/o Natural Theology. 



perfect before the circulation of the blood was known 

 to man as it is now ! He may learn how not to 

 interfere with this work of nature, but no contri- 

 vance of his can supersede or even change it. 



The body must be nourished. Made of the dust 

 of the earth, it must have the power of gathering 

 up that dust, and of moulding it into bone and 

 sinew and nerve. This is the problem before us. 

 To do this directly the body has no power. The 

 vegetable kingdom is the channel through which 

 the elements are made available for our use. The 

 corn and the fruits are so much soil, or so much air 

 moulded and flavored to delight us, while they pass 

 into the very tissues of our bodies and become a 

 part of them. We need not speak now of ; the com- 

 plex machinery nor the mysterious chemistry by 

 which the transformations are produced ; but the 

 course by which the nerve and muscle of the arm, 

 or the delicate materials of the eye, came from 

 the dark cold earth into their present living forms, 

 we know as well as though we could with the eye 

 trace each particle in its complete circuit. The 

 sunl^jht and the showers bring up the precious 

 fruits. The stomach of man is adapted to the fruits 

 which the earth produces. They are adapted to 

 give him life and enjoyment. 



Other adaptations are of importance, though less 

 marked. Sleep has an obvious relation to the revo- 

 lution of the earth ; our strength to the attraction 

 of the earth ; our power of endurance to its temper- 

 ature. While other animals are fitted by their 



