Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1857-08-19
NO. XXXVI.
The Work of Creation.

The Creator hasspoken, and the stars look out
from openings of deep unclouded blue and as
day rises, and the planet of morning pales in the
east, the broken cloudlets are transmitted from
bronze into gold and anon the gold becomes fire
and at length the glorious sun arises out OF the
sea, and enters on his course rejoicing. 1t is
brilliant day, the waves of deeper and softer
blue than before dance andsparkle in the light I;
the earth, with little less to attract the gaze,
has assumed garb of brighter green; and as
the sun declines amid even richer glories than
those which had encircled his ring, the moon
appears full orbed in the east-to the human
eye the second great luninary of the heavens
and climbs slowly to the zenith as night advanc.
es, shedding its mild radiance on land and sea.
| Again the day breaks; the prospect consists as
before, of land and ocean. There are great pine
woods, red covered swamps, wide plains, wind
ing rivers, and broad lakes; and bright sun
shines over all. But the landscape derives its
interest and novelty from feature unmarked
before. Gigantic birds stalk along the sands, or
wade far into the waters in quest of their ich-
thyic food, while birds of lesser size float upon
the lakes, or scream discordant in lowering
fiocks. thick as insects in the calm of summer
evening, over the narrow seas, or brighten with
the sunlit CLEAN of their wings the thick woods.
And ocean had its monsters; great "tannantm"
tempest the deep as they heave their huge
bulk over the surface to inhale the life sustain
ing air. and out of their nostrils goeth smoke,
as ont of Sseething pot or cauldron." Mon.
strous creatures, armed in massive scales, haunt
the rivers, or scour the fat rank meadows;
earth, air and water are charged with animal
life, and the sun sets on busy scene, in which
unerring instinct pursues unremttingiy its few
simple ends-The support and preservation OF
the individual, the propagation OF the species
and the protection and maintenance OF the
young. Again the night descends, for the ffth
day has closed, and morning breaks on the sixth
and last day of the creation. Cattle and beasts
of the field Craze on the plains; and the thick
skinned rhinocerous wallows in the marshes
the squat hippopotamus rustles amongst the
reeds, or plunges sullenly into the river; great
herds of elephants seek their food among the
young herbage of the woods; while animals OF
fiercer nature-the lion the leopard, and the
bear-harbor in the deep caves till the evening,
or lie in wait for their prey amid tangled thick
cts, or beneath some broken bank. AT length,
as the day wanes and the shadows lengthen,
man the responsible lord of the creation, form
ed in Gods own image, is introduced upon the
scene, and the work Of creation ceases forever
upon the EARTH The night falls once more upon
the prospect, and there dawns yet another NOR
row. the morrow of Gods rest-that Divine
Sabbath in which there is no more creative la
Dor. and which, "blessed and sanctioned" beyond
AL the days that had gone before, has as its spe-
cial object the moral elevation and final redemp-
tion of man. And over it no evening is repre-
sented in the record as falling for its special
work is not.yet complete Such seems to hav-
been the sublime panorama Of creation, exhibit
ed in vision of old to
The shepherd who first taught the chosen seed,
In the beginning how the heavens and earth,
Rose out Of chaos:
and, rightly understood, know not single SCI
entifc truth that initiates against even the mi.
nutest or at least prominent OF its details
Hloh MiLler's q" "Iestinony of the Rocks"