Ver. 6.-Creation. "By the word of the Lord," etc. The Apostle Peter, warning us against applying our hasty reckonings to God's dealings, reminds us that "one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." This he puts in conjunction with the fact that" by the word of the Lord the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water o.nd in the water," o.nd with the declaration that "the heavens aud earth which 11re now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment" (2 Pet. iii. 5-8). In like manner St. Paul speaks of the Son of God, "by whom also he made the worlds," as "uphold- ing all things by the word of his power" (Heb. i. 2, 3). God's creative word is no momentary fiat, but a fixed and lasting power and purpose, of which it ru:\y be said, as of his written truth, "The Word of God liveth and abideth for ever" (1 Pet. i. 23, 24). I. TnE WORD OF COMMAND; i.e. the putting forth of Divine will aDll power. The fact of creation stands in the forefront of Bible teaching. The existence of God is never treated in Scripture as needing argument or proof; it is assumed, ns self-evident to every sane and intelligent mind. The starting-point, therefore, of lliblo teaching is that all things owe their origin to his will and power. "Iu the bc:;iuninl:," etc. (Gou. THE BOOK OF PSALMS. [Ps. xxxm.1-22.
i. 1). All other being bas its being in him (Acts xvii. 24c, 28). Scientific men tell us there is a perpetual dissipation of energy in the universal frame of things; q.d. that all the forces of nature are constantly tending to change into heat, and~heat is constantly passing away and wasting itself in infinite space. If so, it c11.nnot fly beyond God's presence and control. The unfathomable fountain of all force, physical and spiritual, is with him. He who made all things "in the beuinning" c11.n when be pleases, "make all things new" (Ps. cxix. 89-91). " ' II. THE WORD OF WISDOM, All man's most laborious discoverirs-wbat he calls his science-consist in slowly finding out the truths embodied in Gou.'s works. The great astronomer Kepler, enraptured with the wonderful results his calculations revealed excla\med, "0 God, I think thy thoughts after thee!" Mathematics, astronomy; chemistry-all the sciences-teach us portions of that Divine wisdom on which nature rests. Much of man's wisdom and progress consists in finding out his mistakes. New inventions arc superseded by newer. Theories which one generation reuards as the most advanced truths, the next generation treats as obsolete and explod;d. But tbo lapse of time brings to light no mistakes, no miscalculations or oversights, in God's work. The histor.i: of the past? as far as we can decipher it, shows perpetual progress, but progress for which prep:iratwn was made at the very beginning. III. Therefore it is the WORD OF DIVINE FAITHFULNESS. (1 Pet. iv. 19.) These three-commanding power, foreseeing wisdom, unchanging faithfulness-make up together the great idea of law. The laws of nature are the laws of God-" the word of the Lord." The constancy of nature is the image (because the result) of Divine unchangeableness (Jer. xxxi. 35, 36; xxxiii. 20). INFERENCES. 1. There can be no real opposition between faith and science. Men may misunderstand Scripture or misinterpret nature; but one part of God's truth cannot contradict another. 2. The study of God's works is a religious and Christian duty (measured, of course, by opportunity and ability). The New Testament teaches that the glory of creation is the glory of Christ (John i. 3; Col. i 16; Heb. i. 2). If many students of science are atheists or sceptics, that is their fault or their calamity. Natt1re is full of God. 3. The more we study the revelation of God in nature, the more we are struck with its silence as to what we most need to know-what only the gospel reveals. "'!'be heavens declare the gwry of God," but not bis grace. Is there a God who created all things? Is he almighty, all-wise, good, bountiful, patient, just, unchan~eable? Nature, with innumerable voices, cries aloud, " Yes 1" But is he merciful to sinnerH? Will be pardon the breakers of bis laws? Is there atonement for sin ; forgiveness; restoration ; eternal life? Nature is silent. The Bible alone an.swers these questions (Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7; 2 Cor, v. 19, 21). Ver. 11.-Permanence of Divine purpose. "The counsel ••• for ever." In this world of change what is there that abides? Can we count on anything as unchange- able? One generation passeth away, and another cometh. Laws, customs, languages, empires, races, decay and perish. Even "the everlasting mountains" are so only by comparisan. "The waters wear the stones." "The mountain falling cometh to nought." The answer which our modern science gives to this question is summed up in the word "evolution;" i.e. unfolding, progress, development. Nothing abides; Lut all things advance to some higher stage, or decay and are dissipated. Scripture teaches the doctrine of evolution, only with this difference-not development of a blind necessity, evolution of law without e. Lawgiver, perpetual motion of a self-acting machine that is always winding itself up; bnt the carrying out of a Divine plan, tho unfolding of the eternal thought and all-comprehending purpose of God (vers. 6, !J, 11). I. GoD ACTS ACCORDING TO SETTLED PLAN, UNCIUNGEADLE PURPOSE. 1. Not accord- ing to the sudden ex1:gency of occasion. "Known unto God," etc. (Acts xv. 18, .Authorized Version). Nothing is more Incomprehensible, yet nothing more cortain, than that God knows the future as perfecUy as the present and the past (Hob. iv. 13). Else be neither could have made the world nor could rule it. One great use of Scrip- ture prophecy is to make this plain (Isa. xiv. 21; xlvi.10). 2. Not according to blind necessity. ,vhat we call "laws of nature" are the laws which man discovers in nature hw:ause God has Iona ago fixed them there (Ps. cxix. 89-91). 'l'hcy are unchan<:?;e- 11.L!c Lecause be c1angee not. But to suppose that God's laws mterfcre with God's will PB. xxxrn. 1-22.] THE BOOK OF PSALMS. 251