It will well enough become a Christian philosopher, to allow for that image in his contemplations, and with devout thoughts now and then reflect upon it.

Before I go any further, I confess myself unable to resist the invitation, which, I think, that I have, to insert an observation of Hugo de Sancto Victore; That every creature addresses a treble voice unto us accept the benefit; be grateful; escape punishment; indeed, there is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. It is an exercise highly becoming the Christian philosopher, to fetch lessons of piety from the whole creation of God, and hear what maxims of piety all the creatures would, in the way of reflection and similitude, mind us of. In the prosecution of these Meleteticks, what better can be considered, than this treble voice, from all these thousands of powerful preachers, whom we have continually surrounding us? First, accept the benefit; consider, what is the benefit which a good God has, in this creature, bestowed upon me? Secondly, be grateful; consider what is the service which I owe to a gracious God, in the enjoyment of such a creature? Lastly, escape punishment; consider, what is the sorrow which a righteous God may inflict upon me by such a creature, if I persist in disobedience to Him? Even a pagan Plutarch will put the Christian philosopher in mind of this, that the world is no other than the temple of God; and all the creatures are the glasses, in which we may see the skill of Him that is the maker of all. And his brother Cicero has minded us, we know God by his works. It is no wonder then that a Bernard

should see this; a real lover of God, wherever he turns himself, has the friendly admonitions of his Creator. The famous Hermite's book, of these three leaves, the Heaven, the Water, and the Earth, well studied, how nobly would it fill the chambers of the soul with the most precious and pleasant riches? Clemens of Alexandria calls the world, a scripture of those three leaves; and the creatures therein speaking to us, have been justly called true preachers, by those who have best understood them: When we contemplate the obvious wonders, and beauties of the world, and survey the operations of prolific nature, we are forced to acknowledge, that the Divine power is manifest in every part; and that even the smallest spire of grass furnishes abundant proof of the existence of a God. But the light now calls for me.

How glorious a body! But how infinitely, and beyond all comprehension glorious then, the infinite God, who has challenged it as His glory! Isa. xlv, 7. I form the light. The God of whom we have that sublime stroke, in the history of the creation; he said, Let there be light, and there was light! The God whose majesty is within that holy of holies, where He dwells in the light, that no man can approach unto! Lord, thou hast in a wondrous display of thy benignity, afforded the benefit of the light unto thy creatures: Whatever does make manifest, is light. How miserable should we be, and in what inexpressible confusion, if the light were withheld from us! What could be manifest to us; what enjoyed or performed by us! O let all that walk in the light of the living, unite in praises to the Creator of the light! O! give thanks to the Lord, for He is

good, and his mercy endureth for ever. But Lord, wilt thou leave my soul in darkness! The light granted unto the soul, in the knowledge of those things, which to know is life eternal, is more precious and needful, than that in which our body finds itself so much befriended. O Father of glory, let me have the eyes of my understanding enlightened.

"I have a most glorious Redeemer, of whom I am assured, that he is the true light, and the light of the world. A light which, like other light, carries its own evidence with it: there needs no more to prove, that our blessed Jesus is the Son of God, and the Saviour of the world, than attentively to behold Him. He can be no other, than what he asserts himself to be, the light of men. Lord, in thy light I shall sce light. When I see the truth as it is in Jesus, in such a revelation and such an exhibition, as my Jesus gives of it, then I see every thing in a true light. My Saviour, thou art more precious, and more needful, and more useful to me than the light. I will walk in thee, and under thy conduct; so shall I walk in the light continually.

"But what signifies the light, unto him that has no eyes to perceive it. O my Redeemer! bestow thou an eye upon me: a faculty to discern the things that are spiritually discerned.

"For the light of reason, which enlightens every man that comes into the world; every man has all possible reason to glorify God, and. never do any thing, whereof any man may justly say, It seems to me unreasonable.

"But, O my God, thou hast favoured us with a rich conglobation of light, in the book of thy

lively oracles, wherein we have a light shining in a dark place. I would consider every thing in the light wherein this lovely book sets it before me : But, let me not rebel against the light.

"The light is truly sweet. But, what shall I find the inheritance of the saints in light! They that are shut out of that light, and cast into outer darkness, and where they shall never see light; Oh! the weeping and wailing, and gnashing of teeth, to which they must be exposed! My Saviour, I am under thy conduct, passing through a gloomy valley into thy light; and when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light unto me.

"How swift the motion of the light! But, O my Saviour, why no more swift in thy coming to visit and relieve a world lying in the perpetual night of wickedness? Why thy chariot so long in coming?

"And, O my soul, why art thou slow in thy contemplations of God, and Christ, and heaven; fly thou thither, with a swiftness beyond that of the light, (for so thou canst), upon all occasions."

LET us proceed, and conforming to the end of our erect stature, behold the heavens, and lift up our eyes unto the stars.

The learned Hugens has a suspicion, that every star may be a sun to other worlds in their several vortices. Consider then the vast extent of our solar vortex, and into what astonishments must we find the grandeur and glory of the Creator to grow upon us! Especially if it should be so, (as he thinks) that all these worlds have their inhabitants, whose praises are offered up to our God!

With such a view of the heavenly bodies, how little must the earth appear! His improvement of the thought is, How little of this little has vain man to strive for, and to boast of! O the folly of vain desires!

Mr. Childrey mentions two curiosities, which ought to be a little further inquired into. The one is, that between the two constellations of Cygnus and Cepheus, there lies cross the milkyway, a black, long, little cloud, neither increasing, nor changing the place in which it makes its appearance.

The other is, that in February, and a little before and after that month, in the evening, when the twilight has near deserted the horizon, there is a very distinguishing way of the twilight; a bright path striking up towards the pleiades, and almost reaching them, which is not observed any other. time of the year.

The Jews have a fancy among them, that when the Almighty first bespangled the heavens with stars, he left a spot near the north pole unfinished and unfurnished, that so if any other should set up for a God, there might be this trial made of his pretensions; go, fill up, if you can, that part of the heavens, which is yet left imperfect. But without any such suppositions, we may see enough in the heavens to proclaim this to us; lift up your eyes on high, and behold: Who has created these things? None but an infinitely glorious God could be the creator of them!

The telescope, invented the beginning of the last century, and improved now to the dimensions even of eighty feet, whereby objects of a mighty distance are brought much nearer to us, is an