THE HEDGE-BANK. 51 



only one of His works which He created to be 

 immortal! How mighty to destroy, and (happy 

 reflection for us) how willing to save ! 



One of the most striking marks of God's good- 

 ness is, that He has placed us in a world, crowded 

 on every side with objects to the full knowledge 

 of which, strive as much as we may, we can never 

 attain. This seems, perhaps, a strange assertion, 

 but you will, I think, on reflection, agree with me. 

 He has told us in His word, that man is the first 

 of created beings, the first, I mean, in importance, 

 for to man was given dominion over all animals, 

 and to him and the inferior animals God gave 

 every herb and every tree for food. We have 

 every right to believe, therefore, that He takes a 

 very active interest in our welfare. Now we 

 might be, perhaps, (and indeed I fear too many of 

 us are,) so much engrossed with the desire of 

 pleasing ourselves as to lose sight of this protect- 

 ing care of our Heavenly Father, if no objects pre- 

 sented themselves to our notice but such as man 

 makes, of which we can fully understand the con- 

 struction and uses. 



But as it is, if we rest our eye on what is to us 

 the most valueless thing in the creation (the sting 

 of a nettle for instance) we are lost at once in 

 wonder and amazement. We cannot conceive 

 how it grew, in what its peculiar property con- 

 sists, or what end it answers. The only point on 

 which we can satisfy ourselves is, that God is its 

 Creator, and that He exercises a miraculous care 

 in bringing it to perfection, and watching over it. 

 Hence we learn two most important lessons, two of 

 the principal, indeed, which are contained in Holy 

 Writ. First, " that our knowledge is not derived 



