DEATH AND RESURRECTION. 105 



The processes of decay, on the con- 

 trary, proceed in the entirely opposite 

 direction. 



Through them nothing is formed but 

 compounds poorer in energy than be- 

 fore. In decaying, the products of com- 

 bustion absorb, if possible, more oxy- 

 gen, become more burnt or oxidized, so 

 that this whole process may be called 

 an after-burning, a more thorough com- 

 bustion of the remnants from the first 

 general world-fire. 



The spontaneous activity of nature's 

 forces, then, go in a direction just op- 

 posite to the one necessary for the pro- 

 duction of organic substances. And 

 anything else was not to be expected. 

 The products of combustion resemble 

 fallen weights, slack bow-strings, water 

 below the fall, etc., whereas combusti- 

 ble organic matter might be compared 

 to lifted weights, set bow-strings, water 

 above the fall, etc. If matter has once 

 fallen from a higher to a lower level of 

 energy it can never spontaneously re- 

 turn, especially as it has just lost the 



