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A VKW llEMARKS 



In the 16th verse it is said that " God made two great 

 lights ; the greater light to rule the day, the lesser light to 

 rule the night : the stars also ;" that is, he made the stars also. 



It is not stated here that the Almighty made all the stars 

 at that time ; nor can I, after consulting very able men, find 

 any passage of such an import. That all the stars dependant 

 upon, or connected with, our solar system, namely, the planets 

 and their satellites, were then created, seems to be evident from 

 the fact of their revolving round our sun ; but farther than this, 

 it is not thought necessary (may we not presume) for man to 

 know ; therefore it is not revealed to us. In the ancient book 

 of Job, the creation of the world is thus alluded to. " Who 

 laid the corner stone thereof, when the morning stars sang 

 together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy." * But 

 the earth was finished, and vegetation produced, before the 

 creation of stars mentioned in Gen. i. 16; therefore, unless 

 the ' corner-stone' alludes to man, it may be inferred that 

 there were stars in existence besides those made on the fourth 

 day. Of course, the ' singing of the stars' is a figurative ex- 

 pression ; but as we do not meet with any similar metaphor in 

 the Bible, unconnected with some object that we know exists ; 

 we may infer that stars existed when the allegorical, or mys- 

 tical corner-stone was thus laid.-f- 



In verses 29 and 30, the food for man and beast is mention- 

 ed, and with reference to the Deluge this should be borne in 

 mind. It may be said that the teeth of some animals are so 

 formed as to be fit only for grazing, or browzing ; that beasts 

 of prey have teeth adapted to tearing and gnawing ; and that 

 man requires meat ; but we must remember that dogs and 

 wild beasts thrive upon a vegetable diet, and that some men 

 never touch meat, even in the present state of the world : very 



* .lob. xxxviii. 6, 7. 



t Much must depend upon the limit attached to the meaning of the 

 word Heaven in the 1st Chapter of Genesis, and Heavens in the 2nd ; 

 viewed in connection with verses ], 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 17, and 20 of 

 Chap, i.; 1, 4, of Chap, ii.; verses 5, 7, 10, 13 of 2 Peter iii.; and very 

 many other passages ; not omitting the Lord's prayer. 



