180 THE EEASON WHY. 



* I will praise thee ; for lam fearfully and wonderfully made; marvellous are 

 thy works ; and that my soul knoweth right well." PSALM cxxxix. 



unsuited to our wants. The various objects upon #hich the illuminating rays 

 of the sun fell, would be lighted up with an intense glare, but all around would 

 bo darkness, just as when a single ray of light is passed into a dark chamber, 

 and directed upon a solitary object. The air, without becoming itself visible, 

 diffuses luminous rays, in modified intensity, in every direction. If the a r 

 reflected so much light as to render itself visible, it would appear like the glit- 

 tering surface of the water reflecting the solar rays, and we should then be 

 unable to see the various objects which surround us. 



Of the importance of Water in the scheme of creation, man generally 

 entertains an imperfect conception. It is simply supposed to afford moisture 

 to plants, drink to animals, and to promote salubrity by its cleansing 

 properties. Let us, however, contemplate man as he stands before us, noble in 

 form, erect in position, full of strength, joy, ambition. How much of that 

 noble form is composed of water? Suppose that it could all be instantaneously 

 withdrawn not the oxygen and tiie hydrogen, which might combine to form 

 water but the fluid that exists in his body as water, unchanged except by 

 mechanical admixture with the secretions of the body Why then that beautiful 

 temple would collapse and become a mere shred, so thin, that it would seem 

 but a shadow of the body as it existed before, and the beholder might doubt 

 whether life ever inhabited a frame whose structure was to frail. It is said 

 that three-fourths by weight of the human body consist of water. Thus, if man 

 weighs 120bs., 90lbs. consist of water, and this substracted, only SOlbs. of solid 

 matter remain. This statement is rather under than over the fact. 



The assertion is startling, but so true that it can be verified by simple 

 experiment. A piece of lean flesh say of beef- cut an inch thick, and placed in 

 a slow oven, and allowed to remain until all its water was driven off in vapour, 

 would become as thin as a wafer, and as light as a cork. With a more scientific 

 arrangement, it would be possible to collect the water, and the weights of the 

 condensed vapour, and of the solid residue, would together make up the 

 weight of the beef: if the piece weighed sixteen ounces, the weight of the water 

 would be about 14 ounces, and the solid matter about two ounces. 



Water holds a similar proportion in the bodies of all animals, and of 

 vegetables. It is evident, therefore, that it occupies a more important place in 

 the scale of creation than is generally accorded to it by the unobservant mind. 

 We are indebted to it for those atmospheric changes which constitute the 

 peculiar feature of our varying climate. Rising in invisible vapours, it builds 

 palaces of glory in the skies, and often presents to the view of man the imagery 

 of heaven. Persons who have ascended above the altitude of the clouds, have 

 described the scene upon looking down towards them as the most celestial that 

 the mind can conceive. Fields of fleecy radiance, majestically rolling like a sra 

 of gold, occupied the whole range of vision, and seemed to embellish an eternity 

 of space. Those golden clouds that at one time are decked in the richest 

 splendour, and occupy the upper chambers of the Court of Nature, become 

 grave councillors when the earth grows thirsty, and the plant droops with 

 languor. They roll their heavy brows together, as in consultation upon some 

 grave necessity: down come the refreshing showers, the mighty tongue of 

 thunder rocks the air, the earth is drenched, and becomes fresh with the 

 salubrity of her toilette ; obnoxious substances, with their offensive exhalations, 

 re swept away : living things rejoice, a4 beautiful flowers throw their incense 

 9f *>iaaksgiviag into the air ; the broad blue heayeus for a time look down and 



