In "Beauty," the third chapter of Emerson's essay Nature, Emerson argues that "Beauty is the mark God sets upon virtue." In other words, God has arranged nature so that things which are virtuous are naturally beautiful. For Emerson, Nature is perfect and pure, a physical manifestation of the divine, and so it embodies virtue. This embodiment, in turn, renders it incredibly beautiful to us. We are better when we are within it, when we take our cues from it, and when we take time to appreciate it and allow it to fill us up. If we will allow our thoughts to be of "equal scope" to Nature, then we become as beautiful as "she." Further, "A virtuous man is in unison with her works, and makes the central figure of the visible sphere." Again, when we are virtuous, we join more fully with Nature and become beautiful too. Virtue is the essence of beauty because God has made it so, at least for Emerson.