VIS MEDICATRIX NATURE 649 



to the primeval bed-rock of human nature laid down in the 

 time of the cave-dwellers. Third, there was the fire, a 

 symbol of the scientific voice, surely, for the fire of science 

 burns up rubbish, melts out the gold, reduces things to a 

 common denominator, and gives . light to Man. Now it 

 seemed to the prophet that God was not in the wind, nor in 

 the earthquake, nor in the fire, and it seems strictly correct 

 to say that listening to the three voices of Nature is not 

 in itself religious. But it is a good thing to listen, and it 

 may form a preparation for religion. It was so in the 

 prophet's case, for after the echoes of the wind and the 

 earthquake and the fire had died away, he heard a still, 

 small voice God's voice a sound of gentle stillness, the 

 Margin says which spoke very incisively to him. It was a 

 great experience to the prophet to have heard the three voices 

 of Nature, but it meant more for him practically to hear 

 the still small voice. And it may be that in obeying it he 

 understood afterwards that God was in the other voices too. 

 So when we pass from the cold evening-light of science, 

 which the schoolmen called cognitio vespertina, to the morn- 

 ing-light of religion, which they called cognitio matutma, 

 we may be able to agree with Ruskin's fine words (engraved 

 on the memorial at Keswick) : " The Spirit of God is around 

 you in the air that you breathe, His glory in the light that 

 you see, and in the fruitfulness of the earth and the joy of 

 its creatures He has written for you day by day His revela- 

 tion, and He has granted you day by day your daily bread." 



5. Scientific Description of Animate Nature not Incon- 

 sistent with Religious Interpretation. 



We cannot reach any religious truth or conviction along 

 scientific lines, but we have tried to show that a careful 



