THE LILY OF THE FIELD. 23 



could furnish and art apply, was centered upon him, who 

 set forth in his own person the glory of the state. When 

 our Saviour desired to impress his disciples with the 

 superiority of the least of the works of God to the great- 

 est of the works of man, He compared the humble beauty 

 of the flowers at their feet, with the utmost that could 

 be accomplished by human taste and skill. 



" ' Consider,' said he, ' the lilies of the field, they toil 

 not, neither do they spin ; and yet I say unto you that 

 even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one 

 of these.' We need not make a garland of these lilies, 

 nor seek a meadow covered with their varied brightness, 

 in order to find what surpasses the brilliant costume of the 

 richest king. A single one of these frail flowers, is clothed 

 with finer texture, adorned with richer hues, and expresses 

 more of that perfection in form and color, which delight 

 the eye and heart. As he stood before the altar, the 

 royal robes of Solomon hung in graceful folds and shone 

 with the purple blush of Tyre, but no angel's wings swept 

 in more graceful curves, than that in which this lily of the 

 field upturns its blushing face to the light and dews of 

 heaven. 



" In these lilies of the field, there is brightness, not of 

 materials prepared and arranged by human hands, but 

 the living brightness that flows directly from the hand 

 of God. There is life in these flowers : every tint glows 

 with the warmth of the unseen love which gives it be- 

 ing. It is not like the beaming stars, nor the glory of 

 western clot]diness, for it shines with the mysterious 

 power of the living principle, it has a breathing and 

 growth toward the source of all true loveliness in this 

 world, and that which is to come. 



" Let us learn another lesson from the lily of the field. 

 How small a portion of its exquisite beauty is within the 

 reach of our vision. Look with a true heart and loving 



