DESIGN IN NATURE 299 



The savage, judging from his low standpoint of 

 knowledge, would probably decide that most things 

 in the world are useless, many of which the civilized 

 man has found to be of the greatest use. 



Our adverse judgments of to-day against nature 

 may be reversed by future generations. Because we 

 do not understand the importance of certain things 

 now, it is no evidence that they are useless. If we 

 had lived in the Carboniferous Age, when the coal 

 was being formed, we might have thought its forma- 

 tion a useless waste of vegetation ; or if we had lived 

 in the Silurian Age, we would have thought that the 

 earth as a place for man was a failure, and that it 

 would always remain a failure. 



It has required whole geological ages to reveal some 

 of the [purposes of the Creator, and, doubtless, the 

 process of revelation, made possible by the progress 

 of man, will continue for ages to come. 



The wisdom and purposes of the Creator in the 

 things created are unfolded as rapidly as man is pre- 

 pared to receive them. It is, doubtless, not the lack 

 of perfection in the things created, but man's'lack of 

 ability, that causes the seeming discord. 



With regard to man, it might seem that it would 

 have been better for him if the world had been 

 made so that it would require less effort on his part, 

 and yet we do not know that this is true. The 

 countless difficulties with which he must contend 

 develop his physical and intellectual powers, and 

 enable him to rise higher. 



If the physical blessings of life were all given to 

 him without any effort on his part, there would be 

 little incentive to progress. We know that man is 

 made happiest, wisest and best by engaging in neces- 

 sary employments. The fact that blessings are made 



