Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1915-07-06
Natures FITNESS for God
(By Rev. George H. Bennett.)

/ to the square mile. This balancing
| of the power of gravity against the
| forces of heat and stellar attraction,
by which the atmosphere is held with
in it's ancient bounds, and life is pre-
served, is sure sign of foresight and
benevolence in the Creator
Earthly life is dependent upon
another law of the atmosphere. The
air has density. A cubic yard Of air
at the sea level weigh two pounds.
while at the summit of st. Elias it
weighs but one pound. The air has
its zone Of life. The timber line
varies from ten to twelve thousand
feet altitude in the mountains Life
is sparse above it, Change in the
density of the air must be taken into
account by persons migrating to
new country. Their health is not Sc
cure until they are acclimated. How
ever, the important fact may be de-
pended upon, the density of the air
in any given place is so uniform as
to be permanently adapted to the
life existing there. This wise provis-
ion of the Creator preserves life, by
preventing the greatest extremes,
daily, in the supply of oxygen.
high. Its firmness fits it as coat of
mail for the protection of life. There
is need of this when we remember
that rivers of meteors, one of them
being 100000 miles wide and of vast
length, flow in invisible channels
around the sun. Should the earth en-
ter that river of rocks, which speed
faster than a cannon ball, all life
would be destroyed by the terrible
hail from the stellar spaces, were it
not for one fact. The air rends to
atoms, or defects the mysterious mis-
sles from their mission of destruction.
Its various properties, SO wisely or
dained by the Creator, adapt it to life,
end the preservation of life from
many dangers, seen and unseen. The
mosphere serves also as a mantle,
which protects the inhabitants of the
earth from the terrific cold of space
said to be 273 degrees below zero.
This fact is due to its power of diff
fusing, and of retaining heat. The
rapidly undulating waves of heat from |
the sun are reflected by the earth's |
surface in slowly undulating waves |
and diffused through the air. These |
of the air prevent the days |
and nights from becoming a success
sion of the greatest extremes in tenn
perature-a provision made by the
Creator which saves life from ami
The air has another important |
1t diffuses light. Every
particle of air is a reflector. When
touched by light, it reflects it in all
directions. Daylight is due to this
cause. This property of the air causes
light to penetrate into our homes, and
into the forests, where the sunbeams
do not fall. The air is adapted to
The living kingdoms of nature, by thus
liffusing the life-sustaining sunlight.
The air is also adapted to the organ
his diffusive property, all objects di-
'ectly in the path of the sunbeam
would dazzle and blind the eye, while
other objects would be in darkness.
The armament is filled with beau
" to please the eye and bewitch the
lenses. This splendid fact is due to
he transparency of the air. But it
S not perfectly transparent-and to
his fact is due the mellow blending
# prismatic hues. How majestic is
he landscape. The nearby fields are
'ich in bright tints of green and yell
ow and red; the retreating slopes are
lothed in the darker hues of gray and
,reen and brown; the far-off noun
ain crests slumber in robes of royal
,urple and mystic blue; while the
descending sun fringes the snowy
LIQUIDS with tints of crimson and vio-
ct and gold. But the beauty of the
rmament which ravishes the heart
With tender emotions is all born of
homely fact-particles Of dust and
apor which laden the air reflect and
ecompose the sunbeams. Thus has
he wise and kindly Creator clothed
he world in beauty to enrapture the
oul.
All these activities in the vast at ,
1ospheric ocean are orderly. They
roduce results. In their aggregate
le behold conditions suited to the
physical body. the seeing eye.
he hearing ear, the thinking mind.
nd the loving heart. When we re-
lember. therefore. the air is sus-
aimed in the proper working of all
5 properties by the exact balancing
f many forces; and that earthly life
epends upon that balancing OF
0rces: then shall we be able 70 COM
rehend something Of the majesty Of
ur Creator.