Page images
PDF
EPUB

excellencies. She can illuminate the humblest mind with joy and gladness, invest it with " a peace which the world cannot give," and impart a conviction of its power, and an impression of its truth, as palpable as the man of science can receive from the attestation of his senses in an affair of physics.

The man of intellect would justly dispute the pretensions of the mere sensualist to judge of his enjoyments, because the sensualist has no capacity to appreciate the luxuries of a mind endowed with intellectual powers, and whirling in the chariot of thought through the mazes of creation. In like manner we may dispute the right of a mere philosopher to judge of a principle which is altogether beyond his province: the wisdom of salvation may be felt and enjoyed independent of the wisdom of intellect. It is a distinct and independent principle, of the mechanism of which the possessor alone is a competent judge, while it is perfectly compatible with intellectual attainments. It will chasten and refine them, and impart a glow and a grandeur to them which must be felt in order to be appreciated. Had the case been otherwise, GOD, who is no "respecter of persons," would have had respect alone to intellect, and let "the poor go empty away." But it was the peculiar excellence of the Christian religion, that while it gave a new commandment" to "the poor had the gospel preached unto them." In that venerable volume, called the BIBLE, we have a faithful history of humanity, written under the guidance of Heavenly Truth, and without any mixture of error. We see ourselves here in our true colours; and while conscience bears record, as a faithful witness, she would hide herself, conscious of guilt, among the trees of the garden when she hears the voice of the ETERNAL calling upon her, for obedience to his Law. In this Record we find, too, the standard of immutable rectitude, so that we are left without excuse should we wilfully 66 compare ourselves with ourselves, or measure ourselves by ourselves," however excusable they may be to whom "the Word of this Salvation" has not yet been sent, and

men,

[ocr errors]

who, "being without the law, are a law unto themselves" -"their conscience witnessing with them."

In the Chronicles of Heaven we perceive the Old Dispensation, like a mighty river, emerging from the fountain of creation, and rolling its noble tide along, until, in the fulness of time, it falls into the New, while their united streams are, at last, absorbed in the ocean of eternity. The Old Dispensation is prospective, and points forward to the New as its accomplishment, while the latter proclaims the high announcement, is finished." Like the cherubim which hovered over the "ark of the covenant," they looked toward each other-both upon the MERCY SEAT, where, from above, an unutterable form, the symbol of the Divine presence, constantly attested that the place was "holy ground."

"It

CHAP. II.

THE CREATOR-HISTORY OF CREATION-AGE OF THE WORLD-NATURAL CHRONOMETERS-HIEROGLYPHICS OF EGYPT.

BEFORE we enter on the records of creation, and the testimonies by which the authenticity of the Sacred Volume is substantiated, it may be interesting to quote the character it unveils of the SUPREME ARCHITECT, THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY, HE IS THE HIGH AND LOFTY ONE THAT INHABITETH ETERNITY,—WHo dwellETH IN THE HIGH AND HOLY PLACE,-WHOSE NAME IS HOLY. Heavenly voices, issuing from before the throne, are heard to exclaim, HOLY, HOLY, HOLY, LORD GOD ALMIGHTY, WHICH WAS, AND IS, AND IS TO COME:- -HOLY AND REVEREND IS HIS NAME,ONE DAY IS, WITH HIM, AS A THOUSAND YEARS; AND A THOUSAND YEARS AS ONE DAY:-FROM EVERLASTING TO EVERLASTING, GOD:-WHOSE NAME ALONE IS JEHOVAH. His power is infinite :-HE MAKETH THE

CLOUDS HIS CHARIOT, AND RIDETH UPON THE WINGS OF THE WIND:- -HE COMMANDETH THE SUN, AND IT RISETH NOT, AND SEALETH UP THE STARS: HE IS CLOTHED WITH LIGHT AS WITH A GARMENT:-WITH HIM IS TERRIBLE MAJESTY:-WHO HATH MEASURED THE WATERS IN THE HOLLOW OF HIS HAND, AND METED OUT THE HEAVENS WITH A SPAN, AND COMPREHENDED THE DUST OF THE EARTH IN A MEASURE, AND WEIGHED THE MOUNTAINS IN SCALES, AND THE HILLS IN A BALANCE,-THE NATIONS ARE AS THE DROP OF A BUCKET, AND ARE COUNTED AS THE SMALL

B

DUST OF THE BALANCE:-Behold HE TAKETH UP THE ISLES AS A VERY LITTLE THING.

These are truly sublime symbols, although they but faintly shadow forth the Majesty of the I AM, whose "throne is high and lifted up," filling immensity, nor can we fully comprehend the emphasis implied in "that glorious and fearful Name," JEHOVAH. The tetragramaton, or four-lettered Name of GOD--is always contemplated, by the devout Jew, with ineffable awe-it is never pronounced; a solemn pause succeeds and the eyes are veiled the instant it is revealed on the Sacred Roll. God is not less to be adored and recognized amid the meteoric blaze of Sinai, than in the whispers of creation. It was so with Elijah, while fleeing for his life, through the wilderness in the province of Judah,-"a great and strong wind rent the mountains and brake in pieces the rocks before JEHOVAH, but JEHOVAH was not in the wind; and after the wind, an earthquake, but JEHOVAH was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but JEHOVAH was not in the fire; and after the fire, a STILL SMALL VOICE, and it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entering in of the cave.

The history of creation is introduced with inimitable grandeur by the inspired Hebrew cosmogonist:-it is unparalleled and peerless-a gem from the antique-and Longinus might well quote it as his text in illustration of the true sublime. The rich treasure in which this record is found, is enjoyed by millions, else its language should be cited in proof on our humble page, though our translation, however excellent, falls infinitely short of the original.

It appears from the annals of creation, recorded in Genesis, that light was summoned into being, in relation to our globe, at a very early period, as a witness on the first demiurgic day, to attest the glories of the animated panorama when it heaved with life and motion,

1 Kings, xix. 11, &c.

under the fiat of OMNIPOTENCE; and it may have been localized in the orb of the sun, refulgent over the "evening and the morning" even of this period of the hexäemeron, as described by the diurnal revolution of the earth on its axis. It is true, the sun and moon became only visible for the first time from the surface of the earth on the fourth day-at this period the alternation of day and night were first defined by the terminal line of light and shade. Hitherto the "firmament" had not been circumfused around the globe, nor had the separation of the waters taken place; and the earth must have been enveloped in a dense shroud of vapour which the solar ray could not pierce. An eminent meteorologist having proved the necessity of the turbid state of the aqueous atmosphere, previous to the creation of the firmament, makes the following acute and judicious remarks::

[ocr errors]

"The 'complicated and beautiful contrivances, 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 inquiring mind, in the animal and vegetable kingdoms. Had it not been for this nice adjustment of conflicting elements, the clouds and concrete 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.

"Nor can I here refrain from pointing out a confirmation, which incidentally arises, of the Mosaic account of the creation of that atmosphere whose wonders we have been endeavouring to unravel. The question has been asked, How is it that light is said to have been created on the first day, and day and night to have succeeded each other, when the sun has been described as not having been produced till the fourth day? The sceptic presumptuously replies, this is a palpable contradiction, and the history which propounds it must be

« PreviousContinue »