I. II. 13 67 83 97 109 123 137 THE SABBATH COMPANION. I. God manifested in the Creation of the Universe. IVINE Revelation commences with the statement of a fact." In the begin ning God created the hea vens and the earth." And it must be clear to every understanding, that with this fact all our real knowledge, whether of God Himself, the Almighty Creator and All-wise Contriver, or of the universe which He created and contrived, must commence also. Whether "the heavens and the earth which B are now" have existed for six thousand years, or for ten times as many millions of centuries, can make no difference in this respect. We have no alternative, but Omnipotence creating, or matter uncreated, or matter self-created; and though men who are called philosophers have affirmed the eternity of matter, in order that they might deny the existence of God, their character is described by the inspired Volume in one brief but most impressive sentence, "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God." So far as our experience extends, we know that mind is capable of disposing, regulating, organizing matter; but we know that matter cannot dispose or regulate or organize itself. We know, for example, that the plant cannot determine toward which point of the compass it will disperse its seed; nor the tree in what direction it will project and propagate its branches; nor the river, whither it will roll the course of its fertilizing waters; nor the floating cloud, over what |