Dr. Hitchcock acknowledges that this is a serious objection to his theory. He allows that it is easy for God to convert in a moment a globe of fire into a paradise of beauty. But he does not thus dispose of the difficulty. Another plan of harmony is named, that of making the day of judgment a long period of thousands and tens of thousands of years. This mode is also rejected as one unsupported by evidence.

The method adopted is, that the new body may consist of some luminiferous ether. And in that case, it would be unaffected by changes of temperature. He says, "Such a body can enter at once upon its residence in the new heavens and new earth, while yet the globe is only a shoreless ocean of fire."*

Well, if such a world be the heaven of the saints, it is very unlike what the Bible makes it to be. Besides, we read of the future dwelling-place of saints, as being prepared already for them, even before the foundations of the world." Geology does not confirm the Doctor's theory as to the future of the earth.

True, the world was once a molten mass of fire, but no subsequent changes that have taken place, have again reduced it to an igneous era.

:

But there is another opinion as to the fate of the earth, namely that it, with all the planets, will ultimately go into the sun. This is supposed to result from that resisting medium which is known to exist in space; and however small that resistance may be, it will in the end stop the celestial motion. It may be many millions of millions of years ere it suspend the motion of the earth in its orbit round the sun. But still the day will come, say astronomers,

"Religion of Geology" by Dr. Hitchcock.

when this cause will change the length of our years, the course of our seasons, and finally bring the earth into the sun. Dr. Whewell says, "If a planet revolving about the sun were to lose any portion of its velocity by resistance, it would be drawn proportionately nearer the sun, the tendency towards the centre being no longer sufficiently counteracted by that centrifugal force which arises from that body's velocity. If that resistance were to continue to act, the body would be drawn perpetually nearer and nearer to the centre, and would describe its revolutions quicker and quicker, till at last it would reach the central body, and the system would cease to be a system."

Notwithstanding this tendency we are not sure that the earth will ever go into the sun. God may wind up the machinery in the solar system and cause it to revolve again in harmonious beauty. No, the future earth may, and perhaps will, be one of the " many mansions of our Father's house." It will, doubtless, when renovated be a glorious world, fit for the residence of sinless creatures. We may visit it at pleasure-for earth will ever be dear to us--here we were born, and here saved from sin, and sanctified by grace; so rendered meet for heaven. Jesus was born in this world, here He lived and died, and from one of its mountains He ascended up into heaven. Yes! we shall ever remember "mother earth;" but we cannot think that it will be our permanent home. Heaven, where Jesus lives, and where He is preparing a place for us, we regard as our future home and dwelling-place. It is a place already provided for all His saints. And at the Day of Judgment the righteous will enter upon it forthwith, and so shall be "ever with the Lord." May it be

our great object while on earth to live in a state of moral purity, then no matter where heaven is, we shall find it. And may "the God of all grace, who hath called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that we have suffered a while, make us perfect, establish, strengthen, settle us. To Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever, Amen."

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CHAPTER VII.

THE SABBATIC REST.

THERE are two opposite elements subsisting in beautiful harmony in the system of the universe, namely, that of perfect stability, and that of ever existing changes. While all the parts of the various orbs stand firm and strong from age to age, ever accomplishing their annual and diurnal revolutions with such undeviating exactness that scientific men can foretell their places and positions in the heavens for thousands of years to come; yet on the other hand universal nature is a system of endless changes. This world, physically, is different now from what it was last year, or from what it will be next. We have only to take into account any given space of time to mark progress at every step; onwards and upwards, from the lower to the higher is the tendency. New forms of animal and vegetable life have appeared on the scene, while old ones have been restricted, thinned, or totally destroyed, while yet newer forms have tenanted the earth. But now we reach

For Moses informs

a period when absolute creations cease. us that "the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended His

work which He had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made." This does not mean that God did some part of His work on the seventh day; but that His work was ended when that, the seventh day, commenced. But what are we to understand by this rest of the Creator ? What kind of rest is it? It cannot be absolutely ceasing from all kind of work, and of superintending; because Christ says in John v. 17, "My Father hitherto worketh, and I work." In this text Christ means, God works by sustaining the world by His power; governing it by His providence; and cherishing all its creatures by His bounty. Yes, God "worketh hitherto," all along from creation, without any Sabbath of rest. He maketh the sun to rise, the stars to roll, the grass and trees, etc., to grow; while the rest mentioned in Genesis indicates that His undertaking involved in creation was accomplished. The rest of the Creator, therefore, arises not from weariness, but from the completion of His work. To finish a work on the seventh day, in Hebrew phraseology, is not only not to do any part of it on that day, but to cease from it as a thing already finished. Finishing and resting are distinct. The former is positive, while the latter is negative. God rested, or ceased to work because His work was finished. The solemn act of blessing this day shows that the institution of a seventh day's rest is perpetual, just as the blessing pronounced on man and on the beasts of the earth, proves a perpetuity of self-multiplication. And indeed we cannot understand how the custom of dividing time into periods of seven days began on other grounds than that it originated in the will of God. We can under