2/8 THE BEAUTIFUL LADDER. 
liquefied by the extremes of cold and enor¬ 
mous pressure; but it was not until the year 
1878 that oxygen, hydrogen, and nitrogen were 
changed by the experiments of chemists from 
their gaseous conditions into liquids. This 
transformation required not less than the pres¬ 
sure of three hundred and twenty atmospheres, 
or more than five thousand pounds to the square 
inch, accompanied by a degree of cold equally 
as phenomenal. The number of cubic feet of 
these gases which can be compressed into the 
space of a square inch or two is wonderful. 
The facts above stated prove that the air we 
breathe is as absolutely material as the ever¬ 
lasting hills, the difference in density being one 
of the sublime marvels of Jehovah’s goodness. 
In one condition, the rock-ribbed earth is bound 
in adamant; and in the other, the elements are 
loosed to go freely forth and give vitality to all 
who inhale them. The same infinite benevo¬ 
lence which first composed the wonderful aerial 
investiture of the earth is equally seen in its fix¬ 
ed and perpetual conditions. Cold or hot, wet or 
dry, calm or stormy, the atmosphere keeps its 
essentials exactly balanced, and thus secures the 
safety of all who inhale the breath of life. 
