The sweets of spring obliterate the remembrance of the rigours of winter; and the heart of man, partaking of the effect the genial season produces throughout all nature, dilates with joy and happiness: the gloomy days of winter are forgotten in the actual enjoyment of more temperate weather. In like manner, O man! thou wilt forget, at the great day of the resurrection, all the sad and gloomy days which have marked thy pilgrimage on earth: thy countenance is now clouded by the storms of adversity; but no sooner shall the dawn of the new creation rouse thee from the sleep of death than grief and sorrow shall be no more: no more shall tears bedew thy cheek—no more shall pain rack thy limbs: happiness celestial and eternal shall now be thy portion!

Spring is the renewal of all nature: sad and unvaried as then her robe appeared, it now in equal proportion presents objects more agreeable and attractive: every thing is delightful and enchanting, and we could almost imagine ourselves transported every spring to a new and more beautiful habitation. At the day of the resurrection, we shall be really transported into a superb and delightful dwelling: the new heaven and the new earth will be exempt from those defects of our globe, whether real or imaginary, which we fancy it contains: peace, order, beauty, and justice will render our future home the most happy, the most perfect dwelling.

When the heat of the sun has penetrated the earth, a thousand plants spring from her fruitful bosom. So will it be at the day of the resur

rection, when the graves shall yield up their dead, and the sea the bones of those who have slept for ages in the briny deep: as the flower rises from its seed, so shall thy body be raised, crowned with glory, and clothed with celestial beauty.

Spring gradually unfolds the stores of vegetation: from day to day their progress is visibly observed, until they attain perfection. Thine immortal spirit, O Christian! shall in like manner increase in virtue: no weakness shall interrupt its progress, when thou hast entered upon the vast, boundless, inconceivable eternity. In spring nature appears to be roused from sleep to praise its Author; one universal hymn of joy and gratitude rises, though unheard, from all creation to nature's God: but how superior will be the song of joy chanted by thousands and millions of happy spirits at the day of resurrection!

O thou faithful Christian! what rapture will then fill thy heart! Thou mayst, by comparing little things to great, form some idea of the beauty and happiness which will await thee when the spring of the new world shall be disclosed to thee, by dwelling upon the delight and joy which spring even from our terrestrial springs.

MAY 26.

THE ATTRACTION OF BODIES.

WE occasionally see two bodies approach each other, without the impulsive assistance of any outward force: the unperceived cause producing this effect is called gravitation or attraction. It appears that this attractive power is one of the chief springs of nature: it is by virtue of this law that fluid bodies ascend in the capillary vessels, and it is in part the cause of the circulation of the nutritious juices of plants and even animals: it is true that the expansive force of the air contributes not a little to this operation, at least in plants; for the fluids which nourish them contain a certain portion of air. Vegetables are also provided with air vessels, by means of which they imbibe portions of this element; and these promote the rise of the sap: nevertheless attraction is, without contradiction, one of the principal causes of this phenomenon. Every one knows that the human body is composed of innumerable capillary vessels, in which the juices are in perpetual motion, and this motion is regulated by the laws of attraction: many of the phenomena which we observe in our bodies are derived from the same principle; and by means of this attractive law we can in the most satisfactory way explain the movements of the heavenly bodies: those enormous globes, which traverse the heavens at certain distances from each other, must be united by some secret

tie in order to form a complete whole; and it is very likely that this union of the heavenly bodies, their direction, and the law which compels them to keep one undeviating course, the motion of the planets and comets round the sun depend entirely on the attraction of that luminary and their gravitation towards a common centre. How wonderful must be that law which produces vegetation in the smallest blade of grass, and at the same time regulates the movement of all the systems of the world!

These reflections, my dear Reader, will lead you to glorify God and his supreme wisdom. If this is manifest in the celestial bodies, it is equally visible in the economy of rational creatures. The Creator in both these cases acts upon the same wise principles, by the same unerring laws, and with the same admirable simplicity; but we are not always sensible of this, because, dazzled by the brilliancy and magnitude of some objects, those of smaller moment we pass by as unworthy our attention.

But whence is it that we are so insensible to the traces of Providence in those things we fancy unimportant, yet which, in fact, bear the stamp of infinite wisdom? When cities and countries are overthrown by earthquakes, overwhelmed by waters, or consumed by fire, we become attentive-we acknowledge the hand of God in these great visitations—we adore his power and tremble at his greatness, at the same time we trust in his wise Providence. Is it only, however, in extraordinary events that we can see the wisdom, the holiness, and justice of

God? Is not the greatness of the Supreme Being as evident in the smallest blade of grass, in the most minute insect, as in the movement and harmony of the spheres?

Yes, O Christian! the attributes of the Almighty are as evidently manifested in little things as in great ones; but it is owing to our inattention, to our indifference that we do not perceive them. We have no occasion to seek for proofs of the Divinity in objects far from us: we are on all sides surrounded by the dispensations of his wisdom, in which we may observe how, by his decrees, all things work together to produce the consummation of his plans, and how infinite are the means he employs to promote our happiness or to guard us from misfor

tune.

MAY 27.

COMPLAINTS OF MAN AGAINST CERTAIN INCONVENIENCES IN THE LAWS OF NATURE.

"WHY is the human body so subject, by its constitution, to so many infirmities - to SO many casualties?" Say, thou who presumest to put this question, canst thou picture to thyself a body which shall unite more advantages than that which thou hast received from thy Creator? It was perfectly inconsistent with the nature of all sublunary things that man should possess an invulnerable body. If one of our fellow creatures is deformed, another lame, or deaf, or dumb, shall we murmur against God? Are these defects so numerous that we