NATURAL THEOLOGY. 179 



art. Whoever should refuse his conviction must be 

 incapable, it should seem, of trusting to any conclu- 

 sion in any case. The subject has not been pursued 

 from any apprehension that you need to be confirmed 

 in the belief of a Creator ; but for the sake of im- 

 pression ; of multiplying the views which may lead 

 you to think of God ; and for the purpose of supply- 

 ing further opportunity of devout sentiment and medi- 

 tation. 



It would now be proper to turn our attention to the 

 intellectual and moral faculties. The Natural The- 

 ology of the Mind, you may w T ell suppose, cannot be 

 less replete with the indications of a wise and benefi- 

 cent Author than the physical structure. But this 

 must be reserved for another opportunity. There is 

 one connected subject, that of instincts, which may 

 be mentioned. 



INSTINCTS 



A. We behold the instinct of animals admirably 

 adapted to their different wants. In the bird, it is 

 a peculiar sagacity for building a nest, in the spider, 

 for spinning a web, in the bee, for forming a [honey 

 comb. The instinct is adapted to the nature of the 

 animal. Were they to exchange their instincts, it 

 would be fatal to them. The bird could not sit up- 

 on a web, or live in a honey comb. We have only to 

 consider the innumerable species of animals — and 



