304 Natural Theology. 



lieve, that a knowledge of chemistry and the physi- 

 cal forces of matter will guide us as safely here, as 

 the remains of animals and plants do in unfolding 

 the later history of the globe. 



" hi tJie beginning God created tJie Jicavens and tJie 

 earth;" a grand, sublime announcement which 

 is borne out by the evidence of wisdom and skill in 

 all organic beings, in the structure of the globe and 

 the constitution of matter itself. It is the very sen- 

 tence we should select to embody the results of all 

 the investigations presented in this series of lec- 

 tures. 



But the writer does not leave the account here. 

 The omnipotent God of the Jews might well be re- 

 presented as speaking the world into existence in a 

 moment. But instead of this, the lapse of time, 

 the succession of days and progress in creation 

 from lower to higher forms of life, are all asserted. 

 Changes are described as occurring before life was 

 introduced, and then life rises to higher and higher 

 forms till man appears. And to this all science 

 agrees. It is not to this grand outline that objection 

 is made, but to specific things, which we will notice 

 in their proper place. 



The second verse describes the earliest condition 

 of the earth. 



" And the earth was without form and void, and 

 darkness was upon the face of the deep!' 



It seems as though every chemist must believe 

 that there was a time when the materials of our 

 earth, and probably of the solar system, floated in 



