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LETTER they give to our eyesight and judgment, how speedily they would spread ruin and desolation thro material nature, and over man's human world, if no superintending and controlling Mind watched and limited their agency. The safety of our much-compounded globe and of ourselves, depends every hour on the judgment and vigilance, with which all the active forces of nature are coerced, guided, adjusted and regulated, so that they never shall operate to produce general evil or universal destruction, or any more than the permitted portion of either'; and yet without the guardian administrator, and according to their own ungoverned and unrestricted properties and natural restlessness, it is obvious that in no long series of time, these impetuosities and collisions, if self-actuated only, would shake and shatter all things into fractures, confusion and death.46

46 The ocean, like the rest of material nature, has been created with the same Divine taste for beauty, and exhibition of beauty to us, even in the appearances beneath its mighty waters. The following picture has been given of the NORTHERN SEAS:—

'Nothing can be more surprising and beautiful than the singular clearness of the water of the Northern Seas.

'As we passed slowly over the surface, the bottom, which here was in general a white sand, was clearly visible, with its minutest objects, where the depth was from twenty to twenty-five fathoms. Hanging over the gunwale of the boat, with wonder and delight, I gazed on the slowly moving scene below. Where the bottom was sandy the different kinds of asteriæ, echini, and even the smallest shells, appeared at that great depth conspicuous to the eye. Now creeping along, we saw far beneath, the rugged sides of a mountain rising towards our boat, the base of which, perhaps, was hidden some miles in the great deep below. Tho we were moving on a level surface, it seemed almost as if we were ascending the height under us; and when we passed over its summit, which apparently rose to within a few feet of our boat, and came again to the descent, which on that side was suddenly perpendicular, it seemed almost as if we had thrown ourselves down this precipice. Now we came again to a plain, and passed slowly over the

sub-marine

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The Ocean was a device of the Almighty, which LETTER when executed, by placing the seas in their present positions and diffusion, gave to His providence the easy means and power, of distributing the nations of which He meant His human population to consist, in such localities, and with such connections and insulations, and immediate or future relations, as His progressive plan required. Colonization by coasting voyages, more or less distant, became thus always practicable. It was never difficult to transport small bodies for new settlements, by boats or larger vessels. It was easy, by adverse winds, to waft some of these to greater remoteness, or to other points than they themselves intended. All such could be kept aloof from others, as long as His designs required; and as they enlarged into tribes, or cities and states, the Ocean then became His convenient instrumentality to such further changes and circumstances, as He meant to educe.

For as none could traverse the Ocean but those, who applied themselves to the art and practice of Navigation, and became thereby maritime states, it was only such as He led to be of this description, which could visit those that were raised and flourishing in the distant regions of the earth. Thus the first power which He produced of this sort was the Phenician, whose navigating tendencies were

sub-marine forests and meadows which appeared in the expanse below, inhabited doubtless by thousands of animals, to which they afford both food and shelter, tho unknown to man. I could sometimes observe

large fishes of singular shape, gliding softly through the watery thickets, unconscious of what was moving above them. As we proceeded, the bottom became no longer visible; its fairy scenes gradually faded to the view, and were lost in the dark green depths of the ocean.'

C. Brooke's Travels to the North Cape in 1820. p. 195.

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LETTER enlarged by their offspring, the Carthaginians. The Greeks, in their Cretan and other isles of the Cyclades and Egean Sea, were the next nation which was formed to have the maritime propensity: and these soon spread their territorial settlements, till they became extensive colonizers on the Bosphorus and Hellespont above them; and in no long time, also in lower Italy, and Sicily, and France. To these, in due time, the Romans succeeded, tho with less activity, and with but little taste for commercial navigation.

But when His new plans for the improvement of our Europe began to open, then several of its countries were induced, by the stimulus and necessities resulting from the Crusades, to cultivate their shipping, and to attempt distant voyages. The Hanse Towns, Italians, Flemings, and, in time, our English forefathers, were actuated by these impulses; yet always restrained and governed, as the purposes of the Great Ruler required.

But when the time arrived, for His causing the remoter nations of the earth to become known to us, we know historically, that of all the states of Europe bending their attention to maritime concerns, it was the Portuguese who were selected to pass the Cape of Good Hope, and discover the ocean passages to India and China; as it was the Spanish nation who, in like manner, were urged and conducted to make the Americas known to the civilized world, and to begin our relations with them.

The Dutch were then made the next most distinguished people, for these distant navigations in the Asiatic seas; as England became also on the Atlantic, for the purposes of planting a new race of mankind.

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of her national species, on the shores of North Ame- LETTER rica. Thus the Ocean was made the peculiar means in the hands of Providence of keeping away, from both Eastern Asia and the Americas, those nations whom it did not chuse to plant there, or to have frequent intercourse with them; and of leading over it to them, such as it was its will and suited its designs to have the dealings and settlements, from which others were withheld. At present, the British nations have been raised to the colonial and governmental ascendency in India, Australia, Polynesia, South and West Africa, and in the eastern frontiers of North America; while the populations of the Spanish race, are permitted to occupy and retain the South American continent; every one moved as the Great Director meant and led, and all fulfilling His wise and prospective purposes, and advancing His grand ulterior ends.

LETTER XXII.

INTENDED SEPARATION OF MANKIND INTO DISTINCT NATIONS
AND COMMUNITIES_ADAPTATION OF THE EARTH TO THIS
CONDITION IN ITS VARIOUS REGIONS AND
THE SURFACE GRADUALLY FITTED TO THIS

APPOINTED

COUNTRIES

LOCAL GEOGRAPHY.

MY DEAR SON,

LETTER THE state of the human race, from the time that

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any

notices of its transactions appear, has never been that of one united community or empire. They have always appeared divided into many insulated populations, living apart from each other, and remaining in distinct and separate tribes or nations; most of them unknown to the other, and usually hostile to each other, or ever ready to be so, from alarm, suspicion or provocation. This is the historical fact, and from its occurrence and continuation, we can have no difficulty in marking it as a part of the Divine plan as to human nature, that mankind should be thus divided; should multiply in separated populations; should rarely unite and amalgamate; and that, by this arrangement, each should grow up into those peculiar species and modifications of moral and intellectual being, which they severally display; and that the maintenance of their distinguishing particularities, should be assisted by their mutual fears, jealousies or dislikes.

What the actual events thus exhibit in certainty to us, the Mosaic history accounts for; presents the origin of it to our view, and ascribes it to the same cause to which our reason refers it-the Divine determination. It was the special will and appoint

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