ich and infinite profusion
the life-gems of Beauty. All natural motion is Beauty in action. The
winds, the waves, the clouds, the trees, the birds, the animals, all
move beautifully; and beautifully do the joyous light-words of the skies
dance their eternal cotillion of glory. From the mote that plays its
little frolic in the sunbeam, to the world that blazes along the
sapphire spaces of the firmament, are visible the ever-varying features
of the enrapturing spirit of Beauty. All this great realm of dazzling
and bewildering beauty was made by God. What shall we say then, is he
not a lover of Beauty? Is it irreverence thus to speak? No; but rather
reverence. What reverent soul does not love to look at God in his works?
Go out in the still morning, when the golden gates of day are turning
slowly back to let the morning king come in with a great crown of rosy
light streaking half around the heavens, on his brow; or at noon, when
the whole firmament and the joyous earth are bathed in a golden flood,
soft, and warm, and life-inspiring; or at evening, when even the zephyrs
are folding up their wings with the little birds, and the trees, and the
fields, and the smiling mountain tops are bidding a sweet good-night to
their heavenly king as encurtained in diamond glory he sinks to rest; or
at night, when the stars come out to keep their vigils over the sleeping
earth; go out at such times, and what heart is not bewildered with the
sense of Beauty that steals over it like a divine charm? and through
that beauty is not carried up to God the beautiful and bountiful author
of it all? God hath made every thing beautiful in its time. I envy not
him who is undevout in the presence of so much Beauty. How easily can
the devout spirit go through nature up to nature's God. Who loves nature
should love God. Who admires Beauty should reverence its Author. Natural
beauty inspires piety in a good heart. To commune with nature
intelligently is to commune with God. Who ever loves a flower, a bird, a
landscape view, a rainbow, a star, the blue sky, should love God. God is
in them all. He is in the aisles of the forest, the waves of the deep,
the solitudes of the mountain, and the fragrance of the green fields.
Beauty is of divine origin, and we should admire, ay, and love it too.
It should fill us with sweet thoughts of God, with worshipful emotions,
with reverent aspirings. The love of Beauty we should cultivate within
us as a gift of the good Fat