God in ascribing to it a character no higher than that which is possessed by the words of men. If the Bible has any purpose at all it is one that is spiritual. If it has an educational mission of any kind, it is one that is religious. If it is the Word of God, we are to look for this spiritual element in all its parts—in every chapter, verse and line.
The purpose of the Lord in inspiring the first chapter of Genesis was to give an account of the general principles according to which the regeneration of the human mind proceeds. By regeneration we mean that new birth of the soul which is its development from a merely natural, into a lofty spiritual condition that gradual putting away of its selfishness and worldliness which gives it a higher, nobler and purer nature in accordance with the ideals set up by our Lord. The Scripture treats of this, in some manner, in all its parts. Where the lesson is not obvious on the surface it lies concealed within the narrative; and thus the letter becomes a parable of higher truth.
Upon this principle the first chapter of Genesis also is found to treat concerning spiritual things. It matters not that the surface appearance may be otherwise, a close analysis reveals that fact. Under the similitude of earth's creation is unfolded the progressive order in which the development of the spiritual nature of each of us all goes on—the
