mals are not found, and could not exist; thus for instance, the bones of elephants, &c. are found in abundance in several of the secondary rocks of our own country; and the geologists further contend, that a series of ages must have elapsed, before these animal remains could have been so petrified as to become limestone, marble, &c. Under these secondary rocks are found primary rocks of granite, &c. in which no fossils are met with, and which are therefore presumed to have been undisturbed from their first creation. it has given rise to various in climates where the living anienquiries, and to much controversy. The commonly received interpretation of the passage is, That at the commencement of the six days, the earth, together with the heavenly bodies more immediately connected with it, were formed by the divine power out of nothing; and that this formation took place about 4004 years before the coming of Christ, according to the Hebrew chronology. There are however some who consider the first two verses of Genesis, as distinct from the sequel; and who refer them to a different, a far distant period; they imagine that the heavens and the earth had been formed many ages prior to the above specified period of 4004 years before Christ, that the earth so formed had been destroyed; that at the commencement of the first day, it was a shapeless mass of ruin;-without form and void, that it lay immersed in darkness; and that the first act of creative power was the production of light. This interpretation, however startling to the plain Christian, has been adopted by many great and good men, and is especially advocated by the students of geology, that is, by those who minutely examine the form, material, and construction of the earth itself. These philosophers observe that the earth consists of different strata ; the surface, for instance, is usually vegetable mould, adapted to the growth of plants, &c. under this first surface is found a layer of gravel, sand, clay, or some other substance which the geologists suppose to have been deposited by the flood. Under these deposits, which are called diluvium, are found a series of rocks, called secondary rocks, or fossiliferous rocks, which contain immense numbers of petrified plants and animals; many of which are of species not now known to exist; and these relics are found deposited In The interpretation therefore given by these philosophers of the passage, is somewhat as follows. the beginning-many thousands of years before we have any record or any information-God created the heaven and the earth; that earth was, by some unknown catastrophe destroyed, and totally ruined; it was in darkness, an unformed, misshapen, unoccupied mass of confusion. Then about 4004 years before the Christian æra, the Spirit of God moved on the face of the waters, and God said, "Let there be light, and there was light.” Such appears to be the fashionable interpretation of the day; there are indeed variations in the philosophic creed. It has been contended that each day spoken of in the first chapter of Genesis, is not to be regarded as a pitiful period of twenty-four hours, but as some magnificent æra of 6000 years, just as though the sacred historian was SO ill informed, as not to know the difference between the length of a day, and a period of five or six thousand years; or so artful as to attempt to conceal this difference; or that men in modern times were so wise as to find out what the Almighty intended should be kept secret! On subjects where so little is revealed, dogmatism is every way improper; yet it is not perhaps going too far to maintain that these modern interpretations confuse a comparatively plain subject; that they confound creation and re-formation; that they introduce great ambiguity of language; and that this is done on very slight grounds. The discoveries of geologists however striking and interesting in themselves, are yet wholly insufficient to justify the conclusions which have been deduced from them. Geology is really in its infancy. We are not competent to say what changes took place in the earth between the creation and the deluge; we know the earth was cursed for man's sin; we know some effects also of that curse; but how those effects were produced, or how extensive the curse proved, we have no information. immediately after the deluge than in modern times. We know not how the deluge was produced, and can only form very obscure suppositions as to the changes effected;" but geologists themselves maintain, that the earth must formerly have been subjected to a much higher temperature than at present. What if the earth's orbit underwent some change at the period of the deluge? What if the position of its axis were altered? What if only a slower revolution on its axis was for a short period produced? The effect of any of these changes would be astonishing. Just dwell for a moment on the last supposition. The earth is not an exact sphere, but is somewhat compressed at the poles, so that the diameter at the equator is greater than that at the poles by nearly 40 miles ; * the consequence is that the waters of the ocean are from 15 to 20 miles higher at the equator than at the poles; they are however at present kept at rest by the effects of the centrifugal force--that is, the same force which causes small bodies to fly off from a wheel in rapid motion; which force increases with the increase, and diminishes with the decrease of the wheel's velocity. If therefore the motion of the earth on its axis (which is now at the equator about 1000 miles per hour) was at all sensibly diminished, a rapid current would instantly move off obliquely from each side of the equator towards the poles; an overwhelming tide would sweep over the whole plain country of the temperate Zones, rising with fearful rapidity, surmounting every obstacle, changing the whole face of the earth, levelling forests, breaking up formidable barriers of secondary rock, and at length covering the highest mountains. + No ordinary Again, there was the breaking up of the fountains of the great deep at the commencement of the deluge.-Who shall say that the whole of what are now called secondary rocks, might not then have been disturbed, and have received into their yawning caverns the vast race of antediluvian animals; and who shall say that the sand, and clay, and pebbles, &c. might not be deposited over these secondary rocks by the retiring waters. The process of petrifaction proceeds in some cases with surprising rapidity; we have specimens in our own country, where rocky substance is formed from day to day, at a rate which, in the period that has elapsed since the flood, would produce a mountain of limestone or marble higher than any in existence in our own island, and sufficient to entomb immense multitudes of mammoths, elephants, crocodiles, and other monsters; while very possibly the process of petrefaction and the production of limestone and marble, and other formations, might proceed far more rapidly said to be the Dhawhala Giri, or White * Dr. Gregory states the diameter of the earth at the poles as 7940 miles, and at the equator as 7977 miles. The highest mountain in the world is powers of calculation can estimate the results of such an irruption; even if the change in the earth's motion were produced in the most gentle and gradual manner, the effects would be tremendous; the mere pressure of a column of water two or three miles high would produce amazing havoc among the secondary strata, forcing out every particle of fluid and gaseous substance, reducing thousands of trees into one solid mass; in some cases perhaps inflaming combustible materials and producing tremendous explosions; compressing accumulations of light vegetable substances to the specific gravity of marble ; and effecting changes in a few days or hours, which would in the ordinary course of events require ages; and thus baffling all human conception and conjecture. This one single supposition-for which it is true we have no foundation, but which in itself is as probable as many others--would, if developed to any extent, account for numerous phenomena which have led some to suppose that, in the first verse of Genesis, Moses speaks of the creation of the materials of the world many ages before our present system was formed; and which have induced others to extend what ordinary readers would conceive to have been a day of twenty-four hours, to a period of six thousand years. I have dwelt the longer upon this subject because it affords a very striking exemplification of the ignorance of man, and of his tendency to adopt hasty conclusions from very inadequate premises. The more the divine operations are contemplated, the more deeply shall we learn the power and the wisdom of God; and the weakness and the folly of man. At one period certain philosophers vainly imagined that the discoveries of science demonstrated the inconsis tency of revelation. The researches of modern philosophers establish a contrary conclusion. The internal appearances of the earth are found to be accordant with the records of the inspired volume, as to all essential points; but the time in which these operations are stated to have been produced appear to many too short. Yet surely it becomes us to cease from our own speculations, whenever they lead to results contradicting divine revelation; to conclude that the work declared in holy writ to have been performed in one day, was actually completed in the specified period; to beware how-without a single hint from Scripture, and from the partial examination of a very small portion of the upper crust of the earth we adopt a system which would imply the existence of sin, misery, death, and destruction, prior to that one transgression whose consequences we so deeply feel. Rather let us bow to the divine declaration, and while meditating on the chapter before us, let each one say, I firmly believe that in six days God created the heaven and the earth; that he called the materiel into existence; poured forth light; arranged the world in order, fixed the bounds of the ocean, clothed the earth with verdure, peopled the air with birds, the waters with fish, the land with animals, with flocks and herds and creeping things; that he planted a garden in Eden, created man from the dust of the ground, provided a help meet for him, and, beholding the whole work of six days, rested on the seventh day, commanding it to be kept holy, and thus called forth the triumphant praises of all his creatures. Then the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy." "O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all the earth is full of thy riches!" CLEMENS. Review of Books. MORNING DISCOURSES addressed to the Congregation of Christ Church, Birmingham. By GEORGE HODSON, M. A. Archdeacon of Stafford, late Minister of that Church. 8vo. Pp. xvi. and 450. Hamilton. THE pleasure which we experienced in perusing Mr. Hodson's former sermons, led us to anticipate renewed satisfaction from the present volume. In this anticipation we have not been disappointed. Deeply as we regret that the venerable Archdeacon's health has compelled him to relinquish his very important station as minister of Christ Church, Birmingham, we cannot but hope that this his parting memorial to his people may prove far more extensively useful than even his continued labours from the pulpit; and that the discourses originally prepared for a single congregation may now extend their beneficial effects to thousands in different parts of the land. We are the more encouraged to indulge this expectation from the character of the sermons themselves, which are exactly of the description most suited to family reading. They are not learned nor critical disquisitions; they are not verbose, florid, or declamatory harangues, but they are plain, explicit, intelligent statements of scriptural truth; accompanied with vivid and powerful applications; evincing much knowledge of the human heart, and a thorough acquaintance with those subtle devices, which the great enemy of souls continually adopts to seduce the unwary. While at the same time the style is good, there is nothing unnecessarily offensive, and there is much mildness and moderation on doubtful and disputable points. We cannot therefore but hope that this volume may meet with extensive circulation, and we very confidently recommend it to the perusal of our readers. The discourses are twenty-seven in number; they are shorter than published discourses in general, the author usually entering at once upon his subject, and losing no time in unnecessary introductions. Several of them are consecutive discourses, where, though the texts vary, the subjects are intimately connected, and the whole volume thus constitutes a brief outline of divinity. The Archdeacon especially preaches Christ. His deity, his atonement, his example, are continually pressed on our attention. Take, for instance, the following extract from the discourse entitled The Lord our Righteousness,' where the author inquires, II. The meaning of the name before us. What does the expression "The Lord our Righteousness" teach us respecting Christ? It instructs us, 1. Concerning his Person-who he is. He is JEHOVAH-for such, I need scarcely inform you, is the original word rendered "The Lord" in our text. He is Jehovah our Righteousness. As the preceding verse declares his manhood-speaking of him as a branch which should arise from the root of David-so does this, in terms no less explicit, affirm his Deity. It would be difficult indeed to conceive any language which could assert the Godhead of our Saviour Christ more plainly than this and similar passages of the Old Testament do-"This is his name whereby he shall be called, JEHOVAH " Call to mind, my brethren, that God is himself the speaker in this passage; and that speaking of a second person whom he would raise up as a righteous branch, and invest with regal dignity and power, he says of him, "He shall be called Jehovah." Are we for one moment to suppose that God here meant to sanction or connive at his being called improperly by that name? Can we suppose that he who so continually. represents himself in scripture as ex ceedingly jealous of his glory and of the honour due unto his name, would allow the incommunicable name Jehovah-expressive of his self-existence, his eternity, his unchangeableness-to be given to one to whom it did not of right belong; and to whom if it did not belong it could not be ascribed without the most daring impiety? Upon what other supposition can such passages as this-in which the name Jehovah is given to Christ (and there are many such)-upon what supposition, I say, can they be satisfactorily explained except that of his equality and essential oneness with his eternal Father? All difficulty in the interpretation of such passages ceases as soon as we call to mind our Lord's own declaration, "I and my Father are one;" nor can we be at any loss to account for the ascription of the divine Name to Christ when we find him sharing divine prerogatives, and entrusted with unlimited judicial authority for this very purpose, "that all men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father." And here, my brethren, suffer me to remind you that it is of the utmost importance of the utmost practical importance that your minds should be firmly established, upon scripture grounds, in the belief of the Godhead of Jesus Christ. This is not one of those abstruse points of theology about which even real Christians may differ, and have differed, without affecting their faith in the essential truths of Christianity. This is itself a truth of essential and vital importance. It lies at the very foundation of all the great and saving doctrines of the gospel. Unsoundness with regard to this involves by necessary consequence error in regard to all the rest. Deny the Divinity of Christ, and you at once expunge the doctrine of the Atonement. For how can a mere man, however excellent-or any created being, however highly exaltedatone for the sins of the whole world, or even for the sins of a single individual? "None of them," as the Psalmist says, "can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him." The most perfect obedience of the most perfect creature is not more than is required for his own acceptance. He has nothing to spare for the benefit of others. If his obedience be not perfect he needs an atonement himself; but if it be, he has done no more than it is his duty to do. After all he is "an unprofitable servant," and can claim nothing on the score of merit even for himself, much less for another, at the hands of divine justice. The moment therefore we lose sight of the Godhead of Christ Jesus, we give up the doctrine of an atonement for sin, and leave ourselves without hope of forgiveness. And in point of fact, the doctrine of atonement is either positively denied, or else explained away, by those who deny the divinity of Christ. So also is the doctrine of the Fall, and of man's guilt and depravity in consequence of the fall. High and flattering notions of the dignity and purity of human nature go hand in hand with a denial of Christ's divinity. For the same reason when this is denied, low and inadequate opinions are formed of the evil and demerit of sin, Hence also the necessity of a thorough change of heart by the Holy Spirit, as a divine agent concerned in our sanctification and salvation, is decried by those who refuse to acknowledge Christ as God.-Pp. 83-86. The pernicious consequences of the Socinian hypothesis are also strikingly exhibited in a subsequent discourse, in which the Archdeacon explains and vindicates the doctrine of Justification by faith, and points out the fallaciousness of several of those answers which are commonly given to the inquiry, How shall the sinner obtain favour with God? There are those who ground their reply simply upon the benevolence of the Deity. 'God is too merciful,' they say, 'to punish the faults of his erring creatures. All nature bears witness to the benignity of his character. His tender mercies are over all his works. And to represent him as a Being at all backward to forgive sin, or as needing any inducement, besides that of his own beneficent disposition, to receive offenders into his favour, is to give an unamiable and injurious view of the Divine character. You have only to ask forgiveness of your offences and you shall have it.' This is the view commonly, if I mistake not, entertained by the Socinians, or Unitarians as they are incorrectly called. And it is evident that (as might indeed be expected from their creed) Christ is on this system wholly left out of sight. The necessity of an atonement for sin by the death of Christ, or of any satisfaction to |