This figure, therefore, represents that this epoch of
spiritual development was characterized by awaken-
ing desires arid aspirations which the mere physical
and intellectual faculties could not supply; and which



The Spibttxtal Ckeation. 139

caused the soul to look for something heyond the
present to answer its demands. That is, there began to
be a dawning of life, prophetic of a a>raing conscious-
ness that something more than physical sense and in-
tellectual perceptions was required to give satisfaction
to the spirit and accomplish its destiny. These aspi-
rations indicated the approach of another degree of
advance, both in the spiritual creation, and in the
redemptive work of bringing humanity back to its
allegiance to heaven. In the natural creation, this
advancing degree is characterized as the third yom,^
when the waters were collected in places by themselves,
and the dry land was thereby caused to appear. Prior
to this uncovering of the land^ by taking the waters
therefrom, the land had been excluded from the in-
fluence of the atmosphere, and of so much of the light
and heat of the heavenly bodies, as could penetrate to
the surface of the earth; consequently, the earth, al-
though containing the elements of fertility, had not
been in a condition to produce the simplest organic or
living form, as grass, herb, and tree, owing to the re-
pressing presence of the waters, excluding stich con-
ditions as were essential to give fertility. So likewise
humanity, spiritually, was buried deep beneath the
floods of carnality, which covered every thing but the
ark and that which was contained therein, and al-
though the spirit of the human contained the ele-
ments of spiritual growth, the presence of carnality
excluded such conditions as were essential to impart
life and motion to these spiritual elements.
