Chapter I

_THE CREATION._
GEN. I. II. B.C. 4004.

_IN the beginning God created the heavens and the earth._ With these simple but sublime words commences the History contained in the Scriptures of the Old Testament, teaching us that the Universe did not exist from all eternity, but owed its origin to the creative act of God. To us this truth appears so elementary and self-evident that we can hardly appreciate the dim and uncertain notions on this point, which the best and wisest of the heathen possessed. Certain it is, however, they were very much in the dark respecting the origin of the world. Some philosophers held that it existed from all eternity: others taught that there are two independent Causes, the one Light, and the other Darkness, and that out of the unending struggle between them the Universe had its origin; others imagined that all the marvellous order and harmony we see around us was the result of Chance; others, again, conceived that the world was an emanation from Deity, and a part of Deity. Distinct from all these guesses and conceptions is the _declaration_ of the Scripture Narrative. It affirms that the world is not eternal; that it had its origin with time and in time; that it owed its beginning neither to Chance, nor Necessity, but the Creative will of a Personal God, infinitely exalted above it, the Maker and Sustainer of all things. (Comp. Joh. i. 1–3, Rom. xi. 36, 1 Cor. viii. 6, Col. i. 15, 16, Heb. i. 2, 3).

The creation, however, of the present order of things was not instantaneous, but progressive, and took place in six Days, or vast Periods of time. On the _first_ day light was created, and divided from the darkness; on the _second_, the firmament, or atmosphere encircling the globe; on the _third_, a separation was made between the water and the land, and the surface of the earth was covered with vegetation, with _the herb yielding seed, and the tree yielding fruit after its kind_. On the _fourth_, the sun, moon and stars were bidden _to give light upon the earth, and to be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years_. On the _fifth_, animal life appeared in its lowest forms, the waters brought forth the various marine tribes after their kind, and this was succeeded by the creation of every _winged fowl_. The _sixth_ day was marked by the production of land animals, _cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth_, which, like all the preceding products of Creative Power, received the Divine approval, and were pronounced to be _very good_.

But the work of Creation was not yet complete. A being higher than any yet created was to be called into existence. Accordingly _God said, Let |us| make MAN in |our| image, after |our| likeness, and let them have dominion over every living thing, and over all the earth; and 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_. Then having seen that all things He had made were _very good_ God ended His work, and _rested on the seventh day_, sanctifying it as a day of Rest for man. (Gen. i. 2–26).

The language here employed in reference to the creation of man deserves attention. It teaches us that man did not, as some have taught, slowly emerge by his own efforts from a brutish state. Unlike other created objects, he was originally made in the _image_ and _after the likeness_ of God. Endowed not only with a body, but also with an immortal soul, he was to combine intellectual power with liberty of will, and the faculty of conscience. And as he was great himself, so also was the work to which he was called. His was to be universal dominion _over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth_. As God’s vicegerent, he was to exercise lordship over nature, and guide it towards its destined perfection (Gen. i. 26).

But though the first man ADAM, was endued with those high prerogatives, he was not destined to attain immediately to the end for which he was created. His activity was to commence in a particular spot, and thence to extend in all directions, until all the earth was subdued and moulded to the will of its Creator. The Almighty, therefore, planted a garden in a region of the East, corresponding probably to the high table-land of the modern Armenia, and watered by four streams. Of two of these, Pison and Gihon, the situation is absolutely unknown, the others were the Tigris and Euphrates. Here, then, in a spot endued with everything pleasant to the sight and good for food, man’s work was to commence. Action and not contemplation only was essential to his nature, hence a charge was given to him to _dress_ and _keep_ the garden. Nor amidst everything to gratify his senses and supply material for his understanding and reflection was he left alone. A responsible being, _bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh_, was created a _help-meet for him_. The Lord _caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam_, and taking one of his ribs, He made thereof a woman, and brought her unto him, and EVE, _the mother of all flesh_, one with himself in nature and in origin, was united to him in holy bonds, which HE, Who thus instituted them in Paradise, afterwards adorned and hallowed with His own presence and first miracle at Cana of Galilee (Joh. ii. 1; Eph. v. 23–33).