purity, to Love, out of which Wisdom produced the “dry land,” that is, the condensed idea of creation. “And God divided the light from the darkness.” Truth and error were distinct in the beginning, and never mingled.
The idea which reflects most Life and Intelligence is man, and corresponds to the meridian light; that of lesser effulgence to dawn and twilight, which are named the morning and evening of our day. All calculations of a solar day were out of the question in the record of first Genesis; the sun was not then created, and Wisdom measured not time by matter; therefore morning and evening were figurative of the ideas of God; faintly appearing and then disappearing in belief, but soon to be symbolized by greater light, corresponding to the solar sun, or the meridian idea representing the Principle of man, and man this idea. “And God said, let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, to divide them.” The firmament was the understanding, that divided the waters into those “above,” and those “below,” into the spiritual and material, that we learn are separated forever; identity was given the idea, representing immortal man; the material, or mortal man, was belief. Firmament, or understanding, united Principle to its idea. Life and Intelligence this Principle; idea, the universe and man. “And God made the firmament.” This shows that Life, Truth and Love produced the understanding, and separated it from belief, and all was “good” that God made. Also, that understanding interpreted God, and was the dividing line between Truth and error; to separate the waters which were under the firmament from those above it;
