itself. Man frequently fails in accomplishing his end, from a
natural inability of the power to the purpose; and frequently
from the want of wisdom to apply power properly. But it
is impossible for infinite power and wisdom to fail as man
faileth. The means it useth are always equal to the end: but
human language, more especially as there is not an universal
language, is incapable of being used as an universal means of
unchangeable and uniform information; and therefore it is not
the means that God useth in manifesting himself universally
to man.

It is only in the CREATION that all our ideas and concep-
tions of a word of God can unite. The Creation speaketh
an universal language, independently of human speech or
human language, multiplied and various as they be. It is
an ever existing original, which every man can read. It
cannot be forged; it cannot be counterfeited; it cannot be
lost; it cannot be altered; it cannot be suppressed. It does
not depend upon the will of man whether it shall be pub-
lished or not; it publishes itself from one end of the earth
to the other. It preaches to all nations and to all worlds;
and this word of God reveals to man all that is necessary for
man to know of God.

Do we want to contemplate his power? We see it in the
immensity of the creation. Do we want to contemplate his
wisdom? We see it in the unchangeable order by which
the incomprehensible Whole is governed. Do we want to
contemplate his munificence? We see it in the abundance
with which he fills the earth. Do we want to contemplate
his mercy? We see it in his not withholding that abun-
dance even from the unthankful. In fine, do we want to
know what God is? Search not the book called the scrip-
ture, which any human hand might make, but the scripture
called the Creation.

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