(6.) Man is last of all. The testimony of the rocks is here at one with that of Genesis――other animals and the vegetables also, long ages before man.
Now how has it happened that this record, coming to us through Moses, harmonizes so wonderfully with the main results of a science yet in its infancy――almost utterly unknown until the present century? Is it due to the scientific attainments of Moses? Is it not rather due to inspiration――“holy men of old”――Moses himself or the fathers before him――being taught by the same Being who “in the beginning created the heavens and the earth?” The marvel is that this record should be so constructed as to present a very intelligible view of the processes of the six days’ work to the average mind of the race before geological science was born, and yet when this science begins to develop the constitution and composition of the earth’s surface, the inspired record is found to harmonize with these developments in all important features. So it is wont to happen. Truth rejoices in the light. A truthful Bible and all true science meet in loving communion, evincing their common parentage――offspring of the same Infinite Father.
4. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Was this the original production of matter; or was it only the modification of pre-existent matter into new forms? (1.) That this was the original production of matter is probable a priori _because it is true_, and because it is a truth very important to affirm in this first revelation. Matter is _not_ eternal and self-existent. Those who intelligently believe in one Supreme God――an Infinite, Intelligent Spirit, will need no words wasted to disprove the assumption that matter existed from eternity, the Author of itself; for this assumption ascribes to matter the distinctive qualities of God himself.――――It is moreover important that God should declare himself to be the author of all existing matter in the universe. This is one of his great and distinctive works――one which human speculation has been prone to deny him, and which therefore it is of the utmost consequence that he should affirm. (2.) The passage (Ps. 90: 2) ascribed to Moses, expressly declares that God existed “_before the mountains_.” “Before the mountains were brought forth, even from everlasting to everlasting thou art God.” Moses did not think matter to be eternal. He knew and taught that God existed from eternity and that matter did not. The obvious sense of his words is that God “brought forth” (_i. e._ into existence) the mountains of this earthly globe.