OF THE CREATOR. 209 



sages ; almost all those which I have already adduced, 

 have this bearing ; but in addition to them there are 

 the teachings of the Lord Jesus, which on Several 

 occasions pointed in the same direction. Would He 

 inculcate a confident trust in our Heavenly Father for 

 the supply of needed food ? He enforces it by these 

 words :^ — "Behold the fowls of the air, for they sow not, 

 neither do they reap, nor gather into barns ; yet your 

 Heavenly Father feedeth them" (Matthew vi. 26). 

 Are we tempted to be anxious for raiment ? The 

 beauteous array of the lilies of the field reads us a 

 homily of the Divine care over them, and therefore a 

 fortiori over us. fverse 30. J Would our gracious 

 Master guard us against "the fear of man which 

 bringeth a snare ?" He sends us to the sparrows, and 

 tells us that " not one of them shall fall to the ground 

 without our Father" (Matt. x. 29). 



This then is one important use to be made of the 

 study of natural science ; it brings us, in some sense, 

 into the presence of God ; or rather it gives us cog- 

 nizance of Him, and reveals to us some of his essen- 

 tial attributes. But here natural theology stops. 

 Beyond this point it cannot go a single step as a 

 guide; though, as a companion, it may still accompany 

 us under the tutelage of another directory. This 

 might have sufficed us if we had stood in Adam's 

 position of unsinning innocence ; we might have 

 come to God with our offering of praise gathered from 

 our consideration of his works, and have been accepted. 

 But to come to Him now, with such a tribute and 

 nothing else, is to offer Cain's offering ; to plead not 

 guilty to the charge brought against us in the court 



