Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1856-10-01
LADIES' DEPARTMENT..
For the Spirit of the Age.
TO THE SOCIAL CIRCLE
SABBATH MUSINGS.-NO. g..

The supreme end Of much that is mani
fold to mortal eye, in the beauty of nature,
must be to call these higher, holier senti-
ments into full and more active exereise.z
Every one feels convinced that there Ia
creative and governing power, always inyis-
IDLY at work in every department of her king
dom-a never sleeping intelligence that came
before, lies beyond, and shimmers through
them all, directing according to a harmonious
and perfected plan, the impressive elements
into forms of loneliness and order. The
wandering thought, ottimes the slave Of the
eye, too frequently loses sight of this Di-
vine agency and dwells lovingly alone upon
the beautiful but inert image. Still, in COM
templating the exquisite adornments Of for
est and field, of hill side and sunny slope,
there is less danger of this than in the study
Of grander systems Of organization, or Of a
mechanism more stupendous and bewilder-
ingly complex-the objects being of u class
so surprisingly beautiful in their very sim
plicity as to lessen the distance between
them and their Author, as well as to dethrone
skepticism and easily wait the soul to their
great Creator. On how mistaken the Ma
t~erialist, who denounces the study Of natures
charms as tending to draw the soul from God.
No part Of the material creation furnishes
such a conclusive emblem of that perfection
of love which enters less frequently into our
conception of the Deity, than His loftier or
other benevolent attributes" But amid the
fair symbols of Infinite excellence and love,
the we'll instructed eye discerns that chain,
bright, strong and electric, which binds the
expressive emblem to the eternal attribute,
making to an appreciative mind, q Towering
shrub or a gorgeous landscape, like a da-
guerreotyped transcript of its Maker, until
each tree becomes an embodied hymn, and
every bud and blossom thereon q line IN the
chorus of the mellifuent song of praise.
Methinks no argument could prove more
conclusively to those who acknowledge no
the higher influences of the christian religion
the existence of love and kindness TOWARD
the creatures of q common Creator, than
those subtil sentiments of sympathy will
the pure, and beautiful, and good of the out
er world which are flung among the crosse
composition of our nature, like the fragran
wild rose DER some otherwise barren and un
attractive spot. We know that these feel
ings are unnecessary for the ordinary avoca
tions of life, abstractly considered, but whe
intimately blended with those duties, impair
to them a magic hue which is even as a hol
day garb by the form of beauty worn. An
we know too that, apart from the sickly SCI
timentalism of an oyer-charged imagination
these emotions are nothing wrong else "
might question why such abundant matters
to call them forth. But the harmony exis
ing between them and the symetrical a
rangements of the natural world, lead to tn
conclusion that for the elevating and purif
ing of mans heart, was the earth decked
such glorious array.
Nor should we forget the indubftable eV
dence of Gods love, as manifest in our pit
feet adaptation to every phase of mental
T physical enjoyment. There are the ever v
: rying yet never failing delights arising TIN
the senses. The invigorating refreshme
= derived from sleep. The unbounded aspil
tions Of intellect. The heart-fliing pie
ures of social intercourse. The harmo
: which pure earthly love sends thrilling tn
all minor feeling-chords. And above ;
t the power vouchsafed to us through Chr
to make a final entrance into the golden C
: of the living God. All other may be ar
o ments, but who shall dare question the pr
conclusive and complete, as afforded in
death of His we'll beloved Son for a fal
race ? AS the minds eye takes in a par
} survey of what should be so eloquently ur,
upon this point, my feeble pen grows S
L more powerless in proportion as my he
1t fills with it's higher and h0lier evidences
Turn it as we will, view it from whate
point we may, how sublime, how perfec
every feature, is the redemption of the fal
= Man, with the most ~stupendous intellect
unlimited power of imagination in full p
e, could never conjecture a plan half SO ia
N less. Angels, with all the advantages
es Heaven could have framed naught so e
10 tual in its character. The master com
hension of q God, ~quickened by a love
all human conception, was alone calculi
y to produce a plan of such glorious, such
~ comparable perfection. Love sat at
Spirits helm and moved the wondrous alb
81. as it listed. LORI
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