PLUMATELLA. 385 



though the natural feeling is that of admiration, we may, 

 by no very unnatural process, be led to think of the tents 

 of sin — of the palaces of pollution — reared by those who 

 make merchandize of souls ; who, for '' filthy lucre," ply 

 every wile suited to the corrupt propensities of the human 

 heart. In looking at the little infusories on the verge of 

 destruction, I could not help thinking with pity on the 

 multitude of infatuated mortals who '' go as oxen to the 

 slaughter, — as birds to the snare, and know not that it is 

 for their life." In them we might regard as verified the 

 ancient fable of warriors changed into swine by partaking 

 of Circe^s cup : and when the fable tells how the veteran 

 chief was preserved from falling under the power of the 

 enchantress, by a herb given him by a friendly deity, should 

 we forget, that even to those whom the cup of sinful plea- 

 sure has degraded and sunk below the level of the most 

 polluted of the brutes, there is offered free access to the 

 tree of life, " the leaves of which are for the healing of the 

 nations;" of which if the degraded eat, they are raised not 

 only to the rank of men, but are made partakers of the 

 Divine nature, " being renewed in the whole man after the 

 imas:e of God." How thankful should we be that the wav 

 to this blessed tree is, by Him who loved us, laid open to 



2 c 



