260 Natural Theology. 



The joy and the sadness which music awakens in 

 the soul, like the light and shade that flit over the 

 landscape, show how the emotional nature of man 

 is provided for even in the vibrations of the air, by 

 which music is produced. The rich, joyous sounds 

 of the human voice, so sweet to the ear, the blend- 

 ing music of the organ, all waking the deepest emo- 

 tions of man, by the power of sound alone, declare 

 the provision that has been made in the mechanism 

 of the ear, and the waves of the air, and in the pure 

 intellect that combines them, for the delight of the 

 emotional nature of man. 



But in beauty of outline and of color, the most 

 lavish provision has been made for our enjoyment. 

 We can never think of the beauty of the evening 

 sky as being a matter of chance. The starry con- 

 cave seems to have too great power to gratify by 

 its beauty, not to be a provision for this purpose ; 

 and this we may acknowledge, though we know that 

 each star is a sun, and the centre of other systems. 



The varied forms and tints of clouds give ne'V 

 scenes of beauty every day. What glories light up 

 the morning and evening sky, as the beams of the 

 rising or setting sun glance from the piles and lines 

 of vapor that fill the upper air ! One who has 

 watched the varied beauties of the gilded morning 

 and evening clouds in every clime, will acknowledge 

 the beauty of the scenes, and the source of enjoy- 

 ment which they are to every lover of beauty. We 

 cannot regard that constitution of water that gives 

 the glories of the clouds their gorgeous play of 



