nishing, incomprehensible order, and the most excellent design. Though we were to know no more of plants than those phenomena visible to every eye; though we were only to know that a grain of corn sown in the ground, shoots first a root down into the earth, and then shoots upwards a stem, which bears blossoms, branches, leaves, and fruit, and wherein are contained the seeds of new plants; this alone would be sufficient to prove the wisdom of the Creator. Let us consider for once with attention, all the changes which a grain of wheat goes through: we sow it in the ground at a certain time; this is all we can do. But what are the operations of nature, after we have thus left it to itself? As soon as the earth supplies it with sufficient moisture, it swells and bursts open the outer coat, which had till then concealed it in the root, the stalk, and the leaves. The root pierces through, and sinks deep into the earth, and prepares nourishment for the stem, which makes efforts to rise even with the earth. When it has arrived at this, it grows by degrees till it has attained its proper height. It opens its leaves, which at first are white, then yellow, and at last tinged with green.-If we confine our ob. servations to this grain of wheat alone, which is so necessary to our subsistence, what wondrous wisdom do we not discover in it! As soon as the outer skin is burst, and the root has shot into the earth, the stem ventures to spring up in the form of a very slender stalk; yet, weak as it ap pears, it is already strong enough to bear the intemperance of the seasons. By degrees it grows up, and becomes an ear of corn, the sight of which is so pleasing to mankind.-The wheat is inclosed with leaves, which serve as a coat for it till it is strong enough to break through them, and is armed with points to defend it from the birds.

The fields of corn ought naturally to make us

remember those fields where God lays up another seed. The human bodies deposited in the earth are as seed sown, whose destination is to grow and ripen for the harvest of eternity. We had ás little reason, on looking at the grain of wheat, to expect it to produce an ear of corn (though the essential parts of it were in grain), as we have to believe that our bodies, reduced to dust, will one day become glorified bodies.

The time will come, when the seed will burst forth, my dust will be raised again, and I shall live through Jesus Christ. My body must decay and turn to dust, but I shall not be eternally in the grave. My soul shall rest, after the labours of this life, in the bosom of my God. The eye hath not seen, neither hath the ear heard, any thing on earth equal to such salvation.

APRIL VIII.

The Blue Colour of the Sky.

TO judge simply by our senses, we might imagine the sky over our heads a great vault painted blue, and the stars so many little brilliant nails stuck in it. It is true, that such an idea could hardly be formed, but by the common people and children; yet there are many people who think themselves superior to those, who form very absurd notions of the sky, and its blue appearance by day. The reason of it is, that our atmosphere is not quite transparent. If we were raised very high above the surface of the earth, we should find that the air becomes more and more subtile the higher we go, till we could no longer breathe in it; and at last it would end in pure æther. The higher we climb on mountains, the more light the atmosphere grows, and the more pale the bright azure of the sky appears. If we could

rise as high as pure æther, this colour would be entirely lost. The sky would seem to us as black as at night; for all objects that do not transmit to us any rays of light appear so. Consequently, if the air that surrounds us was as transparent as æther, the sky would not appear blue to us. Our air is full of little particles, which, when lighted by the sun, receive a motion, which produces new rays; and these particles, though dark in them. selves, become visible to us when lighted up. Their colour is blue. This is the reason that a forest, when we are near to it, looks green, but, as we move farther from it, looks more and more of a bluish colour. However pale and slight the blue rays of air may be, there falls so great a quan. tity of them on our eyes, when we are in the open air, that the effect resulting from them is rather a dark blue. These reflections may make some consider the sky differently from what they had done before. It may from hence be concluded, that to the very colour of the sky, there is no phenomenon in nature, in which we may not discover order, utility, and a wise purpose. As the colour of green is the best that the Creator could have chosen for the ornament of the earth, so is the fine azure blue of the sky the most calculated to charm the eye. How dreadful is the appearance of the sky, when covered with stormy clouds! but what beauty, majesty, and simplicity, in the colour of it, when the weather is calm and serene! The apartments of kings, decorated by the most skilful painters, are nothing when compared to the majestic simplicity of the celestial vault. When the eye has any time contemplated the beauties of the earth, it satiates and is tired; but the more we contemplate the heavens, the more charms we find.

APRIL IX.

Use and Necessity of Air.

AIR is the element to which all this lower world owes its life, beauty, and preservation. All the changes we observe in the different beings our globe contains depend on air: It is absolutely necessary for the preservation of animals; for most of them would die in half a minute, if they were deprived of it; and the others could not support the want of it above two days at most. Not only terrestrial creatures, and those which fill the air, require that element, but it is absolutely necessary also to the inhabitants of the water; and, what is more, they require a change of fresh air as much as other animals. The birds, in order to fly, must be supported by the air; for which reason their lungs have openings, through which the air they breathe passes into the whole cavity of their bellies. This single cir cumstance discovers to us a profound sagacity; for the body of the bird being filled, and in a manner swelled by the air, becomes lighter, and more fit for flying.-Plants, even in order to ve getate and grow, require air, and have therefore a multitude of little vessels, which serve to draw it in, and by means of which even the smallest particles of them are provided with all the necessary juices.-Nothing would be more easy than to multiply proofs of the necessity of air. Let us dwell on one single circumstance only, which demonstrates it very clearly. If there was no air, there would be no twilight before san-rise. It would come suddenly above the ho rizon; would appear the same as it does towards the middle of its course, and would not vary its appearance till the instant it would vanish entirely

from our sight, leaving us in as total darkness as at midnight. The sun, indeed, would strike our eyes with a bright light, if there was no air; but it would resemble a great fire burning in an open country in the middle of the night. It would in some sort be day, as the sun and the objects immediately surrounding us would be visible to us; but all the rays that would fall on any bodies at a certain distance, would reflect in a direct line, and be lost in the extent of the heavens. Therefore, while the sun would be placed directly over our heads, we might still be in a sort of night, if there was no air between that globe and us. Let us draw together all the advantages the air is of to our earth.-It is of use to the life and breathing of living beings; to the motion of winged animals, and those which swim in water; to the propagation of sounds; to hold the earth in equilibrium with the other globes; to the formation of vapours, rain, and winds. How necessary is it also to make the earth fruitful, to favour the vegetation of plants, and disperse the bad vapours which exhale from different bodies! The sun could not furnish us with either heat or light enough, if our globe was not surrounded with air. Nobody could be heard, if the air did not set the organs of speech in play; if it did not transmit sounds, and act on the organs of hearing. How innumerable, then, in all respects, are the advantages which the air and winds procure to mankind? If we accustom ourselves to contemplate, with an attentive mind, the great object of the creation, we shall be naturally led to extol the works and the blessings of God. What may often make us neglect this duty, is, perhaps, our casting but a superficial glauce over his works; and in enjoying his blessings, our hearts have not always been sensible how little we deserved them. Let us then, for our peace and our happiness, endeavour to become,