Thus we see the manner in which the Scriptures are written, sometimes speaking according to the appearance, and sometimes declaring the exact fact of the case. The former utterance is intended for men in a simple and rude age, or for men in any age, indeed, when in an uninstructed or perverse state of mind,—as also for children, all of whom must be addressed in the language of appearances, or they would not understand: whereas, the latter form of speaking, namely, that which is in accordance with genuine truth, is intended for all that are able to receive it,—for the pure-minded and the reflecting. Such an adaptation of the Scriptures to the different conditions and views of men, must be acknowledged to be a proof of the Divine wisdom, and shows the manner in which the All-wise Creator accommodates Himself to His weak and finite creatures. To cavil, then, at the Sacred Volume for containing these expressions, is as unreasonable as it would be to find fault with a man of science for saying "the sun is setting," instead of saying pedantically, "the earth is now turning away from the sun." The wise man suits his mode of address to the character of his hearers; and the All-wise God accommodates His truth to His creatures, even in their simplest and lowest states. "The Old Testament," says Dr. Pye Smith, "describes the character and operations of Jehovah, in language borrowed from the bodily and mental constitution of man, and from those opinions concerning the works of God in the natural world, which were generally received by the people to whom the blessings of revelation were granted."—"Constant reference," adds Dr. Hitchcock, "is made to material images, to human feelings and conduct, as if the people
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