It seems strange, does it not? to think of a time when there was no earth; but there was such a time and there our story for to-day begins. All was black darkness where this world now is, but God was in his heaven, for in his Word we read, “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.” So in the eternity of long, long ago God lived and ruled, and he was thinking of a people whom he would make in his own image to be his children, and of the home that he would make for them. Then it was that from the great black space of the universe darkness fell away, for God said, “Let there be light: and there was light. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night.” Under the almighty hand of the Creator, at his command, this planet that we call the earth began to swing in its orbit, but it was wrapped in vapors until God spoke again saying, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.” At his words the clouds gathered together above, separating themselves from the waters upon the earth, “and God called the firmament Heaven.” (From this point try reading the story from the Bible, but have it so thoroughly in mind that if you find the attention of the pupils wavering in any degree you can return to the other method. Whether you read or tell the story of the six days, have the pupils open their Bibles and read with you the first three verses of the second chapter.) “In six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it” (Exodus 20:11). What a beautiful story it is, and how glad we are to know that all the wonders of the earth and sky and sea are the handiwork of our Father! “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handiwork” (Psalm 19:1). The unwearied sun, from day to day, Does his Creator’s power display, And publishes to every land The work of an almighty hand. Soon as the evening shades prevail, The moon takes up the wondrous tale, And nightly, to the listening earth, Repeats the story of her birth; While all the stars that round her burn, And all the planets in their turn, Confirm the tidings as they roll, And spread the truth from pole to pole. This is what the poet has said about the moon, sun, and stars in the heavens, and then he says that though there is no voice or sound that we can hear, still they truly sing and always of God their Creator. This is the way that the poet has told the story to us: What though in solemn silence all Move round the dark terrestrial ball? What though no real voice nor sound Amid the radiant orbs be found? In reason’s ear they all rejoice, And utter forth a glorious voice; Forever singing as they shine, “The hand that made us is divine.”