4. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Was this the original production of matter; or was it only the modification of pre-existent matter into new forms? (1.) That this was the original production of matter is probable a priori _because it is true_, and because it is a truth very important to affirm in this first revelation. Matter is _not_ eternal and self-existent. Those who intelligently believe in one Supreme God――an Infinite, Intelligent Spirit, will need no words wasted to disprove the assumption that matter existed from eternity, the Author of itself; for this assumption ascribes to matter the distinctive qualities of God himself.――――It is moreover important that God should declare himself to be the author of all existing matter in the universe. This is one of his great and distinctive works――one which human speculation has been prone to deny him, and which therefore it is of the utmost consequence that he should affirm. (2.) The passage (Ps. 90: 2) ascribed to Moses, expressly declares that God existed “_before the mountains_.” “Before the mountains were brought forth, even from everlasting to everlasting thou art God.” Moses did not think matter to be eternal. He knew and taught that God existed from eternity and that matter did not. The obvious sense of his words is that God “brought forth” (_i. e._ into existence) the mountains of this earthly globe. (3.) The writer to the Hebrews affirms that this doctrine――God the original Creator of matter――is accepted _by faith_, _i. e._ upon the credit of God’s own testimony. “By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God so that things which are seen were not made of things that do appear” (Heb. 11: 3). Not being constructed out of matter previously apparent, they must have been made by the direct production of matter not before existing. (4.) This is the natural and obvious sense of the words and this the place to affirm this first fact in the work of creation. This is the point to start with. How came the matter of the universe into being at all? Whence came this material substance composing the heavens and the earth? In the beginning God created it.――――It may be said truthfully that if God had purposed to reveal himself as the Author of matter――the real Maker of it all――he could have found no words more fitted to his purpose than these. Hence to deny that this is their sense is the next thing to denying to God the right or the power to reveal this fact at all.