34 THE REV. J. G. WOOD. 



which somehow he contrived to impart to the most 

 familiar passages of Scripture. 



He was, perhaps, especially happy in the " Flower " 

 sermons which have so much come into fashion of late 

 years ; every member of the congregation being expected 

 to bring an offering of flowers, which, after being pre- 

 sented at the altar, is sent off for the adornment of some 

 hospital. His favourite text upon these occasions was 

 Isaiah xl. 6, 7, 8. I quote the following from an 

 account of one of these sermons preached at St. George's 

 Church, Ramsgate, on August 2nd, 1885 : 



The presentations having been completed, the Rev. J. G. Wood, 

 eminent as a naturalist, delivered a brief discourse appropriate to 

 the occasion. Selecting his text from Isaiah xl. 6, and the two 

 following verses, the preacher first of all reminded his hearers of 

 the beauty and perfume of flowers : God had filled the world with 

 beauty, showing them that beauty was a part of the Divine Nature, 

 so that they were bound in their little way to imitate God as well 

 as they could. And they had no excuse for not making the services 

 which they rendered to Him as beautiful as possible ; for not giving 

 Him their very best, whatever that best might be. It was right 

 that they should fill their churches with beauty as far as they could, 

 and so give back to God something of those mercies which He had 

 showered upon them. Commenting on the words, " The grass 

 withereth, the flower fadeth, because the Spirit of the Lord bloweth 

 upon it," he said that they must remember that the Spirit which 

 blew death into the flower was the same Spirit as that which 

 breathed into it the breath of life. Then they must not forget that 

 there was diversity of flowers ; they saw all kinds of flowers, and 

 yet the same Spirit had breathed the life into them all. Again they 

 must remember that although the Spirit was the same, the means 

 which were employed in clothing that Spirit in bodily form were not 

 the same. This fact struck him very forcibly some weeks ago, when 

 travelling from the Isle of Thanet to Manchester ; he could not but 



