A christian's interest in nature. 355 



in nature. He has a personal interest in it all ; it is 

 a part of his own inheritance. As a child roams 

 over his father's estate, and is ever finding some quiet 

 nook, or clear pool, or foaming waterfall, some lofty- 

 avenue, some bank of sweet flowers, some picturesque 

 or fruitful tree, some noble and wide-spread prospect, 

 — how is the pleasure heightened by the thought ever 

 recurring, — All this will be mine by and by ! And 

 though he may not understand all the arrangements, 

 nor fathom the reasons of all the work that he sees 

 going on, he knows that all enhances the value of the 

 estate, which in due time will be his own possession. 



So with the Christian. The sin-pressed earth, 

 groaning and labouring now under the pressure of the 

 Fall, is a part of the inheritance of the Lord Jesus, 

 bought with his blood. He has paid the price of its re- 

 demption, and at the appointed time will reign over it. 

 But when the Lord reigneth, his people shall reign 

 too ; and hence their song is, " Thou hast redeemed 



us to God by thy blood, and we shall reign on the 



earth." For unto the angels hath He not put in sub- 

 jection the world to come, but unto Him who though 

 Son of God is likewise Son of Man, — even to Him 

 in association with the "many sons" whom He is 

 bringing to glory. 



And thus I have a right to examine, with as great 

 minuteness as I can bring to the pleasant task, con- 

 sistently with other claims, what are called the works 

 of nature. I have the very best right possible, the 

 right that flows from the fact of their being all mine, 

 — mine not indeed in possession, but in sure reversion. 

 And if any one despise the research as mean and little, 



