3 
he clash himself to destruction. Like the 
power of gravitation, drawing down the swollen 
volume of a great river’s waters, or impelling 
the majestic march of the ocean’s tides, this 
force may for a time be partially resisted ; but, 
ever gathering larger weight, it either tosses all 
obstruction out of its natural course, or, sweep 
ing away its impotent object in another direc 
tion, involves all in dire ruin, in confusion 
worse confounded. A mighty and wonderful 
agent in the hands of the Great Worker has 
been this principle of human energy, acting in 
the hundreds of generations which have passed 
as shadows over earth’s surface. Although in 
the great arena of universal labour it has lifted, 
as it were, but a grain of sand in helping to 
work out one of the stupendous plans of the 
Omnipotent, yet in the sphere of this world’s 
work It has done much. It has become one of 
the most potent and active of earthly agencies. 
The last to be introduced, at first isolated and 
insignificant, it has increased with the increase 
of the human race, and now forms the comple 
ment of the forces carrying out the great 
cosmical operations ; and, dominating and con 
trolling many of the others, it has now assumed