stand my last and chief end, timely guard against all evil, and with simplicity and diligence apply myself to those things which thou in thy word hast prescribed as my duty.

Upon the face of the earth there are an incalculable number of living creatures, which are too small to be visible to the naked eye, being only discovered by the help of the microscope.

"Gradual-what numerous kinds descend,
Evading even the microscopic eye!

Full nature swarms with life; one wondrous mass
Of animals, or atoms organized,

Waiting the vital breath, when parent Heaven
Shall bid his Spirit blow. The hoary fen,
In putrid streams, emits the living cloud
Of pestilence. Through subterranean cells,
Where scorching sunbeams scarce can find a way.
Earth animated heaves. The flowery leaf
Wants not its soft inhabitants: Secure,
Within its winding citadel, the stone

Holds multitudes. But chief the forest boughs,
That dance unnumbered to the playful breeze,
The downy orchard, and the melting pulp
Of mellow fruit, the nameless nations feed
Of evanescent insects. Where the pool
Stands mantled o'er with green, invisible
Amid the floating verdure, millions stray.
Each liquid too, whether it pierces, soothes,
Inflames, refreshes, or exalts the taste,
With various forms abounds. Nor is the stream
Of purest crystal, nor the lucid air,

Though one transparent vacancy seem,
Void of their unseen people. These, concealed
By the kind art of forming Heaven, escape
The grosser eye of man; for, if the worlds
In worlds inclosed should on his senses burst,
From cates ambrosial, and the nectared bowl,
He would abhorrent turn; and in dead night,
When silence sleeps o'er all, be stunned with noise, "

}

The microscope shows us legions of animalcules in water, wine, vinegar, beer, dew, rain water, chalybeate waters, &c. Lewenhoeck

calculates that a thousand millions of animalcules, which are discovered in common water, are not altogether as large as a common grain of sand. In the milt of a single cod, there are more animals than there are men upon the whole earth; and yet a grain of sand is bigger than four millions of them. Who, observes a beautiful writer, a thousand years ago would have thought it possible that myriads of living creatures should be distinguished in a single drop of water? That the purple tide of life, and even globules of the blood should be seen distinctly, rolling through veins and arteries, smaller than the finest hair? That not only the exterior form, but even the internal structure of the bowels, and the motions of the fluids in a gnat, should be rendered visible? Or, that numberless species of creatures should be made objects of vision, though so minute, that a million of them are less than a grain of sand?

I am no less delighted when I consider, that the great Author of nature has spread a GREEN CARPET under my feet, adorned with a great variety of beautiful and fragrant flowers, not to please my eye, and delight my other senses, only, but to be food for the use of man, and numerous animals, over which, by the appointment of his Creator, he has a right to exercise dominion. The earth is richly stored with every thing necessary to the subsistence and comfort

of its various inhabitants. He gives food to every living creature, feeds the wild beasts of the forest, as well as the cattle upon a thousand hills. He hears the young ravens when they cry, takes care of sparrows, and numbers the hairs of our heads, so that not one of them can fall to the ground without his permission.

"Hail, Source of Being, Universal Soul

Of Heaven and Earth! Essential Presence, hail!
TO THEE 1 bend the knee; to thee my thoughts
Continually climb; who, with a master hand,
Hast the great whole into perfection touched.
By thee the various vegetative tribes,
Wrapt in a filmy nest, and clad with leaves,
Draw the live ether, and imbibe the dew:
By thee disposed into congenial soils,

Stands each attractive plant, and sucks and swells
The juicy tide: a twining mass of tribes.

At THY command the vernal sun awakes

The torpid sap, detruded to the root

By wintry winds: that now in fluent dance
And lively fermentation, mounting, spreads
All this innumerous coloured scene of things."

The revolving SEASONS are adapted to excite gratitude and produce delight. How admirable are the constant successions of day and night, summer and winter, seed time and harvest! How loudly do these proclaim the being and perfection of the Supreme Ruler! "Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge." The uninterrupted order of day and night fully demonstrates, that he is infinitely wise, powerful, and good, who overrules these changes in such a regular manner.

The same truth may be justly inferred from

the constant return of seed time and harvest, and summer and winter. The spring tells the summer and the summer the winter, that He who ordained and directs these, as well as all the other periodical revolutions in nature, is glorious in every possible perfection, and worthy to receive praise, homage, and worship from his creatures. Though they have not properly a voice, yet such is their language, that it is capable of being heard and understood by all who are endued with rational powers, and will but attend to it.

How dark, cold, and tempestuous is the winter season? It strips the trees of their beautiful ornaments, and removes from the fields their verdure and gay coverings, making surrounding objects appear as dead. It sends abroad many furious storms, which, spreading terror in various directions, throw into ruinous heaps the most superb edifices. It locks up the rivers, confining them in icy fetters, or

"Subdued,

The frost resolves into a trickling thaw.

Spotted, the mountains shine; loose sleet descends, And floods the country round. The rivers swell, Of bounds impatient;'

and, inundating the surrounding country, often produce great devastation. It pours the flaky snow on the wide surface of the earth, and fills the road so as to intercept the weary traveller, or cover him out of sight: and then

"Sudden from the hills, O'er rocks and woods, in broad brown cataracts, A thousand snow-fed torrents shoot at once!

And where they rush, the wide resounding plain
Is left one slimy waste."

Such is the diversified and gloomy aspect of

winter!

But, how pleasant is the return of spring! When nature revives and smiles again, the pastures are clothed afresh with living green, the trees put on their new attire, and appear fine and beautiful flowers adorn the face of the meadows, and afford a pleasing variety of colour and fragrance: they mingle their odoriferous sweets, perfume the circumambient air, and refresh and regale us.

"Advancing spring profusely spreads around Flowers of all hues, with sweetest fragrance stored. Where'er she treads love gladdens every plain; Delight, on tip-toe, bears the lucid train;

Sweet hope, with conscious brow, before her flies, Anticipating wealth from summer skies."

Now the animate and inanimate parts of the creation rejoice together in one chorus; all join in songs of praise to the bountiful Creator, and universal Lord. Gladness inspires the breast of the feathered tribes, and with thanksgiving hymns they offer a tribute of gratitude to Him who gives them their meat in its season. Those birds and reptiles which had slept all the winter, revive, and welcome the approach of summer. The corn grows and flourishes, and the trees bud and blossom, giving us animating prospects of ensuing plenty.