best interpreter, a flood of light is cast on that chapter by many a subsequent comment. A careful examination, in the original languages, of all passages of Scripture bearing upon science, and especially on geological science, will, I believe, fully satisfy us as to the superhuman accuracy of the language used.

There must be a full collation, and careful examination, (aided by the light which true science furnishes,) of all the particular passages which touch upon science; and we shall find the facts of sound philosophy present everywhere, though, of course, we look not for technical language.

Thus in Prov. viii. 22-31, which is really an amplification of the history of Creation, the main drift of the whole passage is evidently to shew the past eternity of the Son of God; and the mind is aided in forming some conception of His glory in this respect, by a reference to His successive creative acts, through the lapse of incalculable time, by which our globe was brought into its present state. Our translators seem to have failed unavoidably, through defect of scientific knowledge, in perceiving the true meaning of some of the words. 'I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. When there were no depths I was brought forth,' (i. e. before the seas settled in their present position,) 'when there were no fountains abounding with water; before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth,' (plainly referring to the gradual elevation of the mountain ranges out of the ocean depths.) Then follows in our translation, 'While as yet He had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world.' But 'hhootzoth' niyan is literally, and more correctly, surroundings, i.e. the successive formations which constitute the earth's crust, each of which was in its turn the outer or upper surface when elevated above the water. The rendering 'fields' presents far too limited an idea. Hhootz occurs also in Job, v. 10, 'Sendeth waters upon the fields,' and xviii. 17, 'His remembrance shall perish from the earth, and he shall have no name in the street,' Pani. e. on the face of the globe. The general meaning of pan is anything surrounding or enclosing another. Hence it is often used for the open space surrounding houses or cities. The same idea is still retained when the word is used here on a grander scale in a geological

sense.

Several expositors, though without geological knowledge, have caught the true meaning of the words: as 'pars ambiens;' or Doederlin's 'superficies terræ ;' Schoelten's 'circuitus terra;' Dathe's 'terram ejusque circuitus.' The passage may be thus translated—' At the time when He had not made the earth, (i. e. the globe in its earliest condition,) and the successive outer surfaces, and the highest,' (i. e. the latest,) of the soils of the habitable world.' The next verse, too, has marvellous scientific accuracy: When He prepared the heavens, I was there; when He set a compass' (marg. circle) upon the face of the depth,'

lit. 'When He decreed (established as a natural law) the circular (orbicular) form of the surface of the deep,' involving, of course, the law of gravitation. The man who penned the whole passage must have been either versed in geological science, or inspired to use language startlingly appropriate. So, too, in Isaiah, xlviii. 6, 7, the progressive character of Creation is shadowed forth: 'I have shewed thee new things from this time, even hidden things, and thou didst not know them. They are created now, and not from the beginning.'

Solomon had never read the records of the sedimentary rocks, yet what can be more scientifically accurate than the expressions-'By His knowledge the depths (behomoth, abysses) are broken up,' (i. e. parted) by elevation (p, baka) cleft by elevation of the trap and basaltic dykes.

In harmony with the now ascertained gradual elevation of the land, and the wearing out of the valleys, by the simple erosive action of water, is the utterance of Habakkuk, which might have passed for a poetic trope, 'Thou didst cleave the earth with rivers.' 'The overflowing of the water passed by.' (iii. 9.)-It is more than the imagery of song, it is the retrospect of geological history which looks back into past eternity, and, seeing Alps and Andes under the ocean, confesses, 'Before the mountains were brought forth, (i. e. elevated above the waters of the sea,) or ever Thou hadst formed the earth and the world, (as it now is,) even from everlasting to everlasting Thou art God.' (Psalm xc. 2.) To the same period refers the Royal Psalmist, with an accuracy as exact as if he had sifted the strata, and studied their fossils and tide-rolled pebbles. Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a garment: the waters stood above the mountains. At Thy rebuke they fled; at the voice of Thy thunder they hasted away.' As if he had said, 'Sometimes they gradually withdrew, at others the volcano and the earthquake (each with its thunder) lifted the land out of the seas.' (Psalm civ. 6, 7.)

Such convulsions, long before historic periods, are recognized by Job: 'He putteth forth His hand upon the rock; He overturneth the mountains by the roots. He cutteth out rivers among the rocks.' (xxviii. 9, 10.) And in the same chapter, is there not a foreshadowing of the fact revealed to us by mining operations, of the heated interior condition of the earth? As for the earth, out of it cometh bread: and under it is turned up as it were fire;' (verse 5.) or more exactly, 'Beneath the earth there is a fire.'

We know not how far the Egyptians, in whose wisdom Moses was learned, had acquired a knowledge of scientific as well as practical mining. But where we read in the blessing of Joseph, 'Blessed be the Lord for the chief things of the ancient mountains, and for the precious things of the lasting hills,' (Deut. xxxiii. 13.) we see a marvellous fitness in the language employed, which can scarcely be held fortuitous. The lawgiver is promising the blessing of the veins of the richest metals and gems: The precious things of the lasting hills." "Though the earth has dust of gold, and there is a vein for the silver, yet these are not

everywhere, or equally distributed. It is not where the surface of the earth is richest, but only in the ancient mountains and in the lasting hills,' in the oldest formations and the primitive rocks, that the quartz yields its veins of gold, and the diamond is washed from the sand. We do not say the distinction between the primitive and the later formations was present to the mind of Moses, or that the knowledge he may have had of the turquoise diggings, and old mine workings of Sinai, had taught him to discriminate the rocks; but we must admit that, if ignorant of mineralogy, his pen was marvellously guided to the expression of language in harmony with scientific truth.

Again, whatever be our interpretation of the concise epitome of the phenomena of Creation in Genesis, i., some of the greatest difficulties have already been removed. No portion of the creative sequence there recorded has met with greater ridicule from sceptics than the mention of light before the appearance of the sun; yet the present accepted theory of our best physicists is, that light did permeate space before the sun was its source to us; and if this be so, the chronological sequence in Genesis is a foreshadowing of one of the most marvellous discoveries of physical analysis. This is borne out, too, by the uniform character of the vegetation in the carboniferous epoch throughout the world, implying a uniformity of climatic conditions very different from anything subsequently experienced, and just such a uniformity of moisture and steaming heat as would characterize the temperature of the earth's surface before lighted by the sun, and when deriving its light from the luminous vapour in which it was uniformly enveloped. Such examples might be multiplied tenfold; and after examining every passage of Scripture I can find, bearing on the physical state of the earth and the heavens, the result to my own mind is, that there are no scientific errors in the Bible, but that the Book is as divinely perfect, and as deep and rich in meaning, when it touches incidentally on the works of God in Creation, as it is in higher matters connected with His Providence and Grace.

Astronomical difficulties are now reckoned in our semi-fossil literature: so will it be with geological. Yet how, as astronomy advances, does the language of Scripture keep abreast of it:-The orbicular shape of the world, then undreamt of by Chaldean sages: 'It is He that sitteth upon the circle of the earth;' (Isaiah, xl. 22.) Sealeth up the stars,' so that stars suddenly appear, and as suddenly cease their shining. The suspension of the earth in space, portrayed in the oldest book in the world: 'He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, (or more literally, He stretcheth the cope of heaven on a void,) and hangeth the earth upon nothing,'-Traphon y being rather the dark place, the dark vault over our heads, than the north; or else, with Grey and Stock, the hemisphere.' And this is the language of an Arab sheepmaster, recorded by the Hebrew lawgiver; while the learned Orientals, who are held up to us as his rivals, or perhaps as his teachers, were building the world on an elephant or a tortoise!

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Not less in harmony with philosophic truth is the illustration of the reflecting power of the atmosphere: 'Hast thou with Him spread out the sky, which is strong, and as a molten looking-glass?' or rather, which is polished as a molten mirror; (Job, xxxvii. 18.)-or the foreshadowing of the discovery of the barometric pressure; (xxviii. 24, 25.) 'He seeth under the whole heaven; to make the weight for the wind; (lit. to make out to the wind its weight;) and He weigheth the waters by measure,' as though the equilibrium and density of the water were recognized. The wisest of men could not then explain the flight of an eagle in the air. (Prov. xxx. 19.) But it was known that the winds had laws yet unresolved: (and have we resolved them yet?) "The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to its circuits.' (Eccles. i. 6.) Has the challenge of Elihu been answered yet by the most skilful meteorologist-Can any understand the spreading of the clouds?' (Job, xxxvi. 29.) 'Dost thou know the balancings (lit. the rollings together) of the clouds, the wondrous works of Him Who is perfect in knowledge?' (xxxvii. 16.) Is not the problem of the formation of hail almost as difficult as when it was asked, 'Hast thou seen the treasures of the hail?' Yet with what wondrous accuracy the condensation of rain from vapour is portrayed! He maketh small the drops of water: they pour down rain according to the vapour thereof:' (more exactly, They are refined, each shower according to its cloud :) 'which the clouds do drop and distil upon man abundantly.' (xxxvi. 27, 28.)

When Job is asked, 'Where is the way to where light dwelleth?' and 'By what way is the light parted?' (xxxviii. 19, 24.) how perfectly do the expressions harmonize with the polarization and double refraction of light! Could language more exact than the partings of light' be employed, even after the discovery of the spectrum analysis? The precious fruits brought forth by the sun,' (Deut. xxxiii. 14.) expresses in common language the chemical action of light; and had Bildad been taught the chemical absorption of chlorophyll by plants from light, he could have used no exacter term than this-'He is green (or, is full of juice) before the sun.' (Job, viii. 16.) Is there not new light cast on the inquiry, 'Hast thou entered into the springs (lit. mazes) of the sea? or hast thou walked in the search of the depth?' when we attempt to trace out the phenomena of the ocean currents, or to fathom their laws; and when we observe the defined breadth of these currents, on the declaration, 'By the breath of God the breadth of the waters is straitened'? (Job, xxxviii. 16; xxxvii. 10.) What accurate observation is there of the facts of the absorption and condensation of water from the sea into clouds and then into rain, by which the equilibrium of sea and land is maintained, in the simple statements, 'All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place whence the rivers come, thither they return again.' (Eccles. i. 7.) When He

established the clouds above: when He strengthened the fountains of the deep: when He gave to the sea His decree, that the waters should not pass His commandment.' (Prov. viii. 28, 29.) 'The waters go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys unto the place which Thou hast founded for them. Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over; that they turn not again to cover the earth.' (Psalm civ. 8, 9.) And in the same Psalm, what a commentary on the exclamation, ‘Full of Thy riches is the great and wide sea also; wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts,' are our recent researches in marine zoology, revealing the ocean teeming with life to a degree which the land does not approach, even the very depths at tho bottom of the Atlantic being covered with them; while entomostraca and foraminifera, in such myriads that an ounce of sand has contained near four millions of their skeletons, are now forming the chalk of a new stratification! The waters do bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life.' What scientific term could more exactly define these organisms, whose life could hardly be recognized but for their being moving creatures?

If we turn next to the study of the physical laws of life, there too we shall find Biblical illustration. The conditions of life we may ascertain, of the determining causes we are yet in ignorance. Vital force we may study, but its origin is a sealed thing; for we are but of yesterday, and know nothing, because our days upon earth are a shadow.' How is life implanted in the germ? How is it developed? All are modifications of one archetype: 'Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being imperfect ; and in Thy book were all my members written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.' (Psalm cxxxix. 16.) So also with plant life. That which thou sowest is not quickened except it die.'. . . . Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.'. . . . 'It spring: and groweth up he knoweth not how.' We know the condition of the growth of the plant cell, but we cannot tell the determining causes. Tho seed dies. Chemistry tells us that death is decomposition, and in each. seed sown, we have the decomposition of its carbonaceous constituents starch decomposed into gum, dextrine, and sugar, for the nourishment o the infant germ.

As to man's life, the expressions are no doubt figurative which tell us that 'Out of the heart are the issues of life.' (Prov. iv. 23.) 'A sound heart is the life of the flesh.' (Prov. xiv. 30.) The head, from which all the body, by joints and bands, having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.' (Col. ii. 19.) Yet how scientifically accurate are both illustrations. The former illustration from the heart action, the source and centre of organic life; the latter equally correct in its physical truth, as relating to the animal life; the whole nervous system and all the functions of volition centering in, and dependent upon the head, the brain. In the whole range of natural science, we may