Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1849-02-23
The Beautiful.

In Nature or Art the beautiful is a rev.
eIation Of God, a witness TO the Infinite
harmony of the creative Soul, and "a real
appreciation oft, wherever se"n-in the
lite-like picture, the breathing marble,
the dark woods, the shining waterfall, or
the litle flower. is full of devotion. Who
has not realized this, that has ever gazed
on the sea, the mountains, or some work
OF human genius, until all else was for
got,en, and self-consciousness ceased, as
the stars go out al sunrise, and the one
beauty or grandeur revealed its hidden
divinity? In such moments the soul is
transformed a new heaven and new
earth are above and around it. Silently
he outer form and life seems TO furl off,
and the invisible opens to the seer. The
spirit stands above the clouds and MAS
ma Of ~selishness, hate, sensualism, and
temptation, in the clear light of love. 1t
is an hour of victory over the flesh and
the world, Of worship whose thought is
prayer, and whose sanclity consecraies
the spo, as holy ground.
The beautiful is the gateway to the
good-the attraction of heaven which en-
tends 10 each-,he baptism ofspirit pour
ed out upon nature and nian-,he persua-
sion Of God, 10 lead his children to the
pure. None the less is this true, that,
like all other good gifts from 'the Father
Of Light" il is misunderstood and perver.
ted MO lure TO evil. Truth read aniss
is falsehood. Blessings misused are cur
ses. Selishness, or ignorance may turn
life's honey into gall, its water into poi
. son. The original gift is none The less
divine 10 him who will receive il Alright.
The capacity to admire and love symme-
try of form, and perfection Of color and
harmony of arrangement, was needed TO
make man in the Image Of his Father
He who destroys this, or does not exer-
] else and thereby increase it, is ~de(acing
, The divine in his own soul, and shutting
n up one great avenue between himselfand
i heaven. Not the less faithful shall We
: be 10 The daily duties Of life, that we can
= draw constant delight from the infinite
4 beauties which bestow our path, or are
spread over and about us, or Il com.
mune with the great soul Of the arlisr
9 through the mystic wiring of his work
Of genius and power. Ra'hcr shall this
help us 10 behold the pure ideal of a true
= life, and TO exhibit something of its feu'
ture in our own. There was ruth in tina
e fancy Of The author OFF, Margaret" which
e makes Beauty a fourth sister in the GROUP
of Faith, Hope, and Love. created by
y them, and receiving her life from the
breath of God. lin childlike unselfsh'
X ness and dociliiy we take her hand, she
will lead us to the temple of that holy
sisierhood, where we may dwell will
them and receive the minisIraIions o
e each but if we reject her guidance, anC
try to compel her to follow in the way o
pleasure, or to the bowers of ease, she
l. will desert us, leaving a s~oulless counter
felt in her stead, to deceive and misleaC
: us. Sooner or later shall we discover
v our folly and mistake. To know and re-
i ceive her gifts we must love her for heI
own sake and unselfshly. So it is will
d all the bounties ofHeaven. There is nc
good i in all the universe of God which
had it a voice, could not say truly, "H(
. that loveth self more than me is not wor
Inv of me-" So is it true that he tina
loves all good more than self, will make
himself most worthy oflove.-Pa. Free
man.