their breath, they die, and turn again to their dust. HE lets His
breath, His spirit, go forth, and out of that dead dust grow plants
and herbs afresh for man and beast, and He renews the face of the
earth. For, says the wise man, "all things are God's garment"--
outward and visible signs of His unseen and unapproachable glory;
and when they are worn out, He changes them, says the Psalmist, as a
garment, and they shall be changed.


The old order changes, giving place to the new,
And God fulfils Himself in many ways.


But He is the same. He is there all the time. All things are His
work. In all things we may see Him, if our souls have eyes. All
things, be they what they may, which live and grow on this earth, or
happen on land or in the sky, will tell us a tale of God,--shew
forth some one feature, at least, of our blessed Saviour's
countenance and character,--either His foresight, or His wisdom, or
His order, or His power, or His love, or His condescension, or His
long-suffering, or His slow, sure vengeance on those who break His
laws. It is all written there outside in the great green book,
which God has given to labouring men, and which neither taxes nor
tyrants can take from them. The man who is no scholar in letters
may read of God as he follows the plough, for the earth he ploughs
is his Father's: there is God's mark and seal on it,--His name,
which though it is written on the dust, yet neither man nor fiend
can wipe it out!

The poor, solitary, untaught boy, who keeps the sheep, or minds the