PERFECTIONS OF GOD. 161 



What, by the multitudes of living things which the 

 great sea contains ? It is enough for us to know 

 that they exist, and that in wisdom they were 

 created ; and let us never forget that the counsel of 

 God is beyond our finite comprehension. " Behold, 

 thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy 

 great power and stretched-out arm, and there is 

 nothing too hard for thee." So said one who had 

 well considered the ways of God ; but he who 

 talks of matter spontaneously assuming vitality and 

 definite organs, a specific form and texture, though 

 he may by subterfuge ingeniously endeavour to extri- 

 cate himself from the dilemma, virtually denies the 

 necessity of a great, eternal, all-powerful Creator, 

 by whom and in whom all things exist, and without 

 whom " was not any thing made that was made." 



If, in these observations, we have demonstrated 

 something of the power of God, as displayed in the 

 existence of beings little considered by persons in 

 general, and involving much both wonderful and 

 interesting ; and if we have said anything, which, 

 while it throws light, though but obscure, on the 

 circumstances in which they present themselves to 

 our notice, tends to convince the reader that the theory 

 of equivocal or spontaneous generation is a base- 

 less fabric, notwithstanding some philosophers are 

 labouring to establish it, our object is accomplished. 



There is a kindred theory, revived in a recent 

 work, which has had a large circulation a theory 

 to which it will be well now to advert. It is 



