THE VERONICA. 167 



fulness of times He might gather together in one all 

 things in Christ, both those which are in the heavens 

 and those which are in the earth, even in Him. 



We see God's back parts in the works of His 

 hands. The lilies of the field and the stars of 

 heaven reveal to us His working and power. We 

 see His form walking on the waters and producing 

 a great calm, gilding the mountain tops with the 

 cloud of glory at morn, and at sunset burning in the 

 bush of the desert and in the trees of the wood. But 

 all that we see of God in nature and providence is a 

 vague vast presence, a shadow projected by His form. 

 It is only in Christ Jesus, who is the brightness of the 

 Father's glory and the express image of His person, 

 that we see the countenance of God and truly learn 

 what His thoughts and feelings towards us and towards 

 His creation are. We needed the revelation of the 

 face to expound the revelation of the works. The 

 living lips of Jesus gave utterance to what the flowers 

 since their creation had been unable to impart; and 

 the loving face of Jesus bending over the pure flower- 

 faces beamed with the intelligence which they could 

 not convey, and reflected in meaning looks and signifi- 

 cant play of thought and feeling what the lights and 

 shadows that passed over the kindling and the fading 

 of their beauty implied. And as He thus gave expres- 

 sion by look and word to the helpless dumbness of the 

 flowers, so by a beautiful reciprocity of service they lend 

 their faces to interpret Him, and all their beauties to be 

 His signs and witnesses. And so it comes to pass that 



