time, a look of perplexity came over his face; he leaned back in his
chair, thinking deeply, and his thoughts were as follows: It's
remarkable that I never noticed this second narrative is the reverse
of the first; they are clearly and distinctly two narratives. In the
first there is no mention made of anything material, and all is created
by the word of God--or spiritually; there is no mention of evil,
but--all is pronounced good by God. He made the earth, the trees, and
the animals first, and man last, in an ascending scale; while in the
2d chapter of Genesis, God is supposed to have made man first, then
woman, then the animals, etc., in a descending scale. I am now quite
sure my explanation to Walter about this second creation being a more
detailed account of the first is not correct, yet what else could it
be? It certainly cannot be a second creation. Let me see, what did
Walter say about that _mist_ being a misapprehension that arose
among the people as to creation? And that this second narrative was
the misapprehension? It sounded reasonable and would be an easy solution
to this second creation; but how about this material body of mine, and
the rest of the material things? Are we laboring under a misapprehension
regarding all these things? Impossible, we could not all make the same
mistake; yet according to Walter's explanation this _mist_ watered
the whole face of the earth; that means all the people. Where did this
mist or misapprehension come from? There is no record of God having
made it. What a position for a minister of the gospel to be in, unable
to explain the simplest things regarding creation; preaching that man
is the image and likeness of God, who is Spirit, and believing man was
created out of _dust_ or materially, thereby contradicting the
statement, that we are the image and likeness of God, Spirit; for
matter is not spirit, but its opposite. I must admit I am very much
confused, and I must be able to explain by to-night, for Walter will
be disappointed if he cannot continue his lesson this evening. I think