94 ' FRAGMENTS OF SCIENCE. 



ancient writer says, 'And God saw all that he had 

 made, and behold it was very good.' It is the body of 

 things thus described which science offers to the study 

 of man. There is a very renowned argument much 

 prized and much quoted by theologians, in which the 

 universe is compared to a watch. Let us deal prac- 

 tically with this comparison. Supposing a watch- 

 maker, having completed his instrument, to be so 

 satisfied with his work as to call it very good, what 

 would you understand him to mean ? You would not 

 suppose that he referred to the dial-plate in front and 

 the chasing of the case behind, so much as to the wheels 

 and pinions, the springs and jewelled pivots of the 

 works within to those qualities and powers, in short, 

 which enable the watch to perform its work as a keeper 

 of time. With regard to the knowledge of such a watch 

 he would be a mere ignoramus who would content 

 himself with outward inspection. I do not wish to say 

 one severe word here to-day, but I fear that many of 

 those who are very loud in their praise of the works of 

 the Lord know them only in this outside and superficial 

 way. It is the inner works of the universe which 

 science reverently uncovers ; it is the study of these 

 that she recommends as a discipline worthy of all 

 acceptation. 



The ultimate problem of physics is to reduce 

 matter by analysis to its lowest condition of divisibility, 

 and force to its simplest manifestations, and then by 

 synthesis to construct from these elements the world as 

 it stands. We are still a long way from the final solu- 

 tion of this problem ; and when the solution comes, it 

 will be more one of spiritual insight than of actual 

 observation. But though we are still a long way from 

 this complete intellectual mastery of nature, we have 

 conquered vast regions of it, have learned their polities 



