and more acquainted with his works, and make it my employment, till, by a glorious change, I rise above the starry regions.

NATURE is in small objects what she is in the great ones. There is no less order and harmony in the construction of the mite than in that of the elephant. The only difference is, that the weakness of our sight prevents us from penetrat ing into the nature and organization of small bodies, which often escape our eyes, and which we can only perceive by the assistance of glasses. Microscopes have made us acquainted with a new world of vegetables and animals. They teach us, that objects, which the naked eye cannot discover, have extent, parts, and form. Let us mention some examples of it, to lead us to praise God, whose glory manifests itself so wonderfully in small objects. Every grain of sand appears round, when we examine it with our eyes only, but, by the assistance of a glass, we may observe that every grain is different, both in size and shape. Some are perfectly round, others square, others conical, but mostly irregular. And what is still more astonishing is, that, by means of a microscope, which makes objects appear a million of times larger than they are, we may discover, in the grains of sand, a new animal world: for it has been found, that their cavities contain insects. In cheese there are little worms called mites, which to the naked eye appear mere dots, while, with a microscope, they are proved to be insects of a singular figure. They have not only eyes, mouth, and feet, but a transparent body, furnished with long hair in the form of prickles,

As for the region of plants, it is found in the mouldy substance which usually sticks to damp bodies. It shews you a thick forest of trees and plants, where the branches, leaves, flowers, and fruit, can be clearly distinguished. The flower has a long white transparent stalk. Before it opens, the bud is but a little green ball; and it does not become white till it has blown. You would as little expect to find these objects in mouldy substances, as that the meal which covers the wings of a butterfly should be a heap of little feathers, if the microscope had not proved the truth of it. But we have no occasion to carry our researches to remote subjects. Let us limit them to what relates to ourselves. Examine with a microscope the surface of your skin, and you will find that it resembles the scaly skin of a fish. It has been computed that a grain of sand could cover 250 of these scales, and that one only of these scales covers 500 pores, and consequently that a space, equal to a grain of sand, contains 125,000 pores.

Thus we see how great our Creator is, even in things which prejudice makes us consider -as trifles. What an immense number of creatures has he spread over the earth! Those we see are but the least, and perhaps the meanest of God's works. How many objects in nature are concealed from us! We already know above thirty thousand plants, and of insects several millions of species. But what is that in comparison of the whole! If the bottom of the sea, and of rivers, could be open to our sight; if we could transport ourselves to other planets; how would our astonishment increase at the immense number of God's creatures. How wonderfully we experience that he has displayed as much wisdom in the most minute objects as in the greatest! Nature proves herself as complete and regular in her smallest productions as in those prodigious

bodies, whose circumference is calculated by millions. The Creator provides with the same goodness for the wants of the insect, which crawls in the dust, as for those of the whale, which appears like an island in the midst of the waves. Let us imitate in this the example of the Deity. Let the least of creatures feel our benevolence, since our common Author vouchsafes to preserve their existence.

JAN. XIV.

The Advantages of Night.

WE are, it is true, deprived of some pleasures, now that the sun withdraws its light from us so soon, and that the greatest part of our time is passed in darkness. Nevertheless, we have no cause to complain of this arrangement in nature. As the mixture of pleasure and pain, of good and evil, is always wisely ordained; so do we find the same provident goodness of our Creator in this remarkable variation in our climate. And it may be reasonably maintained, that the winter nights are more advantageous than hurtful to us; or, at least, that their apparent inconveniences are com. pensated or softened by a thousand blessings too little acknowledged. Should we be as well convinced as we are of the use of the sun; and would its light excite in us the same sensation of pleasure, if the being deprived of it did not lead us to feel the advantage of it? Each night may remind us of the mercy of God, who, for the good of mankind, has spread light and beauty over the earth; it may remind us of the misery in which we should languish, if day did not succeed the darkness. And does not even darkness obtain for us a great advantage, by inviting us (from the tranquillity and repose which attends it) to enjoy a sweet sleep? How many workmen, who, in

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the day, waste their strength in our service, and whose labour, hard in itself, is also attended with disagreeable sensations! O how they bless the night, which suspends their labour, and brings them ease and sleep! In general, we are too selfish, in measuring the advantages and inconveniences of night, merely by the use or hurt we think we draw from it. If long nights are disagreeable to some, to how many others are they a blessing! In certain points, the night is favourable to the huntsman and fisherman. Without it the astronomer could not have formed an idea of the dis tance, the size, the course, and the infinite num ber, of planets and stars; nor could the pilot make use of the northern star, if it was always day. light. Considered in another way, night still ap pears to me a benefit to mankind, in lessening our wants, and in putting an end to those, which in the day time cost us many cares. What expence does not conveniencies and custom require, without which we should scarce think we enjoyed life? How many families, oppressed with want, begin the day with anxiety, and end it in hard labour? Night comes, and suspends care and misery. To be happy, nothing but a bed is want. ing; and if sleep closes our eyes, all our wants are satisfied. Night, in some degree, equals the beggar with the monarch. Both enjoy a bless ing which cannot be purchased. O how gra

cious that being who combines all things for the happiness of mankind! Most things, which are called evils, are only so to those who let themselves be carried away by prejudice and passion : whilst, if they were considered as they ought to be, it would appear that these apparent evils are real blessings to the world. We may be assured, that several millions of our fellow-creatures, who are in the day-time employed in hard work, or fatiguing labour; others, who have groaned all day under the yoke of an enemy to humanity; a

number of travellers by sea and land, will bless God at the approach of night, which brings rest with it: and let us also bless him the beginning of each night. We shall undoubtedly do so, if, having the wisdom to employ the day well, we acquire a right to a sweet and sound sleep. The shorter our days now are, the higher we ought to value every hour, and make a prudent use of them. The night approaches, in which it will no longer be in our power to work or act. But that long night will still be to us a blessing, if we enjoy in the grave that peace and rest which are the fruits of Christian labours.

JAN. XV.

Reflections on Myself.

IT is reasonable to turn one's eyes sometimes from foreign subjects to one's self. It has too often happened to me, in the reflections I have made on the things around me, to lose sight of myself; or, at least, I have not always endeavoured to raise in my heart the gratitude and veneration which the sight of the starry heavens, and the blessings of the earth, ought naturally to produce. I will now reflect on what most intimately concerns me, and convince myself more and more, that, as a man, I am not less the master-piece of divine power and wisdom, than those prodigious hodies, the greatness of which astonishes the ima gination. How admirable is the union of my body and soul, and how incomprehensible is their connection, in acting reciprocally. I daily experience, that, when the rays which light exterior objects strike my eyes, my soul receives the idea of the size, the form, and colour, of those objects. I feel that, when there is raised in the air a cer tain undulating motion, my soul receives the idea