SOME GENERAL CONCLUSIONS 289 



It is important that general truths of this kind, 

 impressed upon us by our descent to the ascer- 

 tained beginnings of life, should be generally known, 

 as counteractive to the confident statements so 

 frequently put forth by enthusiastic speculators and 

 caterers of sensational popular science. In point 

 of fact, we still occupy the position so long ago 

 defined by the Apostle Paul, that " God's invisible 

 things from the creation of the world are clearly 

 seen, being understood by the things that are made, 

 even His eternal power and divinity ; " and the 

 rational student of nature must still be a pupil in 

 the school of the Almighty Maker of all things. 



Realizing this, we can learn something both as 

 to the dignity and the humility of our own posi- 

 tion. On the one hand we perceive that, in the 

 whole chain of life, man is the only being in the 

 likeness of the Maker, fitted to be His deputy in 

 the world, to understand His great work, and to be 

 the heir of the whole. To man alone He has pro- 

 claimed, " I have said ye are gods, and all of you 

 children of the Most High." To man alone has 

 He given that " inspiration of the Almighty " which 

 makes Him the interpreter of nature. On the other 

 hand, when we consider the long extent in time of 



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