Natural History, form one of the leading literary characteristics of our time; and it is to those who are at present in their earlier years, that the charge of culpable ignorance is more especially applicable, while by them, probably, it is the less felt to be culpable, because Science itself largely bears the reproach of opposition to religion-a reproach which, as the author hopes to show, has arisen from misconception, and from the perversion of the scientific knowledge of things from its true tendency, were men's minds unprejudiced against religion.

If it can be shown that from this very domain of Natural Science the interests of Religion will be aided rather than hindered; if it can be established that the contemplation of Nature, and the study of it in its various parts and properties, and modes and changes, when pursued in a reverential spirit, is a direct help to Faith, and a powerful promoter of religious thought and speculation; if it can be made manifest that such reverential contemplation and research is the principal, and, apart from Revelation, the only means of which we can avail ourselves in the present stage of our existence, in order to acquire some definite and adequate conceptions of the greatness, the power, the wisdom, and

the goodness of the Almighty Father; and finally if it can be rendered apparent that in this present period, far more than in any preceding one, these attributes of the Deity may be exemplified and illustrated, so as most impressively to strike the mind of any one disposed to receive impressions and illustrations of this kind,—then surely the ignorance of, or indifference, or aversion to Natural Science to which I have adverted, will give place to zeal in its pursuit, and will ensure a welcome for its evidence and its suggestive intimations.

These ends the author humbly hopes to attain, in part at least, by the publication of this volume. It is not a systematic treatise on Natural Theology, or on any one branch of it; neither is any one subject treated exhaustively; but a number of subjects are selected for consideration which seem best fitted to secure the proposed ends, and to interest the reader by their attractiveness or importance. Although the author has discussed and weighed several metaphysical and metaphysiological theories of Natural Phenomena, and has selected some results of very high research, he trusts that every page of this publication will be intelligible to educated readers, who will bear in

mind that a book of the nature of the one now before them, cannot be perused without much exercise of thought, or become beneficial without a considerable amount of reflection.

It appears desirable to explain in what sense the word Nature is here employed, since it is so differently and sometimes so vaguely used. From the manner in which most purely scientific men of our time use it, we infer that by Nature they mean the entire, vast scheme of things visible and sensible, subordinated to law and system. The various laws which govern it are called Natural Laws, or the Laws of Nature, which are regarded as universal and inviolable; and being so, never have been, and never will be broken. With men entertaining this view of Nature, the idea of anything Supernatural is excluded from the realm of the Natural.

Theologians, Natural or Doctrinal, have employed the word Nature in a more limited sense. They also mean by it the entire vast scheme of things visible and sensible to man, and they likewise regard this as subordinated to law and system, but as nevertheless a great unreasoning mechanism, when viewed apart from that Divine and Personal Will which has

created all and keeps all in motion and in order. It is in this more limited sense that most religious men still employ the term Nature. It is impossible to use the word definitely, and with uniform precision, in a volume which has partly a scientific and partly a religious bearing, especially when the opinions of persons are cited, who themselves employ the term in an indefinite manner.

The present author, as may indeed be anticipated, always regards Nature as a manifestation of the Creator's power, and wisdom, and goodness, existing apart from Himself, and as a scheme of things to which He is external, but to which He perpetually sustains many direct relations. It is an assemblage of things which could not exist without Him, although He could exist without it. Generally the conception of Nature adopted in these pages includes man and all that is in man; but oftentimes, in conformity with common language, Nature is spoken of as distinct and separate from man—and as teaching him certain truths which it is the purpose of this volume to disclose and enforce. In such a view the spiritual part of man stands at one time aside from, and at another in connection with his material part,

and he is regarded as a reasoning being in relation to the external universe. This, indeed, is the manner in which Man and Nature have been generally regarded by Natural Theologians, although not distinctly defined by them.

Let

Those who have been educated in Theological Schools, and hold Theological Truths with a firm grasp, ignorant of the internecine war waged between them and Modern Science by many of the sceptical writers and popular speakers of our day, may think that I have given too much prominence to difficulties and theories which do not affect their faith. such persons but slightly acquaint themselves with the pretensions of Positivism and absolute Naturalism, and they will alter their opinion. Able men are labouring sedulously to overturn certain beliefs which we hold to be fundamental. Plausible advocates assure us that the alarm we feel as to the inroads of Science upon Religion are groundless and foolish. This is true of of Science itself, as this volume aims to establish; but it is untrue of certain philosophers and men of Science, as a few quotations would establish.

Before me at this moment lie the two large