he will comprehend it better; so we, when we leave this world and come into the presence of God, shall see clearly many things that are unintelligible now.  For the present, we have only to believe them on the authority of God teaching us.  Another example.  We take two little black seeds that look just alike and place them in the same kind of soil; we put the same kind of water upon them; they have the same sunlight and air, and yet when they grow up one has a red flower and one a blue.  Where did the red and where did the blue come from?  From the black seed, or the brown soil, or the pure water, air and sunlight?  We do not know.  It is there, and that is all.  We see it and believe it, though we do not understand it.

So if we refuse to believe everything we do not understand, we shall soon believe very little and make ourselves ridiculous.

Lesson 4 ON CREATION

This lesson treats of God bringing everything into existence.  The chief things created may be classed as follows:  (1) The things that simply exist, as rocks, and minerals—­gold, silver, iron, etc. (2) Things that exist, grow, and live like plants and trees. (3) Things that grow, live, and feel, like animals. (4) Things that grow, live, feel, and understand, like men.  Besides these we have the sun, moon, stars, etc.; all things too that we can see, and also Heaven, Purgatory, Hell, and good and bad angels.  All these are the works of God’s creation.  All these He has called into existence by merely wishing for them.

32 Q. Who created Heaven and earth, and all things?  A. God created Heaven and earth, and all things.

“Heaven,” where God is and will always be.  It means, too, everything we see in the sky above us.  “Earth,” the globe on which we live.

33 Q. How did God create Heaven and earth?  A. God created Heaven and earth from nothing, by His word only; that is, by a single act of His all-powerful will.

34 Q. Which are the chief creatures of God?  A. The chief creatures of God are angels and men.

35 Q. What are angels?  A. Angels are pure spirits without a body, created to adore and enjoy God in Heaven.

“Angels” are not the same as saints.  Saints are those who at one time lived upon the earth as we do, and who on account of their very good lives are now in Heaven.  They had bodies as we have.  The angels, on the contrary, never lived visibly upon the earth.  In the beginning God was alone.  We take great pleasure in looking at beautiful things.  God, seeing His own beauty, and knowing that others would have very great pleasure and happiness in seeing Him, determined to create some beings who could enjoy this happiness; and thus He wished to share with them the happiness which He Himself derived from seeing His own beauty.  Therefore He created angels who were to be in Heaven with Him, singing His praises and worshipping before His throne.