disturb and banish all joy from their souls. The fear of thunder and storms is chiefly owing to the opinion of their being effects of the wrath of Heaven, and ministers of its vengeance. For if, on the contrary, we considered how much these storms contribute to purify the air from numberless noxious vapours, and to fertilize the earth; if we would take proper precautions against the terrible effects of lightning, the storms would cease to be so dreadful to us, and would rather inspiré gratitude than terror. Alas! we should soon change our language, if God, provoked at our ingratitude and complaints, was to deprive us of the blessings we derive from thunder-storms. It is true, that we are not capable of pointing out all the advantages which accrue from them; but the little we know is sufficient to fill our hearts with gratitude towards our great Bencfactor. Let us represent to ourselves an atmosphere loaded with noxious and pestilential vapours, which thicken more and more by the continual exhalations of earthly bodies, so many of which are corrupt and poisonous. We must breathe this air: The preservation or destruction of our existence depends upon it. The salubrity or unwholesomeness of the air gives us life or death. We feel how we are oppressed in the stifling heat of summer: With what difficulty we breathe! what uneasiness we experience! Is it not then a great blessing," that we ought to be grateful for to God, when a salutary storm comes to purify the air from all noxious vapours; and by lighting up the saline and sulphureous particles, prevents their dangerous effects, cools the air, which recovers its elasticity, and restores us to our usual facility of breathing? Were it not for storms, the dangerous exhalations would more and more increase, and be more and more corrupt. Men and animals would perish by millions. Which is then the most reasonable, to fear, or to wish for storms? To murmur at the slight mischief

they

they may sometimes occasion, or to bless God for the precious advantages they procure us? Let us add, that not only men and animals are benefited by purifying the air, but that it is also very useful to the vegetables. Experience teaches ils, that the rain which falls when it thunders is the most fruitful to the earth.

Observe also, that during the greatest claps of thunder most people prolong their fear without reason. Whoever has time to fear the natural consequences of lightning is already out of danger. It is only the lightning which is fatal. When we have seen and not been touched by it, and when the thunder does not come with it immediately, it is doubly foolish to turn pale, or tremble at hearing of a clap, or to stop the ears for fear of sound which is no longer dangerous. The thunder tells us we have escaped the danger, and at the same time informs us at what distance it is:

For the greater space of time there is between the clap of thunder and the flash of lightning, the more distant is the storm*.

Such reflections as these may moderate the excessive fear we have of thunder, which shews how little confidence we have in God. Instead of filling our minds with frightful and terrible ideas, let us accustom ourselves to consider a storm as a sublime and great object. Instead of speaking of the misfortunes occasioned by thunder, let us reflect rather on the necessity and great use of storms. Instead of praying to God that there may be none, pray that he may vouchsafe to send them now and then; or rather let us trust entirely to that great Being who always governs the world with wisdom and goodness. Every time

let us

a

*As the progress of light is almost instantaneous, and that of sound is known to be upwards of 12 miles in a minute, the distance of the thunder may be easily ascertained by counting the number of seconds bat intervene betwixt the flash and noise of the thunder.

a storm arises, let us say, in the fulness of our hearts, and with entire faith, Almighty God! it is thou who commandest the thunder, and directest the lightning. We are in thy hands, and it depends on thee either to save or to destroy us. What can we do against thee, or where could we fly to escape thy anger? But we are thy children, and thou art a merciful Father. Thou speakest to us in thunder, but it is to bless us.

The greatest security against the terrors of a thunderstorm, although no certain one against its effects, is that life of piety and virtue which is the best guardian of every earthly blessing. The good man, who knows that every event is under the direction of an over-ruling Providence, and that this life is only a part of his existence, introductory to the blissful scenes of immortality, will behold the terrors of the storm with unshaken resolution; grateful to the Supreme Being if permitted to escape from the danger; and acquiescing in the Divine Will, if thus to be conveyed, by an easy and instantaneous passage, to that heaven where his conversation had long been, and to that God with whom he delighted to walk.

MINERAL WATERS.

"LET us admire" says STURM," the Divine Goodness which has prepared for man those salutary and inexhaustible springs. Mineral waters may certainly answer many other purposes; but it cannot be doubted they were also produced for the preservation of the health of mankind. It is for man that the Lord has made these beneficent waters spring up. Let us then acknowledge his goodness, and be sensibly touched with it. Those particularly who experience their strengthening and salutary virtue, let

their

their souls, penetrated with joy and gratitude, be lifted up to their Heavenly Father. Let them glorify him, by imitating his example; and let their riches be sources of life and consolation to their fellow-creatures in necessity."

It gives us pleasure to observe, that the benevolent wish of this pious German is, at this time, happily realised in our own country, in the godlike institution recorded by our correspondent in his very sensible communication ac

companying the following

ACCOUNT OF THE MINERAL WATERS OF PITCAITHLY.

AS DESCRIBED IN A PAPER BY DR. DONALD MONRO, IN THE LONDON PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS.

(From the Scots Magazine.)

"THERE are but few salt purging waters which have hitherto been discovered in Scotland. The PITCAITHLY, situated about six (about five) miles from the town of Perth, is the one in most esteem, and the most frequented.

"As no particular treatise has been published on these waters, and I wished to know their particular nature and contents, I wrote to his grace the Duke of Athol, whose seat at Dunkeld is within fifteen or sixteen miles of the Wells, and begged the favour of him to ask some of the physical people in the neighbourhood to examine these waters, and give me an account of them; and, in consequence thereof, His Grace was so obliging as to send a letter, from Dr. Wood of Ferth, giving the following description of them-and afterwards six bottles of the water, which arrived in Spring 1771:

"The spring rises in very low marshy ground, undistinguishable from any other, but by the taste of its water. It is generally believed to contain no mineral principle, but a small proportion of marine salts. It acquires something

of

of a putrid taste by keeping, but retains its purging quality; and it keeps much better in open than in corked bottles. It purges gently, and without griping. An adult drinks commonly a bottle and a half, or two bottles in a morning. In scrofulous and scorbutic habits, it is certainly a most useful water.

"A new spring has been lately discovered, about two or three hundred yards from the old one; but its waters seem to be much of the same strength and quality as the former."

From an analysis made by Messrs. Stoddart & Mitchel, druggists, Perth, it appears, that these mineral waters are of a similar composition to those of Cheltenham, so much resorted to of late by the fashionable world. Like the Cheltenham they are (6 gentle in the operation, have an agrecable effect in relieving the stomach of crudities, procuring an appetite, and exhilarating the spirits, and instead of weakening, tend remarkably to strengthen the constitution." The water is of a cooling quality, and very efficacious in superabundant heat from the blood, in which respect it has a considerable advantage over the Cheltenham, by containing no iron, which we have ascertained by repeated trials, with the most accurate tests; an advantage which medical people know well how to appreciate, and which accounts for the little injury that arises from the great quantities of this water sometimes taken by the inferior class of people, who resort from all quarters to these salutary springs. By those who resort merely for a relief from a sedentary or irregular mode of living, it should be taken merely as an alterative, in about the same quantities as Cheltenham water, that is, about two or three bottles in a morning; even a greater quantity may be taken without any possible injury; a few moments experience being sufficient to ascertain the useful quantity, according to the constitution and habit of the drinker of this beverage, who

has