MIBROBS AND MODES OF VISION. 55 



sciousness, and not by the contemplation of a fixed picture 

 in a state of rest. The only fixed appearance involved in 

 the exercise of vision is the real object itself from which 

 the radiation continuously proceeds, and that we do not 

 see, but only its radiated image ; so that to human optics 

 the source of sight is not even the object seen, but the original 

 influence of light, which, falling upon objects, and picking 

 up their images by the way, carries those images as an 

 incidence to our Consciousness; for the incident rays of 

 optical science, after all, are not those rays which, reflected 

 from an imaging surface, form what we would otherwise 

 call reflected rays, but those rays of light which, falling 

 on such objects in their course, make the limits and 

 peculiarities of these objects their first mirror or imaging 

 surface, and from mirrors purely so called pick up nothing, 

 but merely suffer additional or further and renewed 

 deflection, and bear with them thence, and still un- 

 impaired, the first image they have acquired in their 

 progress from originally pure light. This is probably 

 not the mode in which a disengaged Consciousness, freed 

 from the eye and its optical arrangements, and in actual 

 contact with objects, would perceive them not the way 

 in which a spirit, or in which God perceives objects. It 

 is, in fact, a limited mode of perception perfectly accurate 

 in all likelihood within its limits, but only showing us 

 how objects appear under applied and special light, not 

 how they appear in their own reality independent of 

 light, or to the vision of Him to whom the light and 

 the darkness are both alike. How absolutely imperative 

 therefore does it become for us in presence of such a fact 

 to subordinate our rash judgments to the wisdom of Him 

 who is perfect in knowledge, and who judgeth not after 

 the seeing of the Eye, but judgeth righteous judgment 1 



