254 RELIGIOUS VIEWS. 



mind ; and that such an impression, and no other, 

 is consistent with the wisest views and most com- 

 prehensive aspects of nature and of philosophy, 

 which our Natural Philosophy opens to us. This 

 will be the purpose of the latter part of the 

 present book. In the first place we shall proceed 

 with the object first mentioned, the connexion 

 which may be perceived between the evidences 

 of creative power, and of moral government, in 

 the world. 



CHAPTER I. 



The Creator of the Physical World is the 

 Governor of the Moral World. 



WITH our views of the moral government of the 

 world and the religious interests of man, the 

 study of material nature is not and cannot be 

 directly and closely connected. But it may be 

 of some service to trace in these two lines of 

 reasoning, seemingly so remote, a manifest con- 

 vergence to the same point, a demonstrable 

 unity of result. It may be useful to show that 

 we are thus led, not to two riders of the universe, 

 but to one God ; to make it appear that the 

 Creator and Preserver of the world is also the 

 Governor and Judge of men ; that the Author 

 of the Laws of Nature is also the Author of the 



