22 THE OCEAN. 



their soul is melted because of trouble. They reel to 

 aud fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at 

 their wits' end." The Holy Spirit thus alludes to the 

 terrific raging of the tempest as eminently calculated 

 to draw man's attention to the power and majesty of 

 God, while the wondrous deliverances He has so often 

 wrought from its fury, are so many claims on man's 

 grateful love and praise. 



Let us, then, in contemplating a few of the in- 

 numerable objects of interest which the ocean pre- 

 sents to us, endeavour, in dependence on His own 

 gracious aid, to recognise His hand, to discern the 

 greatness of His power in creating and upholding all 

 things ; His unerring skill and wisdom in arranging 

 and carrying out His designs ; and the careful and 

 provident benevolence which He continually exer- 

 cises towards the sentient part of His creation. The 

 varied tribes of living beings that throng the deep, 

 from the wallowing whale to the luminous animalcule, 

 visible but as a sparkling point ; the multifarious 

 forms of marine vegetation, displaying exquisite 

 structure and elaborate contrivance ; the golden sands 

 of the smooth shore, the hoary cliffs hollowed into 

 caverns by the restless billows, and, not least, the 

 restless billows themselves, speak to us, in language 

 not to be mistaken, of the glorious attributes of the 

 INIighty God, " the Lord of Hosts, wliich is wonderful 

 in counsel, and excellent in workiug." 



