THE HEATH. 89 



spend an hour in idleness, to lie down upon the 

 matted heath and moss, and give one's self up to 

 whatever thoughts may arise ; and it is a place, I 

 think, where a well-trained mind could scarcely fix 

 on an unprofitable subject for meditation. Every 

 object within sight, whether animate or otherwise, 

 seems as if no mortal eye had lighted on it since 

 it came from the hands of its Creator ; and hence 

 He appears to be here more indubitably present 

 than elsewhere. 



This cannot be so in reality, for if God were 

 not with us at ah 1 times, and in all places, we could 

 not continue to exist : but yet it can do no harm 

 to think so; rather the contrary, and for this 

 reason, that, if the impression be brought home 

 closely to our minds on one occasion, it may serve 

 to keep alive a perpetual sense of His omnipre- 

 sence. 



I would now wish to draw your attention more 

 particularly to the process by which a wild heath, 

 like this on which we are standing, may in course 

 of time be converted into a flourishing wood, such 

 as that which we have just quitted. 



There was a time, probably, when the stunted 

 vegetation which now surrounds us was wanting ; 

 when even the thin layer of mould, affording it a 

 frugal but sufficient supply of nourishment, was 

 also absent. As far as the eye could reach, ex- 

 tended a plain of barren gravel, unrelieved by any- 

 thing save the rugged head of some time-battered 

 rock. Now, however, widely is the scene changed ! 

 Scarcely a spot can be discovered which is not 

 thickly invested with a matting of heath, furze, 

 grass, and moss, while the bare surface of a rock 

 is to be seen only at wide intervals. Be not too 



