THE HEATHER. 183 



a repining, and next if carried to its last extreme 

 to an unbelieving feeling. The man for whose private 

 convenience the physical laws of the universe are 

 as he thinks so wonderfully altered, is not he who 

 bends with the most undoubting submission before 

 the blow, when the hand of God gathers sorrow 

 darkly around him ; and the joy, or the stay, or the 

 very hope, of his life is taken from him ; nor will he 

 be prepared to say in earnestness, " Thy will be done." 

 We know that He who covers himself " with light 

 as with a garment ; who stretch eth out the heavens 

 like a curtain ; who layeth the beams of his cham- 

 bers in the waters ; who maketh the clouds his 

 chariot ; who walketh upon the wings of the wind ;" 

 is also He who " causeth grass to grow for the cattle, 

 and herb for the service of man : that he may bring 

 food out of the earth." We know 



" That not a flower can fade, or die 

 Unnoticed by His watchful eye ;" 



and from that knowledge we gather our sweetest 

 consolation, our most certain hope, and in that hope 

 we humbly, yet confidently strive to trace His hand 

 in every visible thing which spreads in beauty before 

 our eyes, His love in every occurrence of life, even 

 though to our dimmed eyes it be utterly inscrutable, 

 and in this knowledge, this endeavour, every one 

 ought to partake ; as a thing wholly different from 

 the too arrogant, too positive spirit to which I have 

 alluded. 



Mention has been made of the general effect of 

 beauty produced by the heather, but not less is that 



