489 
THE HARMONY OF CREATION. 
BY S. C. GRIFFITH, M.D. 
HEN the casual observer looks above on a starlight 
night and scans those shining orbs which stud the 
heavens, and sees resplendent globes rolling in silent 
majesty and in accustomed courses through the measure- 
less abyss of space, he cannot fail to be deeply struck by 
the magnificence of the scene. When the thoughtful stu- 
dent of nature studies the laws by which these celestial 
bodies are balanced, and finds that by certain immutable 
decrees a neverfailing revolution is maintained, everlasting 
so far as man himself is concerned, and that no interference 
or collision occur in their orbits, the conviction is forced 
upon his mind that such laws must emanate from an all 
wise and Omnipotent Lawgiver. When the philosopher 
withdraws his attention from such grand objects, and dives 
into the recesses of the earth, and there discovers plan, 
purpose, and design stamped on all around him, and ob- 
serves that minute bodies are ruled by laws as wonderful 
as those which govern the motions of stupendous globes, 
he feels sentiments akin to awe and emotion which can 
be calmed only by the knowledge that other laws are sup- 
plied by the same great Creator; and that as obedience to 
the laws of instinct provided for the whole animal creation 
is rewarded as a natural consequence by an animal hap- 
piness, in like manner a fulfilment by man of the moral 
law and law of revelation, which is supplied for him alone, 
brings also its happiness as a natural result. 
There are laws which rule inorganic matter, the motion 
and balance of the heavenly bodies, geological phenomena, 
winds and tides, &c. There are also those which govern 
organic matter and bring about changes and combinations 
which produce vegetable and animal life, and regulate 
growth and decay. There are laws which govern instinct 
and intelligence—faculties perfectly distinct in their nature. 
The former guiding all animals, from the lowest to the 
highest, and the latter being confined to the higher animals, 
including man himself. Lastly, there are certain laws which 
govern the moral world, and of which man can be the sole 
example. The natural subservience of man to these moral 
laws is sufficient of itself to distinguish him from all other 
creatures. Here is a distinct line of demarcation between 
him and the brute. 
