Page:TheYoungMansGuide.djvu/31

 forces at  work  within  it,  by  means  of  which the entire  universe  came  into  being.

The good  gentlemen  will  thus  find  them selves driven  into  a  very  tight  corner,  and  in order  to  get  out  of  the  dilemma  they  will  be compelled  to  retreat  to  a  certain  extent  from the position  in  which  they  have  entrenched themselves, and  say:  "If  you  persist  in  having a  God,  you  may  give  the  name  of  God  to this  primary  matter. "  But  this  will  not  help to settle  the  question,  for  to  have  such  a  God as this  is  tantamount  to  having  no  God  at  all.

5. Look  forth  on  some  clear  and  beautiful night in  autumn,  and  contemplate  the  star-bespangled  sky;  see  how  the  innumerable heavenly bodies  have  all  their  appointed  orbits, so  that  none  of  them  interfere  with  the others. Examine, moreover,  the  animal  and vegetable kingdoms,  and  see  how  everything suits its  purpose! Even the  smallest  plant is formed  in  its  every  detail  with  the  most perfect exactitude. And every  little  creature, down to  the  insect  which  crawls  in  the  dust at our  feet,  is  so  made  as  best  to  fulfil  the object for  which  it  was  created. "What a piece  of  work  is  a  man! "  exclaims  Hamlet; " how  noble  in  reason!  how  infinite  in  faculty!  in  form  and  moving  how  express  and admirable!  in  action  how  like  an  angel!  in apprehension  how  like  a  god  ! "  Thus,  wherever we  look  around  us  in  the  immense,  the boundless universe,  we  everywhere  perceive object, design,  and  order.