THE BEAUTIFUL LADDER. 
323 
earthly elements not only with power to move 
the muscles and tone up the senses, but were 
also the inbreathing of those higher and nobler 
attributes which enable man to act, reason, love, 
and even aspire to a close fellowship with him 
who thus graciously threw the shadow of his 
own nature over the humble creature of his 
hand. 
“ It has been beautifully said that the ‘ visible 
creation was but a thought of God.’ This say¬ 
ing is only the embodiment of the scriptural 
statement, ‘ that the invisible things of him from 
the creation of the world are clearly seen, being 
understood by the things that are made, even 
his eternal power and Godhead.’ The study of 
the works of Nature, therefore, if properly pur¬ 
sued, is but a striving to comprehend more and 
more of the wonders of the Divine Mind and 
the infinite riches of God’s goodness. Too 
often, alas! like the poor deluded idolater, 
men go into raptures over the productions of 
human genius, and pay fabulous prices for their 
imitations of the handiworks of God, while they 
are wholly insensible to the beauties of the 
divine originals, and withhold all homage from 
him who adorns heaven and earth with beauty 
