THE GARDEN. 229 



gallery : at least, I should need a large portion of 

 all-sufficient grace, cheerfully to submit to that 

 privation, to which multitudes of my fellow-crea- 

 tures are subjected. The sense of sight is a 

 blessing that we do not rightly appreciate : and I 

 am conscious of much guilty omission in that I do 

 not oftener render thanks to God for such enjoy- 

 ment. Is there no echo to this acknowledgment 

 in the bosom of my reader ? 



I bless the Father of mercies for the delight 

 that he has given me in the works of his hand ; 

 and I desire to find in them an ever active stimulus 

 in the path of willing obedience. Shall I rebel, 

 when, from the majestic oak, that even now is put 

 ting forth his multitudinous leaves, each in its ap 

 pointed place, down to the butter-cup that holds 

 forth its tiny receptacle, to catch the falling rain- 

 drop, all, all are implicitly following His law, from 

 the third day of creation, even to the present hour ? 

 Shall I move laggingly on in my assigned course, 

 like a fettered slave forced to his task-work, while 

 each little blade of grass springs up with joyous 

 elasticity, even though my footstep again and again 

 presses it down to earth ? No, there is a lessor 

 to be learned here, and I will con it, so long as the 

 Lord, by his aiding grace, enables me to study his 

 will in his works, even as his word hath command- 

 ed me to do. 



But my picture gallery — what has now endeared 



20 



