"In no other way can the foundation of a true education be so firmly and surely laid. Yet even the child, as he comes in contact with nature, will see cause for perplexity. He cannot but recognize the working of antagonistic forces. It is here that nature needs an interpreter. Looking upon the evil manifest even in the natural world, all have the same sorrowful lesson to learn—“An enemy hath done this.” Matthew 13:28 . Ed 101.1"
"He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?"
The EGW passage directly quotes Matthew 13:28 and applies it to the presence of evil in the natural world, making it a clear and explicit allusion.
"In brier and thorn, in thistle and tare, is represented the evil that blights and mars. In singing bird and opening blossom, in rain and sunshine, in summer breeze and gentle dew, in ten thousand objects in nature, from the oak of the forest to the violet that blossoms at its root, is seen the love that restores. And nature still speaks to us of God's goodness. Ed 101.3"
"Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;"
EGW uses the imagery of thorns and thistles from Genesis 3:18 to represent the negative consequences of sin, while contrasting it with the beauty of nature representing God's restoring love. The connection is thematic and illustrative.
"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork."
EGW's statement is a clear echo of Psalm 19:1, focusing on the declaration of God's glory. While not a direct quote, the parallel is undeniable.