THE OAK. 



39 



servation of that egg is the care of the Ahnighty. 

 You believe that your own life is under the pro- 

 tection of the same beneficent Being ; and yet the 

 egg of a fly, which is so small that you might 



OAK-GALLS. 



brush away a thousand of them with the palm of 

 your hand, bears an infinitely greater proportion 

 to the world which you think so large, than the 

 whole term of your life does to eternity. I do 

 not wish to place the value of an immortal soul 

 in the scale against any material object; it would 

 be wicked to do so, for it would be to set aside 

 the beautiful lesson of our blessed Redeemer ; 

 but I would warn you against the habit of be- 

 lieving that the preservation of any created thing 



