perfections, and of his Unity and Trinity; we may proceed, in the next place, to a consideration of his works. "The works of the Lord are great, sought out of all those who have pleasure in them." In this Essay, we may attend to the great and glorious work of creation. By the work of creation is meant, not merely the formation of the world out of pre-existing materials; but the origination and production of the materials themselves. So that, in the strictest sense, "All things were made of nothing, by the word of divine power. For this, we have the testimony of the Apostle Paul. "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." When nothing but the Deity was in existence, "He spake, and it was done, he commanded, and it stood fast. By the word of the Lord, were the heavens made, and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth." The whole system of creation, material, animate, and intellectual, commenced existence, at his word. He produced and gave existence to the invisible, as well as the visible heavens. Angels, and their blessed habitations, were parts of the stupendous work of creation. All finite existence was the effect of creative power.

That every thing, or even any thing could be brought into existence, where nothing previously existed, is said by many to be impossible. According to the statement of the Apostle, we acknowledge the doctrine of creation to be an article of faith, and not of finite comprehension. But is there any absurdity in supposing, that the world had a beginning? and will have an end? John, in the Revelation, says, "I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from whose face, the earth and the heavens fled away: and there was found no place for them.” Of course, they ceased to have a place; which implies annihilation. It is also said prophetically, concerning the end of the world, that "The day of the Lord will come, as a thief in the night, in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat: the earth also, and the works that are therein shall be burnt up." By this is meant annihilation. But creation and annihilation stand on equal ground, as to their possibility. From the instruction contained in the scriptures respecting the creation and dissolution of the mate

rial world, it is evident, that, literally speaking, there was a beginning, and there will be an end of all material existence. This is the scriptural doctrine of creation.

Should any still deny this doctrine; and contend for the eternal existence of what we call the created system; we may in confirmation of bible testimony, attend to the following reasoning on the subject; to wit: If the material world, or the created system, so called, be eternal, it is uncaused. For every thing which has a cause, has also a beginning. The cause must be antecedent to the effect. And if it be uncaused, it must also be self-existent. It must exist by a necessity of nature. Its existence must be, in the nature of things, so absolutely necessary, that it would be impossible to conceive of its annihilation, or nonexistence. Of course, it must be immutable: because its necessity must be invariably the same. No power can operate to alter or change what is self-existent, or existent by a necessity of nature. Such existence is absolutely independent and uncontrollable; of course, immutable. But, in fact, we do not find the world to be self-existent, independent and immutable. We find it dependent, and very mutable; subject to perpetual changes and variations: possessing all the properties of an effect; but not one of the properties of a first cause. All things in the visible world exhibit the most striking appearance of vast and magnificent effects, which naturally lead the mind to contemplate, by way of inference, an infinite and invisible cause.

On the whole, one of two things, respecting the doctrine of creation, must be true; either that the visible world had a beginning, and was brought into existence by the almighty power of God, and for a display of his infinite glory, as the scriptures plainly teach us; or else the world itself is God, and as such, is to be worshipped and adored, by all intelligent beings. There is no other alternative; and the unbeliever of the mysterious, but glorious work of creation, in order to be consistent, must fall down and worship the sun, moon and stars, and all the host of heaven; or the earth, air and seas, with the fulness thereof. He must embrace and practice all the follies and idolatries of the heathen world. Yea, he must go further and outstrip the heathen, in point of idolatry. For very few of the heathen, who have any idea of a

God, consider the visible system as any thing more than the representation and similitude of the one eternal and invisible God. Those, therefore, who ascribe divine attributes to the creation itself, greatly exceed the heathen, in the degree and grossness of their idolatry. They literally worship and serve the creature, more than the Creator, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Infinitely important, therefore, is the real and scriptural doctrine of creation. Error on this subject, evidently involves mankind in the grossest idolatry, and leads to atheism.

Respecting the creation of rational beings, formed for immortality, such as angels and men; there is no difference from the creation of the material world, as to their commencing an existence, instantaneously and originally, by the almighty power of God. The intellectual and moral faculties of men, and of angels, are the effects of creative power. Man was made a moral agent, as well as a rational and immortal being. All that he is, and all that he possesses, is from God. God stamped on man and angels his natural and moral image, by his creative power. "God breathed into man the breath of life, and he became a living soul." This was the finishing stroke, and the most wonderful and glorious act of creation.

On the subject of creation, the inquiry is sometimes made, when this great and marvellous work was performed. John the Evangelist says, "In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God. All things were made by him;" conveying the idea, that all things were made, in the beginning. The same is the idea, in the Mosaic history. "In the beginning, God created the heaven, and the earth." By the beginning, is evidently meant the commencement of time. For the very idea of time, consisting in the succession of days and years, had its origin, when finite and intelligent beings commenced their existence. "One day with the Lord, is as a thousand years, and a thousand years, as one day." In the divine mind there is no succession of ideas, no fore nor after. Strictly speaking, there was no time before, nor time when the work of creation was performed. This great work was not only in the beginning, but it constituted the beginning of what we call time. In the divine mind, a whole eternity is one invariable, unsuccessive NOW.

We hence see the fallacy and impertinence of the question, "why was not the great and glorious work of creation performed millions of ages sooner than it was? Why has God deferred, during eternal ages, these rich displays of his divine perfections?" In this case, we are to consider, that sooner and later, are impertinent terms. There was nothing on which these comparative terms could be predicated. For what we call eternal duration is, in the infinite mind of God, without duration or succession. The creation, and the final judgment of the world, are equally, and eternally present with the Lord.

Another thing noticeable in the work of creation, is its extent. Respecting this we may say, It extends to all existence, except that which is divine. Angels and seraphim, and their glorious habitations called the heavens, constitute parts of the vast work of creation. Holy angels, and the spirits of just men made perfect, together with the exalted Redeemer, in his resurrection state, have a building not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. This is a work of creation. Although in the history of creation, the word, heavens, might have had particular reference to the visible heavens, such as the sun, moon and stars: yet this is by no means the exclusive meaning. When the Psalmist says, "The heavens declare the glory of God," his meaning is the visible heavens. But not to exclude the more rich display of his glory, by the creation of the invisible heavens. When Christ speaks of many mansions in his Father's house, prepared for the everlasting residence of his faithful followers, he doubtless meant created mansions. The invisible heavens, therefore, as well as the visible, together with the earth and seas, and all creatures and things that are therein, belong to the work of creation. "For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things were created by him and for him." Thus extensive is the work of creation.

Another thing expressive of the wisdom of God in the work of creation, is the process and order of this great work. From the history it appears, that it was not, in all respects, an instantaneous, but in one respect, a gradual work. It is probable, however, if not evident, from the Mosaic history, that the substance of the whole material

system was instantaneously called into existence, by the word of divine power; and was, at first, produced in a state of confused chaos. Accordingly it is said, "The earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep." As the heavenly bodies, the sun, moon and stars, were all created in the beginning; it seems to be implied, that all, at first, were produced instantaneously; and probably, all in a chaotic state. These heavenly bodies, not being prepared, at first to emit their light, may account for the darkness which was upon the face of the deep. Henceforth, the great work was successive and gradual. Now commenced the idea of time and succession; particularly in the view of angels. For, from the history of the six days' works of creation, it appears probable, that the angels had been previously brought into existence, to be spectators of the series of wonders, which were displayed, in the process of this most marvellous work. From a passage in the book of Job, it is made evident, that the angels were joyful spectators of the work of creation. Speaking of this glorious work, it is said, that, in a view of it, "The morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy.” Angels were then the only sons of God. They only were capable of being spectators and witnesses of God's wonderful works. And is it not rational to suppose, that, on this great occasion, God would glorify himself, by having an innumerable host of the most exalted of all finite beings to be spectators and admirers of the work of creation? By this work, performed in the most natural and consistent order, the vast and gloomy chaos was reduced to perfect symmetry, beauty and utility. Thus the heavens and the earth being finished, and all the hosts of them, even all the animals and vegetables that were made; God proceeded to create man, the most noble and finishing work, in this lower world. Man alone, among all the vast variety of creatures which were made, to inhabit the earth, air and seas, was possessed of rational faculties, and was formed for immortality. "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul." Man became a moral agent, and a probationer for a glorious immortality. As to the particular order of the process of God's reducing the earth to its primitive beauty and