draw, and nature bursts upon us in renewed loveliness. Suddenly we behold the earth clothed in her magnificent robes; the mountains with their wood-crowned tops; the hills, with their luxuriant vines; the fields, covered with harvests; the verdant meadows and their purling streams; these and a thousand nameless objects regale our delighted vision. At first the horizon glows with a pale rosy hue, and the clouds display a variety of glowing tints; the light vapours resemble a flood of gold, and the drops of dew which adorn the fragrant flowers look like rows of orient pearl. As the light increases, the scene becomes more splendid; one bright golden gleam of light succeeds another till at length, rising majestically above the cloud-capped mountains, the sun itself appears, resembling a globe of fire, ready to run his brilliant course through the vault of heaven, emitting splendour and majesty which the human eye cannot sustain.

Ah! my dear Reader, if you were at such a moment as this on the top of a lofty mountain, from whence you could behold this grand, this imposing spectacle, what would you think?what would you do? Absorbed in feelings of holy respect, you would no doubt prostrate yourselves, and adore the God who created this glorious scene: "Infinite being," you would exclaim, "I acknowledge thy power and wisdom in the beauty of the rising sun." My heart springs to thee, O Lord! as does the lark to hail the coming day, in songs first faint, then swelling louder, till his notes are lost in the dis

tant clouds. The rapture and delight expressed by nature invite me also to give utterance to the feelings of my grateful heart. At this moment, when the sun first darts his rays upon the dewy earth, millions of creatures laud and praise thee, thou Almighty Father. How then can I

remain mute and silent? The beauty of Aurora is derived from thee-from thee, who art the source of light: from thee the blushing morn derives its lovely hues, and from thee we derive the sensations of beauty which they inspire: from thee our souls have received that spark of celestial fire which enables them to discover thee in all thy works. In the brightness of the morning I behold thee: if thou wert not, there would be no dawning day, no meridian sun, no lovely twilight, no sweet evening hour; but I know that Thou existest from all eternity, and I rejoice that thou art my father, as well as the father of Aurora.

But are not those indifferent persons much to be pitied who never indulge themselves with a view of the rising sun? Oh, that they would become so rational as to yield themselves to the delight which this enchanting spectacle excites! Oh, that they were convinced that the contemplation of the beauties of nature must inspire the heart with a holy joy, and a profound veneration for their Creator! Oh, that they would believe that perhaps one single thought excited by the view of the rising sun might lay the foundation for the commencement of a Christian life! And surely so great a work would amply repay the loss of a few hours' sleep.

Let us, therefore, frequently rouse from our downy beds to witness this enchanting scene of the rising sun: those who have never beheld the glorious sight know not what a pleasure they have to come!

MAY 6.

THE WONDERS OF VISION.

In order that we may perceive external objects, it is necessary that a number of rays of light should proceed from them and fall upon our eyes. These rays, which enter the eye, pass through the cornea, through the aqueous humour and the pupil, until at length they reach the crystalline humour: on their passage they are refracted, and, being again united, they picture upon the retina the image of the objects from whence they proceed with the most perfect exactness: the rays then touch the optic nerve, whose vibrations produce divers sensations, which it conveys to the soul, and excites in it perceptions and ideas agreeable to the impressions which these external objects have made upon the brain.

What we have said upon sight is one of the principal wonders of human nature, and well merits that we should make some reflections upon it.

The image of all external objects is painted reversed upon the retina; and yet we see them in their proper situation. How is it that the largest objects are pictured in our eye so ex

ceedingly small, and yet we see every thing in its real size? How is it that, when we look down from a high tower, we see beneath us a thousand houses, perhaps a populous city, each of which is perfectly represented upon the retina of our eye, upon a space which is scarcely three times bigger than the head of a large pin? But let us transport ourselves to the top of a high mast, from whence we may view a whole fleet in full sail in the open sea-let us even confine our attention to the waves themselves: what thousands do we not behold, the one succeeding the other! each of which reflects masses of rays without any mixture or confusion, preserving always the same order as that in which they first commenced. Then let us climb a lofty mountain, when all around is serene and clear, and where our view extends to the distance of many miles: every tree, every blade of grass sends forth its rays, without which we could not see the continued green of the verdant meadows beneath our feet. Is it not very surprising that we do not see objects double, and that, having two eyes, yet every object appears single?

But there is still another subject of admiration: these objects, which we look upon, are not visible to us alone: wonderful as it may appear to us that they should emit so many rays to so small a space as the pupil of our eye, yet it is very certain that they send as many to every similar proportion of space in the surrounding atmosphere. Hence it is that, whereever we move, new rays replace the former, and render the same object visible to us which we

saw previous to our change of position. Wherever there is light these rays exist; but they are not all alike efficacious, because they are not all equally strong, and the weaker are effaced by the more powerful, although these are ready to perform the functions of the latter if required. If we prick a sheet of paper with a pin, and look through that aperture, which is much smaller than the pupil of our eye, we can perceive the same objects, although they appear much smaller. But we have already discussed this interesting subject, in the meditation upon the structure of the eye (February 5): let us now, therefore, conclude this paper by a few reflections, arising from the contemplation of the wonderful faculty of seeing. Although our knowledge respecting the eye is limited, we yet know enough to convince us of the wisdom, power, and magnitude of the divine goodness: that which is incomprehensible to our understanding is the work of superior intelligence, and is manifest everywhere, as much in ourselves as in extraneous objects. Let my soul then, O Lord! ever acknowledge thine omniscient goodness, and my mouth declare the wonders of thine Omnipotence; wonders which, though they surpass my comprehension, are, I am convinced, always salutary and advantageous.