WISDOM OF THE DEITY. 



43 



The ball of the eye, as now described, is situ- 

 ate d in a bony cavity, called its orbit, composed 

 by the junction of seven different bones, hol 

 lowed out at their edges. This cavity i? in all 

 the vacant spaces filled with a loose fat, wh ; ch 

 serves as a proper medium for the eye to rest in, 

 and as a socket in which it may move. It is 

 sheltered by the eyebrows, which are provided 

 with hair, to prevent the descending sweat of 

 the forehead from running down into it. As a 

 still farther protection to this delicate organ, it 

 is furnished with the eyelid, which, like a cur 

 tain, is drawn over it with inconceivable swift 

 ness, for its security, on the approach of danger. 

 Il also serves to wipe it from superfluous 

 m tisture, and to cover it during sleep. In the 

 upper part of its orbit, it is furnished with a 

 gland, to supply it with water sufficient to wash 

 off dust, and to keep its outer surface moist, 

 without which the cornea would be less trans 

 parent, and the rays of light would be disturbed 

 in their passage ; and the superfluous water is 

 conveyed to the nose through a perforation in 

 the bone. 



For the purpose of enabling the eye to move in 

 its socket, six muscles are provided. These are 

 admirably contrived to move it in every direction, 

 upwards or downwards, to the right or to the left, 

 or in whatever direction the occasion may re 

 quire ; and thus we are spared the trouble of 

 turning our heads continually towards the objects 

 we wish to inspect. If we want to look upward, 

 one of these muscles lifts up the orb of the eye ; if 

 we would cast our eyes to the ground, another 

 muscle pulls them down. A third muscle moves 

 Ihe globe outwards towards the temples, and a 

 fourth draws it towards the nose. A fifth, which 

 elides within a cartilaginous ring, like a cord 

 over a pulley, and is fastened to the globe of the 

 eye in two points, makes it roll about at pleasure. 

 A sixth lies under the eye, and is designed to 

 temper and restrain, within proper bounds, the 

 action of the rest, to keep it steadily fixed on 

 the object it beholds, and to prevent those frightful 

 contortions which otherwise might take place. 

 By these, and a multitude of other mechanical 

 contrivances, all acting in harmonious combina 

 tion, the eye, as a natural telescope and micro 

 scope, is made to advance, to recede, to move to 

 the right and to the left, and in every other direc 

 tion ; and to view near and distant objects with 

 equal distinctness ; so that a single eye, by the 

 variety of positions it may assume, performs the 

 office of a thousand.* 



The utility of these several movements, and 

 the pain and inconvenience which would be suf 

 fered, were any of them wanting, can scarcely be 



pears in its natural state, and exhibits the relative 

 positions of the Cornea, Iris, and Pupil. 



Files and other insects, whose eyes are 1m- 

 mnvenble, have several thousands of distinct globes 

 In each eye. See note page 38. 



conceived, by any one whose eyes have always 

 remained in a sound state. We are so much ac 

 customed to the regular exercise of our visual or 

 gans, that we seldom reflect on the numerous 

 delicate springs which must be set in action, be 

 fore the functions of vision can, with ease, be 

 performed. But were any one of the muscular 

 organs, now described, to fail in its functions, we 

 should soon experience so many inconveniences, 

 as would throw a gloom on all the other comforts 

 of life; and convince us, how much we are in 

 debted, every moment, to the provident care and 

 goodness of our Beneficent Creator, for thousands 

 of enjoyments which we seldom think of, and for 

 which we are never sufficiently grateful. 

 &quot; With much compassion, as well as astonish 

 ment at the goodness of our loving Creator,&quot; says 

 Dr. Nieuwentyt,&quot; have I considered the sad state 

 of a certain gentleman, who, as to the rest, was 

 in pretty good health, but only wanted the use of 

 those two little muscles that serve to lift up the 

 eyelid, and so had almost lost the use of his sight 

 being forced, as long as this defect lasted, to 

 shove up his eyelids every moment, with his own 

 hands.&quot;f 



How admirable, then, is the formation of the 

 eye, and how grateful ought we to feel at the con 

 sideration, that we are permitted to enjoy all the 

 transporting pleasures of vision, without the least 

 perplexity or effort on our part ! If the loss of 

 action in a single muscle produces so many dis 

 tressing sensations and efforts, what would be the 

 consequence if all the muscles of the eye were 

 wanting or deranged And is it man that go 

 verns these nice and intricate movements 1 or is 

 it the eye itself, as a self-directing machine, that 

 thus turns around, seasonably and significantly, 

 towards every visible object? Man knows 

 neither the organs of vision, nor the functions 

 they ought to perform. The eye is only an un 

 conscious machine, in the hands of a Superior 

 Intelligence, as a watch, or a steam engine, is in 

 the hands of a mechanic. It is God alone who 

 constantly performs its movements, according 

 to certain laws, which he has submitted to our 

 inclinations and desires; &quot;for in him we live 

 and move&quot; We are desirous to see certain 

 objects around us: this is all the share we have 

 in the operations of our eyes ; and without per 

 plexing our understanding, without the least care 

 or management, in regard to any of the functions, 

 we can, in a few moments, take a survey of the 

 beauties and sublimities of an extensive land 

 scape, and of the glories of the vault of heaven. 

 Thus, the Divine Being operates not only in this, 

 but in a thousand different ways, in the various 

 senses and contrivances which belong to our ani 

 miti system; and yet, thoughtless and ungrate 

 ful man often inquires, in the language of doubt 



t Nleuwentyt s Religious Philospher, vol. i, p. 238. 



