THE DIVINE ACCOUNT OF CREATION.
The first verse of the Bible tells us of an undated beginning when God created. Millions of years ago the earth may have existed in light and perfection. We say may have been; but most certainly no human voice was ever heard, nor human foot trod its walks. Scripture does not inform us as to the antiquity of the globe, but it does as to the age and origin and history of the race.

Perfection characterizes the earth of ver. i:ruin as certainly distinguishes the earth of ver. 2. The former was the creative act of God; the latter, the result of judgment. The weeping prophet, Jeremiah, uses the very terms of ver. 2 to describe the utter judgment and desolation of Israel. (Jer. 4:23.) "I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void" While Isaiah as distinctly informs us that God did not create it so. "Thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God Himself that formed the earth and made it; He hath established it, He created it not in vain (or void), He formed it to be inhabited." (Isa. 45:18.) The conclusion seems plain, the evidence irresistible, that the earth was created in perfection; then, from causes unrevealed, it came under the just judgment of God, which is not so as to the heavens. Now we have the shapeless, waste, desolate earth, submerged in the restless, heaving mass of waters-a dark and lifeless scene, yet the subject of intense regard and of loving interest to the Spirit of God, who "moved upon the face of the waters."

What a beautiful idea is here suggested! The Spirit of God-not a breath, impulse, wind, or influence, but a divine Person-"moved," rather "was hovering," or "fluttering" over the awful desolation. It is the same word and thought as, in Deut. 32:II-"As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young," etc. How this sweeps aside the cold and heartless thought that the making and preparing of this earth out of chaos, merely (!) displays the sovereign power of the Creator!

First day's work (10:3-5). The first day of the world's history was ushered in by one of the finest utterances ever penned or spoken. The first historical utterance of our God, "Let light be, and light was," for power and sublimity, there is nothing we know of like it. Both light and sun-the work of the first and fourth days, were created long before, being part of the system which in the beginning God created (5:i). It is evident, too, that the celestial luminaries are not the source of light, but simply the home or receptacle of it. The light was the distinguishing work of the first day; the luminaries, of the fourth. For three days the earth enjoyed light apart from the sun. Scripture says it was so; science demonstrates the possibility of it, and infidelity retires from that old battle-field-her strength in the early part of last century-utterly discomfited. The light instantly produced was full and brilliant, and was at once called "day" We need not say any thing about the nature of light-others have done so.

Second day's work (10:6-8). Light revealed the utter desolation. The earth stood a confessed and hopeless ruin before the full blaze of day. Now heaven is formed. The restless, heaving mass of waters are divided, and an expanse formed between. The atmosphere-absolutely indispensable for the life and growth of the animal and vegetable kingdoms-naturally precedes the interesting work of the third day. The earth was not formed by the concourse of particles of matter,-all matter lay in the stillness of death till "moved" or acted upon by the Spirit of God ; nor was the atmosphere produced by the action of the sun's heat,-it was a distinct work of the Creator.
Third day's work (10:9-13). In the previous day, the waters were separated by the heavy atmosphere, consisting of a body of invisible fluids, enveloping the whole earth, revolving with it, and which extends upward for forty-four and a half miles, and which presses upon every square inch of substance-living or inanimate, with a weight equal to about fifteen pounds. The dark, heavy clouds of rain and mist, formed by evaporation, were pressed upward by the weight of the atmosphere. Now, however, the third day opens with the waters beneath being bounded; restraints are put upon their course, and they flow in their divinely appointed channels; "they are gathered together unto one place," forming about one hundred and thirty-eight millions of square miles, to about sixty millions of dry land. The second action of this resurrection-day (as the "third" implies), is the resurrection of the earth out of its watery tomb, where it had lain buried for, perhaps, countless ages. This, like all else, was accomplished instantaneously by the fiat of the Creator, for as yet there was no sun's heat to dry the earth, or to harden it into needed consistency. All this demands the divine note of approval, "God saw that it was good," But the third action of the third day is surely a grand and fitting close to the first half of the creative week. The earth is now clad with rich and luxuriant vegetation. Life in its lowest form is now produced, but produced in perfection. This must have been so, for "there was no man to till the ground," and as yet no sun to contribute, by light and heat, to the growth and maintenance of the vegetable world. The order of vegetation is on the ascending scale-from the lowest to the highest:grasses, herbs, and fruit-trees-all appear in maturity, and all as parents, having seed in themselves. This beauty and fruitfulness was preparation for the higher forms of life created on the fifth and sixth days, of which man was the perfect type. The vegetable kingdom would be needed to sustain all animal life. The fecundity of certain plants is truly amazing. The botanist tells us that there are thirty-two thousand seeds on a single poppy plant. Wilkinson discovered a vase, hermetically sealed, in an Egyptian tomb, and which contained, amongst other things, certain seeds, supposed to be three thousand years old; yet the germ of life was there. They were planted under favorable conditions, and in course sprung up bearing fruit. It is believed that there are from eighty to one hundred thousand different species of plants. Again, the Creator pronounces His work "good."

Fourth day's work (10:14-19). This day opens with the usual creative formula, "And God said" -ten times repeated. In ver. 3, it is "Let there be light;" here, it is "Let there be lights, [or luminaries]." The language does not imply that the solar system was then created, but merely that it was assigned a special place in the heavens, and appointed to perform certain functions toward the earth and especially to man. "He made the stars also" is a kind of incidental expression. The adjustment of the celestial orbs to the new and physical conditions of the earth,-set in mathematical precision as to distance, etc., so as to secure just the necessary heat and light by the revolutions of our planet, seems to us the leading idea presented in the work of the fourth day. They are also God's indicators of time. The sun is the center of a mighty system. It has a fixed place, as a center should, although it has a revolution on its own axis every twenty-five days and ten hours. It is ninety-five millions of miles distant from the earth. Our planet performs its daily journey on its own axis once in twenty-four hours,-thus we have day and night. She travels, too, attended by her pale and beautiful satellite-the moon, on her yearly circuit round the sun at the rate of fifty-eight thousand miles an hour, and performs the journey in three hundred and sixty-five days and six hours,-thus we have "years" and the various seasons (see chap. viii, 22). Thus we have "seasons, days, and years" ac-counted for. But why for signs?-signs of what? Yes, the sun, moon, and stars are not only faithful indicators of time, lamps too of light, and sources of heat; but they are signs, to the terrestrial world, of God's glory (Ps. 19:1-6); silent yet eloquent teachers of Jehovah's faithfulness to Israel (Jer. 31:35, 36); signs of the enduring character of Messiah's kingdom (Ps. 72:17), of Christ in His majesty and glory (Rev. 1:16). The stars also tell their tale, and point to Him who alone is worthy (Num. 24:17), etc., etc. It will be observed that the light of the first day is now gathered up, and makes the sun her palace and her home.

Fifth day's work (10:20-23). We come now to the creative wonders of the animal world. The seas, oceans, and rivers have been prepared for their aquatic inhabitants:"the open firmament of heaven," with its rare combination of gases, compounded with a nicety which bespeaks the skill and wisdom of the Creator, becomes one vast aviary for every species of winged fowl. As we near perfection, it is positively beautiful to trace, in the progressive character of the work, the admirable wisdom, the infinite skill, displayed in the most minute act of these marvelous days of creation of which Moses unfolds the historic origin, while John discloses the prophetic close.

Here, then, for the first time after the primal creation (5:i), we meet with the word "created" (5:21), which in itself would be sufficient to show the special importance attached to this day's work. Life alone belongs to God. Hence, He creates from the largest sea-animal, about three hundred feet in length, down to the tiniest insect. It will be observed that there are two distinct creations of life-fish and fowl; the point in ver. 20 is the respective spheres assigned to each-the seas and the open firmament. It is worth careful notice that the words "after his," or "their kind" occurs ten times in the course of the narrative. It is three times used of the vegetable world, once of species of aquatic creatures, once of every winged fowl, and five times of all land-animals and creatures. Most certainly, all attempts to cross the numerous forms of life, whether in the vegetable or animal world, has no support in Scripture, and such practices should be shunned by all obedient to the Word; besides which, these attempts to im-prove the species only tends to their deterioration. God's order is always best. Propagating power is not inherent. The extraordinary multiplication of fishes and fowls is due to the expressed blessing of the Creator (5:22). Of existing species, there are about four thousand kinds of fish, and about three thousand kinds of birds.

Sixth day's work (10:24-31). Here, as might be supposed, the record is more full, more lengthy. The first week of the new world's history is drawing to a close, and what a fitting conclusion to such a work is the creation of man, in the image and after the likeness of God-the Creator's viceregent and representative in authority on the earth. The seas swarm with life, while many a bird of song and beauty wings its way in the open firmament of heaven. The earth, too, is clad with its carpet of green; the trees, fruit, and flower fill the balmy air with their delightful aroma. As yet, there is no scared leaf, no withered rose, no taint on the beauteous scene. Now again God works, or rather creates, so as to fill this beautiful world with life. As on the previous day we had two creations of life-fish and bird, so we have here two distinct creations, only of a much higher order and character of life than before. It will be observed that the divine word of power, "God said" occurs on the sixth-the closing day-four times. This is interesting, as it is purposely intended to bring into prominence the special acts of that unique day. "God said,"-and instantly the earth was occupied with creatures of every shape and size and species (10:24-25). "God said"-and man-the noblest work of the Creator, and subject of special God-head counsel," Let Us make,"-takes his place of intelligent lordship over the ordered scene (10:26-27). "God said,"-and the fruitfulness and multiplication of the species are thereby assured, as also the continuance of man's dominion over the animate creation (5:28). "God said,"-and the resources and wealth of the vegetable kingdom are placed at the disposal of man and animal for food (10:29,30). It may be remarked in passing that this latter appointment remained in force for sixteen hundred and fifty-six years-till the flood. Only vegetable food, and that for all, was the provision for the ark-inmates (Gen. 6:21). Flesh-meat to man only was added after the flood (Gen. 9:3).

The threefold order of land Mammalia is, first, "cattle"-domestic animals ; second, "creeping thing"-invertebrates; third, "beast of the earth" -animals of prey. Each are created after their kind. The theories of evolution and of development have not been proved by science, and Scripture condemns them, for each species of vegetable and animal life was created "after his kind."

The creation of man completes the work of God. There is now a creature intelligent, morally responsible, and competent, moreover, to represent the Creator in the vast and sinless scene. One who could lead creation's praise, enter into the moral perfections displayed by God in His beauteous workmanship, and be the vehicle of the divine thoughts to the lower creation. Surely, it was fitting that a moral link should be established between the Creator and His work! The whole terrestrial sphere came under the gaze of its Creator:all was perfect and sinless. He beheld it with complacent delight, and pronounced the whole "very good." "Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them." We may remark that while an "evening" is said to precede the distinct creations of each day, it is not so as to man. No evening is said to precede his creation:in kind, in character, in purpose, it was entirely unique, and quite distinct from all else. We take the eleventh verse of the twentieth chapter of Exodus as conclusive proof that the creative week consisted of six literal days-days of twenty-four hours each. On the seventh, God rested, blessed, and sanctified it. It is not said to have been a day consisting of an evening and a morning-Jewish and eastern mode of reckoning. Sin came in, and misery with it. God then wrought in love and righteousness in midst of evil, and holds out to faith the grand and eternal state as" His rest." W.S. (Scotland.)