68 Natural Theology. 



this lower life involve perhaps as perfect and strik 

 ing correspondence between the organs of the body 

 and the inanimate world, as has been seen in con- 

 nection with the senses. It has long been the cus- 

 tom of natural theologians to trace out the mecha- 

 nism of the organs of the body which certainly show 

 design ; but we propose to direct attention rather 

 to the same sort of correspondence between the 

 body and the world, which has already been shown 

 when treating of the senses. So long as we confine 

 our attention to the minute structure of the body, 

 the Creator is represented rather as a cunning artif- 

 icer. But when we consider the relations of the 

 body to the world, we are impressed more with the 

 wisdom and benevolence of the Great Architect, and 

 we thus gain fuller revelations of His character. 

 The investigation requires thought and patience, 

 but in the scheme we have marked out we cannot 

 omit it. It makes but little difference what relation 

 of the body we consider first. For convenience, we 

 will take one that is most constant. We must 

 breathe. The oxygen of the air is the great chemi- 

 cal agent to aid in giving heat, and that constant 

 change of material in the body by which strength 

 and even life itself are secured. It is a constant 

 want ; and to make the world inhabitable, it must be 

 everywhere. Water and food may be taken at 

 stated intervals, but the air must be ever present. 

 We walk in an ocean of it. In deepest caverns, on 

 highest mountains, on every foot of the earth, we 

 are sure to find air, and always of the same composi- 



