The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-08-11
THE MORAL PURPOSE AND INFLU-
ENCE OF THE BEAUTIFUL.
BY REV. c. C. CONNER.
tRed Bank, o.

Ine IeenDgS awakened Dy Gn6 Dehu-
tiful have been ranged into three gra-
dations: 1. The exhilaration of the
animal spirits by surrounding of sun
shine and of green fields and forests.
2. The enjoyment that aesthetic ma
lures have in view Of the tints and SYM
metries, the lights and shades. 8. The
feelings or emotions that come through
the higher perceptions of beauty, the
moral stage, when the soul looks low
ingly into the soul of the universe. The
beautiful has an influence for good, in
whatever degree of influence, and from
the highest and hcliest down to the
lowest or most earthly, the influence is
one. God speaks through it and con-
demns wrong thoughts and unholy i'm
pulses. And as the most earthly of us
come under the sway Of it, our thoughts
are elevated and our souls made hap
pier. The mere exhilaratiOn of our
animal spirits lifts us above gloom and
despondency and doubt into the sun
shine of happiness, and in that sunshine
we are nobler. In the sunshine the
bud bursts into the flower, and, in
happiness, all that is good in US un-
folds, and emits its fragrance into the
atmosphere of life.
There is a spirit in nature that wins
mans heart, attracts his eye, and COM
mands his ear. 1t is this spirit that
gives it significance to US. And any
influence of its beauty upon us is ex-
plaired in the fact of soul meeting
soul in it. Prof. Sharp truly says:
1.-The forms, the motions, the colors of
nature, taken alone, do not constitute
beauty. Not till these enter in and pass
through the medium of a feeling heart
can the beauty be said to exist He
says, "You cannot find it by any mere
search into the physical facts, however
far back you press your analysis Of
them. The height, the depth, the ex-
panse, the splendor, the gloom, these
do not in themselves contain it, do not
account for it, without the presence of
soul to perceive and feel them, any
more than the instru ment accounts for
the music, without the musicians
hand to touch it," We might more
properly speak Of the musicians hand
touching the instrument as illustrating
the hand, the spirit of God, touching
and moving in nature and of the ear
that hears as the pereelving soul that
completes the full condition. Prof.
Sharp also refers significantly to 1.-The
fact that all languages employ moral
or emotional terms to describe not
only the impression which scene
creates, but the scene itself" as land
scapes are spoken of as cheerful or
melancholy, peaceful or wild, pensive,
solemn or awful; terms all taken, not
from physical but from moral things.
And we can account for this use of
language in reference to nature, not
merely in the soul that sees and inter
prets it. 1t would indicate the per
suasive soul in nature, that after per-
ceived, interpreted, causes us to ascribe
to nature something kindred to our
selves. God is in the beauty of nature
to give it its significance and influence.
AS he holds in himself purpose which
we are to approach and fulfill, and
gives us lessons and lights to guide our
feet into the true pathways, then must
beauty in all his domain be one of his
suggestions of, and influences to, holi
ness Of life. Coos purpose to save is
written in the beautiful, as it exerts a
holy influence over man. The flower
has a spiritual influence that comes
into our lives to purify the thought and
sweeten the life. The hilltop that is
lifted, will give US, as We pause before
it, its suggestions Of moral and spirit
ual sublimity, and will make US con-
scious of the nobleness of man whom
God has placed amongst these sugges-
tions.
Beauty gives us one of the surest in
timations of moral purpose in its in
spiration of trust in God. We must
have trust in God before we are dis
posed to approach him, Beauty is his
motto of welcome he hangs outside
his holy courts He does not wait for
us to come within, but let's US read
welcome outside. We do not fear
the beautiful. 1t attracts us, is the
promise of life, is an omen of good.
Fear not the builder exclaimed, The rain,
bow that stands in the heavens;
will extend thee, like it, into innnity far"
remember my feeling when l stood
at Niagara Falls and first looked at
the fury of water rushing over there.
There was a suggestion of almighti-
ness, and a thought Of throwing ones
self out on the almightiness was that
of death below. 1t was dreadful and |
shrank from it. But going below and
seeing the water come down and dash
into the spray which came to US in
tenderness and in beauty in the sun
light, and seeing the power there thus
beautifed, | did not fear it. An
almightiness will paralize us with fear
and terror, if not revealed to US as love-
RaautV in nature ia a ravaIatiop that