Religion and Science - 1880 Author:Joseph LeConte Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: LECTURE III. CONTRIVANCE FOR BEAUTY. My Christian Friends : In my first lecture, you will remember, I attempted to show the evidences of intelligence in th... more »e general constitution of the universe, and in the animal frame. In my second lecture I attempted to show evidences of intelligence similar to our own, though infinitely superior, in tho admirable structural contrivance of the eye. Thus far I have spoken only of contrivances for use, in adapting the animal body to external conditions; instruments for use in contending with external enemies on every side; weapons to be used in the sharp struggle for life. But there is much else in this world besides use. Life is a time of happiness as well as of struggle. Life is intended for enjoyment as well as for battle. Nature must therefore be contrived so as to furnish materials of joy as well as materials of food. Beauty divides the empire of Nature with use. Everywhere we find it equally abundant and equally conspicuous. We see it in the diversified surface of our own green earth; we see it in the over-arching blue sky with its ever-changing and ever-moving clouds. We see it in the settingsun, " arraying in purple and in gold the clouds that on his western throne attend; " we see it in the springing arch of the glorious rainbow; we see it in the sparkling dew-drop and the glittering gem. Neither is it less conspicuous in organic Nature. We see it in the brilliant and delicate tints of flowers, in the nacreous lustre of shells, in the metallic glitter of insects, in the painted wings of butterflies, and the gorgeous plumage of birds. And not only in form and color do we find it, but the air also of this enchanted isle, our earth, is full of sounds, " sweet sounds that give delight and hurt not." Neither is all this for man alone....« less