The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-01-22
Sc oND LEi ruRR.

MS lecture the next evening AT the same place.
SECOND LECTURE.
The second lecture on this subject wss delivered
Wednesday evening, before the N. Y. Young Mems
Christian Association, in their rooms in the Stuy-
vesant Institute. The attendance was far from
numerous The lecturer commenced by reminding
his auditory that he had said on last evening, that
long before geology was dreamt Of the idea of the
indefinite days of the creation entertained by the
carly Christian fathers. particularly by Ansem and
ST. Augustine. As in MI the other periods of crea-
ton. vegetation had period when it created and
commenced to be. The earth itself could never had
produced it, but it must have had is origin in direct
creation. We have the direct evidence Of the Bible
as TO vegetation being special creation "God said
let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding
seed and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind
whose seed is in itself upon the earth" There is no
untrtb in the supernatural declarations OF the Bible
but here the language only applies to natural laws,
and has the appearance Of natural process; and to
conceive the idea that all these causaites were com
pressed into solar period, would be unnatural as
well rs supernatural The second mention of the
creation appears 10 he summary or recapitulaton
of the first This he genesis of the first produc-
ton OF vegetables: aud then the seed continues in cx
stence til God stops the process, either by direct in
terpo-iton, or by permitting the exhaustion of its
power. There is a similar language held respecting
the animal creation. II was thelcc,urers designin this
course he said TO follow the Bible and let geology
go to the winds II is considered that all species Of
animals cTeated.cach in itself. Nature in her
largest sense never could have originated or deve
loped vegetable life. There is = change in the Ian
gtage Of the Bible when 1t says that God created
the whales This indicates that The animaia
tbc Gun9 hal oypr have
in respect to the origin of things, is from the sacred
Scripture, and if We forsake that We are IN total
darkness. without light coming from above, the IL
nnlant EsauimauS Il rs enlightened this subject
A. In Place or any other philosopher. We are ex.
pIe.ly told that man received his creation in q pc
cilliar manner: In HE own image male and female
created Ir them. Neare told also that man soul,
mmaierial part came from the inbreathing OF the
Almighty hus man became a living soul; but
far this word in the original Hebrew IS concerned
we can predict no superiority IN man 10 the lower
animals The anmslia o. these. however. was from
line earth and through The earth, blythe general yivi
Ecatun pf nature. solomon says the animal has
divine inhrDajliug to separate II from nature, but the
spirit ct man returns "a Him who made it, and to
have his new existence decided Nv tie deeds done in
the flesh Let,ts suppose that solomon the son
At .rc wished VI have presented this history Of
elton what better description could he have given OF
t. than that OF the th Of Proverbs, setting out the
nature of wisdom; Il was st up from everlasting
from the beginning a. even the earth was. Before
the mountains settled-bcioro the hills, was ]
brought forth while set he had not made the earth
OF tile fields nor the highest part OF the dust Of the
world" Tie sacred writer could have used no other
word Tor period than day. u Is said however, he
might have invented more philosophical language;
but that could not have made any distinction, s. the
roots al Che language must have remained the same.
IN. mc-I plausible objection 10 the idea OF the indie
finite per,cd i. the mention made oi the seventh day,
81 >abb4.h. The human race commenced IT. being
wih rhe Sabhah ot the world. The objection H. that
If tie seventh dry had been natural solar day,
al flf.g tn bprU ~
have been IT, since il is the foundation OF lac weekly
Sabbath. There wa ialacy however, in the latter
portion 81 the proposition. We md not been told
tt;t the rest. or ~1bbpth, OF the lord had
yci ceased: and ii this So we may turn round and
sag that the seventh uerod il stilru existence. such
rlprc ntiton az the greater by the less IS fire.
Cweuily rtsrrted 10 IN the scriptures and Is instanced
~ tie ascending scale ri the Jewish Sabbath-the
seventh Gay The seventh year. the seventh -cptcnui-
airy. and the great jubilee. An Old German common
tiaar raised 4 question TO why She morning and
evening AZ the seventh day had not been mentioned,
and h. consider that though IN one eeneeJ SOAR day
yet IL another it's sabbath which y not yet finish
al. Even the morning OF the seventh day has not
set arrived. and what tie morning i We must learn
ron the scriptures or uot at all ihere j. 70 De Tue
morning 81 resurrection which may he on this very
planet This account Of the seventh dry iJ in accord
unce with the general tenor OF the SCRIPTURES. " IS
o. the utmost Importance a. find ont the impression
which had been made On the minds Of The ancient
pn.t, themselves There WA notion Of tdivine ori-
iii more or hss Distinct. bat still the universe was
considered generation growth This philosophy
even affected he earlier fathers. The Hebrew phi
ios phy was consider that state before the crca-
ton as supernatural. and all after that as natural.
~ Uas tn,s &ho. which formed the leading idea of
Tire Old Testament. We -ee the ancicut ldca carried
out by DO name given 10 the first book Of the sep
juaaiut--Gtpcsls which means natgre, or growth.
Tic Hebrews were no, shocked with the word. Aud
WHY should they be. since IN the very iir.t book
there + . word aDalagous n il as 10 the second verse
al this book occurs The wold "Ihcc ere the gene
luhF
brew poets did not conceive this word st al impro-
per, b1t ra,hor " very appropriate. Moses had
stiJ, "Befor. tue mountains wcfe bori.' Genera
ton or birth ~ indeed very COMMONLY uscf
throoghout n Scriptures. and IL radical mean
ing was Away understood. Generation j.
t'ire, ard yet not nGturr simply. but the Divine
power working thruugy nature The -passagr
" Proverbs respecting the going forth 81 wisdom
important II many respects The dnciou's consider
ell thf Wisdom thcIe described identical with ths
bros or word; aud -. Paul seemed % have locked
Ipon ii in M same light The frt OF Genesis seemed
70 have been wildly IN the mind 81 the writer 81 the
Proverbs, fia might, perhaps, have expressed him.
self In 3 fiupe composition, but had eho-cn 10 avail
tirset Of sahlifne metaphor in which we are Ger
RED away bach ~ tbeahte- kd1mic state and back
back, bach, until lTe time when wisdom Was aooc
ii the universe with God--belore The mountains
and when there were no cmaoses, and when God had
not mgdr The earth, or the dust ~ which IL Wa
formed. Ifc common uanal'tou ~ tic Bible, III
this picture. IL not yCry wen rendered. The lecturer
explained tho true meaning 81 the Hebrew words
which lie considered badly translated, and gave his
own version ~ the passage Of The PfDyerb. referred
H.. Tho word rendered dust Is identical with Chat
nd nv uodcru philosopher 70 fyppc-. The neb1lir
principle, There is grandeur ~ the thought Of The
Sudden exercise ~ power which his history al the
creation rra-erts but Il ~n0t th idea which rcigus
III T. n II entirely that q antiquity Can 1t W. That
tho writer really had view which confined these
expanding antiquities "a llc space 81 TX solar dlyf
T. il coa-i tent With such an idco that The briefs,t
expressions curry us back ~ The creation ~ mau,
aud the heightened accounts which he gives ~ The
first six Ttaooa only carrie as back FIX solar days