ity as working anywhere outside Nature: we would
look for it within her. We would not regard it as emanating from
some kind of spiritual central sun situated among the stars midway
between us and the farthest star we see--as irradiating from some
sort of centrally-situated spiritual power-house. As we look up into
the starry heavens we cannot imagine the Activity as residing in the
empty space between the stars or between the stars and the Earth on
which we stand. It seems absurd to picture its dwelling-place there.
Equally absurd does it seem to regard the Activity as emanating
from some spiritual sun situated far beyond the confines of the stars,
and from there emitting spiritual rays upon Nature, including us men.
As we look out upon Nature we see that the Activity which animates
her does not issue from any outside source, but is actually in her.

We do not need to look for the seat of that animating Activity in the
empty spaces of the starry heavens or anywhere beyond them. We
look for it in the stars themselves, in our own star, in the Earth, in
every particle of which the stars and Sun and Earth are composed, in
every plant and animal, and in every human heart, and in the whole
together. There it is--and especially in the human heart--that the soul
of Nature resides. There is its dwelling-place. To each of us it is
nearer than father is to son. It is as near as "I" am to each one of the
myriad particles which in their togetherness go to make up the body
and soul which is "me." The spirit of Nature is resident in no
remoteness of cold and empty space. It is deep within us and all
around us. It permeates everything and everybody, everywhere and
always. And if we wish to be unmistakably aware of its presence,
we have only to look within ourselves, and whenever we are
conscious of a higher perfection which something within,
responding to the influences impinging insistently on us, is urging us
to achieve; whenever we have a vision of something more perfect,
more lovely, more lovable, and feel ourselves urged on to reach after
that greater perfection--we are in those moments directly and
unmistakably experiencing the Divine Spirit of Nature. Whenever
we feel the Spirit within us showing us greater perfectibility and
prompting us to make ourselves and others more perfect than we
have been we are, in that moment, being directly influenced by the
Spirit of Nature itself. We are receiving inspiration direct from the
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