DIVINE BENEVOLENCE. 187 



precise adaptation of the species which succeed 

 best in each country to the wants and condition 

 of its inhabitants, are most beautiful instances 

 of His providence, who " giveth food to all flesh : 

 for his mercy endureth for ever." While many 

 of the comparatively less important fruits, 

 such as the orange, banana, mango, peach, 

 cocoa-nut, etc., are more restricted in their limit 

 of growth, few plants have such a range as 

 the most important of the cerealia wheat and 

 barley. And as God has so formed our bodies 

 that bread is to be their main support, so he 

 has given to the corn plants a capability of 

 bearing extremes of temperature which few 

 other plants possess. Surely this may teach 

 us to trust in him for our daily wants, for 

 while such a supply is made for man and beast, 

 he who thus feeds the fowls of the air and 

 the beasts of the field will never suffer his 

 children to want any needful good. 



This abundant and suitable provision made 

 for the food of man in the vegetable kingdom, 

 may also lead us to think of that " Bread which 

 came down from heaven," of which, if a man 

 eat, he shall live for ever ; for surely, if we re- 

 quire daily food to support our bodies, our souls 

 stand in greater need of constantly living by 

 faith on Jesus Christ, the Son of God. While 

 our fervent prayer is, " Lord, evermore give us 

 this bread," let us regulate our expectations by 

 the assurance, that the same bounty which is 

 displayed in creation is engaged also in dis- 

 pensing the riches of grace ; nor is the supply 



