’Should you be removed to the ends of the world, you will be fixed in this heart, as the shade of a lofty tree remains with it even when the day is departed.’

‘The tree of my hope which had risen so luxuriantly is broken down.’

’Removed from the bosom of my father, like a young sandal tree rent from the hill of Malaja, how shall I exist in a strange soil?’

This familiar intercourse with Nature stood far as the poles asunder from the monotheistic attitude of the Hebrew.  The individual, it is true, was nothing in comparison with Brahma, the All-One; but the divine pervaded and sanctified all things, and so gave them a certain value; whilst before Jehovah, throned above the world, the whole universe was but dust and ashes.  The Hindoo, wrapt in the contemplation of Nature, described her at great length and for her own sake, the Hebrew only for the sake of his Creator.  She had no independent significance for him; he looked at her only ’sub specie eterni Dei,’ in the mirror of the eternal God.  Hence he took interest in her phases only as revelations of his God, noting one after another only to group them synthetically under the idea of Godhead.  Hence too, despite his profound inwardness—­’The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, who can know it?’ (Jeremiah)—­human individuality was only expressed in its relation to Jehovah.

’The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork.  Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.’—­Psalm 19.

’Let the heavens rejoice and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof.

’Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein; then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice.’—­Psalm 96.

’Let the floods clap their hands:  let the hills be joyful together.’—­Psalm 98.

’The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their waves.  The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea.’—­Psalm 93.

’The sea saw it, and fled:  Jordan was driven back.  The mountains skipped like rams, and the little hills like lambs.’—­Psalm 114.

’The waters saw thee, O God, the waters saw thee; they were afraid:  the depths also were troubled.’—­Psalm 77.

All these lofty personifications of inanimate Nature only characterise her in her relation to another, and that not man but God.  Nothing had significance by itself, Nature was but a book in which to read of Jehovah; and for this reason the Hebrew could not be wrapt in her, could not seek her for her own sake, she was only a revelation of the Deity.

’Lord, how great are thy works, in wisdom hast thou made them all:  the earth is full of thy goodness.’

Yet there is a fiery glow of enthusiasm in the songs in praise of Jehovah’s wonders in creation.