246 The Bible of Nature 



Conclusion. — We have given to these studies, 

 which must in the meantime end, a large title — 

 *'The Bible of Nature" — intending to suggest that 

 Nature is a book we can read and ought to read, 

 a book from which we may learn much that con- 

 cerns our mortal well-being. In fact, as Goethe 

 said, Nature is the only book with a great lesson 

 on every page. It will be evident, however, that 

 we have hardly done more than touch on one aspect 

 of Nature, namely, its history or Genesis. These 

 studies must, therefore, be regarded simply as the 

 first book of the "Bible of Nature." It should 

 be followed up by other books, such as the book 

 of the Law, the book of Psalms, and the book of 

 Wisdom 1 



After our preliminary outlook of wonder — at 

 Nature's immensity and magnificent abundance 

 of power, her manifoldness, intricacy, and beauty, 

 we considered the history of the earth as a cooling 

 planet, the advent of life, the evolution of animals, 

 and the ascent of Man. It has all been a story of 

 genesis. Have we read this so that to the con- 

 cept of an order established from everlasting there 

 has been added the concept of progress, and to 

 that the concept of an evolution which suggests 

 purpose? Have we told the story so as to sug- 

 gest, as one of our foremost investigators has said, 

 that **men of Science seek, in all reverence, to 

 discover the Almighty, the Everlasting. They 



