mulgation of the Gospel of Christ in the most remote countries of the earth. And again, we whose lot is not that of daily braving the waves of the ocean, and exposing our lives to continual dangers, to obtain wealth or to procure the means of existence, ought to be very grateful to the Almighty; and whilst secure from such perilous encounters, living calmly in the bosom of our families, we ought to offer up to heaven our prayers for those who are obliged to traverse the ocean, and undertake distant voyages, whether for their private emolument or for the public good.

OCTOBER XXII.

Beasts of Burthen.

ANIMALS of this description do us so much service, and are so extremely useful, that they well deserve a particular investigation. We are generally satisfied with making them subservient to our necessities, either in supplying us with food, or assisting us in our labours with their strength; while, through ignorance or indolence, we neglect to consider the connection they have with the whole creation, and to reflect upon the wisdom and goodness of the Creator, manifested in the production of these useful animals.

Of all domestic creatures, the horse is the most serviceable and tractable. He suffers himself to be employed in cultivating the earth, he carries for us all that we want, he submits with docility to all kinds of labour, and shares with us the pleasures of the chase and the dangers of war, while he is content with a moderate and frugal supply of food. He gives up his own being to exist only by the will of another; he even anticipates the commands of his master, which he executes with wonderful promptitude and precision; he refuses nothing, exerts all his strength, and sometimes dies in the act of obedience. Nature has given him a disposition to love and to fear man, with a sensibility alive to the caresses which sweeten his slavery. The horse excels all other animals in fineness of figure and beauty of proportion. The elegant symmetry of his shape, and wellformed limbs; the outline of his head and neck, give him a quick and lively appearance, admirably contrasted by

the boldness of his chest; his carriage is noble, his march firm and majestic; and when roused to action, every limb denotes his power and energy, every muscle shews his activity, and his defiance of danger is expressed by the fire of his eye and the thunder of his nostrils.

The ox is far from having the graceful elegance of the horse; his large head, his legs too thin and short in proportion to the bulk of his body, the smallness of his ears, his stupid look, and heavy pace, would seem to be imperfections; but he amply compensates his want of beauty by the important services which he renders to man. He is so strong that he readily carries very heavy burthens, and is satisfied with mean fare. Every part of this animal is useful; his blood, his hide, his hoofs, his flesh, and his horns, &c. are all employed for different purposes. His very dung is a most excellent manure for the earth. In this animal the organs of digestion are very remarkable: he has four stomachs, the first of which will contain forty or fifty pounds weight of food; the third stomach has eighty-eight folds, which assist the process of digestion, whilst the stomach of sheep and goats have only thirty-six.

The ass, however despised and unprepossessing his external appearance may be, has nevertheless some very excellent qualities, and is of great use. He is not impetuous and fiery, like the horse, but quiet, simple, and well tempered. He has no haughtiness, goes peaceably on his way, and bears his burthen without noise or murmur; he is temperate both in the quantity and in the quality of his food, being contented with thistles and the commonest herbs; he is patient, vigorous, indefatigable, and renders his master the most important and constant services.

How can we daily use these animals, and not at the same time think upon our Creator, who has formed them, and given them properties by means of which they become so useful to us? It is worth the attention of a reflecting mind to know that the number of beasts of burthen is much greater than that of wild beasts. Can we, without emotions of gratitude, reflect upon the goodness of God, which has given us supreme dominion over these creatures, the ability of taming them, and converting them to the most useful purposes, and the power of enforcing their obedience? This command over animals is one of those gifts of God by which

man may every moment feel the excellence and superiority of his being. Since, then, it is to the Almighty himself that we owe this power and dominion, how extremely unjust it would be to abuse it by our ill treatment of these creatures, whether in over-working them, or in any other way treating them harshly,

OCTOBER XXIII.

Winter Seed-time.

A GREAT part of the food intended for the use of man and other animals is at this time committed to the earth; and when the farmer has sown his winter's corn, he begins to enjoy some repose. He will soon have the gratification of seeing his fields spread over with a beautiful verdure, giving promise of a plentiful harvest. Nature is secretly working whilst the germ is unfolding; her operations may be discovered by extracting from the earth some of the grains which are beginning to germinate. Two days after a seed has been sown, the juices which make it swell are conveyed to the germ, and cause it to sprout. The germ is always placed at one of the extremities of the seed; and that part of the germ which is nearest the outside becomes the radical of the future plant, while that part which is towards the interior of the substance of the seed becomes the stem, and the head of the plant. Twenty-four hours after the corn has been sown, the germ, which begins to pierce the coat of the grain, and to disengage itself, puts forth its root and stalk: the root is at first enveloped in a sheath, which it bursts. In a few days other roots shoot out at the sides, having extricated themselves from the sheath. By the fifth or sixth day the corn begins to appear with a small green point above the ground; it remains a considerable time in this state, till, as the season advances, and fine weather favours, the ear bursts from its coasts, which hitherto had sheltered it from all the variations of temperature.

From this consideration, we may with propriety proceed to reflect upon the nature of human life. Our present existence may be regarded as the germ of a future life, and our state here as that of our seed-time, when we can discover very little growth. The luxuriant ear, the ripe

sheaves, and mature fruit, we cannot yet see, neither is the harvest to be reaped upon the earth. We live in hope. The husbandman having sown his field, abandons his seed to corruption, to rain, to storms, and to the sun's heat, and does not yet know what will be the result: so does it happen with regard to spiritual seed. Let us not exult in what we sow, nor be cast down if we do not immediately see the fruits; neither let us ever be weary with sowing to the Spirit; and perhaps our good works, however small, may hereafter have the most beneficial consequences. Now that our ground is sowed, let us patiently, and without anxiety, wait till we gather the fruits of our labour, and, like the pious husbandman, let us pray unto God to crown our fields with his blessings.

OCTOBER XXIV.

Particular Providence.

Ir would be very unfortunate for the world if there was any foundation in that principle of the incredulous, that God is only concerned for the totality of beings, and the preservation of society at large, but has no care of particular individuals. The absurdity of such an opinion is evident. Both the dictates of reason and the sentiments of religion teach us to believe in a God, whose providence extends itself to every creature in particular, and to every part of which that creature is composed. Let it not be imagined that it is beneath God to regard individuals. The whole universe, as well as the smallest particle of dust, is nothing in comparison of the Infinite Being. What, then, can we call little or contemptible? Is there not less distance between an individual, and a whole nation, than there is between them and the stars, which appear so small to the eyes of men? The least reflection suffices to convince us, that in comparison of that God to whom a million of years are no more than a day, and the whole universe as a drop of water compared with the ocean, there is nothing which is in itself either great or little, nor any event, however inconsiderable it may be, that is unworthy of his attention. If we take the meanest plant, or the least insect that we can dissect, we shall discover, even in its least particles,

the same wisdom which is displayed in the structure of the whole. The least fibre contributes as much to the perfection of the whole animal, or plant, as these do to the perfection of the whole species, and as the entire species does to the perfection of the universe. If, then, God has not disdained to form these creatures which appear so despicable, why should it be considered beneath him to preserve them? And if the parts were not complete, how could the whole be perfect? or how could the whole species be preserved, unless that preservation extended to individuals?

Reason teaches us this, and revelation completes our conviction. It informs us that the very hairs of our head are numbered. Thus, the meanest part of our body, one of those hairs, thousands of which in the course of our lives we lose without perceiving it, or suffering any inconvenience, even these are numbered. Hence our Saviour drew this inference, that with much greater reason God interests himself on our account, and condescends to favour us with his regard; and this is the more evident, inasmuch as all men have been redeemed by the blood of his wellbeloved Son, and have gained new favour in the sight of God by becoming the disciples of the blessed Jesus. O Eternal Providence! I adore thee in Jesus Christ. With the liveliest emotions of gratitude, I adore and bless thee, O God! Before the foundation of the world thou designed my happiness, before my supplications could reach the throne of thy grace, or my grateful aspirations ascend to heaven! And is it possible that thou canst now forget me? No! thy only Son, the blessed Redeemer, has undertaken my salvation, and suffered even the most cruel torments on my behalf. Let us, then, not be staggered by the raillery of vain and wicked men. Let us confide in that God whom the infidel would persuade us takes no care of his creatures. Let us consider that we were not formed for this life only, but that we are to live in another world, where the wonders of God's grace and infinite power will be opened to us in all their beauty and splendour.