CHAPTER V. THE HONOURABLE ROBERT BOYLE OR, THE CHRISTIAN PHILOSOPHER. "The works of the Lord are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein."-PSALM CXi. 2. The WE may safely assert, that in no ancient book are there manifestations of sympathy with nature, comparable with those contained in Scripture. Greeks were more in love with art, history, and abstract speculation, than with the world of wonders which God had spread around them.* The Romans were more devoted to the realities of every-day life, * Humboldt, in his "Cosmos," notices the Greek want of sympathy with the beautiful in nature. Broad statements on the subject, however, require to be qualified. Becker, in his "Charicles," gives a striking example from Plato, of a Greek description of natural scenery. But he adds "No doubt it is true, as Müller observes, that the Greek mind was not much addicted to viewing nature with a romantic eye, and no author of the latter age has attempted a landscape: which well agrees with their utter neglect of landscape painting. The Greek wanted that deep and warm perception of the charms of inanimate nature and it is clear that Plato's enthusiasm for natural scenery was looked on as strange and uncommon by the ancients.”Charicles, p. 38. The extract from Plato, then, is of the nature of an exception, which confirms the rule. than to any of the subjects of Grecian study, and did but little appreciate objects of Divine creation. The Germans and Indians, in their early works, appear imbued with a vivid admiration of the physical universe, and in this respect far surpass the classic nations; but the sacred writers as much exceed them as in this respect they exceed others. What is there in pagan authors to be compared with the description of natural productions in the book of Job? or with the survey of the entire universe in the 104th Psalm? We are astonished, as Humboldt says, to see within the compass of a poem of such small dimensions, the heavens and the earth drawn with a few grand strokes. And this is perfectly indisputable, that nowhere in ancient literature, except in the Bible, is there any sympathy with nature, pervaded by the love and adoration of the God of nature. "Nature is portrayed, not as self-subsisting, or glorious in her own beauty, but ever in relation to a higher, an over-ruling, a spiritual power. The Hebrew bard ever sees in her the living expression of the omnipotence of God in the works of the visible creation." This can be said of no other writers. The Bible is eminently adapted to inspire a love for the study of nature, as the work of God. A man cannot catch the spirit of this volume, cannot have his soul imbued with the colouring of inspired descriptions of creation, and filled with the music of its songs in praise of creation, without turning an intensely curious and discerning eye upon God's works, so fair and wonderful. Accordingly, the Bible, when circulated among Gentiles, actually produced a taste for the contemplation of nature, which did not exist before, of which the writings of the fathers afford proofs and illustrations. Viewed in this light, their works form a new chapter in the history of literature. Physical science, it is true, was discountenanced in certain places at one period of the middle ages, but that was the result of causes quite distinct from the study of the Bible; and it should be remembered, that since the Scriptures have been translated and freely used, the love of nature, and the study of nature—the poetry of nature, and the philosophy of nature-have attained an unexampled height. The Bible, doubtless, will ever continue to animate and purify the poet and philosopher; but it is to be remarked, that, while it contains so much of the poetical in reference to the works of God, it does not exhibit the philosophical. It is adapted to excite a relish for scientific inquiry; it guards inquirers against undevout habits; it teaches them humility and reverence; it inculcates the lesson, that "the things that are made" declare their Maker's "eternal power and Godhead;" but it does not offer, nor does it profess to offer, any theory of the universe, any scientific development of its laws. Its object is to instruct men in the knowledge of salvation; and with this gracious purpose in view, according, to a historical method of development, it turns not aside to classify the facts, or reveal the causes, of natural phenomena. Science, like art, and political government, is left to be excogitated by the mind of man. It is a human work. It is what man can build up in the course of time. It is a temple for the construction of which he is competent. But the facts and truths of a sinner's religion could be known only through a revelation. Without it, they must have ever remained "hidden," as they really were for ages and generations before God taught them. While the sacred writers do not take up science as coming within their province, they do indicate that they were guided in their compositions by a superior, a Divine intelligence, which knew vastly more than it thought fit to disclose. The Bible has been well compared to what might be expected from a philosopher, Newton, for example, in speaking to children, "He would undoubtedly not pretend to instruct them in science, but on the one hand, nothing in his communications would contradict its principles; and on the other, much of what he said would show that what he was silent about, he yet thoroughly understood. In proportion as their own mental powers unfolded, they would, with admiration, discover under the reserve and simplicity of his language much concealed wisdom, learned and acute observation, turns of phrase and expressions, which harmonized with facts, to them at the time unknown, but with which he had himself been long familiar." All that can be conceived necessary in a revelation of religion, as it regards science, is, that it should be capable of a fair grammatical interpretation, in harmony with the facts brought to light by the latter; and that here and there indications should be found of a prescience which embraced them all. Now, this is precisely the case with the Bible. It exactly meets the anticipations of enlightened reason; it fulfils the conditions which, à priori, argument might convince us were requisite. The connection between religion and science, and the right spirit in which the whole study of the latter should be carried on, form a subject of primary importance in the present day. An acquaintance with science, to some extent, is now almost universal. The great discoveries of modern times have been so simplified as to come within the apprehension of all intelligent persons. They are explained in lectures and elementary books: references to them everywhere abound. The Christian philosopher, then, is a phase of character which ought not to be omitted. Though there are other names more illustrious in the annals of British science than the Honourable Robert Boyle; though his genius might be somewhat overrated by his contemporaries; yet, that he attained high eminence in the study of natural philosophy, especially in the chemical branches; that as an industrious experimentalist he has been rarely or ever equalled, seem beyond dispute.* What has commended Boyle to our notice in this volume is, the ample information we *Boyle's industry is admitted on all hands: the only difference of opinion relates to its results. Mr. Brand says, "Boyle has left volu. minous proofs of his attachment to scientific pursuits; but his experiments are too miscellaneous and desultory to have afforded either brilliant or useful results."-" He who would do justice to Boyle's scientific character must found it rather upon the indirect benefits which he conferred, than upon any immediate aid which he lent to science."Supp. Ency. Brit.—But M. Libes, in his "Hist. Phil. du Progrès de la Physique," devotes a chapter to the ' progrès de la physique entre les mains de Boyle,' and states that the air-pump as used by him became a new machine, and that it is impossible to follow him without being struck at the greatness of his resources for eliciting the secrets of nature. The discovery of the propagation of sound by the air, of the absorbing power of the atmosphere, of the elastic force and combustive power of steam, the approximation to the weight of the air, the discovery of the reciprocal attraction of the electrified and non-electrified bodies, are mentioned as additions to science. A writer in the Penny Cyclopædia observes that between the characters implied in the two preceding authorities, we have no doubt the true one. "The science of |