Archaia. 485 



which it contains. Much of the reasoning is based on the sup- 

 position that the chief words of the narrative are used in different 

 senses in different places. We have shown that in regard to three 

 of the most prominent that such is by no means the case, 

 nor can we think thit this word " yoni" is used in any 

 other than one and the same signification throughout. In verse 

 fourth it is stated that not till the light was definitely divid- 

 ed from the darkness did God on the fifth day call the " light 

 day" and the " darkness night." Now just let us take our 

 authors admirable explanations of the separation of the light from 

 the darkness, and consider the conclusion to whieh it leads us. 

 In page 89, he says : " To explain the division of the light from 

 the darkness we need only suppose that the luminous matter in 

 the progress of its concentration was, at length, all gathered with- 

 in the earth's orbit, and then, as one hemisphere only will be 

 illuminated at a time, the separation of light from darkness or of 

 day from night would be established. This hypothesis suggested 

 by the words themselves affords a simple and natural explana- 

 tion of a statemeut otherwise obscure." If to this we add the 

 diurnal revolution of the earth upon its own axis whieh on the hypo- 

 thesis of Laplace, or any other, must have been established at this 

 early time, we have then in the concentration of luminous matter 

 within the earth's orbit, together with the earth's own revolution, 

 all the elements to establish a natural day even before the crea- 

 tion of the Sun; and under such conditions the first day could 

 not have been materially different from that of the fourth. 



Besides this, the character of the light which was called " day 1 ' 

 is precisely defined when it is said to have been an " evening " and 

 a " morning y Before the light was divided from the darkness, or 

 was called day, this definition of its periodical duration is not 

 given, but after this event the period of light is marked out by 

 the distinct boundaries of " evening and morning." This even- 

 ing and morning defines therefore diurnal light with minute pre- 

 cision, and is that which the Creator calls " day" and of which 

 it is said " Are there not twelve hours in the day ?" 



We have ever regarded the attempt to make " evening and 

 morning" in the text mean the civil day of 2-4 hours as altogether 

 futile. The position of the word evening before that of morning 

 i» not wonderful if we consider the language to be descriptive 

 of the impression which the close of such a sublime vision would 

 make upon the mini of the prophet. Let, for example, a splendid 



