young the desired nourishment. The corn springs up in luxuriance, and promises abundantly to reward the toils of the labourer, who joyfully anticipates his future blessings. Men plant, but the vivifying rays and fertilising showers descend from heaven. The heat of the sun ripens the fruits of the earth, and causes the life-invigorating juice to flow from the vine. The most humble and abject of the sons of men, when animated with celestial radiance, and favoured to drink of the living waters from on high, becomes the honour of humanity, and the messenger of the power and glory of God.

MAY I.

System of the World.

Of all the parts which form the mundane system, the sun is the most striking and interesting. His form is spherical, and from him continually emanates an inexhaustible stream of luminous particles. By the telescope we discover in him certain spots, by which we can ascertain that he turns round his axis. His distance from the earth is eighty-two millions of miles, and he is one million of times larger. He communicates his light to at least twenty opaque globes that revolve round him at different distances. The nearest to him is the planet Mercury, which is seldom seen, and little known. Next is Venus, called both a morning and an evening star; because she sometimes precedes the sun, and sometimes follows after him. After Venus comes our own planet, the external surface of which is composed of earth and water, of mountains and valleys, and its internal part of beds and strata of different substances. This earth is the abode of a multitude of creatures, animate and inanimate; plants, metals, and animals. The moon

revolves round the earth, and accompanies it in its revolution round the sun. She is fifty times less than the earth, and on her surface we discover several brilliant spots, as well as some which are opaque. If the surface of the moon was entirely level, the rays of light would be equally reflected from every part, and we could not then observe these spots, of which the brighter were formerly supposed to be continents, whilst those of a darker and more opaque appearance were considered as seas, appearing dark from their absorbing the rays of light: but later observations have proved, that they are only vast cavities which do not reflect the sun's light so strongly; that the luminous parts are plain superficies, and those that are most brilliant are lofty mountains.

The remaining planets in our system are, Mars; Jupiter, and his four moons; Saturn, and his seven; and Herschel or Georgium Sidus, and his six moons. Saturn is at such an immense distance from the Sun that he is nearly thirty years in performing his revolution. The vast dominion of the sun, above a thousand millions of miles, is but a part of the universe; for each of the fixed stars is a sun, equal in magnitude and brilliancy to that which enlightens our sphere. Such is the grandeur of God, and such his glory, displayed in these admirable works; which invite us to pay our tribute of admiration, reverence, and praise, to the Being which formed them! Is there any thing in nature more proper to inspire in us exalted ideas of the Deity than the aspect of the heavens, nightly irradiated with thousands of revolv ing spheres? May we never view them without feeling the most lively sense of the munificence and grandeur of him who has created all things, and continues to preserve them with wisdom and rule them with merciful goodness.

MAY II.

Blossoms of Trees.

OUR gardens and fields are now decorated with the beauties of spring, and every part of Europe presents the most delightful aspect. The eternal word of the Creator, pronounced when he formed the world, has produced all these effects; his all-creating hand has again renovated the earth, and in a measure created it anew for the pleasure and happiness of his creatures. It is God alone who calls for the spring, and orders it to appear. Approach, O man, and try what thy wisdom and thy power can execute! Canst thou make one tree to blossom, or one leaf to germinate? Canst thou call from the earth the smallest blade of grass, or order the tulip to rise in all its splendour ? Contemplate these flowers; examine them with attention. Can they be more perfect, can their colours be more beautifully blended, or their forms more elegantly proportioned? Can the pencil of the painter equal the warmth of the blossoming peach, or imitate the richness of a cherry-tree in bloom? So far from imitating, no one can conceive all the beauties of renovated nature; and if there were no other proofs of the power and wisdom of God on the earth, the flowers of spring would sufficiently display them. Every tree that blossoms, every plant, every flower, manifests a portion of that wisdom and beneficence so abundantly diffused through the earth. There is an infinite diversity among the blossoms of trees; though all beautiful, they differ in degree, one surpassing another; but there are none which do not possess some beauty peculiar to themselves. Some have flowers of a pure white; others have streaks of red and shades, and add to beauty and elegance the most exquisite fragrance. But all these multiplied varieties do not affect their fecundity.

From the consideration of these circumstances, we may receive profit and instruction. We may reflect, that, though we are not favoured with the same advantages that some possess, we should neither be discouraged nor afflicted. The privation of some accidental benefits can in no degree injure our well-being. Though we may not be quite so rich, so powerful, or so handsome, as some are, these are trifling things in the estimation of the virtuous and the wise; for without them we can be equally happy, equally useful to our fellow-creatures, and equally pleasing to God. True beauty consists in the works of piety, and the fruits of virtue. The blossoms of a fruit-bearing tree please more than the splendour of the tulip, or the richness of the auricula; because from the one we expect, when the blossoms are over, to receive fruit; while the others please for a moment, and are seen no more. Let us not then prefer the mere lustre and charms of external beauty: the rosy tints of health, the elegance of form, and the freshness of youth, are fleeting, and soon fade; they alone cannot secure present peace, nor durable happiness. Those blossoms only which promise fruit worthy of God, and useful to mankind, deserve our regard, and merit our approbation. As the beauties of the blossoming trees hastily perish, so will the youth, now in the spring of life, fluttering in the gaiety of their charms. Let us then, whilst in the morn of life, and in the vigour of health, prepare, by study and application, to produce in the evening of our days, when divested of all external charms, abundant fruits of piety, of virtue, and of knowledge.

MAY III.

Of the continual Revolutions and Changes that take place in Nature.

MOTION and change seem necessary to the preservation of the corporeal world. If we pay the least attention to what passes on the globe which we inhabit, we shall be convinced that the smallest particle of matter in the universe cannot be considered as in a state of absolute and continued rest.

The earth turns round its axis once in twenty-four hours, and by this motion all the points of its surface change their situation with more or less rapidity. Under the line or equator, where this motion is per formed with greater celerity, each body is carried more than one thousand miles every hour, besides the annual revolution of the earth round the sun, which is at the astonishing rate of fifty-eight thou sand miles every hour. This motion is not percep tible, but the relative motion of earthly bodies is more observable. Small streams uniting form greater, till at length torrents and rivers are formed, which again are lost in the sea. Water is also raised in exhalations, and forms clouds, which produce the rain, snow, and fogs: from these, streams are formed, which once more enter the sea; and tides, storms, and torrents, keep the water in perpetual motion. The atmo sphere is not less in a state of rest. Between the tropics an east wind continually blows; and in other places, where no agitation is perceptible, the thermometer and barometer prove that the air is never perfectly calm; and the frequency of meteors sufficiently evinces the continuance of its motion.

The surface of the earth is also subject to frequent revolutions: the hardest rocks cleave, and stones gradually wear away, or break into small particles; some lands sink down, others are inundated, and some are