E'-ohithni iif flir Earth. 103 



of infinite time, of which the life of liunianity is hnt an 

 epocli, was then born in the mind of man ; and again tlie in- 

 tellectnal horizon of man was infinitely extended. These 

 two were the grandest ideas, and their introduction the 

 grandest epochs, in the intellectnal histoiy of man " 



When we note that all these processes of geological change 

 have tended to diversify the earth's surface,— to produce 

 variety in scenery, in climate, in vegetation, in fauna, — 

 when we see them followed by steadily increasing integra- 

 tion of structure and individuality of feature, in landscape 

 and in organic^ life, we cannot avoid the conclusion that the 

 entire ])rocess of geological change has been one; of evolution. 

 obedient to the mandates of constant and invariable natui-al 

 laws. And if we take the simplest integral product of this 

 evolutionary process — a pebble from the sea-shore, or a 

 luote of dust floating in the sun-kissed air — and trace back 

 the causes which o])erated to bring it into its present condi- 

 tion; if we follow it through the action of all the forces, 

 igneous, acjueous, atmospheric, that formed and disinte- 

 grated the primeval rock, back to the sun, whose heat set in 

 motion all these terrestial agencies; back again, to the ac- 

 tion of the cosmic forces that formed the worlds and sent 

 them spinning around their central orbs, — back still, to the 

 distant systems of worlds, which, through the action of 

 gravity, balance and sustain each other in their several 

 courses through the infinite regions of space, — then, indeed, 

 shall we realize that it takes the Infinite and Absolute fully 

 to explain the smallest things. We shall see that the Per- 

 sian aphorism but clothes the sober truth of science in poetic 

 form, when it affirms that '' Gnd viakcfh nf every <itnm of 

 the Universe a mirror, and fronteth each witlt, his perfect 

 face." 



