What is this?

ROSE.

On what did it grow? You know the rose from other flowers, tell me some particulars in which it differs from them.

What is the colour of this rose are there roses of any other colour?”

Does the colour appear beautiful to you?

By which of your senses do you perceive the colour?-But what perceives it?—What receives pleasure from it? [The mind perceives it, and receives pleasure from it, through the sense of sight.]

Is the number of flower-leaves comparatively small or large? Is it easy to you to count them?

Is there any difference in their size?

Where are the largest situated? Where are the smallest ?

Who has so beautifully arranged these leaves? Are they of the same colour throughout? Where are the shades darkest? Where are they lightest?

What do you perceive in the middle of the rose?

Is the number of these parts the same in every flower?

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Hold one of the rose-leaves to the light: what you observe?

Is it not varied with streaks? What are they? Of what use?

To what is the flower affixed? Has it not a sort of cup? And what more?

Of what colour are the leaves of the cup?
What is beneath the cup?

What supports the stalk?

What supports the branches?
What supports the stem?

Is the stalk smooth? What do you observe upon it? And of what use are the thorns?

In what season does the rose bloom? Would it have bloomed, if the root had been plucked from the ground?-What reflection may we make upon this?

Does the plant produce all its roses at the same time? Who ordains the time of each rose? What was the rose once? In what state are the leaves of the flower before they expand?

And whence did the rose-bud proceed?

What causes the leaves of the flower to expand?

What is the means of producing their beautiful colour?

Are not the colours of the primrose and the violet, the tulip and the marigold, derived from the same sun?

How are the rays of the sun made productive of such effects?

Whose hand has wrought the varied texture of each flower, and painted on them with His pure light such countless tints?

We spoke of the pleasure we receive from the rose, through the sense of sight: do we receive pleasure by means of any other sense?

Can you distinguish the smell of the rose from that of any other flower?

Can you describe the smell of a rose ?

You say it is sweet; is not the smell of the pink likewise sweet? And the violet? And the jasmine?

Yet have not each of these flowers a different smell?

Can you find any word by which you may so express the smell of a rose as distinct from that of other flowers, that you may convey the idea to another, without naming the rose?

We call many flowers sweet, but there is no definite word which signifies the agreeable smell of one flower, as distinct from that of another. You will by degrees perceive that language is incapable of expressing all our ideas.

Might the rose be represented? By what means?

But could you represent its smell? Or could you give life to your representation of the rose?

Is this rose beautiful? Will its beauty continue ?

It may generally be observed, that the more beautiful a flower is, the sooner it fades.

If it had remained upon the tree, would it have withered so soon?

But would it not have withered at last, or would not its leaves have fallen off?

Of what may this remind you?

Must not earthly beauty fade and die?
How then should you value it?

When you see the rose, should you rest satisfied with admiring its colour, and enjoying its smell?

Should you not think of Him who gave it its colours and perfume?

And if, in this fallen world, there are such beautiful objects, from which God permits you to receive gratification through your outward senses, how high must be the gratification He has prepared for the inward senses of the regenerate in a future state!

You receive pleasure from beholding the colour of the rose-you receive pleasure from its smell; what is the reason that your soul does not receive pleasure from heavenly things?

It is because your spiritual senses are not exercised upon their proper objects; perhaps they are not even in a state to be exercised upon them:-if you were to shut your eyes, could you receive pleasure from the colour of the rose?

And if you shut your inward eyes, if you close your spiritual perception, against heavenly, eternal objects, how can you perceive, how can you enjoy them?

We have spoken of the elements which nourish the different flowers; let your mind enter into reflection upon that Power which causes the

same material elements to produce in the innumerable species of vegetables every variety of form, of colour, of fragrance :-they all spring from the same earth, yet every single plant has its peculiar properties.

Why have we, besides the necessary and useful plants, such a profusion of beauty and sweetness?—The Divine Love changeth not: as though eager to repeal the curse of barrenness, it has spread the tokens of its munificence over the whole earth.

To the reflecting Christian, the unconscious flowers present instructive emblems :-images of peace, beauty, innocence, purity-walking amongst them as though God were near, he tastes something of that sacred presence which man first enjoyed-beholding them as pledges of the Divine favour, he anticipates the unsearchable riches of Paradise restored,