The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-01-06
INTERNATIONAL SUNDAY SCHOOL
 LESSON
First Quarter. Lesson 1. Genesis l. l-2E. January c, 1907.
 aar rKlKs CREATOR.

First Quarter. Lesson 1. Genesis b
 1-2g. January c, 1907.
 GOD, THE CREATOR.
 When Michael Angelo overiaid the ceiling of the sistine Chapel with fres- coes that make it's common plaster more precious than gold. he dipped his pencils into the first chapter of Gene sis. Each successive panel matches it's respective paragraph--the separa- ton of I.Ight and Darkness; the Crea- lion cf inc sun and Moon; of Trees and Plants: of Adam; of Eve; and so on. The frescoes are indescribably majes- tic. but they fall short of the narrative which inspired them. That is unap- proachable in literature or art. It is Divine.
 If inc immortal Florentine had drawn his inspiration, from any other cos mogony than that of MQses, the Nati- can ceiling would have been marred with the incongruous shapes or man wild fancy and wilder fear. Duahsm would have been there---a devil as pow erful as God: or Polytheismr-7gods many and all in a wrangle, one pulling down what the other set up; or Panthe- isnl--an eternal matter, tnsensates yet evolving itself in various stages, the thing fashioned greater than that which made 1t; or such grotesque ideals of the universe as. for example. that of the Hindu with it's pyramid of snake' turtle and elephant. and triple dlsk.
 Instead of all this we see on that lustrous roof the ineffable Jehovah in the form of a man. as the Bible itself must needs present Him to us--eternity upon His hoary brow, omniscience beaming in His Eye. omnipotence m His outstretched arms, and innnite loVe in His whole mien. This majestic Fa- ther of the world is pictured as pro ceeding with the complaeency or In- finity to hang His lanterns fin the sky to separate air. water and land. Then He peoples each with creatures suit able to their respective spheres-thetr bodies cunningly adapted to ether, huia and terra firma respectively .s For A seventh time the Almighty
 "Forrner of the Skies" spreads His h ands in benediction over all Ills works. and in the seventh epoch there is cessation from creatice activity. This mosaic account or Creation is miracle in words. Not to this present highly -cultred age, but back three thousand years, to the beginning of literature. must we look for the most satisfactory statement of the origin of | things. There through the mists or human speculations, through rising and ! falling systems of philosophy. Genesis shines like a star ever ascendent. It IS | not attached to any system of geology, | astronomy or biology. So, as mum
 bsrs of these have sunk in their turn | Genesis has never been submerged
 The book may clash with an hypothe- sis. 1t never does with fact. The narrative is elastic enough to take In all the modern discoveries of physical science, but presents a rim of steel to the vagaries of false science. | Whence came this phenomenal writingF l From the genius of manp Then, why is not its equal found in the ancient | literature of other nations apparently better situated to produce such book | than the petty and oft-captive Israel! | Inspiration is the only adequate expla- nation of Genesis The blessed intent of the book is seen by the most casual reader. It is' mirror to reflect the [ person and attributes of God; 1t an- ewers, too. the question of the heart as ! to the origin of nature and of man. It deserves the alliteration, Simple, Su'
 bIime, Sufficient.
 Analysis and Key.
 | L Michael Angelo's deht to Genesis Frescoes fall short of narrative. ! Genesis unapproached. ] 9 Other cosmogonies In contrast | nualism. Polytheism. Pantheism. | 2 Picture of God. the Creator
 / Eternity. omniscience, omnipotence.
 The Father of the World at His 1 work. Seventh benedietion. 2, ...t-t... ..
 4. Mosaic account: Miracle in words. Satisfactory statement of origin Of things 5000 years old.
 | 8. only to be accounted for by inspira- | tion The Teachers Lantern. ss | The difnculty here Is to know what not to olteach. The paragraph is fairly packed with seed thoughts Selection fs imperative. Matters of eompera- tive unimportance. but which if once