166 RAMBLES AND REVERIES. 



Natnre, and finding nothing but a " fortuitous con- 

 course of atoms," or the " survival of the fittest " 

 out of an indeterminate number of possible worlds ; 

 while they imagine that they are establishing their 

 superiority of intellect when pouring contempt on 

 the venerable belief that " the Lord by wisdom 

 hath founded the earth ; by understanding hath He 

 established the heavens." What though you cannot 

 find Him, does that demonstrate that He does not 

 exist ? Have you been everywhere in search of 

 Him ? Have you taken " the wings of the morning " 

 and scoured infinite space ? Have you descen led 

 into the lower parts of the earth and explored all 

 her glittering mines ? Have you soared into the 

 sky and questioned all the stars ? In some far-off 

 region whither you cannot go, He may sit enthroned 

 in light. In some subtle form which you, with 

 glimmering intelligence and imperfect instruments, 

 are unable to detect, He may exist. Neither in 

 the ponderous masses that cross the field of your 

 telescope, nor in the tiny specks that you place 

 under your microscope, may you expect to behold 

 any ethereal essence which may be called God ; but 

 yet there are such traces of vast power and wisdom 

 in all directions, in the minutest diatom or protozoon 

 as well as in the most stupendous starry constella- 

 tion, that only the obstinately prejudiced or the 

 incredibly foolish can go on repeating : " There is 

 no God." 



Our faith may be treated with polished scorn, our 

 opinions may be called narrow or benighted, our 

 arguments may be regarded as weak and limping ; 



