chapter, than in the preceding one; and if there is any weight in the argument, it should not have been applied, until that portion of the history which details the temptation of Eve by the serpent ;-that is,-after the narrative should be a second time brought down to the rest on the Sabbath-day. Whatever the true reason, there seems on the face of it too far-fetched an ingenuity in this mode of development to make it wholly satisfactory.

Why then the change? I imagine it to be on this ground. Moses has written of two creations. In the first, he has called the Deity by the simple term of God; as expressive of a Supreme Being;-the great Author and moral Governor of the Universe;-the Self-existent First Cause. In the second, he has used the same title, with the addition of "JEHOVAH," the God of Israel. He was writing to the Israelites; and it gives a beautiful and most expressive idea, that in narrating to them the origin of the present system and the birth of their common father Adam,-(as if speaking more particularly of the works of the God worshipped by Israel)—he should change his style, and denote the Deity by that peculiar name, by which he was eminently,--nay, exclusively distinguished by them. All things in their beginning drew their origin from the Deity. The universe is not eternal. It was created by God. But these are the generations of the present earth and order of things :-this the origin of the existent scheme, in the day when JEHOVAH" The Lord God of Israel, framed and fashioned it again for its present inhabitants.

I feel it however expedient, once again to remark that the Bible is not a scientific, but a religious record.

What Moses wrote, he described not from his own resources or from the impressions of his own mind; but, overruled by the Holy Spirit, he wrote from the mind of God, and received that, which was both true in itself, and best adapted to men's ideas and the advancement of the one faith. And if, in reality, there were two creations, it is perfectly in unison alike with the workings of God, with the religious design of revelation, and with the capacity of the Jews to whom he wrote, that the disclosure of the truth should be made in such a manner, that while the distinction was actually made, it might be received by the generality as a single creation. No, truly; the Bible is no scientific record ;-its object is to build up the soul in faith; and its history,-whether in the detail of the works of mercy, or of the judgments of God's severity,-whether in deeds of imitation or deeds of avoidance ;-of whatever character the events narrated, the object is still to lead man, through a dependent faith, up to God, the First Great Principle of all; and to the Means which he has adopted to ensure the soul's salvation.

With this idea, it adapts itself cutwardly to man's received opinions;-as far as that adaptation can be made consistent with the truths to be inculcated; leaving it to the research and increased knowledge of future generations to develop those inward principles and facts, of which the state of men's ideas and knowledge at the time forbad a communication. Many instances of this mode of procedure might with great facility be drawn from Scripture. Take the command of Joshua, that the sun should stand still. The Jews were not well versed in astronomy.

They imagined the sun to move round the earth in reality as it does in appearance. Joshua therefore spoke and wrote in accordance with their received opinions. We can readily conceive the perplexity of the Jews, if in his account of the miracle, he had declared the earth to have stood still, until full vengeance had been taken on the enemies of the Lord. He wrote up to their knowledge, and therefore said; "So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.”*—But in what light shall we regard an argument drawn from this language against the Inspiration of Scripture ?-scarcely worth a serious refutation. This principle,—giving a just weight to the ideas and information of the Jews, is very similar in regard to the two Creations. They believed Adam to have been the father of the human race now existent upon the earth :-which undoubtedly he was; -and their perplexity must have been extreme, if, in opposition to that faith, Moses had taught the being and extinction of former systems, without at the same time conferring on them that degree of scientific knowledge, which would have enabled them to reconcile the apparent discrepancy. would have unsettled their minds, without giving them any equivalent either in rendering their faith more implicit, or their practice more resolved. In point of fact, it adds nothing to the power of God, neither does it impress any more compelling motive to a belief in him, whether the earth were created one thousand or one hundred thousand years since; whether it had lately been moulded into form; or

* Joshua x. 13.

It

whether thousands of races had successively repeopled it. The mind must, in any case, go back at last to the Creator, and render up to Him its faith and allegiance, according to the weight of evidence which it possesses of his real, present Power, and various attributes.

I repeat therefore that it could have added absolutely nothing (of any useful character) to the Jew to have been led to any other belief, than that which Moses imposed upon him, rather the contrary; but it shows the wondrous and profound spirit in which the Bible is written, that while it is of such simplicity, that it satisfies the mind of the ordinary believer; it is at the same time of such wondrous depth, that it admits, with equal powers of conviction and truth, the most penetrating research of the wisest philosopher. It admits, - as it has admitted upwards of three thousand years-the most reliant faith of men; but when science brings a long train of facts to bear upon it, which have been unseen before, the Bible suffers itself to be opened, and reveals hidden treasures to the world, of which hitherto it had been thought incapable.

The second chapter, in the manner of our review of it, is precisely of this nature. It has been read, and received, and commented on for centuries, as a mere amplification of the opening work of creation. Its details have been identified with those which have preceded it in the history of the six days. But facts of science have sprung up, which require a long interval. The repeated history is subjected to a rigorous scrutiny in a comparison with the first account; and lo, portion after portion-though

bearing a general similarity-comes forth, marked and separated by such distinctive features, that the mind, if not convinced, is yet at perfect liberty to investigate the truth of the division. The first verse also "In the beginning" will bear the same remarks, and with equal-perhaps, with greater truth. It has been long received implicitly, as a part of the first day's labor. Science has proved the necessity of an interval. The passage is closely analyzed; and nothing is discovered repugnant, in itself, to the idea of its utter disjunction from that day, and its being thrown back millions of years previous.

Whether the true point of separation is to be found in either of these divisions, is, perhaps, yet open to question. A theory of this nature cannot be imposed upon the conscience as an article of faith. That must be left to the mind, the feeling, and the personal research of the individual. The chief object, in the present heat of men's minds on the discoveries of geology, is to give every scope to a free and impartial scrutiny; to give every proof its weight, every reason its trial;-to keep nothing back, which may either sanction or militate against those discoveries; and, using those powers of reason which have been given us for these purposes, to leave the event to Him who watches narrowly over their exercise, and who upholds his Revelations with such great and unceasing might, that nothing that man could do, can bring injury upon them. The Bible is written on far too sure a foundation to be shaken by the most trying investigation; and, written under the hand of God, the Truth will shine out the more resplendently, the more deeply it is