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demands as of necessity the grant of an enormous length of time. It was tliought 

 once that we could place no limit to such time. Sir W. Thomson, however, has 

 calculated that the sun has not illuminated the earth probably for more than 100 

 millions of years, and certainly not for 500 millions of years. This, at all events, 

 gives us some kind of limit, though at the best we can but speak of the lapse of 

 ages as inconceivably great. And why not ? I confess that to my mind there is 

 something as grand as it is fascinating in the thought of the Great Artificer of the 

 Universe, in whose "sight a thousand years are but as yesterday when it is past," 

 with what we men should call unexhausted patience "working hitherto." What 

 more grand, or awful, than to follow, so far as our feeble apprehension lets us, the 

 gradual completion of His purposes ; to trace, for example,, how the apparent 

 waste of an exuberant vegetation results in one of the chiefest blessings conferred 

 upon mankind ? And even where one is brought face to face, as how often is it 

 not so, with mysteries of creation that science has so far failed to solve, and that 

 may remain for ever in this life insoluble, even these, to me at all events, do but 

 confirm my admiration of His infinite wisdom and my assurance of His exquisite 

 design, and, I would humbly add, deepen my reverent devotion. "O Lord how 

 manifold are Thy works ; in wisdom hast Thou made them all : the earth is full 

 of Thy riches. So is the great and wide sea also." 



I cannot end without expressing luy thanks to Mr. Clarke for the kind 

 trouble which he has taken in preparing the map that I have put before you. 



[It is not thought necessary to reproduce here the map spoken of in the 

 above paper. A reference to any coloured Geological Map of the West of 

 England will sufficiently illustrate the writer's remarks.] 



