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The Christian Philosopher; or, Science and Religion

Natural History

Natural History.

This science, taken in its most comprehensive sense, includes a knowledge and description of all the known facts in the material universe.

It is to be regretted, that most books published under the title of Natural History, to which common readers have access, contain nothing more than a general description of animals, as if this science were confined merely to one class of beings; whereas there is an infinite variety of other objects seldom noticed, which would appear no less interesting, and, in some instances, much more novel and gratifying to the general reader, and to the youthful mind. All the diversified forms of matter, whether existing on the surface or in the bowels of the earth, in the ocean, the atmosphere, or in the heavens, form the legitimate objects of this department of the science of nature.

Were we, therefore, to sketch a comprehensive outline of the subjects of Natural History, we might, in the first place, take a cursory survey of the globe we inhabit, in reference to its magnitude, figure, motions, and general arrangements—the form, relations, and extent of its continents—the numerous islands which diversify the surface of the ocean—the magnitude, the direction, and the extent of its rivers, and the quantity of water they pour into the ocean—the direction, elevation, and extent of the different ranges of mountains which rise from its surface—the plains, morasses, lakes, forests, dells, and sandy deserts, which diversify its aspect—the extent, the motions, the color, and the different aspects of the ocean, and the facts which have been ascertained respecting its saltness, its depth, its bottom, and its different currents. We might next take a more particular view of some of the most remarkable objects on its surface, and give a detail of the facts which are known respecting the history of volcanoes—their number—the countries in which they are situated—the awful phenomens they exhibit—and the devastations they have produced—the history of earthquakes, their phenomena and effects, and the countries most subject to their ravages—basaltic and rocky wonders, natural bridges; precipices, cataracts,—ice islands, icebergs, glaciers, whirlpools, mineral wells, reei procating fountains, boiling springs, sulphuric mountains, bituminous lakes, volcanic island—the various aspects of nature in the different zones, and the contrasts presented between the verdant scenes of tropical climes, and the icy cliffs of the polar regions. We would next take a survey of the subterraneous wonders which lie beneath the surface of the earth—the immense chasms and caverns which wind in various directions among the interior strata of our globe—such as the great Kentucky cavern, and the grotto of Antiparos—the mines of salt, coal, copper, lead, diamond, iron, quicksilver, tin, gold, and silver—the substances which compose the various strata, the fossil bones, shells, and petrifactions which are imbedded in the different layers, and the bendings and disruptions which appear to have taken place in the substances which compose the exterior crust of the earth. We might next survey the atmosphere with which the earth is environed, and give a detail of the facts which have been ascertained respecting its specific gravity and pressure, the elementary principles with which it is compounded, its refractive and reflective powers, and the phenomena which result from its various properties and modifications—the meteors which appear in its different regions—thunder and lightning, winds, hail, rain, clouds, rainbows, parhelias or mock-suns, meteoric stones, the aurora borealis, luminous arches, ignes fatui, the mirage, the fata morgana, hurricanes, monsoons, whirlwinds and waterspouts, sounds and echoes.

In prosecuting our survey of sublunary nature, we would next advert to the various orders of the vegetable tribes—their anatomical structure—the circulation of their juices—the food by which they are nourished—the influence of light and air on their growth and motions—their male and female organs—their periods of longevity—their modes of propagation—their diseases and dissolution—their orders, genera, and species—their immense variety—their influence on the salubrity of the atmosphere—the relation which their trunks, roots, leaves, and fruits, bear to the wants of man and other animals, in supplying food, clothing, and materials for constructing habitations—the gums and resinous substances they exude—the odors they exhale—the variety of colors they exhibit—the vast diversity of forms in which they appear—and the beauty and variety which they spread over the whole face of nature.

The mineral kingdom would next require to be surveyed. We would inquire into the facts which have been ascertained respecting the earthy, saline, inflammable, and metallic substances, which are found on the surface and in the bowels of the earth—their specific and distinguishing characters—the elementary principles, or simple substances, of which they are composed—the regions of the earth where the respective minerals most fre- page 51 quently abound—and the ends which they are designed to accomplish in the constitution of the globe. We would consider, more particularly, the various metals, such as iron, copper, lead, tin, gold silver, bismuth, zinc, etc., in reference to the substances with which they are united in their native ores—the changes produced upon them by the action of oxygen and the different acids—their combustibility—their combination with phosphorus, sulphur, and carbon—the various compounds into which they may be formed—their important uses in the arts which minister to the comfort and embellishment of human life—their relation to the multifarious necessities of man—and the wisdom and goodness of the Creator, as displayed in their arrangement in the bowels of the earth, and in the admirable properties of which they are possessed. In these details, the natural history of Iron would hold a prominent place. In point of utility, it claims the highest rank in the class of metals, and is intrinsically more valuable than gold and silver, and all the diamonds of the East. There is scarcely a mineral substance in the whole compass of nature which affords a more striking instance of the beneficial and harmonious adaptation of things in the universal system. We would, therefore, consider it in reference to its vast abundance in all parts of the world—the numerous substances into which it enters into combination—its magnetical property—its capability of being fused and welded—the numerous useful utensils it has been the means of producing—its. agency in carrying forward improvements in art and science, in the civilization of barbarous tribes, and in promoting the progress of the human mind; and the aids which it affords to the Christian missionary in heathen lands.

Having surveyed the inanimate parts of the terraqueous globe, and its appendages, we might next direct our attention to the animated tribes with which it is peopled. Beginning at Man, the head of the animal creation, we would detail the principal facts which have been ascertained respecting his structure and organical function—the muscular movements of the human body, the system of bones, nerves, veins, and arteries; the process of respiration; and the organs of vision, hearing, smelling, tasting, and feeling, by which he holds a correspondence with the material world—the modifications which appear in his corporeal frame, and in his mental faculties, during the periods of infancy, puberty, manhood, and old age—the causes and phenomena of sleep and dreaming—the varieties of the human race, in respect of color, stature, and features—the deviations from the ordinary course of nature, which occasionally occur, in the case of monsters, dwarfs, and giant—the moral and intellectual faculties—and those distinguishing characteristics which prove the superiority of man over the other tribes of animated nature.

The inferior ranks of the animal creation would next demand our attention. We would take a survey of the numerous tribes of Quadrupeds, Birds, Fishes, Serpents, Lizards, and Insects, in reference to the characteristic marks by which the different species are distinguished,—their food, and habitations—the different modes in which they display their architective faculty, in constructing places of abode for shelter and protection—the clothing with which they are furnished—their sagacity in finding out the proper means for subsistence and self-preservation—their hostilities—their artifices in catching their prey, and escaping their enemies—their modes of propagation—their transformations from one state and form to another—their migrations to different countries and climates—their various instincts—their care in rearing and protecting their young—their passions, mental characters, and social dispositions—their language or modes of communication with each other—their capacities for instruction and improvement—their different powers of locomotion—the adaptation of all their organs to the purposes for which they seem intended—the indications they give of being possessed of moral dispositions and rational powers—their different periods of longevity, and the ends which they are intended to subserve in the system of nature. Along with these details, certain views might be exhibited of the various forms of sensitive life, and modes of existence, which obtain in those numerous species of animals which are invisible to the naked eye, and which the microscope discovers in almost every department of nature.

Having surveyed the objects which compose our sublunary system, we would next direct our view to the regions of the sky, and contemplate the facts which have been discovered in relation to the celestial orbs. We would first attend to the apparent motion of the sun, the different points of the horizon at which it seems to rise and set, and the different degrees of elevation to which it arrives, at different seasons of the year,—the different aspects it presents as viewed from different parts of the earth's surface, and the different lengths of days and nights, in different parts of the world. We would next attend to the varied phases of the moon—the direct and retrograde motions of the planets—the apparent diurnal motion of the whole celestial sphere, from east to west—and the different clusters of stars which are seen in our nocturnal sky, at different seasons of the year. We would next consider the deductions which science has made, respecting the order and arrangement of the planets which compose the solar system—their distances from the sun, and from the earth—their magnitudes—the periods of their diurnal and annual revolutions—the secondary planets, or moons, which accompany them—their eclipses—the various phenomena which their surfaces present when viewed through telescopes—the physical influence which some of them produce on the surface of our globe—and the singular appearance of those bodies called Comets, which occasionally visit this part of our system. We would, in the next place, extend our views to the starry regions, and consider the number of stars which present themselves to the naked eye—the immensely greater numbers which are discovered by telescopes—the systems into which they appear to be arranged—the facts which have been ascertained respecting new stars—double and treble stars—stars once visible, which have now disappeared from the heavens—variable stars, whose luster is increased and diminished at different periods of time—and the structure and position of the many hundreds of Nebulae, or starry systems, which appear to be dispersed throughout the immensity of creation.

All the particulars now stated, and many others which might have been specified—considered simply as facts which exist in the system of Nature—form the appropriate and legitimate objects of Natural History, and demand the serious attention of every rational intelligence, that wishes to trace the perfections and agency of the Almighty Creator. To investigate the causes of the diversified phenomena which the material world exhibits, and the principles and modes by which many of page 52 the facts now alluded to are ascertained, is the peculiar province of Natural Philosophy, Chemistry, and the Mathematical Sciences.

Amidst so vast a variety of objects as Natural History presents, it is difficult to fix on any particular facts, as specimens of the interesting nature of this department of knowledge, without going beyond the limits to which I am necessarily confined in this volume. I shall content myself with a description of two objects, which have a reference chiefly to the vegetable kingdom. The first of these is

The Banian Tree.—“This Tree, which is also called the Burr tree, or the Indian Fig, is one of the most curious and beautiful of Nature's productions, in the genial climate of India, where she sports with the greatest variety and profusion. Each tree is in itself a grove; and some of them are of an amazing size and extent, and, contrary to most other animal and vegetable productions, seem to be exempted from decay. Every branch from the main body throws out its own roots; at first, in small tender fibers, several yards from the ground; these continually grow thicker, until, by a gradual descent, they reach the surface, and there, striking in, they increase to large trunks, and become parent trees, shooting out new branches from the tops. These in time suspend their roots, and, receiving nourishment from the earth, swell into trunks, and shoot forth other branches; thus continuing in a state of progression, so long as the earth, the first parent of them all, contributes her sustenance. A Banian tree, with many trunks, forms the most beautiful walks, vistas, and cool recesses, that can be imagined. The leaves are large, soft, and of a lively green, about six inches in length; the fruit is a small fig, when ripe, of a bright scarlet, affording sustenance to monkeys, squirrels, peacocks, and birds of various kinds, which dwell among the branches.

Fig. 12

Fig. 12

“The Hindoos are peculiarly fond of the Banain tree; they consider its long duration, its outstretching arms, and its overshadowing beneficence, as emblems of the Deity, and almost Pay it divine honors. The Brahmins, Who thus ‘find a fane in every sacred grove,’ spend much of their time in religious solitude, under the shade of the Banian tree; they plant it near their temples of pagodas: and in those villages where there is no structure erected for public worship, they place an image under one of these trees, and there perform a morning and evening sacrifice. The natives of all castes and tribes are fond of recreating in the cool recesses, beautiful walks, and lovely vistas of this umbrageous canopy, impervious to the hottest beams of a tropical sun. It is recorded that one of these trees shaded all the town of Fort St. David and Gombroon. These are the trees under which a sect of naked philosophers, called Gymnosophists, assembled in Arian's days, and this historian of ancient Greece presents a true picture of the Modern Hindoos. ‘In winter,’ he says, ‘the Gymnosophists enjoy the benefit of the sun's rays in the open air; and, in summer, when the heat becomes excessive, they past their time in cool and moist places, under large trees, which, according to the accounts of Nearchus, cover a circumference of five acres, and extend their branches so far, than ten thousand men may easily find shelter under them.’

“On the banks of the river Narbudda, in the province of Guzzerat, is a Banian tree, supposed, by some persons to be the one described by Nearchus, who commanded the fleet of Alexander the Great, and certainly not inferior to it. It is distinguished by the name of Cubbeer Burr, which was given it in honor of a famous saint. Forbes, in his ‘Oriental Memoirs,’ when speaking of the age of such trees, states that he smoked his hookha under the very Banian beneath which part of Alexander's cavalry took shelter. High floods have, at various times, swept away a considerable part of this extraordinary tree; but what still remains is nearly two thousand feet in circumference, measured round the principal stems; the overhanging branches, not yet struck down, cover a much larger space; and under it grow a number of custard-apple and other fruit trees. The large trunks ot this single tree amount to three hundred and fifty; and the smaller ones exceed three thousand; every one of these is constantly sending forth branches and hanging roots to form other trunks, and become the parents of a future progeny. The Cubbeer Burr is famed throughout Hindostan, not only on account of its great extent, but also of its surpassing beauty. The Indian armies generally encamp around it; and at stated seasons, solemn Jatarras, or Hindoo festivals, to which thousands of votaries repair from every part of the Mogul page 53 empire, are there celebrated. It is said that seven thousand persons find ample room to repose under its shade. It has long been the custom of the British residents in India, on their hunting and shooting parties, to form extensive encampments, and spend weeks together, under this delightful and magnificent pavilion, which affords a shelter to all travelers, particularly to the religious tribes of the Hindoos. It is generally filled with green wood-pigeons, doves, peacocks, and a variety of feathered songsters—with monkeys, which both divert the spectator by their antic tricks, and interest him by the parental affection they display to their young offspring, in teaching them to select their food, and to exert themselves in jumping from bough to bough,—and is shaded by bats of a large size, many of them measuring upward of six feet from the extremity of one wing to the other. This tree affords not only shelter, but also sustenance, to all its inhabitants, being covered, amid its bright foliage, with small figs, of a rich scarlet, on which they all regale with as much delight as the lords of creation on their more costly fare, in their parties of pleasure.”

The preceding figure will convey a general, though imperfect, idea of this singular tree, and of the manner in which the branches from the main body throw out their shoots, and form the numerous vista., which are found under its shade.

This tree, which is doubtless one of the most singular and magnificent objects in the vegetable kingdom, appears to be a world in miniature, in which thousands, both of human beings, and of the inferior tribes that traverse the earth and the air, may find ample accommodation and subsistence. What a striking contrast does it present to the forests of trees, or mushroons, which are perceived by the help of the microscope, in a piece of moldiness—every plant of which is several hundreds of times smaller than the point of a fine needle! Yet both are the effects of the agency of the same Ah-wise and Omnipotent Being. And what an immense variety of gradations is to be found in the vegetable world, between these two extremes—every part of the vast interval being filled up with flowers, herbs, shrubs, and trees, of every color, form, and size, and in such vast multitudes and profusion that no man can number them!

An object which approximates in a certain degree to the one now described, is mentioned in “Staunton's Account of Macartney's Embassy to China,” p. 70. It is called by Botanists, Adansonia, and is also known by the name of the Monkey Bread Tree, and was discovered in the Island of St. Jago. “The circumference or girth of the base was 56 feet, which soon divided into two vast branches, the one in a perpendicular direction, whose periphery, or girth, was 42 feet, the other 26. Another, of the same species, stood near it, whose single trunk, girthing 38 feet, was scarcely noticed.

The only other specimen I shall exhibit to the reader, has a relation both to the animal and to the vegetable kingdom It is well known that the examination of flowers, and vegetables, of every description, by the microscope, opens a new and interesting field of wonders to the inquiring naturalist. Sir John Hill has given the following curious account of what appeared on his examining a carnation:—

“The principal flower in an elegant bouquet was a carnation: the fragrance of this led me to enjoy it frequently and near. The sense of smelling was not the only one affected on these occasions: while that was satiated with the powerful sweet, the ear was constantly attacked by an extremely soft, but agreeable murmuring sound. It was easy to know, that some animal within the covert must be the musician, and that the little noise must come from some little creature suited to produce it. I instantly distended the lower part of the flower, and placing it in a full light, could discover troops of little insects frisking, with wild jollity, among the narrow pedestals that supported its leaves, and the little threads that occupied its center. What a fragrant world for their habitation! What a perfect security from all annoyance, in the dusky husk that surrounded the scene of action! Adapting a microscope to take in, at one view, the whole base of the flower, I gave myself an opportunity of contemplating what they were about, and this for many days together, without giving them the least disturbance. Thus, I could discover their economy, their passions, and their enjoyments. The microscope, on this occasion, had given what nature seemed to have denied to the objects of contemplation. The base of the flower extended itself, under its influence, to a vast plain; the slender stems of the leaves became trunks of so many stately cedars; the threads in the middle seemed columns of massy structure, supporting at the top their several ornaments; and the narrow spaces between were enlarged in walks, parterres, and terraces.

On the polished bottoms of these, brighter than Parian marble, walked in pairs, alone or in larger companies, the winged inhabitants; these, from little dusky flies, for such only the naked eye would have shown them, were raised to glorious glittering animals, stained with living purple, and with a glossy gold, that would have made all the labors of the loom contemptible in the comparison.—I could, at leisure, as they walked together, admire their elegant limbs, their velvet shoulders, and their silken wings; their backs vieing with the empyrean in its blue; and their eyes, each formed of a thousand others, out-glittering the little planes on a brilliant; above description, and too great almost for admiration. I could observe them here singling out their favorite females; courting them with the music of their buzzing wings, with little songs, formed for their little organs, leading them from walk to walk, among the perfumed shades, and pointing out to their taste, the drop of liquid nectar, just bursting from some vein within the living trunk—here were the perfumed groves, the more than mystic shades of the poet's fancy realized. Here the happy lovers spent their days in joyful dalliance, or in the triumph of their little hearts, skipped after one another, from stem to stem, among the painted trees, or winged their short flight to the close shadow of some broader leaf, to revel undisturbed in the hights of all felicity.”

This picture of the splendor and felicity of insect life, may, to certain readers, appear somewhat overcharged. But those who have been much in the habit of contemplating the beauties of the animal and vegetable world, through microscopes, can easily enter into all the views which are here described. I have selected this example, for the purpose of illustrating the unbounded goodness of the Creator, in the vast profusion of enjoyment he has communicated even to the lowest tribes of animal existence, and as a specimen of those invisible worlds which exist beyond the range of our natural vision. For it appears, that there is a gradation of worlds downward, as well as upward. However small our globe may appear when compared with the sun, and with the Immensity of starry systems which lie dispersed page 54 through the infinity of space, there are worlds filled with myriads of living beings, which, in point of size and extent, bear as small a proportion to the earth, as the earth bears to the vast assemblage of the celestial worlds. A single flower, a leaf, or a drop of water, may appear as large, and as diversified in its structure, to some of the beings which inhabit it, as the whole earth appears to the view of man: and a thousand scenes of magnificence and beauty may be presented to their sight, of which, no distinct conception can be formed by the human mind. The many thousands of transparent globes, of which their eyes are composed, may magnify and multiply the objects around them without end, so that an object scarcely visible to the eye of man, may appear to them as a vast extended universe.

“Having examined,” says St. Pierre, “one day, by a microscope, the flowers of thyme, I distinguished in them, with equal surprise and delight, superb flagons with long necks, of a substance resembling the amethyst, from the gullets of which seemed to flow ingots of liquid gold. I have never made observations of the corolla, simply of the smallest flower, without finding it composed of an admirable substance, half transparent, studded with brilliants, and shining in the most lively colors. The beings which live under a reflex thus enriched must have ideas very different from ours, of light, and of the other phenomena of nature. A drop of dew, filtering in the capillary and transparent tubes of a plant, presents to them thousands of cascades; the same drop fixed as a wave on the extremity of one of its prickles—an ocean without a shore; evaporated into air, a vast aerial sea.—It is credible, then, from analogy, that there are animals feeding on the leaves of plants, like the cattle in our meadows and on our mountains, which repose under the shade of a down imperceptible to the naked eye, and which, from goblets formed like so many suns, quaff nectar of the color of gold and silver.”

Thus it appears that the universe extends to infinity on either hand; and that wherever matter exists, from the ponderous globes of heaven down to the invisible atom, there the Almighty Creator has prepared habitations for countless orders of existence, from the seraph to the animalcule, in order to demonstrate his boundless beneficence, and the infinite variety of modes by which he can diffuse happiness through the universal system.

“How sweet to muse upon His skill, display'd—
Infinite skill!—in all that he has made,
To trace in Nature's most minute design,
The signature and stamp of Power Divine;
Contrivance exquisite, express'd with ease,
Where unassisted sight no beauty sees;
The shapely limb and lubricated joint,
Within the small dimensions of a point;
Muscle and nerve miraculously spun,
His mighty work; who speaks and it is done:
Th'Invisible in things scarce seen reveal'd;
To whom an atom is an ample field!“—Cowper.

With regard to the religious tendency of the study of Natural History, it may be remarked, that as all the objects which it embraces are the workmanship of God, the delineations and descriptions of the Natural Historian must be considered as “the history of the operations of the Creator;” or, in other words, so far as the science extends, “the history of the Creator himself;” for the marks of his incessant agency, his power, wisdom, and beneficence, are impressed on every object, however minute, throughout the three kingdoms of nature, and throughout every region of earth, air, and sky. As the Deity is invisible to mortal eyes, and cannot be directly contemplated by finite minds, without some material medium of communication, there are but two mediums with which we are acquainted by which we can attain, a knowledge of his nature and perfections. These are, either the facts which have occurred in the course of his providential dispensations toward our race, since the commencement of time, and the moral truths connected with them—or the facts which are displayed in the economy of nature. The first class of facts is recorded in the Sacred History, and in the Annals of Nations; the second class is exhibited in the diversified objects and motions which appear throughout the system of the visible universe. The one may be termed the Moral History, and the other the Natural History of the operations of the Creator. It is obviously incumbent on every rational being to contemplate the Creator through both these mediums, for each of them conveys its distinct and peculiar revelations; and, consequently, our perception of Deity through the one medium does not supersede the necessity of our contemplating him through the other While, therefore, it is our duty to contemplate the perfections, the providence, and the agency of God, as displayed in the Scripture-revelation, it is also incumbent upon us to trace his attributes in the system of Nature, in order that we may be enabled to contemplate the Eternal Jehovah, in every variety of aspect in which he has been pleased to exhibit himself in the universe he has formed.

The visible creation may be considered as a permanent and sensible manifestation of Deity; intended every moment to present to our view the unceasing energies of Him “in whom we live and move.” And if the train of our thoughts were directed in its proper channel, we would perceive God in every object and in every movement; we would behold him operating in the whirlwind and in the storm; in the subterraneous cavern and in the depths of the ocean; in the gentle rain and the refreshing breeze; in the rainbow, the fiery meteor, and the lightning's flash; in the splendors of the sun and the majestic movements of the heavens; in the frisking of the lambs, the songs of birds, and the buzz of insects; in the circulation of our blood, the movements of our joints, the motion of our eye-balls, and in the rays of light which are continually darting from surrounding objects, for the purposes of vision. For these and ten thousand other agencies in the system of nature, are nothing else but the voice of Deity, proclaiming to the sons of men, in silent but emphatic language, “Stand still, and consider the wonderful works of God.”

If, then, it be admitted that the study of Nature is the study of the Creator—to overlook the grand and beautiful scenery with which we are surrounded, or to undervalue anything which Infinite Wisdom has formed, is to overlook and contemn the Creator himself. Whatever God has thought proper to create, and to present to our view in the visible world, it becomes man to study and contemplate, that from thence he may derive motives to excite him to the exercise of reverence and adoration, of gratitude and praise. In so far as any individual is unacquainted with the various facts of the history of nature, in so far does he remain ignorant of the manifestations of Deity; for every object on the theater of the universe exhibits his character and designs in a different point of view. He who sees God only as he displays himself in his operations on the earth, but has never contemplated the firmament with the eye of reason, must be unacquainted with those page 55 amazing energies of eternal Power, which are displayed in the stupendous fabric and movements of the orbs of heaven. He who sees God only in the general appearances of nature, but neglects to penetrate into his minute operations, must remain ignorant of those astonishing manifestations of Divine wisdom and skill, which appear in the contrivances, adaptations, and functions of the animal and the vegetable kingdoms. For the more we know of the work, the more accurate and comprehensive will be our views of the Intelligence by whom it was designed; and the farther we carry our investigations of the works of God, the more admirable and astonishing will his plans and perfections appear.

In short, a devout contemplation of the works of nature tends to ennoble the human soul, and to purify and exalt the affections. It inspires the mind with a relish for the beauty, the harmony, and order, which subsist in the universe around us—it elevates the soul to the love and admiration of that Being who is the Author of all our comforts and of all that is sublime and beneficent in creation, and excites us to join with all holy beings in a chorus of praise to the God and Father of all. For they

“Whom nature's works can charm, with God himself
Hold converse, grow familiar day by day
With his conceptions, act upon his plan,
And form to his the relish of their souls.”

The man who surveys the vast field of nature with the eye of reason and devotion, will not only acquire a more comprehensive view of that illimitable power which organized the universe, but will find his sources of enjoyment continually increased, and will feel an ardent desire after that glorious world, where the vail which now hides from our sight some of the grandest manifestations of Deity will be withdrawn, and the wonders of Omnipotence be displayed in all their splendor and perfection.

In conformity with these sentiments, we find the inspired writers, in numerous instances, calling our attention to the wonders of creating power and wisdom. In one of the first speeches in which the Almighty is introduced as addressing the sons of men, and the longest one in the Bible,* our attention is exclusively directed to the subjects of Natural History;—the whole address having a reference to the economy of Divine Wisdom in the arrangement of the world at its first creation—the wonders of the ocean, and of light and darkness—the phenomena of thunder and lightning, rain, hail, snow, frost, and other meteors in the atmosphere—the intellectual faculties of man, and the economy and instincts of quadrupeds, birds, fishes, and other tribes of animated existence. Indeed, the greater part of the sublime descriptions contained in the book of Job has a direct reference to the agency of God in the material creation, and to the course of his providence in relation to the different characters of men; and the reasonings of the different speakers in that sacred drama, proceed on the supposition, that their auditors were intimately acquainted with the varied appearances of nature, and their tendency to exhibit the character and perfections of the Omnipotent Creator. We find the Psalmist, in Psalm civ, employed in a devout description of similar objects, from the contemplation of which his mind is raised to adoring views of their Almighty Author—and, from the whole of his survoy, he deduces the following conclusions:—“How manifold are thy works, O Lord! In wisdom thou hast made them all! The earth is full of thy riches; so is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts. The glory of the Lord shall endure forever; the Lord shall rejoice in all his works.* I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.”

But in order to enter into the spirit of such sublime reflections, we must not content ourselves with a superficial and cursory view of the objects and operations of nature,—we must not think it sufficient to acquiesce in such vague propositions as these: “The glory of God is seen in every blade of grass, and every drop of water; all nature is full of wonders, from the dust of the earth to the stars of the firmament.” We must study the works of creation with ardor, survey them with minute attention, and endeavor to acquire a specific and comprehensive knowledge of the Creator's designs. We must endeavor to acquire a knowledge of the particular modes, circumstances, contexture, configurations, adaptations, structure, functions, and relations of those objects in which benevolence and design conspicuously appear—in the animal and the vegetable world, in the ocean, the atmosphere, and the heavens; that the mind may be enabled to draw the conclusion with full conviction and intelligence—”In wisdom thou hast made them all!” The pointed interrogatories which Jehovah addressed to Job, evidently imply that Job had previously acquired an intimate acquaintance with the works of nature. It seems to be taken for granted, as a matter of course, that he had made himself acquainted with the general range of facts in the visible creation; and the intention of the several questions presented to his consideration evidently was, to impress him with a sense of his own impotency, and to lead him to the investigation of the wonders of Creating Power, which he had formerly overlooked. The conclusion which the Psalmist draws respecting the Wisdom displayed throughout all the works of God, plainly intimates, that he had made the different parts of nature the subject of minute examination and of deep reflection; otherwise he could not have rationally deduced his conclusion, or felt those emotions which filled his mind with the pious raptures so beautifully expressed in that hymn of praise to the Creator of the world.

We have therefore reason to believe, from these and other instances, that pious men, “in the days of old,” were much more accustomed than modern Christians to contemplate and admire the visible works of the Lord; and it is surely much to be regretted, that we, who enjoy so many superior means of information, and who have access to the brilliant discoveries of later and more enlightened times, should manifest so much disregard to “the works of Jehovah, and the operations of his hands.” To enable the common mass of Christians to enter into the spirit of this delightful study and Christian duty, should, there-

* Job, chaps. xxxviii, xxxix, xl, xli.

* The glory of the Lord, in this passage, denotes the display of his perfections in the material universe; and the declaration of the inspired writer plainly intimates, that this display will continue forever, and will remain as an object of unceasing contemplation to all intelligences, and as an eternal monument of his Power and Wisdom. For although the earth and the aerial heavens will be changed at the close of that dispensation of Providence which respects our world, yet the general frame of the universe, in its other parts, will remain substantially the same; and not only so, but will, in all probability, be perpetually increasing in magnitude and grandeur. And the change which will be effected in respect to the terraqueous globe and its appendages will be such that Jehovah will have reason to “rejoice” in this, as well as in all his other works.

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, be one object of those periodical and other religious works which are put into their hands; so that they may be enabled, with vigor and intelligence, to form the pious resolution of Asaph, “I will meditate on all thy works, O Lord! and talk of thy doings.” “I will utter abundantly the memory of thy great goodness, and tell of all thy wondrous works.”