270 THE MICROSCOPE AND ITS LESSONS. 



his immortal song, and though, shut out from all recur- 

 rence to them, he poured them forth from the stores of 

 a memory rich with all that man ever knew, and laid 

 them in their order as the illustration of real and exalted 

 faith, the unquestionable source of that fervid genius which 

 has cast a kind of shade upon all the other works of man. 



* He passed the bounds of flaming space, 

 Whence angels tremble while they gaze ; 

 He saw till, blasted with excess of light, 

 He closed his eyes in endless night.' 



" But it was the light of the lody only that was ex- 

 tinguished ; the Celestial Light shone inward, and enabled 

 him to justify the ways of God to man." * 



Let me beseech you to " beware lest any man spoil 

 [that is, roU\ you through philosophy and vain deceit, after 

 the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and 

 not after Christ." f I have sometimes been asked how 

 it is that so many have erred from the faith in the study 

 of what is called "nature," expecting to obtain in the 

 visible world an explanation instead of an illustration of 

 the written revelation; and I have found, I think, an 

 explanation in the Book which has been the solace, sup- 

 port, and comfort of my whole life, those words which 

 were once addressed to the mother of the great Jewish 

 lawgiver by the Egyptian princess, " Take this child and 

 nurse it for me," J which may be understood as applying 

 to any gift or talent entrusted to our keeping ; for it is 

 true that " to every man is given according to his several 

 ability " (to use it) : and, verily, I can say, the promise, 

 in my own case, has been richly and literally fulfilled, " I 

 will give thee thy wages" 



Learn never to despise the value of little things. There 



* Lord Erskine. t Col. ii. 8. } Gon. xi. 7. 



Matt. xxv. 15. 



