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work.' a The formation of this firmament, about which there has been so much controversy, I have endeavoured to illustrate in diagram, No. 1: A on the diagram marks the solid material of the Globe: B shows the waters accumulated upon this solid material: the lines C, mark the course of the current of air or electricity, by which the waters were separated from the waters. That division of the waters, represented by the letter D, were heaved up and, while a portion of them was bound up in 'thick clouds," another portion was attenuated, rarified, transmuted into a purer substance than water, so as to form an expanded atmosphere, which was circumfused around the Globe and filled the space marked E. The dark spots on the margin, marked F, represent the clouds floating in the firmament! The "complicated and beautiful contrivances," says an eminent writer, "by which the waters are collected above the firmament; and are at the same time divided from the waters which are below the firmament, are inferior to none of those adaptations of infinite wisdom, which are perpetually striking the enquiring mind, in the animal and vegetable kingdoms. Had it not been for this nice adjustment of conflicting elements, the clouds and

a Pike's Sacred Philosophy, Ed. 1765.

vapours of the sky would have reached from the surface of the earth to the remotest heavens; and the vivifying rays of the sun would never have been able to penetrate through the dense mists of perpetual precipitation."

On the third day, the waters under the heaven were gathered together and the dry land appeared. "At God's rebuke they fled, at the voice of his thunder, they hasted away, to the place he had founded for them. He put the deeps into treasuries," and "shut up the sea with doors, and set bars, and said, hitherto shalt thou come, but no further." On this

"God

day the earth was clothed with vegetation! said let the earth bring forth grass"-which comes up annually without sowing-" the herb yielding seed"which comprehends whatever is sown-" and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind!" These all sprung up in a state of perfection, with their seeds in them completely formed to produce a regular succession throughout all generations, Thus in the space of one day there was fruit in the vine, and the pomegranate budded the lilies of the field were "arrayed," the palm-tree flourished, and the cedar spread out its roots like Lebanon!

On the fourth day,

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God made two great

This

lights,' 'in the firmament of heaven,' and said, 'let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years,' he made the stars also." "These expressions comprehend the luminaries and their fluxes. Understand by the luminaries, the bodies of the sun, moon, and stars; and, by their fluxes, the flow of light, that comes from each of them to us. At present we must only attend to the meaning of scripture, when it mentions the sun, moon, and stars; and distinguish between the words which are employed to describe the luminaries themselves, and such as are used to represent the fluxes of light from them. ought to be fairly reviewed, because every one knows, that though the bodies of the sun, moon, and stars, take up but a small part of the heavens, yet the fluxes of light from them reach even to the earth; yea and diffuse themselves throughout all nature. In Deuter. iv. 19, the solar, lunar, and steller lights are said to be 'portioned out or imparted to all people under the whole heaven!' which expression is not properly true of the bodies of the sun, moon, and stars; but is strictly true of the fluxes of light from them. Joshua said, 'sun stand thou still in Gibeon, and thou moon in the valley of Ajalon!' Now, I ask, was the body

K

of the sun in Gibeon, or the body of the moon in the valley of Ajalon? surely no: but the light proceeding from the sun, and the light reflected from the moon were both there. Joshua therefore plainly means not the bodies, but the lights of the sun and moon here. And the nature of the miracle was this: The lights of the sun and moon, which, according to the natural course of things, should have passed on, were made to remain for a time, in the same situation in Gibeon and Ajalon! And this was brought to pass by a miraculous power, without making any alterations in the bodies, either of the sun, moon, or earth! Judges, v. 20. The fluxes of the stars, (not the bodies) in their courses, fought against Sisera! Jud. v. 31. 'As the going forth of the solar light in its strength,' Neh. iv. 21. From the rising of the morning until the fluxes of the stars came out.' Psa. civ. 19. He made the lunar-light for seasons: the solar light knows its going in!' Psa. cxxxvi. 7. 8. 'To him that made great lights, the solar light to rule the day, and the lunar and steller light to rule the night,' Isa. lx. 19. 20. "The solar-light shall be no more thy light by day, neither for splendour shall the lunarlight enlighten thee, thy solar-light shall no more go in, neither shall thy lunar-light gather in itself!' It

is evident, then, that the springing forth of the solar light causes the morning; its going off causes the evening; its being stopped or prevented of its free motion by the body of the earth causes night: and its shining without obstruction causes day! It is obvious from Eccles. i. 5. 6. That the solar light springs out in the morning, and goes in in the evening: that it goes south-ward to form the winter, and north-ward to form the summer."

On the fifth day, "The spirit of God moved. upon the face of the waters," and they heaved with life and motion and became conscious from the infusion of living principles. "And God created great whales and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind; and God saw that it was good!"

On the sixth day, God finished peopling the realms of Zoology; "God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every living thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind." Thus, 1st.-Matter and light were produced: 2nd.-Order, in the arrangement of the waters above and below the firmament: the dry land

+ Sce Pike's Sacred Philosophy, p. 26.