every other within the sphere of existence. There is, secondly, the
attraction of cohesion or aggregation, which acts at short distances,
and unites the otherwise loose atoms of bodies into coherent masses.
There is, thirdly, the power by which elements of different kinds
combine into compounds with new and useful qualities, known by the name
of chemical affinity. And, lastly, related to the action of affinity,
aiding in it and resulting from it, there are those strange negative and
positive, attractive and repellant polar forces which appear in the
phenomena of electricity and magnetism, agencies of such potency and
universal avail in modern civilisation.

On the permanency of such forces and their mutual play the universe
rests, and its wonderful history. With the collapse of any of them it
would cease to have any more a footing in space, and all its elements
would rush into instant confusion. What a Hand, therefore, that must be
which holds them up, and what a Wisdom which guides their movements!
Verily, He that sends them forth and bids them work His will is greater
than any one--greater than all of them together. How insignificant,
then, should we seem before Him who rules them on the wide scale by
commanding them, while we can only rule them on the small by obeying
them! And yet how benignant must we regard Him to be who both wields
them Himself for our benefit and subjects them to our intelligence and
control!

FOOTNOTES:

[B] This paper on "Attraction" is the substance of a lecture which I
composed on the basis of notes taken by me when. I had the honour of
attending the Prince of Wales at the course given, on the same subject
by the late Professor Faraday. The Professor, having seen the _resumé_ I