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tions; not a relation of subsequent to antecedent 
effect, but of the ultimate object of intellect, of con- 
sciousness or mind itself to the great Cause of causes, 
necessarily antecedent to all known antecedents, be- 
fore and above all comprehensible existence, eternal, 
infinite. 
This relation of mind to the great Author of all 
being, is a relation of an appointed active agent to 
the source of life and of intellectual activity. The 
relations of parts to parts of all organizations, of 
all organized beings to each other, of all known 
compounds to their elementary components, tend to 
dissolution; but the relation of life to the source of 
life, of intellect to the living source of all intelli- 
gence, to the Eternal, the Infinite, is one of which 
the contemplation elevates the soul to its most ex- 
alted state of rapture. It points out an hereafter ; 
it intimates eternity to man. 
Satisfied with the conviction that the whole of 
the organized universe is the effect of power im- 
mense beyond the scope of comprehension or ima- 
gination, above the scan of human judgment, we 
may rest in humble faith and trust that the Power 
which has wrought so widely and so wisely, and has 
ordained such vast diversity of good throughout his 
works, has consistently with such power and such 
wisdom permitted the existence of evil, although we 
may not be able to trace, with our limited facul- 
ties, the ultimate purposes of his illimitable ordi- 
nance. 
Thus far we may reason securely on physical re- 
