THE LILY OF THE FIELD. 23 
* 
could furnish and art apply, was centered upon him, who 
set forth in his own person the glory of the state. When 
our Saviour desired to impress his disciples with the 
superiority of the least of the works of God to the great- 
est of the works of man, He compared the humble beauty 
of the flowers at their feet, with the utmost that could 
be accomplished by human taste and. skill. 
““ Consider,’ said he, ‘the lilies of the field, they toil 
not, neither do they spin; and yet I say unto you that 
even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one 
of these.” We need not make a garland of these lilies, 
nor seek a meadow covered with their varied brightness, 
in order to find what surpasses the brilliant costume of the 
richest king. A single one of these frail flowers, is clothed 
with finer texture, adorned with richer hues, and expresses 
more of that perfection in form and color, which delight 
the eye and heart. As he stood before the altar, the 
royal robes of Solomon hung in graceful folds and shone 
with the purple blush of Tyre, but no angel’s wings swept 
in more graceful curves, than that in which this lily of the 
field upturns its blushing face to the light and dews of 
heaven. 
“In these lilies of the field, there is brightness, not of 
materials prepared and arranged by human hands, but 
the living brightness that flows directly from the hand 
of God. There is life in these flowers: every tint glows 
with the warmth of the unseen love which gives it be- 
ing. It is not like the beaming stars, nor the glory of 
western cloudiness, for it shines with the mysterious 
power of the living principle, it has a breathing and 
growth toward the source of all true loveliness in this 
world, and that which is to come. 
“Let us learn another lesson from the lily of the field. 
How small a portion of its exquisite beauty is within the 
reach of our vision. Look with a true heart and loving 
