Page:Natural Phenomena and their Spiritual Lessons.djvu/9



little has at present been contributed in aid of the elucidation of the analogies of nature by the application of the principles of correspondence, that this volume may be regarded as an attempt in an almost untrodden path, through a field which is absolutely inexhaustible. During its composition glimpses have been obtained of the rich harvest of instruction and delight similar studies may yield, when undertaken by writers possessing an adequate acquaintance with natural science, and proportionate spiritual knowledge and experience. But the field lies open to labourers of every variety of qualifications; and in the paucity of higher productions these essays may not, perhaps, be wholly unacceptable. They are offered simply as a series of efforts towards the spiritual interpretation of the natural facts and phenomena with which they deal. In reference to these, also, they make no pretension to more than the familiar knowledge to be gathered from an elementary treatise or a popular lecture.