words, we may well admit that the creation of the chaotic mass, preceded its formation into a world, by an imperceptibly brief space of time. Compare Gen. 2: 1-4. Ex. 20: 11, where the formation of the earth and the creation of the universe are combined. With regard to God, who has happiness within himself, and is independent of all things without himself; it is immaterial whether we date the existence of the world, earlier or later.1 And as for the arguments derived from particular productions of nature, in favor of the extreme antiquity of our earth;—they by no means establish the point in support of which they are adduced; because neither the causes of these productions nor the length of time requisite for their formation, can be certainly determined; and the hypotheses formed on this subject, have no authority, being merely the conjectures of the strenuous advocates of the extreme antiquity of the earth. See Döderlein's "Institutio Theol. Christ. § 127. Obs. 1. and Zöllner, in the "Berlin Monthly Magazine" for Octob. 1787, No. 2. Schlegel, "On the Trinity," Pt. I. p. 112. and Carl Ulyss. von Salis Marschlin's Reisen in Neapel, All. lit. Zeit. for 1795, No.

God must also be regarded as the mediate Creator (1) of all those things which are generated by others; because he created all the creatures and things which propagate, and he endowed them with the power of propagation, for the very purpose that they they should bring forth "after their kind" (2).

2 Jerusalem's "Meditations &c." Ft. II. p. 448 &c.

In like manner, God is, properly speaking, the source from which all living creatures derive the good which flows to them through the medium of their fellow creatures (3). For from God all creatures derived their powers, which were bestowed on them with a view (4) to their promoting the happiness of one another (5). To God, therefore, our gratitude is due, for all the good which we derive from the powers and agency of universal nature (6).

ILLUSTRATION 1.

Acts 17: 25, αυτος διδους πασι ζωην he gave life to all. v. 28, ev avtæ eoμev "by him we were brought into existence-to him we are indebted for our being." See Dissert. I, in Libror. N. T. histor. aliquot loca, p. 92; where the whole passage is thus rendered: "to him we are indebted for our comfortable existence (Swμev), for the continuance of our powers (nivovμεva), and even for our existence itself (εouev)." 1 Tim. 4:3 &c. пav xtioμa dɛov every creature of God. Matth. 6: 30. comp. Heb. 2: 11, ε§ έvos navies all are of one. Eccl. 12: 1, 7şiz the Spirit of God made

thy Creator. Job 33: 4,

me. Rev. 8: 9, το τρίτον των κτισματων the third part of the

creatures.

ILLUSTRATION 2.

In Gen 1: 28. 22: 11 &c. it is said, God created man and animals and plants, ordaining that they should perpetuate their species. And in Gen. 8: 17. 9: 1, we learn, that according to the divine purpose, this propagation was to continue after the flood.

ILLUSTRATION 3.

Hos. 2: 21, 22. comp. Psalm 104: 27, 28. 145: 15 &c,

thou givest to them their food in אַתָּה נֹתֵן לָהֶם אֶת־אָכְלָם בְּעִתּוֹ

its proper time. 147: 8 &c. 14. Job 38: 41. Jer. 5:24. 14: 22. Matth. 5: 45, τον ήλιον αύτου ανατελλει - και βρεχει maketh his sun arise-and sendeth rain. 6:25-33. 1 Tim. 6: 17. Acts 14: 17, ουρανόθεν διδους θετους και καιρους καρποφόρους, εμπιπλων τροφης και ευφροσυνης τας καρδίας ήμων gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with nourishment and joy. 17: 25, didovs τa navra• ν. 28, εν avro Souεv to him we owe it, that we live in prosperity and gladness. see Illust. 1.

ILLUSTRATION 4.

It seems as if God, who could certainly have created the world in an instant, employed a series of days in forming it, for the purpose of conveying to the angels, (who were present at the creation, Job 38: 4-7), an ocular demonstration of the wisdom of his plans; and that the narrative of it might be adapted to our comprehension, and yet be true and convey to us distinct and correct views of his designs. Compare § 31. Illust. 10 Note.

ILLUSTRATION 5.

Gen. 1: 14-17, 29 &c. 8: 22. Ps. 104: 10-24. 1 Tim. 4: 3, βρωματα & ὁ θεος εκτισεν εις μεταληψιν meats which God created to be received.

ILLUSTRATION 6.

1 Tim. 4:3 &c. 1 Cor. 10: 26, 30 &c. Rom. 14: 6, ὁ εσθιων, κυριῳ εσθίει, ευχαριστει γαρ τῷ θεῷ he that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth thanks to God. 1: 20. Psalm 104: 1, 33 &c. 147: 7.

§ 33.

Preservation of the world.

We are the more indebted to God for the powers and properties of nature, and for the benefits we derive from them; because the world, even when created, cannot support itself, but is upheld by him who formed it (1). For the creatures could not continue in existence and be active, if God did not will their continuance in being, and their retention of those powers by which they act. (Ps. 104: 29. comp. § 29. Illust. 1.) The same divine power (2) which created the universe, also upholds it (3).

ILLUSTRATION 1.

All things belong, in the most unlimited sense, to him who brought them into existence. He is Lord over the universe, in a sense in which no other can be lord over any thing: Ps. 50:

the earth belongs to me and the fulness לִי תֵבֵל וּמְלֹאָהּ 10-12

of it. Matth. 11:25. Acts 17: 24, ovoavov nai jys xvoios υπο aoxov being Lord of heaven and of earth. 1 Cor. 8:4-6, εἷς κυριος one Lord.

That votos is here a name of God, denoting his universal Lordship, is proved in the work "On the object of St. John's 1. BeGospel,” p. 463, from the following considerations : cause the phrases, λεγομενοι θεοι and θεοι και κύριοι, in v. 5, are evidently synonymous; and 2. Because we find, in v. 6, that θεος εξ οὗ τα παντα, and κυριος δι' οὗ τα παντα, are considered as two predicates of the same import. Comp. dea and Ex Rom. 3:30. Gabler, in his Theolog. Journal, proves that nuotos with and without the article, is used as well of God as of Jesus Christ. Vol. I. p. 11.

ILLUSTRATION 2.

Heb. 13, compared with 11: 3. In the first passage, we find φέρων τα παντα τῷ ῥηματι της δυναμεως αύτου supporting all things with the word of his power; and in the second, voovμεν κατηρτισθαι τους αιωνας ῥηματι θεου we know that the world was formed by the word of God. In the former, the preservation of the universe is ascribed to nua sov and in the latter, creation is referred to the same divine attribute. To this place belongs also the text, 2 Pet. 3: 5, γη εξ ύδατος και δι' ύδατος συνέστωσα, τα του θεου λόγῳ "the earth was produced by the divine will (Gen. 1: 9), out of the water (v. 2, 9); and in like manner was preserved by the divine will, notwithstanding the water (of the flood)." (4a signifies notwithstanding, in Rom. 2: 27. 4: 11. 1 Tim. 2: 15.1 and thus the Hebrew is used Deut. 1: 32, 3 and Ps. 78: 32, пni-be).

2

Comp. Ps. 104: 6—9. Job 38:10, 11.-The word ovveorwσα is used for συνεστωσα ην, and has in this place a twofold meaning. In connexion with the first preposition &§, it signifies the origin3 and production of the earth from the water; but in connexion with the second preposition dia, it signifies the preservation of the earth, which is also ascribed to the loyos dɛov in 2 Pet. 3: 7.5

1 Vide Dissert. De sensu vocis nowμa, Note 2. and Dissert. On the object of the death of Jesus, p. 526.

2 There are other instances in which a single word has a double signification, and though mentioned but once, stands in more than a single connexion: e. g. Heb. 5: 11. and Tit. 2: 6, 8. See on the former, the Note in loc. in the "Comment. on Hebrews ;" and on the latter, "Dissert. in Epp. Pauli minorum aliquot loca," p. 53.

3 On this signification of ovvioτnul, compare Kypke, on 2 Pet. 3: 5. and Schleusner's Lex. in voc. No. 4.

4 This is a very common ellipsis, which is derived from a Hebrew idiom, in the Observv. ad analogiam et syntaxin Ebraicam, p. 135 &c. See also Dissert. II, in libror. N. T. histor. aliquot loca, p. 26.

The word ovviorηu likewise signifies, to preserve, in Col. 1:17. See Dissert. I, in Epist. ad Coloss. Note 28. and Schleusner's Lex. sup. cit. No..