And thus is man supplied with the food which sustams his body, so that his mind may be free to go on and accomplish its great purposes and work out its eternal destinies. Is there not visible, here, the Hand of Infinite Goodness and Power, secretly working to provide for man his daily bread? Has the plant itself any skill? Has the dull earth any benevolent purpose, that such wonderful and useful effects are produced? Are not these plainly but the instruments of a great Mind and Heart—of a good and wise Being, working unseen for our benefit?
But now, if we seek for evidences, more particularly, of the Creator's skill and wisdom, we must descend into a minuter examination of the objects before us. For the love and goodness of the Creator are visible everywhere in works and effects: for love shews itself chiefly in effects, because there its end is accomplished, and in the result the benevolent purpose images itself and becomes visible. But wisdom is to be detected rather by studying the means by which the effects are produced,—by examining the structure and composition of things; for wisdom deals chiefly with means, wisdom being the servant of love, and the instrument by which it accomplishes its benevolent ends.
Pluck, then, this flower before you. Examine its form and appearance. What beautiful colours! what delicate tints! what fine shading of one into another! How gracefully and with what curved "lines of beauty," its petals open themselves to the morning sun! Would you not think they had been formed and painted by angeb' hands? Truly "Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these." Now draw forth your microscope and examine its structure. Trace the deli-
