IOWA ORNITHOLOGIST. 



21 



the Creator has supplied the 

 strongest incentive to progress, 

 and the most impressive proof of 

 His wisdom. The discovery of 

 what was concealed has a stimu- 

 lating and elevating effect upon 

 the. mind. It is no extravagance, 

 therefore, to say that it would 

 have been a great misfortune to 

 the race had the secrets of na- 

 ture which science has thus far 

 disclosed, been make plain to 

 men at first. It was better that 

 the world should do without the 

 knowledge of them until by 

 study, by research and experi- 

 ment, it should discover them, 

 than that it should have had the 

 benefit of them without the stim- 

 ulus and discipline to be gained 

 only in the search, just as it is 

 better that people should have to 

 work for their bread than that 

 they should get it without work. 

 In like manner it is better that 

 we get our scientific knowledge 

 by toil and search than to be put 

 in easy possession of it. Hence 

 we can see that in this respect 

 Goc's glory is most manifest in 

 this method of partial conceal- 

 nient, because God is glorified by 

 every means which promotes the 

 true well-being and growth of 

 mankind. Moreover, the conceal- 

 ment which stimulates study and 

 discovery makes nature appear 

 far more impressive to us than it 



otherwise would. We have only 

 learned enough of nature's secrets 

 to see how wonderful God's work 

 in nature is. That which has 

 been revealed serves to inspire us 

 with greater awe in the presence 

 of what is still veiled in mystery. 

 As when we stand on the sea 

 shore, the expanse of water that 

 the eye can see, makes more im- 

 pressive the thought of miles and 

 miles of ocean that stretch far 

 beyond our sight, as the little of 

 nature which we have found out 

 makes us feel that we have be- 

 gun to read the divine thoughts, 

 and how wonderful beyond our 

 present conception must they be? 

 If by analogy we apply the 

 same principle to the providence 

 of God, we cannot doubt that He 

 is intending yet to show us sur- 

 prising evidences of His wisdom 

 in the present concealment of 

 His ways and purposes Since 

 the mystery of nature has not 

 proved to be our misfortune, we 

 may well believe that there lies 

 in the concealments of providence 

 a range of blessings as much 

 higher than the benefits of study 

 and discovery in science as the 

 realm of science is higher than 

 that of matter. Is it not accord- 

 ing to analogy, is it not accord- 

 ing to experience, to hold that 

 we rise by discipline, by effort, 

 by gradually pressing our way 

 into higher ranges of truth; and 

 by the training of capacity for 

 fuller revelation.^ If so, then we 

 shall yet see all God's wisdom 

 in the concealments of His prov- 

 idence. — Selected. 



