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NORTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW-YORK, TO WIT:

BE IT REMEMBERED, That on the second day of June in the forty-eight year

of the Independence of the United States of America, A. D. 1824, Josiah Priest (L S.) whereof he claims as author in the words following to wit: of the said district, hath deposited in this office the title of a Book the right

"The Wonders of Nature and Providence displayed: compiled from authentic sources "both Ancient and Modern, giving an account of various and strange Phenomena exist"ing in nature, and of travels, adventures, singular providences, &c. Hearken, stand "still, and consider the wondrous works of God.-Job. By Josiah Priest"

In conformity to the act of the Congress of the United States, entitled "An act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of Maps, Charts, and Books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies during the times therein mentioned;" and also, to the act entitled "An act supplementary to an act entitled 'An act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of Maps, Charts, and Books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies during the times therein mentioned,' and extending the benefits thereof to the arts of Designing, Engraving and Etching historical and other prints.'

R. R. LANSING, Clerk of the Northern District of N. York

PREFACE.

GREAT are the works of the Lord, sought out of them that fear him. The heavens, with all their brilliant hosts, declare his glorious majesty the earth is full of the demonstrations of his goodness. He openeth his hand and satisfieth the desire of every living thing. Nature and Providence are one vast volume in which God's wondrous works are displayed: it is written in characters which may be read of all nations under the whole heavens, in their own language. It consists not of words, but of things, which admirably point out the Divine perfections.

The firmament and the great expanse of infinity, are probably garnished every where with the bright monuments of his power. The sun, robed in the mantle of his own fires, sits as a king in the midst of his shining courtiers. Myriads of other suns burn on their flaming axles, and from the centre of their systems, pour the ocean of their light all over the bosom of unbounded space, lighting up, in undescribed splendour, the great palace of the Universe. And around them move in mazy dance, the obsequions planets; whole armies of constellations keep watch while they travel the great circuit of other heavens, and with their tissues" of primeval majesty, express the matchless power of the Creator.

Behold the great energies of nature are under his control! In his fist are gathered the roaring winds; the mighty storm sleeps there as the lion in the caves of the mountains. By his hand the red lightnings are held at bay, but at his word they fly and out-speed the careering winds By their flash the great concave of heaven is lighted up, from the tops of Pagan hills in the east, to where the fires of the sun plunge the western main. At his beck, the furious tornado is hushed to a zephyr, the thunders that ride upon the watery clouds are awed to silence; the cloud cap't billows of the deep, bow at his presence, and point their flashing sumaits to the gulphs below. The snow, the rain, and the hoar frost descend from the middle regions, by his providence; lo these are but parts of his ways. Anon he stoops from the highest heaven-from the clear hyaline where he stood, and lo bis way is seen among the sons of men. Mor

Now he treads upon the mountains-they smoke, and tremble! to their base a fiery flame ascends to the midst of heaven, like a mighty furnace, and his voice is like the sound of many waters,

Earth groans to her centre--thunder and storm rage along their courses-earthquakes and volcanoes roar from the tops of the mountains-the ocean boils like a pot, and spouts from the depths beneath, pyramids of fire. The portentous comet rolls athwart the great expanse, and with his twilight gloom, spreads a disastrous shade o'er half the nations: these are the ministers of his wrath.

The infinite variety of creatures that inhabit the earth, the ocean, and the air, show his amazing skill; the teeming shower, the sunshine and the yellow sheaf, show his bounteous goodness. The contemplation of a Divine Providence is consoling and pro fitable; we feel ourselves drawn from the creature to the Creator. The Lord reigneth, let the earth rejoice! the reigns of government are in the hands of him who needs no counsellor. Though the fool has said in his heart there is no God, yet both His word and providence declare to the ends of the earth, saying, verily there is a God, who hath set his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom reigneth over all. Shall we not say providence is God in motion, is God teaching by facts, is God fulfilling and explaining his word in his own way however inscrutable to the ken of men or angels?

Though clouds and darkness are round about him, righteousness and judgment are the habitations of his throne.

No pains have been spared in the comiplation of this book, to collect from rare and valuable publications, both of Europe and America, which are but little known by reason of their magnitude and scarcity,) such accounts as show the way of the Lord in his works and providence. There can be no doubt, that to be indifferent to these, whether it be a nation or an individual, is highly sinful.

The eyes of all ought to wait upon him, whose wonders fill heaven, earth and hell. How vast the amplitude of his power! the ocean of illimitable space is the field of his operations.

The accounts given respecting the Roman Catholic hierarehy, are a record of facts which show that a spirit of persecution was not only an ancient mark of that overgrown superstition, but that it retains all its virulence to the present day.

It affords much pleasure to reflect, that so large a work is now presented to its thousands of patrons, for so small a price, gathered from those who have recorded, from age to age, the wonderful works and providences of the Most High; for which, to Him, and my generous patrons I give thanks. JOSIAH PRIEST.

Albany, August 17, 1825.

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