ON GEOLOGY. 



15 



he the duration assigned to them ; and as the two loftiest, the fourth and 

 fifth sets of rocks, ©r the alluvial and volcanic, are still forming, and have 

 been ever since the great work of creation was completed, the precise du- 

 ratipn of the two last days of creative labour can have no influence upon 

 this question. But to a plain yet attentive reader of the Mosaic account 

 even these two days must, I think, appear to have been of a far more pro- 

 tracted length than that of twenty -four hours each, and especially the sixth 

 day ; for it is diflicult to conceive how the first parent of mankind could 

 have got through the vast extent of work assigned to him within the short 

 term of twelve or fourteen hours of daylight, without a miracle, which is 

 by no means intimated to us, and as diflicult to suppose that he was employ- 

 ed through the night. On this last day were created, as we learn from 

 Gen. i. 24 — 28., all the land-animals after their kind, cattle, and wild 

 beasts and reptiles ; then Adam himself, but alone ; who was next, as we 

 learn from ch. ii. 15 — 22., taken and put into the garden of Eden, to dress 

 it and to keep it ; where he had explained to him the trees he might eat of, 

 and the tree he might not ; after which were brought to him, that he 

 might make himself acquainted with their respective natures, every beast of 

 the field and every fowl of the air ; to all of whom he gave names as soon 

 as their respective characters became known to him. Subsequently to 

 which (for at this time, v. 20 ; there was not found a help meet for him) 

 he was plunged into a deep sleep, when the woman was formed out of a 

 part of himself, which completed the creative labour of this last day alone. 



That the same Almighty Power who created hght by a word, saying 

 Tin "Ti^ " be light ! and light was"* could have ruled the whole of this, 

 or even formed the universe, by a word, as well, is not to be doubted ; but 

 as both the book of revelation and the book of nature concur in telling us 

 that such was not the fact, and that the work of creation went on progress- 

 ively, and under the influence of a code of natural laws, we are called upon 

 to examine into the march of this marvellous progress by the laws of na- 

 ture referred to, and to understand it by their operations. ' Nor is it more 

 derogatory to Him with whom a thoufliind years are as one day, and one 

 day as a thousand years, to suppose that he allotted six hundred or six 

 thousand years to the completion of his design, than that he took six solar 

 days for the purpose ; and surely there is something far more magnificent 

 in conceiving the world to have gradually attained form, order, and vitality, 

 by the mere operation of powers communicated to it in a state of chaos, 

 through a single command, which instantly took effect and commenced, 

 and persevered and perfected the design proposed, than in conceiving the 

 Almighty engaged in personal and continuous exertions, though for a 

 more limited period of time. 



Thus, in progressive order, uprose the stupendous system of the world : 

 the bright host of morning stars shouted together on its birth-day ; and 

 the eternal Creator looked down with complacency on the finished fabric, 

 and saw that it was good." 



* Gen. % 8. 



