Year: 1874

der notice. it may be discovered that ttention
at once extensive and minute, Is paid to two great
principles or methods Of procedure. The one is
principle OF order or general plan, pattern or
type, to which every object Is made TO conform
with more or less precision. The other is the
principle OF special adaptation,' or particular
end by which each object, while constructed alter
q general model, is at the same time accommo-
dated to the situation which IL has 70 occupy and
a purpose which it Is intended to serve. These
two principles, hold are Characteristic or intelli-
gence; they must proceed from intelligence and
they are addressed to intelligence They may
both be discovered, though necessarily to a limited
extent, IN human workmanship. When circum-
stances permit man delights to construct the
utensils which are designed to fulnl
common purpose after common plan.
Indeed, If we investigate this peculiarity
more thoroughly we win find that each
particular piece OF dress article of furniture in
a country Is commonly fashioned alter some gen.
eral model so that we are able to guess its use as
soon as we cast our eyes upon it. When things
are formed or arranged on some plan taciy
agreed upon man can recognize every object at
distance by Its physiognomy and determine its ma
tnre and It's end without seeing It IN use or opera
ton. When hard necessity does not. forbid man
feels pleasure III constructing his works upon
a general plan. Human intelligence delights to
u
beauty to the eye and mind that contemplate
them. Now, If this world proceeds from inteli-
gence and If it Is intended to be contemplated Dy
Intelligence, it is surely not unreas sonable to sup
pose that there may be traces in it-1rst, OF prn.
ciples OF order; second of special adaptation or
end. Indeed, in the external world believe there
are abundant Illustrations OF both these principles
ting all the kingdoms of nature and ex-
tending even into the Kingdoms OF grace Both
will be found in


THE THEOLOGY OF NATURE


to point to the same conclusion; each furnishes
its appropriate proof OF the existence and wisdom
OF being who hath constructed every thing upon
plan anu made it at the same time to serve q
purpose. Both point to a most interesting anal
ogy between nature and revelation. hold that
every organ is adapted to special end every
organic object Is constructed after type and is
at the same time made TO accomplish Tinal cause.
The arguments and Illustrations adduced by
British writer's for the last age or two in behalf Of
the Divine existence have been taken almost en-
cusivey from the indications IN nature OF special
adaptation OF parts. Plato, In the Fourth Book Of
the Laws, makes Clinias Of Crete, in proving the
existence OF God from his works, appeal at once
to the order and beauty OF the universe and does
not regard it as at all necessary to dwell upon the
minute instances OF adaptation. He refers to the
earth, the and all the stars and to the beaut-
lul arrangement OF the seasons as evidenciug that
there is q Divine Being According to the sublime
philosophy OF Plato all things are formed according
to unalterable laws or types which remain un.
changed amid the fuX of individual Objects be-
cause they proceed from eternal ideas which had
been in or before the Divine mind from all
eternity. Even Balus the stole, says:-'When
one observes all things proceeding in an ap-
pointed order and by regulated and unchange-
no 10 ladf n,da md oprv
that there is an inhabtant in this celestial and
divine dwelling, Dur ruler regulator, ana, II
we may so speak, architect OF SO great work and
gnt.' Newton, of comparatively modern times, re-
feIring to the uniformity In the bodies OF aniuals
says that 1t must necessarily be confessed it
has been effected by intelligence and counsel. In
the order OF nature the most careless observer is
led to notice that there is beautiful regularity
running through it as a whole and through every
Individual part OF it, Ever since the time when
the philosophic spirit was first awakened, reflect
ing minds have been speculatng as to the sources
OF this


ORDER AND HARMONY OF THE UNIVERSE,


and caught AZ a very early age, glimpses OF the
truth. Aristotle ciung resolutey to the doctrine
tnat forms were as necessary as matter to the
construction OF tine world. Even the Platonizlng
jew who wrote the Book of Wisdom caught Tor
moment very clear glimpse OF the Iull truth
when he speaks OF God having arranged all
things In measure, number and weight. In these
days we speak OF all things being governed by
laws. We lay it down as a maxim that the end OF
all science is the discovery oflaw. When we speak
OF all things being arranged IN law or falling out
according TO law, we mean, as a matter Of
course, that all phenomena take place in a regu-
larly prescribed order


'.n regarding the departments ofnature we find
surprising examples OF numerical order. Thus
ten Is the typical number OF the fingers and toes Of
man. and, indeed, OF the dgits OF all vertebrate
animals. 1t Is also a curious circumstance that
in mammalia seven is the number of vertebre
IN the neck, and this whether it be long,
as in the girafe, or short, as in the
elephant whether it be flexible, as IN
the camel or firm as in the whale. In the vegeta.
bic Kingdom we find two to be the prevailing num-
ber in the lowest order OF plants viz The acrog-
enous, rowerless; thus, 2, T. s, Ie SO, o., &C..
are the Dumoer OF teeth in the mouth OF the cap
sule In MOSES. Three or mutiples OF three in
the next class OF plants, viz. The mOnoCotyle-
donous or endogenous; and ave, with It's multi
pes IS the prevailing number in the highest class,
vA.:-The dctyledonous or exogenous plants


Independent of the number there is an order In
nature in respect TO time. The stars. the planets
and even the comets, from the earliest ages, have
been seen to perform their revolutions in certain
fixed times. Some Of them, however, seem to de-
part from this rule only to exemplity it more strlk.
lngly; for their Irregularities which are perodi-
cal, are as merhodcai as their more Uniform move.
ments. Even in the changes Of the earth's sur
face and In the succession of plants and animals,
disclosed by geological science, there have been


REGULAR EPOCHs.


Nay, the variations OF magnetism on the earth's
surface are also periodical. There is a beautiful
progression as shown by the science OF embryology
in the growth OF the yonng animal in the womb,
and the whole life OF every living creature for
allotted period. The plants OF the earth have
their regular seasons for springng up. for coming
to maturity anu bringing lowers and seeds, nile
il this general order is intcrfered with from any
cause the plant at once becomes incapable OF ful.
tilling its functions. hyacinth prematurely
fastened into hover for one season. the next year