These and similar considerations, arising from a view of the grand work of creation, demonstrate to the truly rational mind, when enlightened by revelation, that God is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent that by virtue of his divine perfections he is essential order; that this order was originally introduced into the universe, and all it's parts; and that man especially was created to be a living form of such order, and consequently an image and likeness of his bountiful Creator.
V. The State of Man before the Fall.
THEY who understand the Word only in it's literal sense, are led to believe, that the creation, which is described in the first and second chapters of Genesis, denotes the creation of the universe, and that God was employed six days in making the heaven, the earth, the sea, with all things which are in them, and at length man in his own image and likeness. But who cannot see, if he ponders deeply on the subject, that the creation of the visible universe is not there meant? For such things and circumstances are there described, as any person of sound judgment, or even of common understanding, may know were not brought into existence in the manner related. For example, it is said, that there were light and darkness, day and night, morning and evening, also grass, herbs, and trees, yielding seed and fruit, before the creation of the sun, moon, or stars; and yet it is not possible to conceive how these effects could be produced, without the existence and influence of the sun.
Again, it is written in the first chapter, that God made man male and female; but in the second chapter, even after the conclusion of the six days of cre-
