Bible Language. 255 



plays of beauty and of grandeur. To meet the 

 demands of taste implanted in man, the sons of 

 genius and of song have gone forth into nature for 

 their subjects and their illustrations. So that every 

 poet, worthy of the name, in every language and in 

 every age, whether he would or not, has been a 

 priest of the Most High, in making known the per- 

 fection of His works in their adaptation to the emo- 

 tional nature of man. 



If we needed higher illustration not only of the 

 power of natural objects to adorn language and gra- 

 tify taste, but proof that here we find the highest 

 conceivable beauty, we should appeal at once to the 

 le. Those most opposed to its teachings have 

 acknowledged the beauty of its language ; and this 

 is due mainly to the exquisite use of natural objects 

 for illustration. It does indeed draw from every 

 field. Hut when the emotional nature was to be 

 appealed to, the reference was at once to natural 

 objects ; and throughout all its books, the stars and 

 flowers and gems are prominent as illustrations of 

 the beauties of religion and the glories of the 

 Church. 



" The wilderness and the solitary place shall be 

 glad for them, and the desert shall rejoice and blos- 

 som as the rose." 



" The mountains and the hills shall break forth 

 before you into singing, and all the trees of the fields 

 shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall 

 come up the fir-tree, and instead of the brier shall 

 come up the myrtle-tree." 



