28o SCIENCE AND IMMORTALITY 



constructed of the atoms a God in whom there is 

 no variableness, neither shadow of turning. It has 

 destroyed the gods of fear, but has revealed the 

 God of Law — a God who promises and fulfils ; 

 who says do this, and I shall do that ; who says 

 that what a man sows that shall he also reap ; who 

 says " sow tares and ye shall reap them, sow flesh 

 and ye shall reap corruption." This is the God of 

 Science : a God who hears no prayer but labour, 

 and whose answer to prayer is the reward of labour 

 according to His laws — a God whose words are 

 deeds, and whose deeds are not capricious, but as 

 coherent as a star. God's past deeds say that a 

 certain comet will return at a certain time. It 

 flashes out millions of miles into the invisible ; 

 generations live and die as it speeds its way through 

 space. But in God's own time it will return. 



In 1682 the astronomer Halley saw a comet, 

 and from the laws of the deeds of God he learned 

 that it would return in 1758. It was a long con- 

 tract to make with law, and before his prophecy 

 was fulfilled Halley died ; but the promises of God 

 are always kept, and on Christmas Day 1758 the 

 comet duly appeared. Through similar faith in 

 the truth of God's deeds, we know that the same 

 comet is returning even as I write, and may flash 

 into view at any moment ; through similar faith 

 we know that Venus will make a transit across the 



