shall ever admit of a rational and satisfactory explanation, it must be in agreement with the strictest principles of true philosophical and scientific knowledge.

Although upon the creation of the world much has been written by divines, philosophers and poets, yet but little that has yet appeared, has been satisfactory. The subject, strictly speaking, is not theological, but purely one of philosophical and scientific research. It is now pretty generally acknowledged by the most able and learned divines, that the first chapters of Genesis are an allegory, and that they contain not literal history, but spiritual and divine subjects reduced to a historical form. Literal history, in which, nevertheless, are contained spiritual truths relating to the church of God, heaven and the soul of man, commences at the twelfth chapter of Genesis, with the call of Abraham. It was not only the opinion of many of the ancient fathers of the church, that the first chapters of Genesis were written in an allegorical style, but that the whole Word of God, comprehending the Law, the Prophets, the Psalms, the Gospels and Apocalypse, were so written as to contain within the literal and historical sense, those divine and spiritual subjects which relate to the church of the Lord, and to the progressive states of affection, thought and life of man; and that they were to be interpreted, not after a carnal, but after a spiritual manner. This view of these ancient fathers has been kept alive in the church by the ablest and best theological writers in every age down to the present. This we shall prove by a few extracts from their writings as we proceed.

Contradictory Views of Chronologers.

In Genesis i. 1, we read, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." From this passage, viewing it in the most literal sense possible, we learn not when God created the world, but that He did create it in the beginning. From what particular date we are to reckon the beginning of its existence, or what is its real age, the Word of God gives no information whatever, and science will never be able to discover. The putting of dates to the Bible in respect to the era of creation, reckoning from the year one, and thus making the present age of our globe about six thousand years, is altogether gratuitous and arbitrary it endeavors unwisely to mix religious with physical truth, and by mingling together what should be kept separate, the mind becomes bewildered in its contemplation of both. By giving to the world an arbitrary age of about six thousand years, many have

supposed the science of Geology to be opposed to Revelation, and that it altogether contradicts the Mosaic account of creation. If it were not that many pious and intelligent Christians have felt their minds disturbed at this supposition, we should have passed it by unnoticed, smiling at the weakness that could generate the idea.

Chronologers enumerate 132 contrary opinions concerning the age of the world (a proof this, that they know nothing about it), but in all these, there are none who reckon more than 7,000, or less than 3,700 years from the creation to the birth of Christ, making a difference in these calculations of no less a period than 3,300 years. The general opinion, however, fixes the birth of Christ in the four thousandth year of the world, and reckoning nearly 2,000 from that event, makes its present age about 6,000 years; but the reasons on which these opinions are founded, are exceedingly various, all arbitrary, and grounded in conjecture.

The calculation of the age of the world made by the Hindoos in their religious belief, is ponderous when compared with this. Their religion teaches them to recognize the existence of one supreme invisible Creator, the Ruler of the universe, whom they call Brahma. They likewise acknowledge two other deities, one of whom is VISHNU, the Preserver, and the other SIVA, the Destroyer. The deity Vishnu, as preserver, is declared to have made many appearances in the world, and the great ends of Providence are said to have been accomplished by the incarnations of this deity. According to this religion, there have been nine incarnations of Vishnu, and one more yet to come, all of which make up the period of 4,320,000 years, making a difference between their age of the world and ours of only 4,314,000 years. Allowing the Hindoo theology with its idle ceremonies to be false and fabulous, yet these superstitious people have, perhaps, as much ground for their long date as we have for our short one. Revelation is silent about the age of the world; and when that is silent, it is a mark of wisdom in us to be silent too, and not aim to be wise above what is written. These statements, differing widely as they do, prove the fact, that any attempt to fix the era of creation originates in folly and conjecture.

Geology in Harmony with Scripture.

Professor Sedgwick, in his "Discourse on the Studies of the University" (p. 149), tells us, the geologist proves by incontrovertible evidence of physical phenomena, that "there were former conditions of

our planet separated from each other by vast intervals of time, during which man and the other creatures of his own date had not been called into being. Periods such as these belong not, therefore, to the moral history of our race; and come neither within the letter nor the spirit of Revelation. Between the first creation of the earth and that day in which it pleased God to place man upon it, who shall dare to define the interval? On this question Scripture is silent; but that silence destroys not the meaning of those physical monuments of his power that God has put before our eyes, giving us at the same time faculties whereby we may interpret them and comprehend their meaning." This extract contains so much of truth that it cannot, we think, be disproved.

But some may ask: Is geology, then, to be allowed to contradict the Mosaic account of creation, and to disprove the date revealed to Moses? We answer, that geology can neither contradict nor disprove what the Scripture never states. The most literal account of creation given by Moses is, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth;" this is all, without fixing any time. Geology does not contradict this, but maintains it, and by laborious and praiseworthy examinations of physical phenomena, proves the existence of a Divine Architect, and ascribes to Him the work "in the beginning." Revelation gives no date: we have made this, and having so done, we find fault with geology because it has sought out and exposed our errors. The poet Cowper was deceived in this; for he, supposing that God had revealed to Moses creation's date, aims a blow at Geology. In his poem entitled "The Task," he says

"Some drill and bore

The solid earth, and from the strata there

Extract a register, by which we learn

That He who made it, and reveal'd its date
To Moses, was mistaken in its age."

Here the worthy poet was certainly mistaken in his conclusions ; for where in Revelation do we find the date revealed to Moses? Nothing of the kind is given in any part of the sacred Volume. He was, in this instance, led astray by his muse-the license of poets is proverbial; but still truth is not to be sacrificed at the shrine of poetical license. The laborious and incontrovertible proofs of the earth's great antiquity given by the science of geology, are not to be swept away by a single dash of a poet's pen.

From our divinity authors, nothing has yet appeared on the creation that is worth notice. They simply state that God created the world out of nothing: but, unfortunately for them, of this creation out of nothing the Scriptures never speak. They offer no remarks tending rationally to illustrate the orderly progression of creation's work. Bishop Hall, in commenting on Gen. i. 1,-" In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth," says: "In the beginning of time, God-the Father, Son and Holy Ghost-made, of nothing, the whole great and goodly frame of the world, both the heaven and the earth, and the other elements, with all the furniture and inhabitants of them all." Certainly the good bishop, in this comment, has not overloaded our minds with information, with subjects too high for us. Had he said nothing, we should have been quite as wise.

To form just views of the creation of this world, it is essentially expedient to keep the mind fixed upon one supreme Being, without whose love, wisdom, and power, nothing could be or exist. We must also view the Almighty as a single Divine Being, as a God of the most perfect order, producing every thing progressively, according to the laws of Divine Wisdom. God, in his providence, to encourage us in the pursuit of truth, has not, in so many words, revealed in the Book of inspiration how the world was created; but in placing us upon the globe on which we live, and surrounding us with all the beauties and wonders of creation, He has richly endowed us with reason, with capacious powers and faculties of mind, by the exercise of which (the great book of creation being always present) we may, by patient study and careful examination, tracing up ultimate effects through a long chain of instrumental causes, finally arrive at some degree of knowledge as to the origin and progressive work of creation; so that we may be able to prove to demonstration that, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." By attributing to the Almighty the glory of this mighty work, we can take up the language of the Psalmist and say: "He hath laid the foundations of the earth, that it shall not be removed for ever" (Ps. civ. 5). "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth his handy work" (Ps. xix. 1).

If in this investigation we exercise our reason, God's best and noblest gift (for without it even immortality would be a blank), we shall be able to see clearly where the worldling but gropes in the dark. Our reason must be sacrificed to God, that is, not destroyed,

but dedicated and consecrated to his service, which is the meaning of "to sacrifice." If this be done faithfully, we shall walk in the true light-we shall enjoy a morning without clouds, and our sun shall never go down.

The Sun the Instrumental Cause of Creation.

Reason teaches that the globe upon which we live is entirely dependent for all its nourishment and support upon the central sun in the system. If the sun were removed, our globe would instantly cease to be, animal and vegetable life would perish, and all would be reduced to a nonenity. The earth would be deprived of all heat and light, it would instantly lose its motion,' and destruction would follow; for it only lives while it moves. In the bounded space of this universe large bodies revolve, which, performing their circuits round the sun as a common centre, grow to their respective ages. The sun, like an anxious parent, regards these revolving globes no otherwise than as his own offspring which have attained to a considerable maturity; for he continually consults their general and particular interests; and although they are distant, he never fails to exercise over them his care and parental protection, since by his rays he is, as it were, present in his provisions for them; he cherishes them with the warmth issuing from his immense bosom; he adorns their bodies and members every year with a most beautiful clothing; he nourishes

of the earth, it could occur as well without a solar orb as with one. The annual circuit or year, which is the completed orbit of the earth round this luminary, could not take place without a sun; but a day requires the existence and revolving motion of the earth alone." Vol. i., p. 18. To talk of days without a sun is surely not that kind of philosophy which will gain many advocates in the nineteenth century. But we ask, What is the cause of the earth's rotation? To this our author replies and says, "Physics have not discovered, nor can rational con

1 In a work entitled "The Sacred History of the World," by Sharon Turner, among many excellent things are some most extraordinary and unphilosophical statements. In vol. i., pp. 8, 9, the author says: "It was nearly 6,000 years ago, according to the chronology of the Hebrew Scripture, that it pleased the Almighty to determine on the creation of the earth which we inhabit. The sacred history of the world is built on the grand truth expressed in the first verse of the Pentateuch - In the beginning God (Elohim) created the heavens and the earth." It is a pity this writer did not pro-jecture assign any reason for the diurnal roduce chapter and verse for this "nearly 6,000 years ago." And with respect to the phrase, "In the beginning," no one can successfully contend that the word "beginning" means 6,000 years ago. Again this author says, "Our earthly day is that space of time in which our globe turns once completely round. This action of time, which we subdivide into twenty-four parts or hours, does not depend upon the sun, nor arise from it. As it is only an entire rotation

tation of the earth, except the commanding will and exerted power of the Creator." P. 19. To this it is replied, that all life and motion are (primarily) of the will and power of the Creator; but nevertheless it is submitted to the Christian philosopher, that the rotatory motion of the sun is the instrumental cause of the earth's motion, and that if it were possible to stop the former, the latter would instantly cease.