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Kingsley, Charles, 1819-1875

"Discipline and Other Sermons"

He will be ashamed even to
disturb a bird upon its nest, when he remembers the builder and maker
of that nest is not the bird alone, but God. He will believe the
words of the wise man -

'He prayeth well who loveth well
Both man, and bird, and beast.
He prayeth best who loveth best
All things, both great and small;
For the great God who loveth us,
He made and loveth all.'

More quiet, more loving will that man grow; and more pious likewise.
For there ought to come to that man a sense of God's presence, of
God's nearness, which will fill him with a wholesome fear of God. As
he sees with the inward eyes of his reason God's Spirit at work for
ever on every seed, on every insect, ay, on every nerve and muscle of
his own body, he will heartily say with the Psalmist--'I will give
thanks unto thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Marvellous are thy works, and that my soul knoweth right well. Thine
eyes did see my substance, yet being imperfect; and in thy book were
all my members written, which day by day were fashioned, when as yet
there was none of them. Whither shall I go then from thy Spirit, or
whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I climb up to heaven,
thou art there; if I go down to hell, thou art there also; if I take
the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the
sea, even there thy hand shall lead me, and thy right hand hold me
still.


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