April 26

He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man; that he may bring forth food out of the earth. - Psalms 104:14.

THE literal description, which is contained in this fine ode to the spring by the royal Psalmist, is again being fulfilled. The clouds have poured down their treasure, and the grateful soil is teeming with the promises of loveliness and fertility. In this case two things should follow. First, That we should gratefully adore that God, who never leaves himself without witnesses, in that he is continually doing us good and sending us rain and fruitful seasons, and “filling our hearts with food and gladness.” Why are we thus indulged? Have we duly improved his former loving kindnesses? “Not unto us, O Lord!” for “it is of the Lord’s mercy we are not consumed.” O that the “goodness of God may lead us to repentance.”

Secondly, Let us endeavour to derive religious instruction from it. There are but very few persons who are really lovers of natural scenery. The multitude are carried away by something artificial, and are more struck with the works of man than by the works of God. And we have met with others, who have a real taste for nature, but then they never regarded it as the handmaiden of grace, never made it the representation and the remembrance of better things. Yet there is a striking analogy between the works of God in nature and in grace. The blessings of the Scripture are infinitely superior to the blessings of the field, yet the one furnishes illustrations of the other, and was designed to furnish them; and by a holy chemistry we may extract heaven from earth; by a holy mechanism we may make the creature a ladder by which to ascend to the Creator; by Spiritual-mindedness and meditation we may render every place a house of God, every avenue the gate of heaven, every object a preacher.

The rising sun may tell us of the “Sun of Righteousness rising with healing under his wings.” The refreshing dew may remind us of the doctrine of divine grace. “And,” says Isaiah, “as the rain cometh down and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be; that goeth forth out of my mouth; it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”