ADAM AND EVE'S MORNING HYMN. 111 answer the miscarriages of his whole past life, and receive there an unalterable sentence, that will doom him to endless and inconceivable joys, or everlasting and inexpressible torments, I think it is not inconsistent either with piety or courage, to look upon so great a change, with something of commotion. Many that would not fear to be put out of the world, will appre hend to be let into eternity. ADAM AND EVE'S MORNING HYMN. THESE are thy glorious works, Parent of Good! Thus wondrous fair! Thyself how wondrous then, In these thy lowest works; yet these declare If better thou belong not to the dawn, Sure pledge of day, that crown'st the smiling morn ; 112 SOLITUDE. SABBATH.T 1 With every plant, in sign of worship wave. >> To hill or valley, fountain or fresh shade, THE wise man has treasures within himself. The hour of solitude is the hour of meditation. He communes with his heart alone. He reviews the actions of his past life. He corrects what is amiss; he rejoices in what is right; and, wiser by experience, lays the plan of his future life. The great and the noble, the wise and the learned, the pious and the good, have been lovers of serious retirement. On this field the patriot forms schemes, the philosopher pursues his discoveries, the saint improves himself in wisdom and goodness. Solitude is the hallowed ground which religion, in every age, has adopted as her own. There her sacred inspiration is felt, and her holy mysteries elevate the soul; there falls the tear of contrition; there the heart pours itself forth before Him who made, and Him who redeemed it. Apart from men, you live with nature, and converse with God. SABBATH. DEAR is the hallow'd morn to me, Call me from earthly cares away. 20) acid 253 25 ON THE PROCESS OF VEGETATION. And dear to me the winged hour,. Which echoes through the blest abode, 1.1 And dear the rustic, harmony, va ed ha v gla The music of a thankful heart. In secret I have often pray'd, I The fire descends, and dries them all. "1 ཆན་ས Oft when the world, with iron hands, Then dear to me the Sabbath morn; Go, man of pleasure, strike thy lyre, ON THE PROCESS OF VEGETATION. LET us endeavour to illustrate the subject of Vegetation, by taking a view of what happens to a bean after it has been committed to the earth. In a few days, 114 ON THE PROCESS OF VEGETATION. sooner or later, according to the temperature the weather and disposition of the soil, the external coverings open at one end, and disclose to the naked eye part of the body of the grain. This substance consists of two lobes, between which the seminal plant is securely lodged. Soon after the opening of the membranes, a sharp-pointed body appears, which is the root. By a kind of instinctive principle, if the expression may be allowed, it seeks a passage downward, and fixes itself into the soil. At this period the root is a smooth and polished body, and has, perhaps, but little power to absorb any thing from the earth, for the nutriment of the germ. The two lobes next begin to separate, and the germ, with its leaves, may be plainly discovered. As the germ increases in size, the lobes are farther separated, and the tender leaves, being closely joined, push themselves forward in the form of a wedge. These leaves take a contrary direction to that of the root: they seek a passage upward; which, having obtained, they lay aside their wedge-like form, and spread themselves in an horizontal direction, as being the best adapted for receiving the rain and dew. The root, every hour increasing in size and vigour, pushes itself deeper into the earth, from which it now draws some nutritive particles. At the same time the leaves of the germ, being of a succulent nature, assist the plant by attracting from the atmosphere such particles as the tender vessels are fit to convey. These particles, however, are of a watery kind, and have not in their own nature a sufficiency of nutriment for the increasing plant. Vegetables, as well as animals, during their tender state, require a large share of balmy nourishment. As soon as an animal is brought to life, the milk of its mother is supplied in a liberal stream; the vegetable lives upon a similar fluid, though differently supplied. For its use the farinaceous lobes are melted down into a milky juice, which as long as it lasts is conveyed to the tender plant, by means of innumerable small vessels, which are spread through the substance of the lobes; and which, uniting into one common trunk, enter the body of the germ, and thus supply that balmy liquor, without which the plant CHILI AND SCOTLAND. THE BIBLE A RULE OF LIFE. 115 must inévitably have perished, its root being then too small to absorb a sufficiency of food, and its body too weak to assimilate it into nourishment. Thus admirable and well contrived is the method of Providence, in supporting the plant in its earliest and tenderest stages! As the plant increases in size, the balmy juice diminishes, till at last it is quite exhausted. The trunk of small vessels then dries up, and the external covering of the seed appears connected with the root in the form of a shrivelled bag. In the process of vege tation there is no mortality. From the moment that the seed is lodged in its parent earth, the vegetative soul begins its operations, and in the whole successive gradation of them, illustrates the wisdom, power, and bounty of Him, who created and rules the universe. CHILI AND SCOTLAND COMPARED. LIBERAL, not lavish, is kind nature's hand, I SCRIPTURAL knowledge is of inestimable value on account of its supplying an infallible rule of life. To the most untutored mind, the information it affords on this subject, is far more full and precise than the highest efforts, of reason could attain. In the best moral precepts issuing from human wisdom, there is an incurable defect in that want of authority whic robs them of their power over the conscience; they are obligatory no farther than their reason is perceived. A de |