'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.