292 CONCLUSION. 



Spirit He hath garnished the heavens ; His 

 hand hath formed the crooked Serpent."* 



The study of the wondrous organisation of 

 the living beings with which this globe is pro- 

 fusely stocked, of their various intelligence, 

 their instincts, their powers, their habits, their 

 relations to man and to each other, is chiefly 

 valuable as it brings before the mind fresh 

 discoveries of God. Like all other knowledge, 

 if it lead not to Him, it will prove, for the 

 most part, worse than useless, a curse rather 

 than a blessing. But we would remind our 

 young readers, that there may be much know- 

 ledge of God's works, and a measure of recog- 

 nition of His glorious attributes as the wise 

 and good Creator of all things, without any 

 acquaintance with Him in that relation which 

 affects our eternal happiness. " The heavens 

 declare the glory of God, and the firmament 

 sheweth His handy-work ; " but neither these 

 nor all the works of Creation beside, afford 

 any light whereby a sinner can discover the 

 way of being reconciled to the Holy God. It 

 is His blessed Word that reveals this, and that 

 points to the Lord Jesus Christ, — God manifest 

 in the flesh, — as healing the sin-poisoned wounds 

 inflicted by " that old Serpent the Devil." The 

 Seed of the woman has bruised the Serpent's 

 head ; and through the shedding of His blood 

 is preached unto man the forgiveness of sins. 



* Job xxvi. 1 3. 



