258 
words. They have deservedly failed, for they are founded on 
false assumptions. The Bible needs no such contrivances. 
It only requires to be dealt with as we do with the interpreta- 
tion of human writings. In the first chapter of Genesis all 
is historic narrative, and all should be interpreted as scientific 
history. In doing so we have only to keep close to the usus 
loquendi of the Hebrew language, and everything is not only 
accordant with our true knowledge of natural phenonema, but 
the whole is full of most admirable suggestion. The narrative 
opens with the truly majestic statement : “ In the beginning 
God created the heaven and the earth/'’ Those who have 
studied the speculations of Greek and other philosophers re- 
specting the origin of all things, and have been wearied with 
their interminable confusions, can best appreciate the glory of 
the Mosaic statement. 
Let us take it word by word, keeping strictly to the exact- 
ness of Hebrew usage. 
“In the beginning.” Fanciful interpreters have endea- 
voured to draw mystical and cabalistic meanings from so 
simple a phrase as “ in the beginning.” A Chaldee targum 
borrows an idea from the 8th of Proverbs, and interprets them 
of Divine wisdom — napns (be- cl wit- mall ) — By wisdom God 
created the heaven and the earth. The opening of St. John's 
gospel has been supposed to give a meaning of remote 
eternity to the words, “In the beginning was the Word.” 
Whereas, St. John simply declares that “Before anythinghad 
a beginning the Divine Word was,” — i. e. pre-existed. The 
Jewish Cabala anagrams the letters into 'nttfn i N i n 
in the 1st of Tisri, making thus the origin of the world about 
our September ; so that Adam might have ripened fruits read}’ 
for him. Such interpretations are unworthy of serious re- 
futation. If we look to the usage of the Hebrew language, 
there is no mystery in the words : they simply mean at first, 
and so declare that all things had a beginning by the creative 
power of God : “ Through faith we understand that the worlds 
were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen 
were not made of things which do appear.” (Heb. xi. 3.) “ He 
spake, and it was done : He commanded, and it stood fast.” 
(Ps. xxxiii. 9.) 
“ God created the heaven and the earth.” Here again 
inattention to the usus loquendi has caused the loss of much 
invaluable truth. To create has been interpreted to mean 
giving mere existence out of nothing, as if Moses taught that 
at first God gave existence to the materials of heaven and 
earth, and then framed them in an admirable order. The 
Greek Chaos was a subsequent corruption, and not an original 
