28 THE WHENCE AND THE WHITHER OF MAN 



a clear and definite answer. Can Science also give an 

 answer, and is this in the main in accord with the an- 

 swer of Scripture ? Science can answer the question 

 only by the historical method of tracing the history of 

 life in the past and observing the goal toward which it 

 tends. If the evolution theory be true, the record 

 of human achievement and progress forms only one 

 short chapter in the history of the ages. If from the 

 records of man's little span of life on the globe we can 

 deduce laws of history on whose truth we can rely, 

 with how much greater confidence and certainty may 

 we rely on laws which have governed all life since its 

 earliest appearance ? always provided that such can 

 be found. 



Our first effort must therefore be to trace the great 

 line of development through a few of its most charac- 

 teristic stages from the simplest living beings up to 

 man. This will be our work in the three succeeding 

 lectures. And to these I must ask you to bring a large 

 store of patience. ' Anatomical details are at best dry 

 and uninteresting. But these dry facts of anatomy 

 form the foundation on which all our arguments and 

 hopes must rest. 



But if you will think long and carefully even of ana- 

 tomical facts, you will see in and behind them some- 

 thing more and grander than they. You will catch 

 glimpses of the divinity of Nature. Most of us travel 

 threescore years and ten stone-blind in a world of 

 marvellous beauty. Why does the artist see so much 

 more in every fence-corner and on every hill-side than 

 we, set face to face with the grandest landscapes ? 

 Primarily, I believe, because he is sympathetic, and 

 looks on Nature as a comrade as near and dear as any 



