natural causes are in the hand of God, and immediately under his guidance. Man himself is a proof of this. How frequently his industry subdues nature! Though he cannot change the essence of things, he is able to make use of natural causes, so that effects result from them which would not have taken place without the art and direction of man. But if Providence has in some degree subjected natural things to human industry, how much more rational is it to suppose he reserves to himself the supreme government and direction of all these things!

From all this we may conclude, that a particular Providence is necessary to watch over the government of the world. Natural causes are doubtless excellent instruments; but to be useful they should be under the direction of a wise governor. It would be unreasonable to desire that God should every instant change the laws of nature which he has once established; that if, for instance, a man fell into water, or in the fire, he should neither be drowned in the one case, nor burnt in the other. Thus, again, it is not to be expected that Providence will preserve men who shorten their lives by intemperance; or that he will work miracles to save them from the misfortunes which they bring upon themselves, by their own misconduct and folly. But it is our duty to attribute to the guardian cares of Providence all those beneficial dispensations which minister to our wants and fill our hearts with joy. All the disorders of nature are also the effects of the power of God, and may be regarded as the means which he uses to punish men. It is under this belief that on the one hand is founded the efficacy of those prayers by which we implore the blessings of heaven, peace, and fruitful seasons; and on the other, offer up our thanksgivings, for the mercies which we have so abundantly received.

OCTOBER VII.

The inexhaustible Riches of Nature.

NATURE is so liberal to us, so abundant in resources to supply all our wants, so rich in gifts, that they surpass in number the drops of water in the ocean.

How many different things does one single individual re

quire during a life of sixty years! How much he wants for food and raiment, for the sweets and conveniences of life, for the pleasures, the amusements, and the duties of society; not to mention extraordinary cases, and unforeseen accidents. Every age, state, and condition of life, in every country, and amongst every people, from the king to the beggar, from the suckling babe to the old man, has its particular wants and necessities; what agrees with one does not suit another; and all require provisions, and different means of subsistence. Yet we see nature suffices for all, and provides so liberally for every want, that each individual receives all that is necessary to him. Since the first age of the world, the earth has not ceased to open her bosom, the mines are not exhausted; the sea constantly provides subsistence for a great number of creatures; plants and trees have always buds and seeds, which germinate and are fruitful in the proper season. All bountiful nature diversifies her riches, that they may not be too much exhausted in one place; and when any species of plants, fruits, or provisions, begin to diminish, she produces others; and she does it so that the desire or taste of men should lead them where her productions are most abundant.

Nature is a wise economist, who takes care that nothing shall be lost. She derives profit from every thing. Insects serve as food to greater animals; and these are always useful to man in one way or another. If they do not supply him with food, they provide him with raiment, or they furnish him with arms and weapons of defence; and if they answer none of these purposes, they at least procure him excellent medicines. If disease sweeps off some species of animals, nature repairs that loss by the increase of others. She even makes use of the dust of dead bodies, and putrid and corrupt substances, for the nourishment of some creatures, or as manure to the earth.

How rich also is nature in fine and delightful prospects! Her most beautiful dress only requires light and colours, and with these she is abundantly provided; the scene which she presents is continually varying, according to the point of view in which it is seen. And while in one place the eye is gratified with the most beautiful forms, in another the ear is charmed by melodious sounds, and the organ of smell is refreshed by the most agreeable perfumes. In short,

the gifts of nature are so plentiful, that those which are continually used never fail. She distributes her riches throughout the earth, and diversifies them in different countries, taking from some, and giving to others; by means of commerce such relations and links are established between distant kingdoms, that her productions passing through an infinite number of hands, are much increased in value by their extensive and continual circulation. Such, in the hands of God, are the inexhaustible riches of nature, for which we can never be too grateful.

OCTOBER VIII.

Petrifactions.

THE transformation of different substances from the animal or vegetable into the mineral kingdom, is a peculiarity in natural history well deserving of our attention. Petrifactions throw much light on the natural history of the earth.

The first thing worthy of remark in petrifactions is their external form, which clearly shews that they have once belonged to the vegetable or the animal kingdom. The petrifaction of animals is not unfrequent. Aquatic animals are found petrified; and it is not uncommon to meet with entire fishes in this state, the least scales of which are distinctly visible; and the multitude of shells and worms found in the bowels of the earth, apparently converted into stone, is very great; and there are besides many petrifactions of animals found, no similar species of which are at present known to exist. The petrifactions of marine substances are found in great abundance in various parts of the earth; on the summits of the loftiest mountains, at an elevation of several thousand feet above the surface of the sea; and others at a great depth in the earth. Various species of petrified plants are also met with in different strata of the earth; and often the impressions which they have made are only seen, the substances themselves being destroyed. In some places whole trees are found buried more or less deep in the earth, and converted into a stony substance; but such petrifactions do not appear to be of a very ancient date.

It may with propriety be asked, how these petrified substances got into the earth, and particularly how they could

be found on the highest mountains? And how animals, which generally live in the sea, and do not belong to our climate, have been transported so far from their natural abode? To explain this phenomenon many causes may be assigned. These petrifactions may be regarded as a certain proof that water once covered the greatest part of the earth; and as, wherever we dig, whether on the tops of the mountains, or in the deepest mines in the earth, we find all kinds of marine productions, it would seem as if no more satisfactory explanation could be given. The great quantity of petrified shell-fish found often in very high situations, and forming regular strata, gives us reason to believe that these heights once made a part of the bottom of the sea; and it is the more probable, because we know the bed of the ocean resembles the solid earth. We are yet very imperfectly acquainted with the manner in which nature effects these petrifactions. It is certain that bodies will not petrify in the open air, because animal and vegetable substances are dissolved or become putrid in that element ; so that air must be wholly or partially excluded from the places where the process of petrifaction is going on. A dry soil has no petrifying property. Running waters may encrust some bodies, but cannot change them into stone; the very stream of the water would prevent it. A soft moist earth, containing calcarious matter in a state of solution, most probably contributes to petrifaction; the fluid penetrates into the pores of vegetable and animal substances, and as they dissolve deposits calcarious matter, which unites with, and adapts itself to, the substance in question. From the above account we may deduce some consequences which throw considerable light upon the subject. All animals and vegetables are not equally proper to be converted into stone; for that purpose they should possess a certain hardness of texture, which would prevent their becoming putrid, before they became petrified. Petrifactions are chiefly formed in the interior of the earth, and the place where they are formed should be neither very wet nor very dry. All the kinds of stones which contain petrifactions, or form the substance of them, are the work of time, and are still daily producing. Such are the calcarious and argillaceous earths, and several others of a similar nature; and petrified bo dies partake of the nature of these stones.

Though petrifactions were of no other use than to throw some light upon the natural history of our globe, they would, on that account alone, highly merit our attention. But if we consider them as proofs of the secret operations and changes of nature, they will be very useful by manifesting the wonderful power and wisdom of God.

OCTOBER IX.

The Operations of Nature are gradual.

WE may observe an admirable gradation, an insensible progress, from the simplest to the most complex perfection throughout nature; and there is no intermediate space which has not some characteristic of what precedes and of what follows; there is neither a void nor a break in the whole of nature.

Earthy particles form the chief composition of solid bodies, and are found in all substances decomposed by human art. From the union of earth with salts, oils, and sulphurs, &c. result different combinations of earths more or less compound, light, or compact. These insensibly lead us to the mineral kingdom. The different species of stones are very numerous, and their figure, colour, size, and hardness are very different. We find amongst them various metallic and saline matters, from which minerals and precious stones are produced. In the class of stones, some are fibrous, and have laminæ, or a sort of leaves, as slate, talc, litophytes, or stony marine plants, and the amianthus, or stony flower of mines; and these lead us from the mineral to the vegetable kingdom. The plant which seems to be the lowest in the scale of vegetation is the truffle, and next to it are the numerous species of mushrooms and mosses. All these plants are imperfect, and properly only constitute the limits of the vegetable kingdom. The most perfect plants naturally divide themselves into three great families, which are distributed over all the earth; these are herbs, trees, and shrubs.

The polypus seems to partake both of the vegetable and animal kingdom, and forms the connecting link between plants and animals.

Worms commence the animal kingdom, and lead us to