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If, then, this be the principle on which God's acts and 
attributes are universally spoken of in Scripture, — if it be 
the principle on which the whole of this very passage is 
constructed, — is it not also the principle, rather than that of 
literal force, on which we should interpret the word “ day " ? 
Days, then, in the cosmogony, are not to be understood as 
literal periods of twenty-four hours each, albeit the literal sense 
of the word remains the same as ever ; but as periods of such 
a length as, in their relation to God, occupy the same position 
that days do towards men. The whole work of creation is 
presented to man under images drawn from man’s own work ; 
the time of creation is no exception to the rule ; its image is 
a week's work. The creation of a universe is to God no 
greater task, no longer or more arduous labour, than a week's 
work to His creature. This is the doctrine of the cosmogony 
in respect to time. Observe, now, how exactly it harmonizes 
with the whole tone and purpose of the history of creation 
here given. 
(1 .) It was laid down at starting that the true aim of the 
cosmogony was not to teach natural science, but natural theo- 
logy ; not to give new information concerning the facts and 
phenomena of nature as such, but to exhibit the relation in 
which these stood towards God. Had, now, the cosmogony 
informed us precisely how long creation took according to the 
standards of human chronology, this would have been an excep- 
tion to the rule. For any absolute measure of time could only 
be compared with other measures known to man, among 
which the measure of the life of God was of course not one. 
The only idea of relation which such an absolute measure 
would give, therefore, would be its relation to human life, to 
human history ; but of its relation to God, no idea whatever 
would be given, because there was no other measure in regard 
to God with which it could be compared. Yet the latter re- 
lation, rather than the former, was plainly that which the 
cosmogony must have been designed to set forth. This latter 
relation precisely it is which the six days, taken on the above 
view, indicate ; and that in the most vivid and accurate form 
which the human mind was capable of comprehending. On 
this ground also, then, as well as the general principle of 
Scripture language, is the representative view of the six days 
to be infinitely preferred to the literal one. 
(2.) It was further laid down at starting that the cos- 
mogony was designed for all time and every place, and was 
to convey its teaching quite independently of scientific 
knowledge. Had, now, an absolute measure of time been 
given, with a variable knowledge of the work done in 
