170 RAMBLES AND REVERIES. 



fal of him ? and the son of man, that Thou visitest 

 him?" 



But nothing that God has made can be unworthy 

 of His regard. Great and small are relative terms, 

 and derive their meaning mainly from man's imper- 

 fection. We are awed by bigness. The sight of 

 a surging crowd thrills us, and we travel over 

 continents to gaze upon a mountain. But we 

 must not think that our vulgar emotions have 

 any counterpart in the character of God. Every- 

 thing is of importance to Him that affects the 

 welfare of His creatures. We degrade God by 

 supposing that the busy multitudes of mankind 

 that inhabit our earth in successive generations 

 are of no more account to Him than clouds of 

 dust sweeping through the air, or swarms of 

 ephemerae dancing for the short hour of their life 

 over the dark pool which, in the same day, is both 

 their cradle and their grave. Our poor standards 

 of greatness are not used in heaven. 



When once we have learned to regard God as 

 our Father, we shall not be tempted to think that 

 He can look down upon our woes and disasters 

 through stony eyes and with heart unmoved. 

 Even the dim reflection of His Fatherhood which 

 we see in our family relationships teaches us that 

 to a parent nothing can be of greater interest than 

 the happiness of the child. The smallest detail 

 of food or dress is thought worthy of attention. 

 Caresses and endearing words would be valueless 

 to a child if it were allowed to go unfed. But 

 is there any love of earthly parent so unselfish 



