Pleasantville weekly press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1890-1911, 1898-12-28
Sermon on the Creation.

| 0cutoic l. II - Auu but c1TIu WdS
| without form, and void and darkness
was upon the face Of the deep. And the
Spirit of God moved upon the waters"
| Let us keep in mind the character OF
our record. The facts are presented in
popular language. Things are describ-
ed as they appeared and no attempt is
made to be scientifically accurate.
| The material of the universe has been
called into existence. This morning we
are to deal only with the earth. Does
our verse describe the wreck of former
| world, or does it present the condition
| of the earth as it came fresh from the
hand of GOD? There are those who
| think that the description OF the earth
as q "wastenessr and q "desolation'
would Indicate that our text describes
the wreck of a former planet. They are
also of the opinion that the great up
heavels, recorded in the crust of the
| earth. indicate such q wreck.
The language most naturally describes
a molten, or perhaps gaseous, condi-
tion. This would appear like great
deep or zOate,y z0aste. The great up
heavals would hardly furnish such a
| condition. 1t must be remembered that
the writer is giving an account of crea-
| ton and not the reconstruction OF a
| former world. The close relation of the
| first to the second verse would hardly
admit of change of subject. All that
we know of Gods method would seem
to indicate the passing from the chaotic
| to the cosmic. 1t seems most natural
| to think of created material as coming
| from the hand OF the Creator in a plas-
tic condition, ready to be moulded ac-
cording to his will.
We are to think of the earth as with
out stability of form; having neither
vegetable or animal life, manifesting
nothing of form or beauty, a great mol
ten mass surrounded by dense clouds of
vapor. The teaching of science is the
same. Thus we see that science pays
tribute to revelation. Long before
science ever opened her lips, long before
Geology was born, the Word of God
taught this great truth. The ancient
theologiau, from the study of the Bible
only, reached the conclusions which the
scientists reached only after years of
search
We are confronted by the problem of
organization and order. Whence this
order and beauty Whence the unvary-
ing laws that govern the elements ?
What has fitted this zOaSfe for life, vega
table and animal You may answer :
The laws of nature.'' This does not
touch the question for it only asserts
the existance of the law without ac-
counting for the source. Has order and
beauty, exact mathematical order 4
form arisen from chance or from blind
unreasoning matter?
Why is it that can go into the chemi-
cal laboratory and can predict exactly
the results that | am to get from the use
of the reagents upon the various ele-
ments and minerals ls it a matter of
chance that many of the elements and
| minerals can be largely known by their
color lines of cleavage, or crystalline
| form
Could you stand with me in the valley
of the Nile, and gage upon one of the
pyramids, would you tell me that it
came there by chance? You would con-
clude from the design and the work
thatit was the product of the thought
and ffort of an intelligent being. Are
we to close our eyes to the beauty,
design and grandeur of nature and de-
clare that there Ia no evidence of an
| intelligent, personal, free and unlimited
God ? Let us be consistent.
That which engages the highest in
| tellectual power of man and is in large
measure still beyond him, has been pro-
duced by great and intelligent being.
Reason demands an omniscient, omnip0-
tent end free God as the creator OF
Heaven and Earth and the source of all
order.
Science can only discover laws and
their application. She knows nothing
of their origin, The Scriptures, how
ever, attribute these laws TO the Spirit
of God. We see that the Trinity is here
limited. The Holy Spirit is represent
ed as knowing upon"-literally :''brood-
| ing over"-the face of the dep" The
very word chosen to represent the Spirit
| is suggestive. 1t means "wind" or
breath" The Spirit, like the wind, is
unseen and mysterious in it's action yet
| it is life giving, life sustaining, and pow
erful. 1t was the Spirit that gave the
.ws governing these elements. 1t is
not matter Of chance that iron will
unite with sulphur in definite proper
tions or that two atoms OF hydrogen
unite with one of oxygen to produce
| water. To God we are to attribute the
order and beauty that we SO much ad-
mire. From the chaotic we pass to the
cosmic. Advancement means complex
| ity, order, and unity.
These truths have bearing upon the
spiritual life. We should not overlook
the relation of the laws governing the
material to those governing the spiri-
tual. The unregenerate soul is in a
chaotic condition.
The powers of the individual are so
| used and combined that they produce
suffering and woe instead of order,
beauty and Joy. The affections and
powers are put to unworthy and sinful
uses. The whole trend of life is con-
trary to the Divine will. Darkness is
upon the face of the deer-even the
depths of the human soul. So great ia
this darkness and disorder that the in
dividual is not fully conscious of bis own
condition. This same condition Of dis
| order extends to society. Friction,
hatred, JEALOUSY, strife, crime and trans
| gression against everything that is held
| sacred, is apparent on every hand.
There is much that is contrary to the
higher nature of man. Is the remedy to
| be found in the nature of man Can
man lift himselfP ? Every age has had
it's doctors who have tried their skill
| upon this sin cursed race but we look in
vain for one recorded success. So long
| as the fountain is impure it will send
forth bitter water. 1t is not generation
nor yet reformation but regeneration
| that the world needs. Sin will remain
until the Holy Spirit broods over the
soul and brings order out of chaos.
| Human character needs no new ele-
ments but it does need the introduction