SCIENCE AND THE BOOK 285 



are absolutely insignificant. These are but the cloth- 

 ing of the idea which makes it acceptable to its time. 

 This clothing must change with every age if it would 

 reach thoroughly the minds of the age. Underneath 

 and forever lies the glorious truth that the Lord God 

 is one God. 



The second truth which seems to me to underlie this 

 magnificent parable of creation is the truth that this 

 great God has created the universe and that he cares 

 for his people. Gods before had been objects of ter- 

 ror. Gods before had lived lives such as the people 

 themselves would not have respected among their 

 companions. Gods before were to be .shunned. If 

 one could but escape the attention of the gods it was 

 his greatest good fortune. Now we have the concep- 

 tion of an all-knowing, ever-present God to whom his 

 people are dear. The terms in which it was stated in 

 those days matter but little. To modern psychologists 

 even the idea that people are dear to God seems speak- 

 ing too humanly. Yet the truth involved must come 

 in terms that the people of to-day understand. We can 

 best comprehend God if we think of Him as loving 

 and chastening, even though down in our hearts we 

 know that these terms are not high enough, are too 

 human to apply to an Eternal God. But we know no 

 better and they tell us the truth even though the terms 

 may in time pass completely away. 



