us of eternity. What would this life be without it! What would be the happiness of this world, if we could not enjoy the delightful trope of ever. lasting life, of eternal happiness! Since we have this glorious hope, ought we not to reckon as nothing the evils of this world? What matter how long and severe the winter of our lives? Let us hope for spring. Let us await the renewal and perfection of existence in the world to come.

MARCH X.

The White Frost.

IT is very usual, at this season, for the bushes, and other things exposed to the open air, to ap. pear as if they were covered with sugar. The hoar or white frost is only frozen vapours, which lose their fluidity from the bodies they touch. There falls a dew every day, however impercep tible it may be. It is heat only which can render it fluid, bat it is very easy for a body to lose its warmth, particularly when it is thin and delicate, and happens to touch bodies much colder than itself. In the cold nights of spring, the bushes must lose more heat than thicker branches. It is consequently natural that the little twigs should be covered with frost when the others are free from it. When the dew fixes on bodies considerably colder than itself, it communicates its heat to them immediately; and, of course, the dew, having lost the cause of its fluidity, its parts connect, draw close, and form a light coat of ice. If to those vapours ready to freeze, there join others not yet so, the latter instantly lose their fluidity, and settling irregularly on the former, or near them, altogether form what is called the hoar-frost. It is therefore easy to comprehend, how it sometimes happens that our hair, and the

hair of animals, is covered with frost. The perspiration and exhalation of the mouth and nose, if they settle on hair, and are exposed to the cold air, occasion this sort of congelation. It is in the same way that we can account for the shining threads often seen in winter on buildings. If the walls are cold to a certain degree, the watery vapours which are settled on them, condense and freeze. But when the cold is extreme, and it freezes hard, this effect does not follow, because the vapours are already frozen in the air; and supposing even that they light upon the wall, they cannot remain there, because they only touch it with some of their parts. However, it sometimes happens in hard frosts, that the walls become white as if covered with snow; but it is a certain proof that the severity of the cold is going to abate. Here, again, let us acknowledge the wise and beneficent views of our Creator. In his hand, and under his direction, all the effects of nature, at every season, tend towards the general good and the fertility of the earth; and since every phenomenon, in each link of the great chain of creation, contributes to the perfection of the whole, is it not reasonable to acknowledge the minatest parts, and to celebrate, with grateful hearts, every blessing he bestows upon us?

MARCH XI.

Variety of Means which contribute to the Fertility of Nature.

THE wisdom of Providence makes use of several means to render the corporeal world fruitful. Sometimes the clouds fall in rain, in order to purify the air from hurtful vapours, to soften the earth, and give it new nourishing juices. At other times, when the earth is deprived of the

blessings of rain, a soft dew moistens and renders the earth fruitful, and revives the feeble plants ready to wither. God has ordained that each season should have peculiar means of enriching the earth. The snow, which in winter covered our fields and meadows, not only served to guard the earth from the severe cold, but, by means of the salts with which it is mixed, contributed also to the fertility of the land. The frequent storms that are felt in spring preserve the air from cor. ruption, dry the earth, and disperse the rain over the whole surface of the globe. What benign influence have they also upon the earth in making it fruitful, though, during summer, they excite the terror of timid and fearful people! With every thunder-shower the Creator spreads his precious blessings on the earth. One may, without extravagance, maintain with certainty, that there is no revolution in the air, or on the earth, which does not, directly or indirectly, contribute to the fertility of our globe. Each season brings back the phenomena peculiar to it; and each phenomenon of nature produces effects, the happy influence of which is more or less visible. Even those plagues, which cause the entire destruction of certain countries, are only particular evils, which contribute to fulfil beneficent views, as there result from them advantages to the world, when considered in the whole.

In all times and places I acknowledge thy tender care, and the effects of thy mercy, O all wise and beneficent Creator! Lord of all times and seasons! Thy praise rises from the orbit of the earth up to the heaven of heavens! Our globe rolls in the starry space, sometimes sown with flowers, sometimes covered with snow; here adorned with vines, there crowned with ears of corn. It sings thy praises, and joins its notes with the harmony of the spheres. When the snow and ice change our fields into deserts; when the tempest roars in

the winds; when thy lightnings make mortals tremble; when the rivers, leaving their beds, overflow countries; when all the elements seem to conspire the destruction of the world; it is then that thou preparest for the inhabitants of the earth health, joy, peace, and plenty.

Here I represent to myself the different means by which (if I may use the expression) God ren. ders the moral world fruitful. In order to lead mankind to a sense of their destination, to a horror of sin, and to the practice of virtue, God some. times makes use of violent, and sometimes of mild methods. Sometimes he thinks proper to punish the sinner severely, to lay heavy judgments, and of a long duration, upon him, in order to awaken him from his slumber. He speaks to hardened hearts, as to the Israelites on Mount Sinai, with lightnings, as with a voice of thunder. With others he makes use of opposite measures: he endeavours to snatch them from vice and vanity, and to draw then to him by the gentle ways of blessings and goodness. I am of this a living wit ness; and I acknowledge, O Lord! to the praise of thy mercy, that thou hast done every thing to lead me to Thee. Sometimes it has pleased Thee to lay thy heavy hand upon me, and to humble my pride with chastisement. Thou hast sent me sickness, and other misfortunes, to lead me to reflect upon my errors. At other times, Thou hast endeavoured to draw me by milder ways: thou hast loaded me with blessings; and thy mercies, like the refreshing rains of spring, have fallen abundantly upon me. But what hast Thou ob. tained from me, in giving me so many means of grace? Have I borne the fruit which a good soil never refuses when the sky is favourable to it? Alas! my heart was like a rock which no thunder could move, no rain could soften. Hitherto most of the means Thou hast used have been fruitless: but will they always be so? No. It is time to be

more docile, more obedient. The longer I defer my repentance, the more my sins and follies will increase, and the more difficult it will be to banish them from my heart.-I ask but one favour, O my God! it is, that Thou wilt never cease to assist my conversion, Thou mayest either intimidate me by threats, or encourage me by thy promises; lead me to Thee by the rigours of punishment, or by the persuasion of mercies. I bless, before hand, all the means of salvation Thou mayest choose: only grant that I may return to Thee, and become fruitful in good works.

MARCH XII.

The Advantages the Sea, procures us.

A SUPERFICIAL glance cast on our globe might give reason to think there is not a just proportion of water and of land. At first sight it appears as if the immense quantity of water, which takes up so great a part of it, was inconsistent with the idea we ought to have of the Divine Wisdom and Goodness. We fancy it might be more advantageous, if the Creator had changed into firm land the enormous space which comprehends the ocean, the seas, the lakes, and rivers. But in this, as in a thousand others things, we only shew our igno. rance and want of judgment.

If the ocean was reduced to half what it is, it could only produce half the vapours it exhales; consequently, we could not have so many rivers, and the earth would not be sufficiently watered: for the quantity of the waters which rise is in proportion to the surface of the sea, and the heat: which draws them. Thus the Creator has wisely ordained, that the sea should be large enough to furnish, the necessary vapours for watering the