Читать книгу Floral Illustrations of the Seasons. Consisting of the Most Beautiful, Hardy and Rare Herbaceous Plants, Cultivated in the Flower Garden онлайн

2 страница из 12

"Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow."

There is no pursuit which fills the mind with more noble and exalted sentiments than the study of these works of Nature:—wherever we turn our attention, we shall discover in them ample lessons of instruction and delight; in the structure of every plant, we shall find the most exact symmetry, and the most perfect contrivance—and the more minutely we examine, the more decided traces we discern of that Power

"Who planned, and built, and still upholds a world

So clothed with beauty."

The gratification to be derived from such pursuits, is heightened by considerations like these, and their utility and value are rendered still more evident. To use the language of the late excellent and distinguished Sir James E. Smith, "Is it not desirable to call the soul from the feverish agitation of worldly pursuits, to the contemplation of divine wisdom in the beautiful economy of Nature? Is it not a privilege to walk with God in the garden of creation, and hold converse with his providence? If such elevated feelings do not lead to the study of Nature, it cannot be far pursued without rewarding the student by exciting them."