198 THE CHRISTIAN NATURALIST. 



something of the spirit of the sacred lyrists, exclaim, — 



* Vapours, and clouds, and storms, — Be these my theme. 

 These ! that exalt the soul to solemn thought, 

 And heav'nly musing !' 



' Heavenly musings* are perhaps better cherished by 

 the gloom of winter, than by the sunshine of summer. 

 When all nature is bright and fair, we are apt to make 

 a heaven of earth ; but when the elements frown upon 

 us, and desolation seems to ride the blast ; when the 

 rattling hail, or drifting snow, compels the peasant 

 to seek the friendly shelter of his home, then indeed 

 it is hardly possible for us if we have any serious 

 thoughts, not to indulge them freely. Our minds, sick- 

 ened as it were with the gloomy aspect of all things 

 around us, are in a condition to ascend to the contem- 

 plation of that God whose wrath, like a destroying 

 hail, shall at last sweep away all man's "refuges of 

 lies/* and who has provided for his righteous family a 

 secure retreat, where there are no storms — no Winter — 

 but one eternal sunshine of bliss in the green pastures, 

 beside the still waters of everflowing comfort. 



It is the habit, indeed, of our nature too hastily to 

 aspire to this tranquillity, forgetting that this is not 

 our rest, •* that it is polluteij." The season of winter 



