as the natural firmament appears to us; and this idea, flowing into our minds from the spiritual world, we receive and involuntarily apply to the firmament above and around us, and call it "the heavens:"—for it does in a manner correspond to and represent the real heavens. And, doubtless, it is of Divine Providence that we do entertain this idea. The world without was created a picture and image of the world within: everything in nature is representative of something in spirit,—of something in the mind of man; and thence it is, that the poet is able so freely and easily to borrow images from nature, when he wishes to typify the thoughts and feelings of the mind. And it would be well, if, whenever we looked upon nature, we could see in it not only an image of God the Creator, and of His goodness and wisdom, but also an image of that spiritual world, that heaven, which is His kingdom and dwelling-place. Thus would the mind be elevated from the natural to the spiritual, be lifted from earth to heaven. Now this has place, in a degree, with all: they look upon the starry firmament, and, from the secret spiritual idea before mentioned, think of it as heaven. It is not indeed really heaven, but it may be considered an image of it, and as presenting to our eyes an appearance somewhat similar to that which the real heavens present before the eyes of spiritual beings. By this thoughht, the outer and the inner worlds, the representative heavens and the real heavens, are brought into connection in the mind, and our ideas are thus elevated from matter to spirit, from time to eternity.
It is true, indeed,—when the idea strikes one, that the thought of his childhood was not the real truth, that the pleasant belief of the spangled firmament
