104 DEATH AND RESURRECTION. 



own internal heat, and the other the 

 sun, and we must therefore consider if 

 either of these, or both together could 

 produce combustible organic substance. 



In regard first to the earth's internal 

 heat w^e might immediately eliminate 

 this source of energy, as it has no 

 direct connection whatever with the 

 origin of organic matter, an assertion 

 so commonly agreed upon that we need 

 not dwell further upon it. 



Infinitely more important is the sun, 

 which has been and is the cause of 

 most of the changes taking place on 

 the earth's surface after its cooling off. 

 The sun causes the circulation of the 

 air and water and thereby the whole 

 series of disintegration and decay, the 

 history of which is written with indeli- 

 ble letters in our geological sediments 

 and formations. These formations tell 

 us that new oceans and continents, new 

 minerals and rocks have successively 

 been formed, but nowhere that organic 

 substances were ever built up spon- 

 taneously under the sun's influence. 



