Curiosities of Heat

of study, yet they could not tell what that course was to be. They had tried to think of something definite about it, but could fix their minds upon nothing. In fact, the wh

Spirit to be the best guide in understanding the works as well as the word of God. He felt that his prayer had been heard and answered. He was prepared, therefore, to speak with the force of clear understanding and p

s the preface or introduction to the lessons which will follow. I shall try to make plain some general principles which we must keep in mind, whatever department of God's works we shall attempt to examine. I wish you to feel entirely f

the outward world-the earth, the hills, the rivers, the trees, everything which we see and hear and feel-but not on account of proof. Here and there a strange man is found who professes to disbelieve the real existence of all material things, but he disbelieves not for want of proof. Men believe that their sight and hearing and touch do not deceive them, but their confidence in them

and spiritual nature. Do not misunderstand me. I do not say that good evidence cannot be brought to prove to one's reason the existence of God, but God has not left his existence to be proved: he has revealed himself to men's consciences and to their faith; and those in whom conscience and faith are well developed, sound, and right do not need an elaborate argument to prove the divine existence. I shall simply try to show that the works of creation exhib

hich might be filled with water. Across each tank was a heavy shaft carrying a drum set with steel blades, and as the drum revolved these blades passed other blades in the bottom of the tank, cutting whatever came between like scissors. In a fourth room were certain long and complicated machines. Each machine was composed mostly of rollers. There

"without knowing what kind of wo

we must understand the purpose, or object, which the inventor had in view; we must understand the work to be accomplished, and also the difficulties to be overcome. An ordinary locomotive steam-engine is admirably fitted to run on iron rails, but he would be a foolish man who should purc

wisdom and goodness of God in creating and governing this world

ll shapelessness of the cold earth upon which it grows, and never lift their eyes above the horizon, then all the beauty of earth and sky would be useless; there would be no wisdom or goodness in the creation of this beauty. There would

inland cities I once saw a large and elegant building, whether a private dwelling or a public institution I could not at first tell. It stood high an

h must please the most cultivated eye; a school-room is provided with all needed apparatus for the most thorough instruction. 'Surely,' says the visitor, 'the founder of this institution must have been both wise and good. He must have loved the young in order to study and supply all their needs so completely.' But some things strike the visitor painfully. The windows are grated with iron, and some of the rooms are almost like prison cells. 'Can it be possible,' he thinks within himself, 'that the young need to be confined by a stockade in so pleasant a place and shut in by grates of iron for the enjoyment of such advantages?' The master as he teaches his pupils seems as kind and gentle as a mother, yet there is a firmness and authority in his tones and a rigidity in his training, as if his government were kept braced against a mutinous spirit. The means of punishment also are provided, and, when

beauty, and the kind loving care, is manifest. It is a place unsuited to a family of obedient children, and equally unsuitable as a place of confineme

eation and government of this world, we must understand the use for which the

principle. I think even Mr. Hume could find no fault with that. But

ll us what seems to you to be that object? Young people somet

said that God designed to show how perfect and good and beautiful a world he could ma

le says that 'God saw everything that he

es not the Bible say that 'God crea

derstand to be the meaning of the words you quoted from the last verse of the first ch

turer last winter said that if men could entirely destroy any one of the most troublesome species of insects, their destruction would be a great loss to the world,

hat the least possible change in the world would be injurious, if not destructive, to the interests of man, and that the most troubl

ght to believe it. It has seemed to me to be dishonoring G

the object which he had in view in making it. But not a few skeptics deny the existence of a good, wise, righteous Creator and Governor, because they have a wrong idea of the end for which the world was created, and, consequently, a wrong i

been brought up to their present state of excellence by gre

former badness. Again, do we not improve upon Nature by drainage and improve upon the climate by irrigation?-in fac

at is true,

t of that befor

d that a thousand troublesome things besides sin-loathsome sights, discordant and j

ngs besides those which sin has brought into the world will not be found in heaven. I

created, but we need not look upon it as designed for a specimen of the mos

God created all things for his own glory. Does it not mean that he made the wo

led by my name,' the Lord says, 'I have created him for my glory.' In Prov. xvi. 4 it is written, 'The Lord hath made all things for himself; yea, even the wicked for the day of evil;' and the four and twenty elders fell before the throne of God saying: 'Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are'-t

t from the idea of glory among ambitious men. God glorified himself in the creation of the physical world, because from that creation his wisdom, power, and goodness are manifest. He glorified himself in the creation of angels and men, because they were created in the image of God and are finite pictures, so to speak, of the infinite Creator-a revelation of his spiritual being and personality. He glorifies himself in his government of the

"that we understand what you

gest the answer. Does the world seem as if fitt

ut it seems to me that many things in this world would give p

hings in this world would bring them distress. But does it seem reasonable that the wo

than disobey God. Surely, God does not punish such men. And many beautiful and pleasant thing

ns, I will give you the conclusions to which my study upon this sub

he air, and every living thing that moveth upon the earth.' I conclude also that God did not prepare this world as a prison-house and place of punishment for rebels against his government. Too many pleasant things abound for me to believe that. The pleasant breezy air, the glorious sunlight, the refreshing showers, the treasures of mineral wealth stored up in the earth, the fertile land and golden wheat, the beauty spread over all nature, the sweet consciousness of existence, so that just to live and act is joy, and the comfort and hope of immortal pleasure enjoyed by truly Christian men,-all these things, and many more, assure me that not the subtle shrewdness of a tormentor nor the unmingled justice of an inexorable judge, but the heart of a kind and loving Father, planned our earthly dwelling-place. You said, Samuel,

nated ones he holds under discipline and chastisement, in order to keep their wickedness in check, to recover them from their sins, and train them up in virtue and holiness, or to remove from t

indeed, yet loved; sinful, but objects of divine compassion; deserving of righteous wrath, but the recipients of the offers of salvation through Christ. Even penitent believers in Christ and devoted servants of God are not free from evil propensities, but need to be kept under co

main that this physical world is unfitted to be the dwelling-place of sinless beings. The constitution of the world would bring upon them pains and evils which would seem a most unworthy heritage for loving and obedient children of our heavenly Father. Let sin be taken away, and wearisome toil in subduing the earth would remain. The soil of the earth is hard and clogged with stones, and clammy with stagnant waters, and sown well with the seeds of noxious weeds, and overgrown with thorns and thistles. Endless watchfulness and toil

whole tide of civilization goes on by the health-destroying servitude of men, buried alive as it were in the dark bosom of the earth. Would that seem to be a fitting employment for the sinless children of the all-loving Father? Employés in many kinds of manufacture slowly sink under the accumulated evils of daily toil, and no means of making their employments healthful have been discovered. The friction-match, which has become so nearly a necessity, is made by a process so destructive to health that only a certain class of laborers can be prevailed upon to do the work. I might go on to speak of other painful circumstances in which men find themselves by the almost antagonistic attitude of Nature. But if we reject these dangerous processes of manufacture and art, we g

malignant fever, and bring him to the shades of death, and every form of accident crouches in ambush, ready to spring upon his victim unawares and tear him limb from limb? We cannot see that the absence of sin would dissipate this liability to disease and the danger of accidents. Nay, this liability and danger are written upon the very constitution of the human body. The finger of God has engraved it upon every muscle and bone and life-cell. The Creator gave the body that wonderf

or the hurricane and the cyclone upon the sea? Who should stand sentinel against the unseen poison borne upon the wings of the wind? What power should save him from the bursting of the volcano and the jaws of the earthquake? What care could give him knowledge of the qualities of all natural substances, that he might avoid their d

f God declares the human race to be, all is plain, everything is suitable and harmonious. We can see the fitness of at least

abor-one of the elements of the primal curse-is a check to sin on the part of the vicious, and a discipline and trial to virtue on the part of the penitent. The multiform trials of life-which can indeed be borne well only by the grace of God-while they teach the evil of sin and keep the heart chastened and subdued, nourish heroic and dauntless virtue in the faithful. 'Daily cares' become 'a heavenly discipline.' Dangers and calamities

ements; he could not feel them to be deserved. They would be to him a 'curse causeless,' and hence would bring no advantage. He could only cry out in astonishment, 'Father, why am I, thine obedient son, thus smitten?' Calami

nd of his suffering people? the ant, to be the type of prudent industry? the horse, of spirit and daring? and the lion, of strength and regal state? Was it only an accident that prepared cruel beasts and disgusting, poisonous reptiles as the types of evil passions and sins-that made the venom of the viper, the cunning of the fox, the blood-thirstiness of the wolf, the folly of the ape, and the filth of the swine, symbols of foul, subtle, malignant sin and folly? Nature is full of these emblems. The palm tree with its crown of glory, the

fitted for beings whose spiritual eyes are blinded and all their spiritual senses blunted-beings with whom there is no longer 'open vision' of spiritual realities. These pictures of evil are most impressive to men who see in them

would forget and deny that the Creator holds them responsible. Let no evil consequences follow evil-doing, and men would cease to make a distinction between right and wrong. Take away death, and

eed of such a world for the discipline of men, we learn from the word of God that a 'new heaven and a new earth' shall be provided. This world is thus declared to be an unfit abode for the glorif

ut-" Tinkle, tinkle went the bell upon the superintendent's desk. This was the second time the superintendent

y gone over the subject of heat. At his recommendation, therefore, they agreed to examine, as a specimen of God's works, his management of heat in the world. Mr. Wilton requested them to review the subjec