THE DIVINE ACCOUNT OF CREATION.
We had occasion, some time ago, to consult a good and useful work on The Hebrews, by Arthur Pridham, and were astonished, in reading a lengthy note at foot of page 305, to find the following sentence; marked, too, by all the emphasis of italics:" ' In six days God created] etc. Such is the express testimony of the Holy Ghost." Now this is a singularly inaccurate expression, and is neither the "express "nor even indirect" testimony of the Holy Ghost." The words of Moses are plain enough:"For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is" (Ex. 20:11). The evident reference is to the six literal days' work described from the third verse to the end of the first chapter of Genesis. It is no-where stated in Scripture that the earth was created in six or any number of days. People have confounded creating and making; they are carefully distinguished in Scripture:thus "created to make" (Gen. 2:3, marg.). Again, "These are the generations" (an expression occurring ten times in the book) "of the heavens and of the earth when they were created"- referring to the first verse of Genesis-to that primal creation of which no particulars are given, the fact alone being stated-" In the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens" (Gen. 2:4); this part of the verse refers to the six days' work detailed from ver. 3 to ver. 31 of the first chapter of the Bible. Carefully observe that when it is creating, the order is "the heavens and the earth;" but when it is making, he says, "the earth and the heavens." The word "created" occurs five times in course of the narrative-once in reference to the universe (5:. I), once to the sea-monsters (5:21), and thrice to man (5:27).

God "called" occurs five times:-"day," "night," "heaven," "earth," "seas," were severally named by the Creator. Thus human language was ordained. The next who distinguished things by names was Adam (vv 5, 8, 10; chap. 2:19). In naming these things, the ground-work was laid in which the beauty, order, and life of creation were to be displayed.

"God said" -a simple yet withal majestic expression-is repeated ten times in course of the chapter. There is no elaborate preparation for so mighty a work, no means employed or assistance given. Power went with the word. "He spake, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast." The third and sixth days were the most important:in the former, the earth is raised up and out of its watery tomb, and then covered with luxuriant vegetation,-thus we have life out of death and judgment, surely the great lessons of the third day; while the latter or sixth day shows two creations of life,-first, of land animals, and lastly, of man. It is the importance of the creative-acts of those days which accounts for the sublime expression "God said" being used twice for the third day and four times for the sixth day.

In that creation-psalm 104:we meet with a beautiful expression- "The Lord shall rejoice in His works" (5:31). Hence, in our chapters the Creator's delight in His work is repeatedly signified in the six repetitions of the word "good.; God saw that it was "good;'' and when all was made, it was pronounced ''very good." It is interesting, however, to observe that the word is omitted on the second day, while it occurs on the third day twice:the reason being that the third day was needed to complete the work of the second; hence, till completion was reached, the Creator's note of approval in His work could not be uttered.

It is interesting to observe that all aquatic creatures and winged fowl (5:22), man (5:28), and the seventh, or Sabbath, day (chap. 2:3) are "blessed" by God. Why are land animals an exception to the bestowal of their Creator's blessing?

Before passing on to a brief consideration of the work of making, forming, and beautifying this earth as a home for man-preparing it as a sphere for the display of the moral principles of good and evil-a platform on which God, man, and Satan were to be the chief actors,-it may be well to inquire if there is scriptural authority for contrasting' two distinct material creations, generally spoken of as "the old creation" and "the new creation." These expressions are not to be found in the Scriptures ; it would be as well to discard them, therefore, in our theological writing. The use of them has done harm. It seems to us that the effort to prove a re-creation of material heavens and earth involves the idea of the annihilation of the present physical system-a thought utterly foreign to Scripture.

But does not Isa. 65:17, 18-"I create new heavens and a new earth … I create Jerusalem a rejoicing and her people a joy"-teach a fresh creation of physical worlds? Certainly not. The grandest of the Hebrew prophets is treating of the moral change which the presence of the Messiah will accomplish. The whole moral system, in the celestial and terrestrial spheres of glory, will be changed. Jerusalem, its center, will become the joy of the Lord, and He will fill it with rejoicing. It is the millennium, in which, we know, the PRESENT heavens and earth will exist to display the glory of the Nazarene, that is before the mind and the prophetic gaze of the seer. It is equally certain, however, that the "new heavens and new earth," without the troubled sea-the sepulcher of countless millions-referred to by Peter and John, are to be understood as physically new-the new homes through eternity of the heavenly and earthly families of God (2 Pet. 3:13; Rev. 21:i). But then these arc made, not created:"Behold, I make all things new" (Rev. 21:5) What Scripture does teach is that the heavens, earth, and elements which are will be destroyed (not annihilated,) by fire, then new ones made adapted to the eternal condition of things. So far, then, there is contrast; not, however, between what was and what is-that is old and new creations; but the contrast is between the present material universe and the future one. The eternal new heavens and earth are never termed "new creation;" in fact, the word "creation" is not used of them at all. God will "make," not create, the new heavens and earth of eternity.

Now Scripture does not say, so far as we know, that we Christians are brought into a "new creation" either by life or by the Spirit. The term occurs but twice in the New Testament (2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 6:15, see Gk.). If in Christ, you are "new creation;" not, mark you, brought into it. The new and spiritual race "in Christ" are it-1:e., "new creation." The term is applied to persons, not to things, which greatly simplifies the subject we are considering.

We will not enter the new heavens and new earth for more than a thousand years. Our anxious desire is to "hold fast the form of sound words;" shunning, too, those peculiar phrases and expressions which have grown up amongst us, and which will not always stand the rigid application of God's Word. Then Christ is said to be "the beginning of the new creation of God," and comments are freely made upon this supposed beautiful scripture, but they lack the merit of scriptural correctness. The Word reads, "The beginning of the creation of God" (Rev. 3:14)-that is, the present material system. The expression, "Creation of God" is probably more comprehensive than even that recorded as the creative-work of God in the first chapter of the Bible; and of this vast created system Christ is pre-eminent in time, rank, title, and glory. What comfort, what strength, is thus ministered to our souls in these Laodicean times and ways! God "made the earth, and created man upon it" (Isa. 45:12). The earth was not "created" as a home for man; it was "made" out of the chaotic state and condition of ruin into which it fell subsequent to its creation, and the six days' work prepared it as man's dwelling; so the race in Christ are "new creation," and for which God will "make," not create, an eternal home. W. S. (Scotland.) (To be continued, D. V.)

EDITOR’S NOTE-for the contents of this, and all papers to which initials are appended, the writer is understood to be alone responsible. A some what different account of new creation is given in this volume (pp. 103-108), I would here add that it is not at all denied that in Isa. lxv, lxvi, the scene which is dwelt upon is millennial, as is clear. The prophet just gives the "promise" of the new heavens and new earth which Peter appeals to and Revelation describes the fulfillment of -surely not as millennial,-and then goes on to what was more within the Old-Testament range of vision.

Let it be considered also that Scripture speaks of no creation of matter simply, but of heaven and earth; and that after the dissolution Peter speaks of, the word "create" would seem appropriate. It is a change, at least, the nature of which we know little of. Neither the beast nor man were altogether produced from nothing when "created."

The "rule" of new creation (Gal. 6:16) seems difficult to apprehend also in the way our brother uses it. If it mean the rule of belonging to another scene, it is evident. We have to walk as outside the world. If the scene be the same, (no new creation at least of it,) no separation seems enforced.

If our readers will weigh all in the presence of God, there will be only good from the comparison of views. And our beloved brother's desire in this paper will be attained. Scripture must judge us all.