1 8 Natural Theology. 



that man should measure the heavens and compre- 

 hend the dust of the earth, read its past history in 

 the rocks and predict the coming changes in this 

 physical universe, and yet so far ignore himself as 

 to forget to ask how he came upon this earth, and 

 for what purpose he is here. We see a vast chain 

 of being stretching below us, but no race above us. 

 Are we then the highest order of beings in the 

 universe, or are there other orders to whom we sus- 

 tain relations, and by whom we may be affected for 

 good or for evil ? We know that our course on 

 earth will soon be run. Is this our only theatre of 

 action ; or is there another yet to come, independent 

 ol this, or having some relation to it ? This is the 

 great question that must force itself upon the 

 thoughts of every civilized man. An attempt to 

 give an answer involves the consideration of all 

 those subjects, which give us the great outlines of 

 Natural Theology and of Natural Religion. Among 

 these subjects thus presented for our study, we 

 find the being and character of God the origin 

 and final destiny of man his relations to God and 

 the duties growing out of those relations. All 

 observation shows that before man becomes civil- 

 ized, he is under the power of a superstition that 

 takes the place of rational belief in reference to all 

 these subjects. This superstition may retain its 

 hold long upon the mind even in the midst of civil- 

 ization, and may be joined with some of its highest 

 manifestations in literature and art. The first burst- 

 ing away from that superstition is often to infidelity 



