15 
substance is to us impossible, there is no permanence in any 
material form. All is transient ; but there are extreme variations 
in the rate of change. ‘The variations are so great that we suffer 
ourselves to believe in the permanence of some things, and the 
ephemeral nature of others. We speak of the everlasting hills, yet 
remark that “ mortals pass away like flowers.” Whereas we know 
that the hills are only everlasting in a comparative sense, and that 
the oldest rock-formations, and most durable substances, are still 
subject to destruction (that is to change of form) by erosion from 
air and water, heat and cold, from the growth of plants or the 
actions of animals, from chemical disintegration, from igneous 
action, or from mechanical force. We know also, that the lower 
the organisation the slower is the change ; but that in the more 
complex forms of matter change is rapid, and (other conditions 
being equal), most rapid of all in the most highly vitalised exist- 
ences and tissues. During our whole life-time we see no change 
in the harder rocks and in precious stones ; we leave as we found 
them quartz and agate, greenstone, chalcedony, and the diamond ; 
in hills and mountains, cliffs and continents, any visible change is 
rare and exceptional ; and we have to go beyond our personal 
measure of time, and to turn to past records, to realise the univer- 
sality of change in these comparatively durable things. But a day 
suffices to shew us the uncertainty of human life, the perishable- 
ness of all organic existences and of their parts and products, the 
fading of flowers, and the fall of “‘ the contented leaves, that have 
done their summer work, and seem not afraid of dying.” The 
rocks and pebbles disintegrate, the flowers fade, the grass perishes ; 
but the matter and the force belonging to them last and endure, 
and seem to us to be eternal 
An attempt has thus been made to recount— 
I. The invariableness of the Laws of Nature—their blind, 
undiscriminating action, with no regard to each other ; the im- 
possibility of altering or resisting them ; and the practicability 
of adapting and guiding material things by working in accordance 
with their laws, to an extent measured by the greatness and dura- 
tion of the power of the worker. 
II. The practical success or failure of all human proceedings, 
each in exact proportion to the observance or disregard of the 
Laws of Nature that is used. 
III. The apparent infinity of Nature, 
IV. The continuous and durable order resulting from the 
Laws of Nature. 
V. Thesmall and thin surface all over the globe within which 
the conditions necessary for human and other organic life are alone 
found, the exact combination of those conditions, and their con- 
tinuance without hurtful change for thousands of years. 
