born, which they recognized among the distant fields, and named one after another, filled them with ectasies of joy. But when the vessel entered the port, and they saw upon the quays their friends, their fathers, their mothers, their wives, and their children, who held out their arms, while their eyes were dimmed with tears, and who called them by their names, it was impossible to keep one of them on board: they all leaped ashore, and it was necessary, according to the custom of that port, to hire another set of seamen to bring the ship to anchor. What then should we do if we could distinctly see that heavenly country where all whom we have most loved reside!If we were assured by demonstration that another world exists, I persuade myself that from that moment every occupation here would cease. All laborious and vain anxieties of this life would have an end. The passage from one world to the other being within the reach of every man, who would stay in this? But NATURE has covered the path with obscurity, and has placed DOUBT and APPREHENSION as sentinels!"

RECAPITULATION.

I HAVE thus, to the best of my ability, and as far as the multiplicity of my concerns and contracted limits have permitted, endeavoured to lay open, for the inspection of my readers, THE GREAT VOLUME OF NATURE, and to unfold a few of the striking mysteries of its numerous pages. I have descended into the dark and subterraneous vaults, where all the variety of metals, minerals, fossils, clays, and earths, are laid up in store. I have considered the form and structure of the earth-its mountains and vallies-its springs and rivers-its mineral and medicinal waters-its wide extended plains-its verdant colour-its trees and shrubs-its herbs and flowersand all that variety of vegetable produce by which it is adorned. The animated existences that inhabit the dry land, or wing their way through the air, have shared my attention; and having surveyed the different orders of Quadrupeds, Birds, Insects, and Reptiles, I have launched out and examined the Wonders of the Ocean, where sea Plants, animal Flowers, the Crustaceous tribes, and the more perfect orders of Fishes, have successively come under my observation: Then from the earth I have ascended to the atmosphere, and contemplated the wonders of, and pheno mena, of the aerial fluid-the changes of the seasons and vicissi tudes of day and night have claimed my regard:-I have considered the Moon and her various phases, and the Sun in his relationship to the earth-then have I followed the more regu lar and more eccentric bodies of the Solar System in their rapid movements, and afterwards turned my eyes to the starry fir mament, and "Gaz'd awhile the ample sky."

There

There have I dwelt till I was lost in admiration, and forced to return, with humiliating thoughts of myself, to the earth.—In this situation I have, lastly, called home my wandering thoughts; and have fixed them for a while in considering the structure of man. I have taken, indeed, but a very cursory and imperfect glance of this marvellous microcosm; but if my limits did not permit me to enlarge, as I could have wished, on the wonders of the Human Body, and the nature of the Soul, I trust I have said something to confirm in us that lively hope, and strengthen that cheering belief of the soul's immortality, which is of such material importance to sweeten the bitter dregs of life, to reconcile us to the dark and intricate ways of providence, and call off our affections from the transitory scenes of a present life to the more permanent joys of heaven.

In contemplating the objects of creation, I have been careful to consider their form and structure-the conformity of their parts-their properties and uses; and in the subjects of the animal kingdom, their dispositions and habits; their powers and faculties ; and every thing that I have beheld--every created being, whether animate or inanimate, has served to corroborate and confirm me in the opinion in which I set out.-The result of all my inquiries is, that every page of this huge volume is emblazoned deep with gigantic characters, wrote by the finger of Omnipotence itself; that " ALL THINGS SPEAK OF A GOD!"

THE IMPROVEMENT.

EVERY thing that exists in the creation of God, declares in a language that cannot be misunderstood, that it is the offspring of a DIVINE ORIGINAL. Universal nature evinces the glory of his adorable perfections, and declares to the ear of reason the wonders of his power, of his wisdom, and of his goodness; while in harmonious concord it hymns forth his praise in the execution of his will, and in the doing of his pleasure: and shall MAN be the only jarring string in this universal chorus; man--who is the child of so many mercies! man who is the object of so much solicitude! man- -who is so highly distinguished among surrounding beings! Shall man alone, whose powers are enlarged for contemplating this glorious prospect; who has faculties for estimating the blessings it holds out, a memory for retaining the conclusions he draws, and reason for judging of the obligations he lies under to the ALMIGHTY FATHER OF ALL, remain silent and insensible to so many wonders and benefits?-No! "Malignant must be the mind of that person (in the words of Dr. BLAIR), with a distorted eye he must have contemplated creation, who can suspect, that it is not the production of infinite benignity and goodness.

DDD 2

How

How many clear marks of benevolent intention appear everywhere around us! What a profusion of beauty and ornament is poured forth on the face of nature! What a magnificent spectacle presented to the view of man! What supply contrived for his wants! What a variety of objects set before him to gratify his senses, to employ his understanding, to enter tain his imagination, to cheer and gladden his heart! Indeed the very existence of the universe is a standing memorial of the goodness of the Creator. For nothing except goodness, could originally prompt creation. The SUPREME BEING, self-exist ent and all-sufficient, had no wants which he could seek to supply. No new accession of felicity or glory was to result to him from creatures whom he made. It was goodness, communicating and pouring itself forth, goodness delighting to impart happiness in all its forms, which in the beginning created the heaven and the earth. Hence those innumerable orders of living creatures with which the earth is peopled, from the lowest class of sensitive being to the highest rank of reason and intelligence. Wherever there is life there is some degree of happiness,-there are enjoyments suited to the different powers of feeling;-and earth, and air, and water, are with magnificent liberality made to teem with life.

"Let those striking displays of creating goodness, therefore, call forth on our part responsive love, gratitude, and veneration, to this GREAT FATHER OF ALL EXISTENCE AND LIFE; to HIM who has raised us up to behold the light of day, and to enjoy all the comforts which this world presents, let our hearts send forth a perpetual hymn of praise. Evening and morning let us celebrate HIM who maketh the morning and evening to rejoice over our heads; who openeth his hand, and satisfieth the desire of every living thing."

"Whoso offereth praise," saith the Scriptures, "glorifieth

me.

And who, on taking a retrospective view of the work in which we have been engaged, can refrain from such a delightful employment, when we are assured, that on beholding this august and beautiful fabric emerging at first into existence, the "morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy," and who have reason to believe, that when time itself shall be no more, a consideration of the great and marvellous works of the Lord God Almighty shall form and make part of the burden of the song of MOSES and of the LAMB!

"MY SON GIVE ME THINE HEART," is the language of Nature as well as of Revelation; let us, therefore, resolve, without delay, to present to the ADORABLE CREATOR the living sacrifices of our souls and our bodies, which is our reasonable service; and while the fool, in the madness of his

folly

folly, shuts his eyes against that line which has gone forth to the end of the world, and "says in his heart there is no God," let it be our study, who have seen His beauty so conspicuously displayed in the temple of the universe, to evince in our future lives and conduct that fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom; and let every reader of The Book of Nature laid open,' finish at this time the pleasing and profitable exercise in which he has been employed, by joining

NATURE'S UNIVERSAL SONG OF PRAISE,

in the words of Dr. OGILVIE's beautiful paraphrase of the CXLVIII. psalm, which, I trust, (although it may have met their eyes before,) will be the more acceptable to my juvenile readers at this time when they consider the occasion on which it is introduced; and encourage them to commit it to memory, (as I did, at an early period,) when I mention, that this may be consider ed as an early specimen of the developement of genius, it being said to have been written when the author was only sixteen years of age!

"BEGIN, my SOUL, th' exalted lay,

Let each enraptur'd thought obey,

And praise the ALMIGHTY's name.

Lo! HEAVEN and EARTH, and SEAS, and SKIES,
In one melodious concert rise

To swell th' inspiring theme!

Ye FIELDS of LIGHT, CELESTIAL PLAINS,
Where gay transporting beauty reigns,
Ye scenes divinely fair!

Your MAKER's wond'rous pow'r proclaim,
Tell how HE form'd your shining frame,
And breath'd the fluid AIR.

Ye ANGELS, catch the thrilling sound!
While all th' adoring thrones around
HIS boundless mercy sing:

Let ev'ry list'ning SAINT above,

Wake all the tuneful soul of love,

And touch the sweetest string.

Join, ye loud SPHERES, the vocal choir;
Thou DAZZLING ORB of liquid fire,
The mighty chorus aid !

Soon as grey ev'ning gilds the plain,
Thou, Moon, protract the melting strain,.
And praise HIM in the shade.

Thou HEAV'N of HEAV'NS, HIS vast abode;
Ye CLOUDS, proclaim your forming GOD,
Who call'd yon worlds from night:
"Ye shades, dispel!"-th' ETERNAL said:
At once th' involving DARKNESS fled,

And Nature sprung to LIGKT.

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Whate'er.

Whate'er a BLOOMING WORLD contains,

That WINGS THE AIR, that SKIMS THE PLAINS,
United praise bestow:

Ye DRAGONS, sound HIS awful name
To Heav'n aloud; and roar acclaim
Ye SWELLING DEEPS below!

Let ev'ry ELEMENT rejoice:

Ye THUNDERS, burst with awful voice
To HIM who bids you roll!
HIS praise in softer notes declare
Each WHISP'RING BREEZE of yielding air,
And breathe it to the soul.

To HIM, ye graceful CEDARS, bow!
Ye tow'ring MOUNTAINS bending low,
Your GREAT CREATOR own;

Tell when affrighted Nature shook,
How Sinai kindled at HIS look,

And trembled at HIS frown.

Ye FLOCKS that haunt the humble vale,
Ye INSECTS flutt'ring on the gale,
In mutual concourse rise!

Crop the gay ROSE'S vermeil bloom,
And waft it's spoils, a sweet perfume,
In incense to the skies.

Wake, all ye MOUNTING TRIBES, and sing;
Ye PLUMY WARBLERS of the spring,
Harmonious anthems raise,

To HIM who shap'd your finer mould,
Who tip'd your glitt'ring wings with gold,
And tun'd your voice to praise.

Let MAN, by nobler passions sway'd,
The feeling heart, the judging head,
In heavenly praise employ ;
Spread HIS tremendous name around,
Till Heaven's broad arch rings back the sound,
The gen'ral burst of joy.

Ye whom the charms of grandeur please,
Nurs'd on the downy lap of ease,

Fall prostrate at HIS throne!

Ye Princes, Rulers, all adore!

Praise him, ye Kings, who makes your pow'r
An image of HIS own.

Ye FAIR, by nature form'd to move,
O praise the ETERNAL SOURCE OF LOVE,
With YOUTH's enliv'ning fire!

Let AGE take up the tuneful lay,

Sigh HIS bless'd name-then soar away,
And ask an angel's lyre."

C. P.