THE WONDEES OF THE SHORE. 87 



me," and "Behold, I work a new thing on the 

 earth," is revealed no less by nature than by 

 Scripture ; the changeableness, not of caprice or 

 imperfection, but of an Infinite Maker and "Poie- 

 tes," drawing ever fresh forms out of the inex- 

 haustible treasury of the primeval mind ; and yet never 

 throwing away a conception to which He has once 

 given actual birth in time and space, (but to com- 

 pare reverently small things and great) lovingly 

 repeating it, reapplying it ; producing the same 

 effects by endlessly different methods ; or so deli- 

 cately modifying the method that, as by the turn 

 of a hair, it shall produce endlessly diverse effects ; 

 looking back, as it weve, ever and anon over the 

 great work of all the ages, to retouch it, and fill 

 up each chasm in the scheme, which for some 

 good purpose had been left open in earlier worlds ; 

 or leaving some open (the forms, for instance, neces- 

 sary to connect the bimana and the quadrumana) 

 to be filled up perhaps hereafter w^hen the world 

 needs them ; the handiw^ork, in short, of a living 

 and loving IVIiND, perfect in His own eternity, 



