to the oviparous creatures that live in the
waters. The great bulk of the inhabitants of the
waters are oviparous, and the fecundity of these
creatures is triily astonishing. Of the whole class
it may justly be said, that they are rapidly multi-
plying. The eggs in the roe of a fish are innu-
merable.

This class of creatures, oviparous and rapidly
multiplying, it is now the will of the Creator
should come into being. Their element is the
waters. They are to be produced in large num-
bers ; for the will of the Creator is, that the waters
should bring forth " abundantly the moving crea-
ture that hath life." There is, then, a distinction

WORK OF THE FIFTH DAY. 235

drawTl between animal and vegetable life. The
latter had existed two days previous ; the former
is now to exist for the first time during the new
epoch. The word means breath, and is applied to
creatures that live by breathing.

The next expression to be examined is that
which introduces another class of marine crea-
tures,— "And God created great whales." God
had said, Let there be such and such creatures;
now we read that the creatures are. The term
translated great whales, has given rise to a deal of
discussion. It is used in other parts of the Bible
in such connexions, as prove that it frequently
refers to other creatures than the whale. It is
sometimes translated dragon, and is occasionally
used to designate the crocodile of the Nile. The
most approved opinion is that which makes the
original designate the order of creatures called
cetacea, of which the whale is an example. It is
the eighth order of the class Mammalia, of the
division Vertebrata, according to the system of the
French naturalist, Cuvier.

This order " have no hind limbs developed : and
their fore limbs are very stout, and flattened into
the form of fins, by which they are fitted for an
existence in the water, although it is necessary for
them to breathe above the surface." The expres-
sion, " every living creature that moveth," may be
considered as referring to the same class as those

236 WORK OF THE FIFTH DAT.

that are designated, in the previous verse, " moving
creatures." Thus, the two expressions, "great
whales," and "moving creatures," may be received
as including, according to this simple arrangement,
the whole inhabitants of the waters, whether
oviparous, or mammiferous, — that is, whether they
give birth to their young by eggs, or bring them
forth alive.

The waters brought forth their teeming mul-
titudes at the will of the Almighty. He spake,
and it was done. " Let the waters bring forth
abundantly;" and forthwith reptiles crawled, and
fishes swarmed, and whales and dolphins gambolled
in the waters. AVTiat a scene ! The seas, which
we would have thought unfit for the existence of
life, are in a moment swarming with living, happy
creatures. All, too, are perfect, — perfect in their
individual existences ; and also perfect as creatures
who were destined to propagate their kind. " Grod
saw the work, that it was good," — perfect, precisely
as he willed it should be. There was no failure,
though the work was new and great. And he
blessed them, — bestowed upon them the power of
producing their kind — and said, " Be fruitful and
multiply, and fill the waters in the seas."

The waters being supplied, the air now receives
its inhabitants. They are included in the term
"fowl." The original word has a much wider
signification than the term by which it is rendered

WOEK OF TKE FIFTH DAT. 237

in our version. It points out that class of crea-
tures that pass through the air ; that is, all that
have wings, or what may be used in tlieir stead.
The proper rendering, therefore, is the winged
creatures. It must be understood as implying, not
simply those creatures that are provided with
feathered wings, but also those that have, like the
bat, penguin, and ostrich, instruments resembling
sails, or oars. Whatever may be the variety in
appearance, size, or habits of these creatures, they
all agree in this, — their anatomic structure is such,
that being provided with sail-like, or oar-like mem-
bers, they are enabled at will to rise into, or float
through, the air.

In accordance with Grod's will these creatures
came into existence; their dweUing-place is the
atmosphere, and admirably are they adapted to
their aerial habitation. From this passage we
learn that the waters gave birth to the fowls, as
well as to the rapidly multiplying creatures : but
in the second chapter (ver. 19) it is stated, that
"out of the ground the Lord God formed every
beast of the field, and every fowl of the air."
There are two methods of removing the difficulty.
Either the term " ground " in the passage quoted,
is used in a w^de sense, including land and water ;
or, the rendering of the 20th and 21st verses
(chap, i.) may be looked upon as not conveying
the precise idea in the original. We are disposed

238 WOEK OF THE FIFTH DAT.

to retain the translation, and seek the solution of
the difficulty in the extended meaning of the term
"ground."

In those creative acts which have passed under
our consideration, the progress has been upwards.
The Divine energy was first exerted on dead matter,
remodelling and putting it in order; next it pro-
duces vegetable life ; and now we have seen animal
life come from the hand of the Creator. These are
to be followed by still higher orders of being, till
man, made after the image of his Maker, crowns
the whole. The order is beautiful, the gradations
are complete ; but, as we shall afterwards see, this
order furnishes no ground for the support of that
theory which once made such noise — the theory of
development as amplified and promulgated by the
author of the " Vestiges of the ^Natural History of
Creation."

The creatures that were made on the fifth day
are remarkably adapted to the elements in which
they were destined to move. To speak only of the
fowl, the body is constructed so as to pass through
the air with the least possible resistance, by friction
or otherwise. The lower part of the body resembles
the keel of a ship. Now, when you look on a
vessel, and mark its construction, especially that of
the keel, you cannot persuade yourself that it
assumed that shape, and no other, by chance. The
very constitution of your mind compels you to

WOEK OF THE FIFTH DAT. 239

admit that the particular construction of the vessel,
fitted so well to pass through a fluid medium, is
the result of design. On this ground, who can
help believing that the same construction of the
feathered tribes, who pass through a similar me-
dium, was the result of design on the part of their
Creator ?

I find ships sailing on the sea, and though their
owners and builders are alike unknown to me, my
unavoidable impression and firm belief is, that they
came not there by chance; by what process of
reasoning can I arrive at the conclusion, that when
fowls are found sailing in the air, on precisely the
same principle, they furnish no evidence of design,
but that they came there, found their bodies con-
structed for swift motion, and their wings for impel-
ling them onwards in their flight, all by chance ? It
is much easier to believe that a gallant ship, with its
sails unfurled, and its tackling in order, breasting
proudly the billows of the ocean, is a thing of
chance, than to believe that the swallow, with its
keel-like breast, its tapering head, its well set neck,
and its sail-like wings, had no intelligent maker.
We cannot but mark numerous evidences of design
in both ; but he who built the ship has gathered all
his skill, — derived its form and principle of motion,
from Him who made the bird, and bade it swim in
the open firmament of heaven.

CHAPTEK XX.
THE work: of the sixth day— beasts of

THE EAETH.

Gen. i. 24, 25. — " And God said, Let the earth bring forth
the living creature after his "kind, cattle, and creeping thing,
and beast of the earth after his kind : and it was so," &c.

EAETH SUPPLIED WITH ITS INHABITANTS : — CATTLE. —

CKEEPING THING. — BEAST OP THE EAETH. — THEIE

OEI&IN. — BESPEAK A WISE CEEATOE. — NAEEATITE NOT

CONTEADICTED BY PEESENT SYSTEMS OF ZOOLOGY. — NOE

BY EECENT DISCOYEEIES IN GEOLOGY.

The water is stocked, and the air also, with crea-
tures suited to the respective elements. The dry
land is now to receive those which it is capable of
supporting and rendering happy. The fifth day
had closed, and the sixth opened on the earth
destitute of inhabitants; but ere evening shall
again come, this deficiency will be supplied.

"And Grod said. Let the earth bring forth the
living creature after his kind, cattle," &c. The
phrase, "living creature," seems to include the dif-
ferent animals mentioned in connexion with the
work of this day. It has exclusive reference to

BEASTS OF THE EAETH. 241

the inhabitants of the earth ; those belonging to
the water and air, having been already described.
Leaving the general expression, we pass on to the
consideration of the particulars.

The first class of land animals that we are called
to notice, is that which bears the name of "cattle."
This term is understood to designate those crea-
tures that are most nearly associated with man,

the domestic animals. The next term, " creeping
things," designates a class of creatures, different
from those included in the term "movino- crea-
tures," which has already been examined. Some
of the creatures included in these terms may have
habits simHar, but the great distinction lies in
this, that the one refers to land, and the other to
water creatures. The original term, rendered
"creeping thing," probably includes all those land
animals that crawl, such as the serpent ; and the
smaller quadrupeds, such as the mole and mouse.
It conveys the idea of moving stealthily along, and
may, therefore, include those creatures that move
on short limbs, and whose bellies come in contact
with the groimd. The third class are caUed " beasts
of the earth." The original term is frequently
used in Scripture to designate wild beasts— crea-
tures of savage nature. This is probably its mean-
ing in this passage.

These three classes— domestic animals, creatures
that crawl or move on short limbs, and beasts of

B

242 WOEK OF THE SIXTH DAT.

prey — include all the inhabitants of this portion of
the earth. As in the case of the marine creatures,
and fowls of the air, so in the present case, the
Almighty willed their existence, and the earth gave
birth to the land animals. They appear to have
been made of the dust of the ground ; and lest it
should be thought that matter, in some of its
happiest combinations, evolved them by virtue of
its inherent energy, or that they sprung from the
germ of some decayed vegetable of the higher order,
it is added, " Grod made the beast of the earth after
his kind, and cattle after their kind, and ever}i:hing
that creepeth upon the earth after his kind."
Like all the previous acts of creation, this, the
noblest as yet, was perfect. " Grod saw that it
was good."

It would be superfluous to point out, in detail,
the evidences of design in those creatures that
came now from the hand of the Creator. They
are furnished with numerous members and organs,
which, had they come together in one creature, and
always in the creatures belonging to the same spe-
cies, and no other, without the guidance of a hand
both wise and powerful, would have been the most
perplexing circumstance of all. In these creatures,
there is the ear for hearing, the eye for seeing, the
nose for smelling, the mouth for eating, the hair or
down for protection, both from heat and cold, and
the feet and limbs for locomotion. In these adap-

BEASTS OF THE EAETH. 243

tations there is evidence of presiding wisdom, far
superior to tliat which appears in the most inge-
nious monuments of human skill.

It is a poor philosophy which teaches, that the
ear was not made to transmit sounds to the brain ;
but that the brain existing, and sound existing, it
accommodated itself to circumstances, and learned,
by repeated efforts, to establish a communication
between the external and the internal world ;— that
wings were not made to fly with, but the creature
having a wish to rise above its fellows, by perse-
vering effort, worked these elegant and useful
appendages out of some ruder member, or per-
chance some excrescence ;— and that the limbs
were not made to transport the creature from place
to place, but having a desire to roam, and finding
himself furnished with such extremities, he made a
desperate effort, and was gratified to find, that al-
though not made for walking, they might be turned
to account in that way !

"VVe have now got well through the narrative,
there being only one other creative act to examine ;
but that one is, in many respects, the most impor-
tant, and has been followed by the most extraor-
dinary results. The creation of man is yet to be
considered.

The chief object we have in view in this work is
to show that this narrative, properly understood, is
not opposed by the facts of geology. Occasionally,
E 2

244 WOEK OF THE SIXTH DAT.

however, we have had cause to refer to other
sciences, such as astronomy and botany. So far
let us hope that the object has been gained. This
may, perhaps, be admitted, while some doubts exist
as to the subject of this chapter, and what will be
the subject of the next — the introduction of man
among the creatures which were made at this time.
Is there, then, anything in the passage just ex-
plained opposed to the facts of physical science ?
If there is, the collision must be with zoology. It
is admitted that the division of the creatures is
exceedingly simple, and one that may be said to be
based on appearances ; but is it, on that account,
opposed to the established principles of zoology ?
We think not.

Numerous systems have been framed and over-
turned ; and it is not presumption to say that the
one that at present prevails is not perfect. Which
of these would the objector have had the Bible to
contain? Suppose one of the earliest; well, so
long as that system was in vogue, the Bible would
have been received as true ; but no sooner would
the system have been exploded, than the Bible
would have been discarded for its opposition to the
facts of animated nature. Had the Bible contained
the present system, then philosophers, wlio lived
previous to the present century, would have con-
demned the book because its statements were
opposed to their observation and experience. The

BEASTS OF THE EAETH. 245

Bible might have contained the true system, to-
wards which the progress of things is hastening ;
in that case, being diverse both from past and pre-
sent theories, it would haye been unsparingly con-
demned by philosophers both of the past and the
present time. If it had contained the theory that
prevailed in any one past age, it would have been a
false one ; if it had embodied the true one, which
we presume is not yet fully established, it would
have met with universal condemnation, because,
though true, it did not square with the prevailing
deductions of science.

It appears to us, that great wisdom is displayed
in furnishing such a classification, as at once com-
mends itself to the mind as the most obvious, and
yet no way interferes with the arrangements of
science. "Whichever system be adopted, we can
stiU, with perfect consistency, speak of the land
animals, as consisting of " cattle, creeping things,
and beasts of the earth."

But, do the discoveries of geology not prove the
incorrectness of this statement, namely, that God,
on the sixth day, created these creatures ? Is it
not the case, that many of the species, now existing,
are found in the fossil state, in formations depo-
sited long before the creative days of the narrative ?
This is admitted. But that a case of contradiction
is made out, is denied. For, first, the creatures
that were now made, and placed upon the earth,

246 WOEK OF THE SIXTH DAT.

occupied but a portion of its surface. Secondly,
creatures were living at this time, on other portions,
and miglit have existed for ages before, surviving
more than one geological change. Thirdly, the
species that inhabited these portions, and which
may have existed long prior to the time of the
Mosaic creation, may still exist, and may he tliose
found in tlie fossil state. Fourthly, it cannot be
proved that any of the creatures, fish, fowl, or beast,
made on these days, are found in a fossil state.
Fifthly, one of the creatures made at this time is
not found fossil, namely, man ; * may we not pre-
sume that the case is even so with the others ?
Sixthly, according to the theory advanced in this
treatise, skeletons of existing species may be found
in the fossil state, and yet all the species of fish,
fowl, and quadruped, referred to in this narrative,
may have been brought into existence only about
six thousand years ago.

Thus, according to this theory, the geological
difficulty, arising from existing species being found
in a fossil state, in rocks older than the creative
days of the narrative, is satisfactorily met. But on
no other ground, as it appears to us, can the diffi-
culty be successfully grappled with.

* See next chapter for evidence in support of this assertion.

CHAPTER XXI.

THE WOEK OF THE SIXTH DAY— CEEATION
OF MAN.

Gen. i. 26—31.—" And God said, Let us make man in our
image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion
over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and
over the cattle, and over all the earth," &c.

MAN" CEEATED. — CHANGE OE EOEMTJLA. — HIS NATURE. — IN
WHAT EESPECTS HE BEAES THE DIVINE IMAGE. — DE-
FACED IN PART. — EESTOEED BY CHRIST. — MAN LATE IN
BEING PLACED UPON THE EARTH. — EVIDENCE FROM GEO-
LOGY.—PROFESSOR OWEN'S OPINION.

" Now heaven in all her glory shone, and roU'd
Her motions as the great first Mover's hand
First wheeled their course : earth in her rich attire
Consummate, lovely smiled ; air, water, earth.
By fowl, fish, beast, was flown, was swum, was walk'd,
Frequent : and of the sixth day yet remained :
There wanted yet the master-work, the end
Of all yet done."

The creation of man is the subject of this chapter.
Full of interest and importance as the previous
creative acts have been, this one wiU. be found to
fan in neither. In truth, it is vastly more interest-

248 "woek: of the sixth day.

ing and important to us, than any of those points
that have already received onr consideration.
"What can equal in interest the investigation into
the origin of our own species ? What can equal
in importance the investigation into the commence-
ment of a career with which every memher of the
race is identified, and which will go on progressing
for ever ? — a career, every step of which is at once
laden with mercy and responsibility, and brings us
nearer and nearer a felicity that knows no ending,
or a misery that knows no alleviation.

Previous to man's introduction into the world,
no such creature had walked the earth. G-reat
had been the variety of animal life that had lived
upon, and found a grave in, this planet : but how-
ever complex and perfect were their mechanisms,
and however exquisite their sensibilities, and largely
developed their instincts, by all which the glory of
the great Creator was manifested on a magnificent
scale, yet none possessed the attributes, and were
clothed with the functions of a rational and respon-
sible nature. Till man was created, no creature
walked upright; and none possessed a spiritual
nature that corresponded with, and improved the
erect posture; — a nature that could, through the
eye, rise upwards to Deity, and hold intercourse
with other worlds. In these remarks, there is no
wish to depreciate animal life. They breathe no
envious feeling against the creatures, as if we

CEEATioTT or ma:n". 249

grudged tliem the participation in any of those pri-
vileges or aspirations which are commonly thought
to be the peculiar property of man. If Grod has
endowed them mth immortality, we grudge them
not their destiny.

"When the earth was fully furnished ; — when
herbs and fruits for his support, and green
meadows, and vocal vales, and balmy weather,
for his healthful enjoyment, had found existence
at the will of the Almighty, — man was made,
and takes his place, the most exalted and the
most honoured, in the wonderful and glorious
scene. "And God said, Let us make man — so
God created man." Like the land animals, man
was made of the dust of the ground, hence his
name — Adam. It is an interesting fact, that the
body of man holds, in different combinations, the
same elements that constitute the soils. This
fact, which we owe to chemistry, is in wonderful
keeping with the passage under remark; and it
is in this way that the sciences, in many in-
stances, give their willing testimony in favour of
revelation.

"Male and female created he them." — "It is
not good that the man should be alone, I will
make him an help meet for him." The manner
in which Eve was made has often been ridiculed by
inconsiderate and prejudiced persons. God pur-
posed to make an help meet for man. The woman,

250 WOEK OF THE SIXTH DAT.

in the circumstances, must be created. It was just
as proper to make her of a part of man, as of the
dust of the ground ; and just as proper to use a rib
for that purpose as any other part. Moreover, is
there not manifest wisdom and goodness in thus
creating woman ? — wisdom in giving both the same
origin, and goodness in joining those together so
closely who were to be so entirely dependent on
each other ?

The purpose to create man " is expressed by a
peculiar phraseology, ' Let us make man,' as if by
way of consultation : instead of saying, ' Let there
be man,' as he had before said, ' Let there be
light,' or giving a command to the elements to
bring forth so noble a creature. He speaks of the
work as immediately his own, and in the language
of deliberation: implying thereby not any more
intrinsic difficulty in this act of his power, than
in the creation of the smallest insect, but the
superior dignity and excellence of the creature
he was about to form. The language employed
is not, however, in itself any more a decisive argu-
ment in favour of the doctrine of the Trinity, than
the use of the plural term EloJiim,''* rendered God,
in the first verse.

But this is not all the evidence in favour of the
dignity of man. Of the creatures that were already

* Bush on Genesis.

CREATION OF MAN. 251

made, it was not said that they were created in
the image of God ; but of man this is affirmed.
"We also read in the second chapter of Grenesis,
that " the Lord God formed man of the dust of the
ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath
of life; and man became a living soul." These
expressions indicate the superiority of man's na-
ture to that of all other creatures. The last
expression cannot be understood to mean that
man was moulded somewhat after the manner of
an earthen vessel, and when the body was finished,
then God literally breathed into his nostrils breath
or spirit, which was the soul. This were to depart
from those sublime conceptions which the Bible
affords of the spiritual nature of Deity. The lan-
guage is to be received, according to rules applied
to the elucidation of all languages, as conveying, in
a highly figurative manner, the idea that God is
both the Maker of his body and the Father of his
spirit. He did not spring from the creature below
him in the scale of existence, but derived his being
immediately from the creating energy of God.

In what sense was man made in the image of
God? "Wherein did the "likeness and image" of
God in man consist ? "We are not left to conjec-
ture on this point. The question is answered in
another portion of Scripture — in knowledge,
righteousness, and holiness. In addition, he was
endowed with authority over the animal creation :

252 ^OEK or THE SIXTH DAT.

he was constituted lord of the earth. " Let them
have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over
the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over
all the earth, and over every creeping thing that
creepeth upon the earth," and it was so.

It is obvious that man was made in the full
possession of his faculties. He was endowed with
knowledge. It is impossible for us to define the
boundaries of the knowledge of our first father,
though it is no disparagement to him, and no dis-
honouT to his Maker, to say that it was not infinite.
On some points, probably, it was extensive, and on
others very limited ; while of many things he had
no knowledge at all. Be this as it may, Adam
knew what was sufiicient to enable him to live an
obedient and happy life under the eye and in the
fellowship of his Creator. He was happily ignorant
of sin, till that moral change passed over him, which
withered his noble intellect, and soured his pure
afi'ections. He was righteous also, and holy. All
the thoughts, and desires, and feelings that found
a place in his soul were in keeping with the will of
Grod ; and all his actions were in beautiful accord-
ance with the holy law of God, written upon his
heart on the day of his creation. Tried by the
highest of all standards, the will of Grod, man when
made, and for some time afterwards, was perfectly
righteous and holy. Grod is possessed of infinite
knowledge, righteousness, and holiness ; when

CREATIOI^ OF MAI^. 253

made, man bore his image, in these respects, as far
as a creature could.

But there is another respect in which man bore
the image of his Maker. Not only was it a moral
likeness that was enstamped upon him ; it was also
an intellectual likeness. Perhaps the strongest
evidence in behalf of this opinion is derived from
the science of geology, and is admirably summed
up in the following extract : —

" There is no restriction here to moral quality ;
the moral image man had, and in large measure
lost; but the intellectual image he still retains.
As a geometrician, as an arithmetician, as a
chemist, as an astronomer, — in short, in all the
departments of what are known as the strict
sciences, — man differs from his Maker, not in kind,
but in degree, — not as matter differs from mind, or
darkness froii-x light, but simply as a mere portion
of space or time differs from all space, or all time.
I have already referred to mechanical contrivances
as identically the same in the Divine and human
productions : nor can I doubt that, not only in the
pervading sense of the beautiful in form and colour,
which it is our privilege as men in some degree to
experience and possess, but also in that perception
of harmony which constitutes the musical sense,
and in that poetic feeling of which Scripture fur-
nishes us with at once the earliest, and the highest
examples, and which we may term the poetic sense,

254 WOEK OF THE SIXTH DAT.

we bear the stamp and impress of the Divine image.
'Now, if this be so, we must look upon the schemes
of Creation, Bevelation, and Providence, not as
schemes of mere adaptation to man's nature, but
as schemes also specially adapted to the nature of
Grod, as the pattern and original nature. Further,
it speaks, I must hold, of the harmony and unity
of one subKme scheme, that, after long ages of im-
maturity,— after the dynasties of the fish, the
reptile, and the mammal should, in succession, have
terminated, — man should at length come upon the
scene in the image of Grod ; and that, at a still later
period, Grod himself should have come upon the
scene in the room of man ; and that thus all God's
workings in creation should be indissolubly linked
to Grod himseK, not by any such mere likeness or
image of the Divinity, as that which the first Adam
bore, but by Divinity itself in the second Adam ;
so that, on the rainbow — encircled apex of the
pyramid of created being, the Son of God and the
Son of man should sit enthroned for ever in one
adorable person. That man should have been
made in the image of God, seems to have been a
meet preparation for God's after assumption of the
form of man. It was, perhaps, thus secured, that
stock and graft, if I may venture on such a meta-
phor, should have the necessary aifinity, and be
capable of being united in a single person. The
false gods of the Egyptians assumed, it was fabled.

CBEATION or MA55-. 255

the forms of brutes ; it was the human form and
nature that was assumed by the true God, so far
as we know, the only form and nature that could
have brought him into du-ect union with at once
the matter and mind of the universe which he had
created and made, with ' true body, and reasonable
soul.' " *

It is a fact recorded in this volume, and sup-
ported by a mass of evidence gathered from the
experience of six thousand years, that this image
in man was greatly defaced. It is one of the lead-
ing doctrines of the jN'ew Testament, that through
Christ it is again restored. The process is simple,
but certain. Jesus Christ is represented as volun-
tarily dying in the room of men, in accordance with
the will of the Father. This fact we are exhorted
to believe; when believed, the soul is saved, is
moved with love and gratitude ; and love leads to
obedience. All this while the Spirit is doing his
work upon the soul, enlightening, purifying, and
comforting it, and conforming it to the image of
God, to whom it is now reconciled through the
atonement.

" And God saw every thing that he had made,
and, behold, it was very good. And the evening
and the morning were the sixth day."

* Testimony of the Rocks, pp. 213, 214.

256 WOEK OF THE SIXTH DAY.
" Thrice happy men,

And sons of men, whom God hath thus advanced !

Created in his image, there to dwell

And worship Him : and in reward to rule

Over his works, on earth, in sea, in air,

And multiply a race of worsliippers

Holy and just : thrice happy, if they know

Their happiness, and persevere aright."

" Thus the heavens and earth were finished, and
all the host of them. And on the seventh day
God ended his work which he had made : and he
rested on the seventh day from all his work which
he had made. And God hlessed the seventh day,
and sanctified it ; because that in it he had rested
from all his work which God created and made."
Chap. ii. 1—3.

It is understood that the creation of man, accord-
ing to this narrative, took place about six thousand
years ago. How does this accord with the facts of
geology ? It is the general belief, that man was
late in being introduced among the creatures ; do
the discoveries of this science not demonstrate that
he was an inhabitant of this globe, at a much
earlier date than that given by Moses ? This has
been maintained by some, on scientific groiinds,
but with what justice, the reader will speedily
have the opportunity of judging. As this opinion
is professedly held, on the ground of certain geo-
logical phenomena, it becomes our duty to examine

CEEATIOX OF MAN. 257

these, and see whether they really conduct us to
this conclusion.

When some new discovery, bearing upon this
subject, has been announced, with the superficial
knowledge, and hasty judgment, that generally
exist in such a case, the conclusion is readily
drawn, that the human species is much older than
the Bible represents it to be. Take an example :
A bone, very like a human bone, has been disco-
vered where human bones have never before been
found, and where, if they were found, their exist-
ence would demonstrate the greater age of the
species. It is immediately concluded that man is
much older than the Bible represents him to be.
This conclusion finds its way into the public prints ;
circulates extensively over the civilized portion of
the globe ; is seized on by many who are unfavour-
ably disposed to the inspired account of man's
origin ; is viewed with distrust, mingled with fear,
by pious but illiterate Christians; and is ques-
tioned only by the man of science. The anatomist
examines it ; and after careful scrutiny, and ample
comparison, he pronounces it to belong to a quad-
ruped. The first conclusion was hasty and erro-
neous ; its only ground was the resemhlance the bone
had to one which belongs to the human skeleton.

Take another example : A real human fossil is
found; the discovery is published; the nature of
the deposit in which it was imbedded is not referred
s

258 -WOEK OF THE SIXTH DAT.

to; it may even be asserted that the human
skeleton was found among other bones that belong
to creatures of an earlier epoch than ours. Thus
the impression is produced, that man must be as
old, at least, as the creatures with whose bones his
have been found associated. Here again the man
of science is the only person likely to challenge
such a conclusion, on a proper principle. He may
not give it a flat denial, but he will examine the
deposit in which the fossil was found, and will, in
all probability, discover that it was extracted from
a cave, a fissure in the rock, or from a rock of very
recent formation. In this M^ay, while he admits that
the fossil belonged to man, he would show that it
had been recently imbedded in its stony resting-
place.

These examples illustrate the way in which false
opinions originate and circulate. But, it may be
asked, after these reports are discovered to be
groundless, will they not be contradicted ? They
are contradicted by philosophers, if deemed of such
importance, in the bulky and expensive volumes
that contain the transactions of the various learned
societies. But these volumes are not seen by one
among a thousand of those who may have read, be-
lieved, and circulated the original report. Hence,
long after such cases are settled, and perhaps for-
gotten, by those engaged in scientific pursuits, they
are, with the utmost gravity, brought forward as

CEEATIO:S- OF MA??". 259

arguments which will at once confound the Chris-
tian, and crush the book of his faith. Of course,
all this is sufficiently ridiculous, and were there
any hope of such objectors to the Bible growing
wiser, it might safely be left to work its own anti-
dote.

The human skeleton has been discovered in
circumstances that prove that it must have been
deposited for a long series of years. It is some-
times found imbedded in peat-moss several feet
beneath the surface ; but no one, at all acquainted
with the subject, would ever dream of arguing
from this circumstance that our species existed
previous to the Mosaic creation. In several
countries, especially in the Italian peninsula,
articles belonging to man have been found in the
solid rock. At Tivoli, what seems to have been an
ancient lake, is now filled with a rock called
travertin,* in the upper part of which there has
been found the remains of a wheel. A great part
is decayed, but it has left behind it a perfect
mould. This fact proves that, when this part of
the rock, at least, was forming, man was in
existence. The question is, has this calcareous bed
been deposited since man may be presumed to have
spread over the greater part of the earth, or is it

* "A white concretionary limestone, usually hard and
semi-crystalline, deposited from the water of springs holding
lime in solution." — Lyell.

s2

260 WORK OF THE SIXTH DAT.

of more ancient formation ? It is a well-known
fact, that the travertins of Tuscany, and neighbour-
ing countries, are of very recent origin — are even
now forming in many instances. The upper
portion of this bed, therefore, we may conclude,
has been deposited since that part of the world was
inhabited by the descendants of Adam.*

Human bones have frequently been found in
fissures and caves of the earth. It is not difficult
to perceive how they found their way into the
former. Fissures are not only open perpendicularly,
but their mouths are frequently so muffled, that
both animals and human beings are precipitated to
the bottom before they are aware. If the fissure
be in calcareous rock, or if lime be in the neigh-
bourhood, the descent of water, carrying with it
calcareous matter, will soon encase the heap of
bones, animal and human, in one rocky mass. So
in regard to bones found in caves. The water,
percolating the rocks, forms in a very short time
a mass of stone, on the floor of the cave, in which
is embraced the bones that were collected there.
But in neither case would an individual, with the
slightest pretensions to intelligence, argue that
these petrified bones prove the origin of our race
to be deeper in eternity than the Bible reveals.

In addition to these cases, we have still to refer

* Ljell's Principles, vol iii., book ii., chap. ir.

CEEATIO:?^ OF MA^^. 261

to another — the famous Guadaloupe fossils, one of
which is preserved in the British Museum. The
rock in which these are found is by the seashore,
and is nearly covered at high water. Though of a
hard texture, it is admitted by all competent
authorities to be very recent ; indeed, it is forming
daily. It is composed of the sand on the beach,
and broken corals and shells, cemented together by
calcareous matter. The existence of fossil human
bones in this rock is, therefore, no argument
against the recent origin of our race.

We conclude these remarks on the geological
evidence, in favour of the recent origin of man,
with a sentence from Ansted, and a paragraph
from the highest British authority. Professor
Owen : — " Of Mammalia, the remains of man have
never yet been discovered in a fossil state, except
in a limestone very rapidly forming in the island
of Gruadaloupe, and under circumstances which
leave no doubt of the recent origin of the deposit."

The following is the conclusion of Professor
Owen's lecture on Anthropomorphous, or Man-Hke
Apes, delivered before the British Association, at
its meetings in Liverpool in 1854. "Well might
the "Times" ask, when reporting the lecture,
" What came of the advocates of the development
hypothesis, that none were found in that large
assembly to combat the Professor's arguments?"
"Human bones have been foimd in doubtful

262 WOEK OF THE SIXTH DAT.

positions, geologically considered, such as deserted
mines and caves, in the detritus at the bottom of
cliffs, but never in tranquil, undisturbed deposits,
participating in the mineral characters of the un-
doubted fossils of these deposits. The petrified
negro skeletons, in the calcareous concretes of
Gruadaloupe, are of comparatively recent origin.
Thus, therefore, in reference both to the unity of
the human species, and to the fact of man being
the latest, as he is the highest, of all animal forms
upon our planet, the interpretations of God's
works coincide with what has been revealed to us
as to our own origin and zoological relations in
His word."

On this point all geologists of eminence are at
one. When discoveries were newly made, that
seemed to oppose the narrative of Moses, some
have hastily thought otherwise, and imprudently
published their ill-digested notions; but this has
only exposed the facts to the more rigid examina-
tion, which has invariably resulted in adding new
support to the old truth, and settling its founda-
tions on a surer basis.

Are we still to be told to look to the science
of geology, and it will teach us to cease placing
confidence in the Bible as a Divine book, seeing it
is now proved to be false ? We look to the noble
science ; — would that all Christians did the same !
— we have nothing to fear from its discoveries ; we

CEEATIOIf OF MAIT. 263

do not dread disastrous consequences from its
brilliant progress. AVhy should we? — when its
numerous facts harmonize perfectly with the Divine
record, adding to, not subtracting from, the un-
precedented mass of evidence in its favour. Why
should we ? — when it discloses to us, in the soil on
which we tread — in the river channel — in the
mountain gorge — in the deep mine — in the sublime
mountains, pages of the book of nature inscribed
all over — written both within and without — with
types of bygone existences, which, though dead,
yet speak of the glorious character of Him "which

DOETH GEEAT THII^^aS PAST EINDINa OUT; TEA,
AND WONDEES WITHOUT NUMBEE."

CHAPTER XXII.
COIsCLUSION.

GEXEEAL OEDEE IN CEEATJON. — DETELOPMENT HYPOTHESIS.
— BIBLE NOT OPPOSED BY SCIENCE. — WHY STILL EEJECTED
BY MEN. — CHEISTIANS SHOULD CULTIVATE ACQUAINT-
ANCE WITH THE SCIENCES. — THE SOUECE OF TEUTH IS
THE SAME, AND ITS OBJECT IS ONE.

As the various works of creation have passed
under consideration, the reader must have been
frequently impressed with the idea that perfect
order reigns among them aU. God is not the
author of Confusion, but of order ; and the evidence
of this is found inscribed in all parts of his
dominions. If we examine the individual, either
plant or animal, we find it there ; and if we go to
the families of which the vegetable and animal
kingdoms are composed, we find it there. It per-
vades the laws and uses of the atmosphere ; it is
enstamped upon the seasons as they come and go ;
and it prevails throughout all the starry host.
Everywhere you turn your eye, in every subject
that can occupy your thoughts, you meet with
evidence of perfect order. Vast though the field

coi^CLTJSioiT. 265

be over which the eye ranges, and still more
vast that in which the thoughts expatiate, there is
not the most distant approach to confusion. Vast,
indeed, and to mortals overwhelming, is the variety
that obtains ; but all is presided over by the most
perfect harmony. The Creator of "the heaven
and the earth," and "all that in them is," must
be 02^E, and must have at his disposal infinite
resources, both of ivisdom and power. How else
account for the harmonious variety that every-
where and in all things prevails, except in the
doings and abodes of men.

Order does not more prevail in the existing state
of things, than it did when these things were
called into existence. The steps of the process,
speaking after the manner of men, though numerous,
and complicated, and new, were all taken in accord-
ance with a plan, or purpose, devised by, and
existing alone in, the Divine mind. This plan
required no alteration, no curtailment, no amplifi-
cation; but within itself it contained those pro-
visions that permit of the introduction of intelligent
agency, when that agency is required. The existing
universe is not simply in accordance with this
plan ; it is the tangible manifestation of it. The
work appears perfect, but for aught that we know
it may be but in the process of development. The
plan may not be thoroughly worked out, although,
so far as it has gone, it is perfect. Whichever

266 CONCLUSIOK-.

way, one thing is certain ; — all exists in harmony,
and was created in harmony ; and if higher develop-
ments are still in store for this globe, as well as for
others, we may rest assured that order will reign
then as now.

The subject binds us down to a small portion of
the universe of Grod: the remarks that follow do
not even refer to the entire earth, but only to a
portion of it. We are limited to that portion of
the earth's surface that underwent the renovating
changes recorded in the Mosaic narrative, as having
been effected six thousand years ago, fitting it to
become, in due time, the habitation of those plants
and creatures already described. Of the former
state or states of the earth, we say nothing ; nor do
we speak now of the appearance the other portions
of the globe at this time presented.

In the renovating processes that were brought
to bear, and the creative acts that were performed,
upon this portion of the earth at the commence-
ment of the present epoch, we are assured that the
most beautiful order prevailed. Darkness retired
before light, and gave birth to night and day. Then
the atmosphere is renovated, and constituted a fit
medium for the existence of life. The waters now
leave the saturated earth, and expose it to the dry-
ing and heating eff*ects of the wind and sun. The
earth next receives from the hands of her Creator
her robe of green ; trees rise upon her plains, and

coNOLTjsioN. 267

flowers, breathing sweet fragrance, scent the gentle
gale. JSi ow fishes gambol in the waters, fowls float
in the air, and animals of every conformation roam
the woods, or browse the meadows. Last of all,
when earth, air, and water are peopled with life
— vegetable and animal — infinite in variety and
beauty — Man, endowed with faculties capable of
appreciating these, is introduced to the gorgeous
theatre. In all this there is perfect order.

The slightest transposition, at any of the stages,
would have inevitably introduced confusion and
death. Had the fish been made before the waters
were gathered together, the gases and deleterious
substances held in solution by them would have
been fatal to their existence. Had the fowls been
created before the firmament was purified, and
fitted for life, in their first flight they would have
fallen lifeless to the ground, like those hapless
birds that attempt to cross the poisoned valley.
Had the land animals been brought into existence
before the creation of the vegetables, they would
have wandered over the newly-raised land, to die
at their journey's end. Had man been placed
upon the earth at any of the stages previous to the
sixth day, he would have been destitute of many of
the sources of enjoyment with which he was blest,
and perhaps his life would have been insupportable.

The order, also, that obtains among the plants
and creatures is conspicuous. The grass is fol-

268 C02s^CLTJSI0N.

lowed by the herb, and the herb by the tree, the
fish is followed by the fowl, and the fowl by the
land animal. The whole is followed and crowned
by Man, the noblest of all creatures belonging to
earth, and the only one w^hich bears the image of
the Creator. But although this order is simple,
and beautiful, and perfect, yet no naturalist would
attempt to build upon it the hypothesis of " develop-
ment," as it is called. This hypothesis is raised upon
the approximation of one species to another in
existing creation, and it is sought to confirm and
support it by the discoveries of geology, as Avell as
those of astronomy. It is not only found, that in
the vegetable kingdom, the simplest forms of exist-
ence give place to forms more complex, and in the
animal kingdom the same law operates ; but also
that certain existences — half plant, half animal —
are found inserted, as it were, between the tw^o
kingdoms, joining them together, and partaking of
the nature of both. But even these facts do not
compel us to receive the above hypothesis. It is one
thing to find in creation the evidence of a close and
unbroken connexion between the various plants
and trees — between the various creatm-es, and even
between the two kingdoms, vegetable and animal ;
and a very different thing indeed to conclude that
the higher types of plants were derived from the
lower and less complicated types — that the higher
class of animals sprung from those of the simplest

coNCLiJsiox. 269

forms ; and that, in some instances, animal life has
been evolved from vegetable life.

On this subject we offer the following remarks :
— First, there is a great variety of plants and
creatures; how can they be otherwise than in a
state of approximation to each other ? But this is
no argument in favour of the development hypo-
thesis. Take the scale of the vegetable kingdom ;
allow the species that stand highest, and those that
stand lowest in the scale to remain, and annihilate
those that intervene; bring the surviving species
together, and you will very readily detect certain
resemblances and points of connexion. Suppose,
on these grounds, one were to argue, that the lowest
species in the scale had given birth to the highest,
how utterly erroneous would his conclusion be!
It might be replied. True, but in this case the scale
was not complete. It was not ; but are we sure
that the present scale, either of plants or creatures,
is complete ? To us it may appear so, just like as
the former would appear complete to one who was
not aware of the annihilation of the intervening
species ; but to the eye of Omniscience it may
appear very differently. It may yet have inserted
in it numerous new species, without the slightest
violence being inflicted upon those that at present
exist, at once extending its dimensions, and estab-
lishing a stiU closer relationship between the mem-
bers of which it is composed, than formerly existed.

270 C0]S-CLUSI02«^.

Secondly, if tlie hypothesis of development were
true, we would surely find in nature some facts on
which it might be established. Eut is this the
case ? On every hand there is evidence of a close
and beautiful relationship existing among the
members both of the vegetable and animal king-
dom, but none whatever of one species giving birth
to another and higher species. There is not the
slightest evidence that fishes have become fowls,
fowls quadrupeds, and quadrupeds rational and
accountable creatures. It is many centuries since
the flyiug-fish existed ; but he has not got higher
into the air than he was wont to leap, when first
placed in his watery element. Thousands of years
have elapsed since the ostrich was familiar to man,
but he still remains an ostrich. His long limbs
have not grown more massive — more ox-like — and
his little paddles, all that he has in the place of
wings, are not further advanced in the process of
development. If there be such a thing as develop-
ment,— that of one creature growing into another
and superior creature — the poor ostrich must have
been arrested in the transition state. How cruel
to keep him thus, just taking his departure from
the winged tribes, and never permitted to join the
quadrupeds. How tantalizing, too, to prevent the
chimpanzc and orang-outang, from at once ascend-
ing to the level of man, seeing they are sufficiently
taU for that purpose, and only require their arms to

CONCLUSION. 271

be shortened, the pelvis to be enlarged, and the
brain to be balanced more accurately upon the
spinal marrow. Other characteristics of the human
species, such as speech and reason, should, in all
fairness, be no longer withheld from our friend of
the woods. Brother monkey ! descend no longer
to that "beastly" practice of running on "all
fours ; " carry thyself erect : doest thou not know,
that, in this way thou mayest arrive at man's
estate ? Abandon that chatter so grating to " ears
polite; " lay aside that horrid grin, and clothe thy
face with smiles. Art thou altogether indifferent
to thy exalted destiny ?

It is admitted by the advocates of this hypothesis,
that there are no facts in present creation on which
it can rest. But it is plausibly asserted, that our
experience is too limited — the sphere of our vision
is too circumscribed — to enable us to decide against
it. Does it not occur to them, that, for the same
reason, it is impossible to decide in its favour?
But our experience is not so limited as they would
have us believe. " As the advocates of the theory
of transmutation trust much to the slow and insen-
sible changes which time may work, they are accus-
tomed to lament the absence of accurate descrip-
tions, and figures of particular animals and plants,
handed down from the earliest periods of history,
•such as might have afforded data for comparing the
condition of species, at two periods considerably

272 coiJ^CLrsioN.

remote. But fortunately we are in some measure
independent of sucli evidence: for, by a singular
accident, the priests of *Egypt have bequeathed to
us, in their cemeteries, that information which the
museums and works of the Greek philosophers
have failed to transmit.

"For the careful investigation of these docu-
ments we are greatly indebted to the skill and
diligence of those naturalists who accompanied the
French armies during their brief occupation of
Egypt, — the conquest of four years, from which
we may date the improvement of the modern
Egyptians in the arts and sciences, and the rapid
progress Avhich has been made of late in our
knowledge of the arts and sciences of their remote
predecessors. Instead of wasting their whole time,
as so many preceding travellers had done, in ex-
clusively collecting human mummies, M. Geoffrey
and his associates examined diligently, and sent
home, great numbers of embalmed bodies of con-
secrated animals, such as the bull, the dog, the cat,
the ape, the ichneumon, the crocodile, and the ibis.

" From the official report, drawn up by the pro-
fessors of the Museum at Paris, on the value of
these objects, there are some eloquent passages,
which may appear extravagant, unless we reflect
liow fully these naturalists could appreciate the
bearing of the facts thus brought to light on the
past history of the globe.

CONCLUSIOX. 273

" ' It seems,' say they, ' as if the superstition of
the ancient Egyptians had been inspired by nature,
with a view of transmitting to after ages a monu-
ment of her history. That extraordinary and
whimsical people, by embalming with so much
care the brutes which were the object of their
stupid adoration, have left us, in their sacred
grottos, cabinets of zoology almost complete. The
climate has conspired with the art of embalming
to preserve the bodies from corruption, and we can
now assure ourselves, by our own eyes, what was
the state of a great number of species three thou-
sand years ago. We can scarcely restrain the
transports of our imagination, on beholding thus
preserved, with their minutest bones, with the
smallest portions of their skin, and in every par-
ticular most perfectly recognizable, many an animal
which at Thebes or Memphis, two or three thou-
sand years ago, had its own priests and altars.'

" Among the Egyptian mummies thus procured
were not only those of numerous wild quadrupeds,
birds, and reptiles ; but, what was perhaps of stiU
higher importance in deciding the great question
under discussion, there were the mummies of do-
mestic animals, among which, those above men-
tioned, the bull, the dog, and the cat, were frequent.
Now, such was the conformity of the whole of these
species to those now living, that there was no more
difference, says Cuvier, between them, than between

T

274i C0NCLTJSI0I5'.

the human mummies and the embalmed bodies of
men in the present day. Yet some of these ani-
mals have since that period been transported by
man to almost every climate, and forced to accom-
modate theii' habits to the greatest variety of cir-
cumstances. The cat, for example, has been carried
over the whole earth, and, within the last three
centui'ies, has been naturalized in every part of
the new world, — from the cold regions of Canada
to the tropical plains of Guiana; yet it has
scarcely undergone any perceptible mutation, and
is still the same animal which was held sacred by
the Egyptians.

" Of the ox, undoubtedly, there are many dis-
tinct races ; but the bull Apis, which was led in
solemn processions by the Egyptian priests, did
not differ from some of those now living. The
black cattle that have run wild in America, where
there were many peculiarities in the climate, not
to be foimd, perhaps, in any part of the old world,
and where scarcely a single plant on which they fed
was of precisely the same species, instead of altering
their form and habits, have actually reverted to
the exact likeness of the aboriginal wild cattle of
Europe."*

Besides this, the discoveries of geology supply
us with much interesting information on the subject,

* Ly ell's " Principles of Greology," sixth edition, vol. iii.,
pp. 36—39.

coiTCLrsio:N". 275

Some are of opinion that its testimony is in favour
of the hypothesis of development; while others,
and by far the majority, take the opposite view.
In the various strata of which the crust of the earth
is composed, there are innumerable fossil plants
and creatures. These organic remains extend over
a period of time of which we can form no concep-
tion. The series presented must, in the nature of
the case, be continuous. If, then, the hypothesis we
are combating be true, there must exist some evi-
dence in support of it, during this long period of
time, in which lived and perished those numerous
species found imbedded in the diiferent rocks.

First, were it true, the simplest forms of life
would invariably appear first, though their appear-
ing in such an order would not, of itself, prove its
truth. But so far as geological research has gone,
this is not proved to be the case. The earliest
forms of life that have been found are far from
being in a rudimental state ; while many of the sim-
plest forms are discovered in much newer strata.
This point is treated of in almost every recent work
on the science.

Secondly, were it true, then we might reasonably
expect to find some plant or animals in the tran-
sition state, that is, passing from the sphere of one
species into that of another. It would indeed be
extraordinary, if such an immense number of crea-
tures as have been discovered in the crust of the
T 2

276 coxcLrsio:N".

earth, and which have apparently met death in every
possible circumstance, should not contain even
one specimen of this kind, if this hypothesis were
true. How can we know whether a creature, found
fossil, is in a transition state or not ? If I discover
a fish in an early formation, and find the same
species existing during several succeeding forma-
tions, there is no difficulty in deciding that that
fish has not undergone transmutation. If, at
length, this species ceases to exist, and another
takes its place, in many respects diverse from the
former, there is no difficulty in concluding that the
one has died out, and the other been introduced.
But it would be most unphilosophical to maintain,
that the new species was elaborated from the old,
seeing not a single step of the supposed process
could be detected. Now, this is precisely the state
in which matters are found in the crust of the
earth. There are numerous instances of plants
and creatures having died out, and others being
introduced in their place; but there is no fact
favourable to the development principle.

Many creatures found in a fossil state do not now
exist. The saurian, pterodactile, and mastedon, are
examples. The first appears to have occupied the
place of the present crocodile, and was of enormous
proportions. The second was a creature of such
marvellous construction, as to strike the beholder
with astonishment, and has no living representa-

concltjsio:n". 277

tives in the present animal kingdom. The last also
was a singular creature. It is not more certain
that the present crocodile of the Nile or Ganges
is making no approach to the larger quadrupeds
that frequent the banks of these rivers, than that
the saurians of the old world were not the pro-
genitors of the large quadrupeds that reigned upon
the earth during the succeeding epoch.

Species have lived long and been extinguished ;
whole genera have served their day, and been
withdrawn. The genus amonite, for example, that
lives through such a vast space of the earth's crust,
has disappeared, and the nearest living creature is
the nautilus, but which is a different genus. There
is much here to fill us with astonishment, but
nothing to support this hypothesis as propounded
by Lamark, and popularized by the author of the
"Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation."
Such deviations from the beaten path of an ad-
vanced philosophy are to be attributed rather to
the waywardness of the fancy, than to greater
power and perspicacity of mind. Many, who are
not gifted with the ability and attainments of
Lamark, may eagerly seize upon his uuphilosophi-
cal hypothesis, and because it addresses the imagi-
nation in place of the judgment, their success may
be great among a large class of the people ; but
assuredly the man of thought will accord to it no
favour. It cannot be too much impressed upon the

i^ut^

278 coNCLrsioN.

mind of young inquirers that, in all philosophical
and scientific research, the faculty that must prin-
cipally be exercised is not the imagination, but the
judgment. When the judgment has settled the
points under investigation, the fancy may, if it so
please her, dress these intelligent conclusions in the
richest clothing her wardrobe affords. In all pro-
perly regulated minds she will be content to exer-
cise the art of decoration.

We have now passed under review all the points
of difficulty connected with the narrative of the
creation, whether these have reference to plants or
creatures, or inanimate objects. How it appears to
the reader, we know not; but to our mind it is
clear, that these points, explained in accordance
with enlightened principles of interpretation, are
not only not contradicted by the facts of the
sciences, but are in perfect harmony with them.
A desire to keep this volume within due bounds
has sometimes cramped the arguments in support
of certain conclusions, and the illustrations are
frequently meagre, for the same reason; yet we
trust enough has been advanced, if not to satisfy
the mind desii'ous to arrive at the truth, at least to
excite it to search into those productions, in which
it may receive satisfaction, some of which have been
referred to in the course of this work.

Some have eagerly grasped at geology as a
weapon to be used against the Bible. They speak

coNCLTJSioiT. 279

and write of this science, as if it had already sealed
the doom of the Book of God, by fixing upon it
the stigma of imposture and falsehood. They
would fain have us believe, that Moses must now
be laid aside as a liar, and his book as a cheat.
And when we inquire on what ground we are to
renounce our belief in the Bible, we are told to
look to the science of geology. "We comply with
the request, and take our place with the objector
to the Bible. We investigate the works of nature ;
impressed with their beauty and grandear, we
admire the noble science that spreads their wonders
at our feet. Do we find anything that would shake
our faith in revelation? Is there aught in the
wide domain of geology opposed to that Book ?
No. Some men are devoted to this science, who
treat the Bible as an idle tale. Have they suc-
ceeded in bringing to Ught anything that contra-
dicts it, properly understood ? If they have, where
is it recorded ?— in what work is it to be found ?
If it be a fossil plant, or fish, or fowl, or quadru-
ped, in what collection of these relics of bygone
epochs is it laid up ?

If such contradiction exists, how does it happen,
that, without exception, the men who have brought
the greatest amount of talent, and learning, and
patience, to bear upon the investigation of this
science, have, up to the present hour, been unable
to discover it ? It may be said, christian geolo-

280 co:N-CLrsioN.

gists are prejudiced in favour of their Scriptures,
and will, therefore, interpret their discoveries so
as to favour their system of belief. Be it so ; —
although we believe no one has reason to charge
the christian geologists with unfairness, — yet, be it
SO; Avhat does the objector say of infidel geolo-
gists ? If Christians cannot be trusted, will they
not speak the trutli ? They cannot be bribed to
silence. Can you imagine that they, finding facts
that would undermine the authority of this Book,
could, by any influence, be prevailed upon to give
them forth as favourable to it ? Impossible. Yet
the case stands thus : all competent geologists,
whether opposed to the Bible, or favourable to it,
agree in receiving certain facts as constituting the
basis of their science. Now, the simple question
is, are these facts opposed to the Bible, properly
understood? We distinctly answer, — they are
not.

The facts are these : — G-eology proves the earth to
be very old, — without fixing its age, it shows cause
why it might be viewed as existing for millions of
years before the creation of Adam : the Bible no-
where teaches that it is of recent date. Geology de-
monstrates that it has undergone numerous physical
changes, — that from the beginning till now, it has
been subject to one perpetual change : the Bible no-
where contradicts this conclusion; so far, indeed,
is it from doing this, that it supplies us, as we be-

CONCLUSION. 281

lieve, with the dates of two of these changes, — the
Mosaic creation, and the Noacian deluge. G-eology
shows that plants and creatures existed much fur-
ther back than the creation of Moses, — many being
found, in a fossil state, in formations deposited long
prior to that event : the Bible informs us of the
creation of man, and the plants and creatures of his
epoch, in the locality which, six thousand years ago,
was re-arranged for their habitation ; but it is very
far from affirming that neither vegetable nor animal
had existed previous to the introduction of man.
Geology discloses the extent and variety of organic
nature, — it leads us back through untold genera-
tions of entombed plants and creatures, silently
lying in the stony beds that form the crust of the
earth, till disturbed by the blow of the geologist's
hammer, or the pinching of his chisel ; — it spreads
before us the most astonishing variety of vegetable
and animal life, all having lived and died before
man was made : does not this support the view
which the Bible gives us of the character of the
Supreme Being, — that He is great, good, and wise ?
Geology shows us that the numerous species of
plants and creatures, found fossil, all had their day ;
one set is introduced, play their part for a time,
and are then removed, that room may be made for
another set ; these, again, give place to a third,
and so on till the present epoch : does this not
prove the truth of the Bible doctrine, that crea-

282 CONCLUSION.

tures do not live for ever, and have not lived for
ever ? G-eology leads us back to a time when life
^animal and vegetable — did not exist: thus for
ever silencing the argument of the atheist, and
confirming the statement of Scripture, that every-
thing had a beginning. Greology demonstrates,
that, as the earth has undergone changes in past
time, so it is even now preparing itself for further
change : this corroborates the words of the inspired
writer, when he speaks of the earth being destined
to undergo another fiery trial. Last of all, geology
demonstrates that man did not exist previous to
the present state of our globe: this is the chief
point which the Mosaic narrative was written to
establish. We feel ourselves justified, therefore, in
affirming, that there does not exist anything in
geology that jars with the statements of this narra-
tive, as explained in this treatise.

Why, then, is the Bible still rejected by men of
science and literature ? Before attempting an an-
swer to this question, it should be stated that many
of the names, that stand high in the literary world,
are known favourably in connexion with the Bible.
The greatest men in philosophy and science have
been forward to proclaim themselves friendly to
revealed truth. Christianity does not stand or fall
with the names of great men ; but it is well to know
this circumstance, that we may be prepared to
meet the taunt, that the Bible is fit to be received

CONCLUSIOIS". 283

only by persons of feeble minds, or inferior attain-
ments. The wisest men have done homage to the
Bible, and never appeared more truly great than
when bowing before the "Word of Grod.

Education, evil influence, pride of intellect, and
the like, operate in many to the rejection of this
Book. It is certain, that, did men of science study
the Word of God and its claims, as thoroughly and
honestly as they do the facts of nature, they would
not only be willing to admit its Divine origin, but
forward to proclaim its importance and authority.
It is no less certain, that, had men of letters exa-
mined their Bible as carefully as they studied the
principles and figures of rhetoric, they would have
admired the former, and submitted themselves to
its authority, as fully as ever they interested them-
selves in, and abandoned themselves to, their
favourite literatiu'e.

Had Shelley's intellect been as ripe, as his afiec-
tions were ardent, when, at the age of sixteen, he
entered on his career of atheism; and had that
intellect been directed towards the study of the
evidences of Christianity, his verse would have
aimed at nobler themes, and breathed a spirit far
more sweet. His lips would have been touched
with celestial fire, and his heart would have glowed
wdth heavenly love — love that would have given a
character to every sentiment he expressed, and
would have breathed in every stanza that flowed

284 cojfCLrsiox.

from his pen. Had Voltaire been as honest as he
was witty, the " brilliant Frenchman " would have
lent his mighty influence in favour of Christianity ;
and, instead of being applauded as the apostle of
scepticism, he would have been hailed as an apostle
of the cross. Grod ^vdsely permits the proud and
prejudiced to fall into endless errors and gloomy
unbelief, the first instalment of that punishment
that must be awarded to him who spurns His con-
trol and teaching. However much we might wish
it otherwise, our sorrow would not be so keen,
were it not that many are more ready to imitate
the waywardness and daring of the sceptic, than to
follow the footsteps of the honest and intelligent
investigator. It is easier to cavil and doubt than
to search and understand; and it appears much
more in keeping with our inclinations.

Christians should give themselves much more to
the cultivating of the physical sciences than they
have hitherto done. By adopting this course, they
would advance the cause of truth much more ex-
tensively than by the present mode. How often
do we find individuals, of acute and well cultivated
minds, deeply versed in Bible truth, but ignorant
of science, occupying ground relative to the con-
nexion of revelation and nature altogether unte-
nable, and provoking the ridicule and contempt of
their scientific opponents ? For example, some
good and intelligent men seek to get rid of the

COXCLTJSIOIs'. ■ 285

conclusions drawn by geologists, by maintaining
that the rocks were created just as they appear at
the present time, in their twisted, sloping, and
vertical position; and holding in their rigid em-
brace plants, shrubs, and trees, insects, fishes, and
birds, and quadrupeds of every size and conforma-
tion. We are justified in saying, that no one ac-
quainted with geological facts, as seen in nature,
would seriously hazard such an opinion. Truth
derives nothing from such support, but harm.
Why is it that this com^se is adopted ? We con-
fess our fears, that it is as much to prop our
assumed infallible interpretation of certain portions
of Scripture, as to shield the Bible from the sup-
posed opposition of science.

It appears to us much the wiser course, and
much more safe for Scripture and science, to draw
upon TIME for the explanation ; and this course
will undoubtedly tend to the fuller development
of the glorious character of Grod. Adopting our
principles of interpretation, the science of geology
presents no fact before which the Christian may
tremble, or the Bible succumb ; — or, to explain
which, recourse must be had to such arguments as
the one mentioned above. Eeceiving the truths of
that Book with humble and intelligent faith, let us
not shrink from a thorough investigation into the
works of nature. They are departments of the one
field of truth. In every page they proclaim their

286 CONCLUSION.

origin to be the same, and tell of the same omni-
potent, wise, and benevolent Being.

But if Christians are to blame for neglecting the
study of science, what shall we say of the votaries
of science who neglect the study of the Bible ?
Are they guiltless in this ? — they are not. Con-
stituted as man is, with the experience and pros-
pects he has, it is reasonable that he should exer-
cise his faculties upon the works of natui^e; but
it must be allowed to be still more reasonable to
exercise his powers of mind and feelings of heart
on the work of the same Grod in the redemption of
the soul. Whilst, then, we maintain that it is un-
reasonable in Christians not to study the works of
nature, we do not hesitate to say, that it is much
more unreasonable, in the admirers of nature, not
to study revelation. "WTien both have been brought
to cultivate the field, which, at present, is too ex-
clusively the property of each respectively, a great
evil shall have been removed, and an important
step taken towards the establishment of truth.

Nor need the friends of truth be afraid to adopt
the course here recommended. Enough has been
advanced to show, that revelation has nothing to
fear from the discoveries of geology ; the same
remark is applicable to the other sciences. Ap-
parent discrepancy can only arise in one or other
of the following ways : — On the one hand, suppose
the investigator to be honest, he may fail to give

coNCLrsio:s". 287

the true interpretation of the facts of nature, either
from insufficient data, or from their being above
his comprehension. On the other, the Bible critic
may fail in catching the idea intended to be con-
veyed in those portions of Scripture that refer to
the works of nature. In most instances, time, and
careful investigation, and enlarged experience, will
completely remove the difficulty, and show the
harmony that in reality, and in every department
of truth, exists.

Philosophy ! linger not in thy onward progress,
develop thy facts and establish thy laws ; thou
knowest of no law contrary to the law of God, for
thou hast thy origin in the avill of the Eternal ;
and if thy votaries would or could comprehend thy
bearing, they would behold thee pointing home-
wards. Science ! hasten thy discoveries, and pour
thy treasures at our feet. Thou hast nothing in
thy vast storehouse that belies its origin ; and thou
lendest countenance to no argument that would
rob man of his faith in this world, and his hope in
the next. He who gave to the human species the
system of Eevelation, provided thy inexhaustible
supplies ; and it is thy highest honour, and constant
effort, notwithstanding the waywardness of many
of thy admirers, to show forth His exceeding glory.
Eeligion! fulfil thy high commission. Proclaim
thy message in every land; tell the news thou
bearest to every creature ; hold not thy hand till

288 coxcLUSIo^'.

all, "from the least even to the greatest," know-
that " with the LoED there is mercy, and with him
is plenteous redemption." On thy efforts, thy
sisters will not frown, but bestow their approving
smile. Philosophy, Science, Eeligion, your source
is one — the Eternal mind ; — your work is one — oh,
how important ! — the manifestation of the
glokt of the &eeat, the holy, the meeciful
God.

Priuted by John Snow, 35, Paternoster Row.

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It abounds with sweetest music, it overflows with •still waiers,' and it spaikles
with heaven-descended thoughts, and is piesi ed over by the very spirit oi a sanc-
tified genius." — Glasgow Christian Journal.

35, PATERNOSTER ROW. 3

CHEAP EDITION.

Tills day is publisshed, the Second Edition, revised, in post

8vo., with Frontispiece, cloth, elegant, price 6s.,

Voices of Many Waters ; or, Travels in the Lands of the
Tiber, the Jordan, and the Nile. With Notices of Asia
Minor, Constantinople, Athens, &c. By the Ilev. Thomas

"W. AVELING.
" Among tlie many books of travels we have read, we know none more compre-
hensive or full of interest, than that now b<-fore us — none presenting more vivid
and beautiful sketches of scenery of cities and ruined temples, of spots consecrated
by the footsteiis of Prophets and Apostles, ai.d Christ, and of manners and customs,
and religious observances— none that is more fitted to charm the reader by its
spirit and style, and the bnght gleams of poetic feeling that gild almost every
page."— Evan (/e.lical Mayazine.

Second Edition, in post 8vo., cloth, lettered, price 9s.,

Female Scripture Biography; preceded by an Essay on
" What Christianity has done for Woman." By the Rev.
E. A. Cox, D.D., LL.D.

This day is published, in 8vo., cloth, lettered, with Portrait,
price 10s. 6d.,

The Earnest Minister. A Record of the Life, and Selec-
tions from Postlmmous and other Writings, of the Rev.
Benjamin Parsons. Edited by the Rev. E, P. Hood.

Forty-fourth Thousand, beautifully Illustrated, price 2s. 6d.,
or post 8vo., cloth, 8s.,

A Narrative of Missionary Enterprises in the South Sea
Islands ; with Remarks upon the Natural History of the
Islands, Origin, Languages, Traditions, and Usages of the
Inhabitants. By the Rev. John Williams.

Sixth Thousand, now ready, with beautiful full length
Portrait, &c., price 3s. ; or in 8vo., price 12s.,

The Life of the Rev. John Williams, Missionary. Com-
piled from his Journals, Correspondence, and other Au-
thentic Sources. By the Rev. E. Peout, Home Secretary
to the London Missionary Society.

Seventeenth Thousand, beautifully Illustrated. CheapEditiou,
price 3s. ; or the Library Edition, cloth, 12s.,

Missionary Labours and Scenes in Southern Africa.
By the Rev. Robert Moffat, Twenty-three Years an
Agent of the London Missionary Society in that Continent.

4 NEW WORKS PUBLISHED BY JOHN SNOW,

BY THE EEY. E. MANNERING.
Bible Fruit for Little Children. Third Thousand,
18mo, cloth, lettered, price Is. 6d.

" We feel certain that any teacher wisbintf aid in addressinc: little oues would
find it here. Many ol the thoughts ai-e really beautiful. "—.S'cuit7» S. S. Mag.

Christian Consolation, for AfiSicted Christians. Second
Edition, fcap. 8vo., price 4s.

"One of the best treatises ol the kind that we are acquainted v;i\h.."— Christian
Witness.

This day is pubKshed, in post 8vo., cloth, lettered, price 6s.,
Positive Theology; or, Christianity at One View. In
Twelve Dialogues. By the Eev. Henet Biech.

In one handsome volume, Svo., cloth, lettered, 12s.,
Sermons by the Rev. Daniel Katterns.

" Models of that viu;orous, manly, and miud-breathins eloquence which attests
the earnestness of the spealvcr, and stirs the deepest thoughts and feelings of the
hearer or reader." — Evangelical Magazine.

Third Edition, foolscap Svo., cloth, lettered, price Is. 6d.,
Seventy Scripture Chants. Selected and arranged for
Congregational and Social Worship by the Eev. Newman
Hall, LL.B.

This day is pubhshed, in post Svo., cloth, lettered, price 8s.,

Thoughts for the Devout. Being Scriptural Exercises

for Every Day in the Year. Arranged and adapted from

the Writings of the Eev. John Howe, M.A. By Eev.

T. C. HiNE.

Price 6d., cloth, gilt. Is.,
Rest in Christ for the Weary. By a Clergyman.

" A priceless gem. Many an aching heart will be healed by the counsel and
sympathy contained in this excellent manual." — British Mothers Journal.

This day is published, foolscap Svo., cloth, lettered, 2s.,
The Unity of the Faith ; or, Jesus in the Manifestation of

God in all Ages. " Prove all things."
This day is published, in ISmo., in cloth, gilt edges, price Is.,
The Brother Born for Adversity ; or. The Similarity of
the Saviour's Sorrows and Sufferings to those of his Fol-
lowers.

" Forcible, experimental, and rich in Christian experience." — Record.

Just published, in small 8vo., cloth, lettered, price 5s.,
Life Spiritual. By the Eev. George Smith, of Poplar,
Author of " Language ; its Origin and Progress," " Ser-
mons," &c.

35, PATERNOSTER ROW. 5

In one volume, cloth, lettered, price 2s. 6d.
Views from Calvary. By the Rev. W. Leask.

"A most delitchtful book, aud will be read with intense interest by hundreds of
thousands of the members of our churches. "

Second Edition, foolscap 8vo., cloth, lettered, 6s.,

On the Union of the Holy Spirit and the Church in the
Conversion of the World. By Hev. T. W. Jenkyn,
D.D., F.G.S.

" We bear our willing testimony to the transcendent ability displayed in the
work before us. It is profound in thought, close in aigumentaliou, aud rich in its
iUasivaUous."— Methodist New Connexion Maga-^ine.

Third Edition, post 8vo., cloth, lettered, 7s.,
The Extent of the Atonement, in its Relation to God and
the Universe. By the same Author.

" We think, with conclusive certainty, that this paramount and transcendent
doctrine has never been presented in such a series of lucid disquisitions, and with
a comprehension so adapted to the majesty of the subject, in any book published in
the United Kingdom."

In foolscap 8vo., cloth, lettered, price 4s.,
The Religion for Mankind ; Christianity adapted to Man
in all the Aspects of his Being. By the Rev. James
Spence, M.A., of the Poultry Chapel, Author of " The
Tractarian Heresy," &c.

Twenty-first Thousand, crown 8vo., cloth, 4s. By the
Author of " Come to Jesus,"
The Christian Philosopher Triumphing over Death;
being a Narrative of the Closing Scenes of the Life of the
late William Gordon, M.D., E.L.S. By Rev. Newman
Hall, LL.B.

" Millions of gold and silver sink into utter insignificance when placed in
compeiition with this invaluable memoir. Language is too poor to give adequate
praise to tlie book before us. We hope that many thousands will be circulated
— tiiat it will be read by the learned and intellectual, by the wealthy and the
great, as well as by the poor and the illiterate," — British Mothers Magazine.

" Most cordially do we rejoice tliat this glorious testimony to the power of
the Gospel has reached Us twenty-tirst thousand; and, if its merits ])e duly
appreciated, its circulation will not stop at the two-hundredth Xhonsdjadi." -^British
Mother s Journal.

In post 8vo., cloth, lettered.
The Evangelical Alliance : its Origin and Development.
Containing Personal Notices of its Distinguished Friends in
Europe and America. By the Rev. W. Massie, D.D.

6 NEW WORKS PUBLISHED BY JOHN SNOW,

Foolscap 8vo., cloth, 2s.,
China and her Spiritual Claims. By the Rev. Evan
Davies, late Missionary to the Chinese.

Foolscap 8vo., cloth, 4s. 6d.,
Memoir of the Rev. Samuel Dyer, Missionary to the
Chinese. By the same Author.

" It deserves a place in every Christian family, and in every missionary library.
AUo,t,'etlier we have no hesitation in saying, that since the perusal of the admirable
'Memoirs of Henry Martyn," there is no volume of this description which it has
fallen to us to notice, that has afforded us more unmin^led satisfaction than this
memoiial of the life and labours of Samuel Dyer."— The United Secession

In one vol., handsomely bound, cloth, lettered, with Portrait,
price 6s. ; or in morocco elegant, 10s. 6d.,

The Christian Merchant: a Practical Way to Make
" the Best of Both Worlds ;" exhibited in the Life and
Writings of Joseph Williams, of Kidderminster. By
Benjamin Hanbuey. Third Edition.

"We can conceive of nothing more profitable or deliRhtful to Christians in busi-
ness than to be able to spend an hour in the perusal of this work.— Jewis/i Herald'

In two handsome volumes, 8vo., with Portrait, cloth, lettered,
price 21s.,

Lectures on Christian Theology. By the late Rev.
Geoege Payne, LL.D., Professor of Divinity in the West-
ern College. With a Memoir by Rev. John Pyer, and
Eeminiscences by Rev. Ealfh Waedlaw, D.D. Edited
by Rev. Evan Davies.

In foolscap Svo., the Second and Cheap Edition, with
Important Additions, price 4s. 6d.,
Spiritual Heroes ; or, Sketches of the Puritans, their
Character and Times. By the Rev. J. Stoughton.

" It is a volume which should have its place in erery Nonconformist family in
the kingdom." — British Quarterly.

FORTIETH THOUSAND.

This day is published, a New and Revised Edition, in larger
type, with Portrait, Is. ; cloth, lettered, Is. 6d.,

The Conversion and Death-Bed Experience of Mrs.
Little ; to which is added, A Guide to Peace with God.

" Gold, with its untold millions, is a nonentity, compared with the value of this
volume, which, we feel assured, has imparted so much comfort and peace to the
thousands who have perused it. We say to every individual, Purchase and read
this book."

35, PATERNOSTER ROW. 7

Post 8vo., clotli, 7s. ; morocco, elegant, 12s.,
The Footsteps of Messiah ; a Review of Passages in the
History of Jesus Christ. By lie v. W. Leask, Author of
*'Our Era," "The Evidences of Grace," &c.

Third Edition, 12mo., cloth, Ss. 6d.,
The Hall of Vision ; a Poem, in Three Books. By the
same Author.

12mo., cloth, 3s. 6d.,
Our Era : a Soliloquy, in Three Parts — Social, Political,
Keligious. By the same Author.

Post 8vo., cloth, 9s.,
Recollections of a Tour : a Summer Ramble in Belgium,
Germany, and Switzerland ; including Sketches of the Minor
States of Germany, the Fatherland of the Reformation,
Modern Reform in Continental Churches, and the Condi-
tion of the Dispersed Jews. By Rev. J. W. Massie, D.D.

" It will hencefoith be a choice companion to those who shall travel the same
refaons, and form a most interesting and valuable substitute for sucli travel to those
who can spare neither the time nor the money." — Christian Witness.

Now ready. Second Edition, in post 8vo., cloth, lettered,
price 3s. 6d.,

Christianity in Harmony with Man's Nature, Present
and Progressive. By Rev. Geoege Legge, LL.D., of
Leicester.

Second Edition, with a Map and Pifty Engravings, fcap. Svo.,

cloth, 5s. 6d.,
Egypt : a Popular and Familiar Description of the Land,

People, and Produce. With an Introductory Essay by

Rev. T. BoAz, LL.D.

" It is by far the best account of Egypt which we possess ; popularly and pleas-
ingly written, and bringing befoie the mmds eye a more periect picture of the
country aud its curiosities, its people and their manners, than we ever remember to
have had produced by a mere description in words. It is eminently adapted for
family reading.' — Critic.

Second Edition, in small Svo., cloth, 5s.,

Paul the Apostle ; or. Sketches from his Life. By the

Rev. H. J. Gamble.

Foolscap Svo., cloth, 4s.,
Scripture Baptism: being a Series of Familiar Letters

to a Friend, in reply to " Christian Baptism," recently

published by the Hon. and Rev. Baptist Koel, M.A. By

the Rev. Henky J. Gamble.

8 NEW WORKS PUBLISHED BY JOHN SXOW.

Just published, Fourth Edition, in 8vo., cloth, 8s. 6d.,

Elements of Mental and Moral Science. By Eev.
Geoege Payxe, LL.D.

Four vols., fcap. Svo., sewed, Is. 6d. each, cloth, lettered, 2s.,

The History of the Revival and Progress of Inde-
pendency in England, since the Period of the Reformation.
With an Introduction, containing an Account of the De-
velopment of the Principles of Independency in the Age of
Christ and His Apostles, and of the Gradual Departure of
the Church into Anti-Christian Error, until the Time of the
Reformation. By Joseph Eletchek.

Third Edition. In one vol., post 8vo., cloth, lettered, 6s.
India and the Gospel; or, an Empire for the Messiah;
By Rev. W. Clarkson, late Missionary to Western India.
AVith Introductory Remarks by Rev. T. Aechee, D.D.

" The book should be circulated by tens of thousands." — Evangelical Magazine .

18mo., cloth, elegant, 2s. 6d.,
Scenes of the Bible : a Series of Scripture Sketches. By
Rev. William Claekson.

Seventh Edition. In 18mo., cloth, price Is. 6d., with
Engravings.

Missionary Encouragements in India ; or, the Christian
Village in Gujurat. By Rev. W. Claeksox.

" A volume of tlirillin^; interest."

♦' We are not surprised that this small volume should have reached a fifth edition ;
and if its success be proportioned to its mejits, many more editions will yet be
called for." — British Mother's Magazine.

Fourth Edition, 2d.,
" Thy Past Impressions." By Rev. W. Clarkson.

" a truly heart-scaiching little tract, calculated to rouse the lukewarm professor,
and to stimulate the devoted Christian. It is one of tljose publications which oupht
to have, and wLich we tliink will have, an immense sale. We say to every
Christian, Buy, and read this book." — British Mother's Magazine.

Second Edition, 2d.,
" Thy Spiritual Position." By Rev. W. Clarkson.

Second Edition. Foolscap Svo., 4s.,

The Mental and Moral Dignity of Woman. By Rev.
B. Paesons.

i- 'fit C4^^.

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