The creation, however, of the present order of things was not instantaneous, but progressive, and took place in six Days, or vast Periods of time. On the _first_ day light was created, and divided from the darkness; on the _second_, the firmament, or atmosphere encircling the globe; on the _third_, a separation was made between the water and the land, and the surface of the earth was covered with vegetation, with _the herb yielding seed, and the tree yielding fruit after its kind_. On the _fourth_, the sun, moon and stars were bidden _to give light upon the earth, and to be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years_. On the _fifth_, animal life appeared in its lowest forms, the waters brought forth the various marine tribes after their kind, and this was succeeded by the creation of every _winged fowl_. The _sixth_ day was marked by the production of land animals, _cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth_, which, like all the preceding products of Creative Power, received the Divine approval, and were pronounced to be _very good_. But the work of Creation was not yet complete. A being higher than any yet created was to be called into existence. Accordingly _God said, Let |us| make MAN in |our| image, after |our| likeness, and let them have dominion over every living thing, and over all the earth; and the Lord God formed Man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and Man became a living soul_. Then having seen that all things He had made were _very good_ God ended His work, and _rested on the seventh day_, sanctifying it as a day of Rest for man. (Gen. i. 2–26). The language here employed in reference to the creation of man deserves attention. It teaches us that man did not, as some have taught, slowly emerge by his own efforts from a brutish state. Unlike other created objects, he was originally made in the _image_ and _after the likeness_ of God. Endowed not only with a body, but also with an immortal soul, he was to combine intellectual power with liberty of will, and the faculty of conscience. And as he was great himself, so also was the work to which he was called. His was to be universal dominion _over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth_. As God’s vicegerent, he was to exercise lordship over nature, and guide it towards its destined perfection (Gen. i. 26).