THE CHRISTIAN NATURALIST. 57 



to hope in the midst of adversity, and coming forth 

 amidst the passing scenes of this * peevish April day/ 

 to soothe and to tranquilize ; at once the messenger 

 and the symbol of the Redeemer's love, and an earnest 

 of future peace, triumph, and deliverance in the eternal 

 world.* 



 The Rainbow is thus made the subject of a very pithy 

 application by an old writer, which we shall give in his own 

 language, of the year 1615 ; 'TheRainebowis taken as a figure 

 of Christ ; and therefore we are thereby taught, that when 

 either the darke blacknesse of ugly sinne, or the thick clouds 

 of griefe, and adversity, do threaten unto us any feareful over- 

 throw, we should clap our eies upon our Rainebow Christ 

 Jesus, and be assured that though that blacknesse of sinne 

 be never so great, yet in him and by him it shall be done away, 

 and never have power to cast us away ; though those mists and 

 fogs of adversity be never so thicke, yet shall they by him, as 

 by a bote and strong sunne, be dispersed and never able to 

 drowne us.' — Bishop BaMngton's comfortable Notes on Genesis. 



