POLYPES. 187 



build up in the fluctuating ocean, not merely in- 

 significant islets, but whole groups of islands 

 and extensive ridges, I had almost said conti- 

 nents, is still more worthy of admiration but far 

 beyond and above this, that Creative Wisdom 

 should so order all other circumstances connected 

 with this procedure ; as, for instance, the action 

 of the waves and winds upon this nascent little 

 world, and that when the animal has built up to 

 that point which its nature, for it cannot exist 

 out of the water, enables it to attain, should take 

 up the wonderful work, and by other means 

 complete his design, give the structure its due 

 elevation, furnish it with fountains and streams, 

 cover it with a soil capable of affording nutriment 

 to plants and trees, yielding a supply of food to 

 some portion of the animal kingdom, and finally 

 to man himself how strikingly does this whole 

 concatenation of dependent circumstances de- 

 monstrate the adaptation of means to an end, by 

 an infinite mind ! What a number of calcula- 

 tions must be made, what a number of circum- 

 stances taken into consideration, what a number 

 of contingences provided against, what a number 

 of conflicting elements made to harmonize and 

 subserve to the promotion of a common purpose, 

 which could only have taken place by the inter- 

 vention and constant guidance of an unseen 

 Being, causing all things so to concur, as to 

 bring about and establish what he designs ! 



N 6 



