Various Kinds of Light. 143 and tissues; so that grass and flower, adorning the earth; bird, beast, man, filling it with life; are metamorphosed power from heaven. Who is he that will not worship the invisible God?— "Well hast Thou taught the way that might direct Paradise Lost. Every kind of light is not equally suited for vegetation. Lamp-light, gas, petroleum-light, are poor in chemical rays. The white Bengal light of arsenic, the flames of the blue Bengal light, and of burning sulphur, produce a more powerful chemical effect; but, in photographic power, are surpassed by lime, magnesium, electric lights; the most important light is sunlight. The pure earths, when violently heated, yield from their surfaces lights of extraordinary splendour. "We have pretty good reason to believe, that probably all the planets emit light in some degree; for the illumination which remains in the moon in a total eclipse cannot be ascribed entirely to the light which may reach it by the refraction of the earth's atmosphere." Humboldt, in his "Cosmos," writes "The earth becomes self-luminous; besides the light which, as a planet, it receives from the central body, it shows a capacity of sustaining a luminous process proper to itself." The words of Schubert are very beautiful-"What if every proper polar light, which we call the Aurora of the North, were the last glimmer of a twilight of a world-day that has set, when the whole earth was surrounded by an expanse of air, from which the electro-magnetic forces radiated light in a much greater degree than that of the polar light, and at the same time with animating heat, in a manner almost similar to what still occurs in the luminous atmosphere of the sun." 2 It is not light only which produces the sensation of brightness. The weakest electrical currents passed through the eye produce consciousness in the mind of flashes of light. A blow, or pressure on the side of the eyeball with 1 "The Sun" R. A. Proctor, quoted from Sir Wm. Herschell. 2 Quoted in "Kurtz's History of the Old Covenant." a finger, gives an impression of light. Fevers, contamination by narcotic or intoxicating drugs, causing increased pressure of blood, excite sensations of light. Even when the eye has been destroyed, irritation of the stumps of the optic nerve produces like flashes. دو The peculiarities which separate the sensation of light from all others do not depend upon any peculiar qualities of light itself; the working power of Nature is something which comes from beyond. It moves silently in the chambers of our consciousness, heats the atmosphere, produces the winds, shakes the ocean; gives life to forest and field, to cattle on a thousand hills, and reveals to man the wonderful works of God. In human affairs, ars est celare artem -"cleverness is more than clever working;" and Moses, when he made known the fact that light preceded the luminary, and began that marvellous work which the sun had to rule and perfect, was guided by a higher wisdom than is common to man. Experiment illustrates this. Converge the rays of an electric light by means of a concave mirror. Place between the luminous focus and the source of rays a solution of iodine in bisulphide of carbon. Now the light is cut away, but the dark hot rays are still there; try-your hand cannot endure even for a moment the intense heat. At this focus you may burn all that is burnable, and that which cannot be burned raise to white heat and light. At the opposite end of the spectrum, the invisible cold ultra-violet rays may have their refrangibility lowered and become visible. Thus beautiful colours shine visibly forth; and light, extracted from darkness, discourses in harmonious tongues of musical flame. "Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge." We now understand somewhat of the creative, architectural, beautifying, vivifying process, which began in our earth with that wonderful going-forth of energy by whose operation light sparkled into being. This statement is not too scientific for Scripture, though Scripture is no teacher of science. We are not would-be discoverers in Bible language of latent physical systems, but "bring forth things new and old." "If any one were to suggest that the nebular hypothesis countenances the Scripture statement as to light, by showing how the luminous matter of the sun might exist Light a Revelation. 145 previous to the sun itself, we should act wisely in rejecting such an attempt to weave together two heterogeneous threads; the one a part of a providential scheme, the other a fragment of a spiritual speculation."1 Despite this, if Scripture is assailed by perversion of knowledge, we rightly use scientific weapons for defence. If, with the growth of science, our ideas of Nature are enlarged; it is the crown and glory of Scripture to reveal deeper depths of physical, intellectual, and moral meaning in the recesses of sacred language, as we search with clearer light. "I think it to be the character of Holy Scripture (as it is in a measure of all deep sayings, even though human) that it contains much more than at first sight appears; that it requires to be searched into, i.e. below the surface; that it yields mines of treasure when so searched, which those who are content to remain on the surface do not see."2 We rightly refuse explanations, fashioned by ignorance; scorn concessions, prompted by cowardice; and rebuke those whose defences are rather surrenders than vindications of sacred mysteries. The Bible speaks with words that live for ever, and utters truths which only ages of advanced intelligence can fully understand; artless for the childhood of our race, and in highest style of wisdom for those who are great in truth. In stating the scientific aspects and explanations of light, we not only aim at vindicating the accuracy of the Mosaic account, but to convey other lessons concerning the presence of Mind in the world. In those simple but grand words"Let light be, and light was," we have in briefest form the most comprehensive expression of Almighty Power working in accord with Infinite Wisdom. Light stands at the summit of things, so subtile, so delicate, almost supersensuous, as were it a link between spirit and matter. A creature of vast extent, of unsurpassed beauty, entering worlds and passing beyond worlds, itself unseen yet revealing all things; a revelation of the works as Holy Scripture is a revelation of the thoughts of God! Light, among all the Divine workings and physical products in Nature, is found worthy to symbolise the Divine Being Himself. In it we have deep and real analogies of the seen and the unseen; and in it, as 1 66 Philosophy of the Inductive Sciences:" Wm. Whewell, D.D. "Daniel the Prophet," intr. p. lxxv.: Dr. Pusey. L an unspotted mirror, we behold the image of God's goodness; light is a revelation. What is it that enables mighty engines unweariedly to traverse iron roads, and ocean steamers to visit far-off lands? It is light-concealed and buried in the earth for thousands of years, light-absorbed by plants as they built up themselves in strength, and then were changed, fields of vegetation becoming fields of coal. So the latent light of Scripture that not visible even to prophets and apostles-shines in these latter days. Men of science digging deep to the centre of things are gladdened, the earth is revealed as a palace of marvels, the Bible manifests a long-hidden splendour. All, who live the higher life, learn that contemptuous negation of Scripture-the Revelation of God in man's realm of thought, and in the literature of the world-is not wise nor safe. Men of faith supplement faith by knowledge. Men of science add faith to knowledge. Before fighting as to the colour of a shield, both should regard the other side. The hemispheres of faith and knowledge unite in the full orb of perfect life. Faith that listens and obeys, ennobles the science that greatly achieves. A physicist, as physicist, can know nothing concerning the true doctrine of Holy Trinity; nor can the chemist, as chemist, solve the salutary doctrine of redemption; these sacred verities are another side, a spiritual view of things, which the natural Inan cannot discern if he will only see the near and physical. The perfect man possesses that scientific mind and that religious mind which, as two eyes of the soul, view both aspects of the universe. An accurate thinker of widest range, his piety chastened by knowledge, his science elevated by discernment of the spiritual, is prepared to dwell in everlasting mansions with Him whose visible garment is the beautiful life and glowing splendour of many worlds. Shall we, whom religion and science unite to teach that creation is extending dominion over chaos, use light only to photograph Egyptian sepulchres? Shall we, while carrying it into subterranean depths, forget that spiritual phenomena are a definite part of the organic manifestation? Are all high things explained by lower? or shall the lower find true and larger meaning in the higher? Space exists for matter, matter for life, life for spirit; is there no existence, no life, apart from matter? May there not be intelligences Ascents of Life. 147 with eternity and infinity as home? Are not space and time two sides of the ladder, whose rungs are those marvellous grades, those ascents of life, those elevations of soul, by which intelligence travels to heaven, and above heaven to God? Holy Scripture speaks of angels, of archangels, of bright abodes for the spirits of just men made perfect. Maligners of Scripture seem to lose receptiveness of that Divine magnetism by which the good and true are drawn. heavenward! Are we, who possess it, to deny the blessed influence? If the internal structure of an atheist's mind, by continued denial of the Divine Spirit, becomes unspiritual and sensual; shall we account the churl liberal, the unbeliever devout, and declare that we also are nothing but atomic arrangements with certain mixed gases? Some critics call Shakespeare a wild genius without arrangement. Truer critics find he is an artist of first order and accuracy; rising to that height which, as he cannot be followed by the feeble, nor the ascent be seen by the dim, is by them counted mystic and unreal. These are the men who find the Bible a common book, and complain of every part. What matter? Despite false wit and real malice, perversion of learning and wickedness of unbelief, those sacred pages guide the intellect and cheer the heart of our greatest and purest men. They are the light of truth sent out by the Almighty and guide to His holy hill. "Fainting soul, arise and sing; Mount, but be sober on the wing; Thy God hath said, "Tis good for thee In the full sunshine of His smile." Keble. |