self, he has virtually no definite knowledge. Of himself, he has no certain knowledge how he came into his present deplorable condition, nor does he know how to be delivered from it. Some of the most scholarly men, after the most laborious research, have rejected the very idea of the creation of the material universe and of Man.

Without doubt, the Creator is most concerned about His creation that it may accomplish what it was designed by Him to do; particularly about Man-the chief and dominant factor of the earthly creation. Unless Man had a clear knowledge of his Creator, His purposes, and of himself, as well as of his own creation and condition, the Creator, Himself, would be unable to accomplish His purposes with Man. Man, in his ignorance, would lay all the blame of his failures and sufferings to the causes that brought about his existence, the existence of the things about him, as well as all the evils associated with them, and that made possible their continuance.

Accordingly, it would not only be reasonable in the highest degree that there should be a revelation from the Creator to His creature-Man-of His whole creation, about which He, Himself, is most deeply concerned, and about which He has all knowledge that would be satisfactory in every particular, but it would be absolutely essential that such a revelation should have been made to Man for the accomplishment of the purposes of the Creator, that Man might be able to know these purposes and to avail himself of all the benefits provided for him by the Creator.

This revelation should have in itself the evidences of genuineness and truthfulness that would characterize a revelation from an all-wise, all-just, all-beneficent and

almighty Creator to Man, the crowning creature of His creation, endowed with such marvelous powers of understanding and boundless capacities for good and evil. Among other things that should be made known to Man in this revelation are the following:

1. How the earth and all of its living inhabitants, including Man, were created and provided for, and what relation Man sustained to his Creator, and to the Creation about him.

2. The doubtless perfect condition of the whole creation, including Man, when completed by the Creator.

3. How the earth and all its living creatures, including Man, lost their primitive, perfect condition.

4. How Man can get the best out of his present deplorable condition.

5. How Man can have complete deliverance from this evil condition.

6. What will be the final destiny and condition of Man. The Hebrew revelation, contained in what is commonly known as "The Bible," meets completely, not only all the above mentioned requirements, but infinitely more. It speaks with the authority, certainty, definiteness and clearness that at once characterize it as the revelation of a perfect Creator.

As the telescope gives a much brighter and more distinct view of the planets and stars visible to the naked eye, and brings within the range of clear vision myriads of unseen stars and worlds in the limitless spaces beyond, so is it with this revelation. With what can be learned with convincing certainty by the light of natural reason concerning the Creator, the wonderful provisions made by Him for the manifold needs of the human body are

rendered absolutely certain by this revelation. Its narration overwhelms the mind with the glorious majesty of the Creator; the countless number of His provisions for all the needs of Man-their endless varieties, their perfectly satisfying qualities.

It leaves no room for any intelligent, fair-minded and sincere person to doubt the existence of a perfect Creator and a perfect creation.

This revelation gives full accounts, first, of the Creation, including the creation of Man and the provision for all his needs; second, The fall of Man, with its dreadful consequences; and, third, The salvation for Man infinitely greater than what was lost by his fall.

VII

THE REVELATION OF THE CREation of the Heaven, of THE EARTH, And of Man

In the first sentence of this revelation are clearly stated the time of the creation-in the beginning; the name of the Creator-God, the sum of all that is good; and the great extent of the creation-the heaven and the earth. The detailed account of the creation in this revelation amazes and delights the mind, the soul, and the heart with the majesty, power, wisdom, and goodness of the Creator, when we contemplate the unfolding creations, as they spring into existence, and are fashioned for their respective purposes by the word and direction of the Creator.

All things necessary to supply the innumerable needs of the human body were then provided, without limit in quantity, and perfect in adaptation and in satisfying quality for these needs, before Man was created.

These provisions were not only abundant, beyond all that the needs of the human body would require, when they were created, but their continuance in like abundance was assured as long as the needs of the body themselves existed. Some of these provisions were created indestructible, as the air, and water, and the light, and others were made self-propagating, as the grass, the herb, and the fruit tree, with the seed in itself, and the fish, the fowl, and the animals, in pairs, male and female. All of these creations were pronounced good by the Creator,

and were complete in every way to meet the ends or purposes for which they were created.

Man, the masterpiece of the creation, was then formed, not only as a perfect creation, but was made in the image and likeness of the Creator. Male and female were they created, which insured a continuance of Man on the earth.

28. "And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

29. And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

30. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat and it was so.

31. And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good" (Gen. 1:28-31).

Surely, this was a most perfect and delightful condition for Man. This, however, was not all.

8. "And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. 9. And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil" (Gen. 2:8, 9).

The Creator presented the cattle, the fowl of the air, and every beast of the field for his possession, that he might give names to them. Accordingly, what he called each one of them, that was the name thereof.