BOOK or ELO¥EES 



THE UTILITY OF FLOWERS. 



THE IIAITY INFLUENCK OF THE PUJiSUlT OF ilOllTICUL- 

 TUUE ON THE MIND OF MAN. 



" Not useles? arc ye flowers ; though tiiade for i)lc:i.siMC, 

 Bloomirif.j o'er fields, and wave by day and ni^lit 

 From every source your saiiotiori bids mo treasure 



Harmless delight."— //wrarc Smilh. 



Flowers :iro the expression of (Jod's love 1,o iiiun. Ono 

 of the highest uses, therefore;, which e;ui be wv.ula in cori- 

 templatirj<^ these beautiful crciations, in ;iil their variety 

 and splendor, is, that our thoiii^hts and aH'cctions may be 

 drawn upwards to ITirri who has so l)Onntifiiliy sprc^ad over 

 the faee of tlie wliole eartli, sueh a vast })rofiisiofi of th(!se 

 beautiful objects, as tokens of his love to us. The; more 

 we examine flowers, especially when tin; ey(! is assisttid l>y 

 the microscope, tin; more we must adoi-e the matchless 

 skill of the (xreat Su[)reme. Wc; must Ix; un<^rateful in- 

 deed, not to acknowl(!<li^e his uns[)(;akable f^oodnciss in thus 

 providing so libtM-ally for the; haj)piness and pl(;asin-(! of J lis 

 children here ]>elow. 



The Saviour of men, while on earth, often retired to the 

 gardens nbont Jeriis;dem to sfXTid a (juiet honi- with His 

 disciples, or alone-, and no <lonl>t look plcusiiiv! in (-ontcm- 

 ]>lating flowers. W(; mH know how He spake of tin; lily: 

 *' H(;hol<l the lilies of IIm- fieM, how they ^j,r<}\v \ llioy toil 



