more—not merely to sip the honey from the flower and pass on-but, reflecting on what you see, may get instruction from every object around. And, indeed, I have witnessed, with delight and thankfulness, your attention whilst I have endeavoured, by the help of the Spirit of God, to explain to you the first chapter of Genesis. For though it is quite true that the description there is very brief, yet every word is full of meaning and power, and the whole chapter is continually alluded to in other parts of Scripture, and especially in the 38th chapter of Job. The scene there brought before us is full of instruction. The Lord, for wise purposes, had afflicted his servant Job, but he had failed to discern the hand of God in the affliction; and, at last, the Lord is represented coming in great condescension, and thus addressing him:-"Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. Who hath laid the measures thereof? if thou knowest; or who hath stretched the line upon it? Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner-stone thereof, when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?" (Job xxxviii. 4—7.) Here a new feature is presented to us, concerning which the Spirit in the book of Genesis was altogether silent. The heavenly host were not silent spectators of the stupendous work of Creation; but, doubtless, day after day, as the mighty work went on increasing in glory and beauty, songs of praise and shouts of joy burst forth from "Those shining millions round His throne." And there is a day rapidly hastening," the times of restitution," (Acts iii. 21,) when God shall make all things new; and the song of that day-the day of Redemption-shall be far more glorious than the song of Creation. The former was confined to the angels; but the latter, as we learn by the vision of St. John, in the Isle of Patmos, shall be joined by all the redeemed creation; and this shall be their triumphant hymn of praise:-" Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever." (Rev. v. 12-14.) The first subject that calls for our attention in the book of Genesis is brought before us in the verse I have selected for the motto of this Letter; from which it is plain that the almighty Agent in Creation was the Son of God, of whom St. John says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things were made by Him, and without Him was not any thing made that was made." (John i. 1, 2.) The things invisible (unseen by us), whether they be thrones, dominions, principalities, or powers, came into being at His word. The things visible (seen by us),-the heavens, the air, the earth, the sea;-life, animate and inanimate, sprang into existence at His command, who, in the fulness of time, though he was thus in the form of God, and thought it not robbery to be equal with God, yet made himself of no reputation, and took on him the form of a servant, and was made man. (Phil. ii. 6.) For the great and ever blessed One came and dwelt a homeless stranger in the world his own hands had framed, and died the accursed death by men whom his own hands had created, and for a little-a very little-was held a prisoner in the heart of that earth He had brought into being: but in death he triumphed over death; and, bruising the serpent's head, he rose triumphant, and became (as before he had been of Creation) the Author of eternal Redemption to all that believe on his name. And ascending on high, he claimed the right of entrance as the obedient Man, who was God, to the right hand of the Majesty in the heavens, angels and principalities and powers being subject unto Him. And in like manner as he ascended, so shall he come again (Acts i.), and be acknowledged the "Prince of the kings of the earth," -"King of kings, and Lord of lords." Yes, my beloved children, that blessed One, who hung despised on the cross, with the handwriting of ordinances that was against us and contrary to us nailed there and there answered for by Him,-our gracious, blessed SUBSTITUTE, was "the Creator of all things,"—" and upholder of all things,"" God manifest in the flesh." (1 Tim. iii. 16.) A LESS glorious being than this could not have redeemed man, a GREATER |