portion of these fluids in the atmosphere, every breath we drew would produce the most excruciating pain, and, after two or three inspirations, the vital powers would be overcome, and life extinguished. Here then we perceive an admirable adjustment of means to ends, and an evidence of that comprehensive knowledge which penetrates into the energies of all substances, and foresees all the consequences which can follow from the principles and laws of nature, in every combination and in every mode of their operation. This is only one instance out of a thousand which the researches of science afford us of the admirable economy of the wisdom of God. From ignorance of such facts, the bulk of mankind are incapable of appreciating the blessings they enjoy, under the arrangements of infinite wisdom, and unqualified for rendering a grateful homage to Him" in whom they live and move, and have their being."

3. The contemplation of nature through the medium of science, affords innumerable displays of the benevolence of the Deity. Benevolence, or goodness, is that perfection of God which leads him, in all his arrangements, to communicate happiness to every order of his creatures. This attribute, though frequently overlooked, is so extensively displayed throughout the scene of creation, that we feel at a loss to determine from what quarter we should select instances for its illustration. Wherever we find evidences of wisdom and design, we also find instances of benevolence; for all the admirable contrivances we perceive in the system of nature, have it as their ultimate end to convey pleasure, in one shape or another, to sensitive beings. If there are more than 240 bones in the human body variously articulated, and more than 440 muscles of different forms and

contextures, such a structure is intended to produce a thousand modifications of motion in the several members of which it is composed, and to facilitate every operation we have occasion to perform. If the ear is formed with an external porch, a hammer, an anvil, a tympanum, a stirrup, and a labyrinth, this apparatus is intended to convey pleasure to the soul by communicating to it all the modifications of sound. If the eye is composed of three coats, some of them opaque and some transparent, with three humours of different forms and refractive powers, and a numerous assemblage of minute veins, arteries, muscles, nerves, glands, and lymphatics, it is in order that the images of objects may be accurately depicted on the retina, that the ball of the eye may be easily turned in every direction, and that we may enjoy all the entertainments of vision.* If an atmos

As an evidence of the care of the Creator to promote our enjoyment, the following instance may be selected in regard to the muscles of the eye. Nothing can be more manifestly an eviFig 1.

Fig. 2.

phere is thrown around the earth, it is for the purpose of attempering the rays of the sun, giving a lucid brightness to every part of the heavens, producing the morning and evening twilight, promoting evaporation and the respiration of animals, and causing the earth to bring forth abundance of food, by means of the rains and dews; all which effects produce happiness in a thousand different ways to every sentient being. If this atmosphere presses our bodies with a

dence of contrivance and design, and at the same time of benevolent intention, than these muscles, which are admirably adapted to move the ball of the eye in every direction, upwards, downwards, to the right hand, to the left, and in whatever direction we please, so as to preserve that parallelism of the eye which is necessary to distinct vision. In fig. 1. it exhibits the eyeball with its muscles; a, is the optic nerve; b, the musculus trochlearis, which turns the pupil downwards and outwards, and enables the ball of the eye to roll about at pleasure; c, is part of the os frontis, to which the trochlea or pulley is fixed, through which d, the tendon of the trochlearis, passes; e, is the attolens oculi, for raising up the globe of the eye; n, the depressor oculi, for pulling the globe of the eye down; f, adductor oculi, for turning the eye towards the nose; g, abductor oculi, for moving the globe of the eye outwards, to the right or left; h, obliquus inferior, for drawing the globe of the eye forwards, inwards, and downwards; i, part of the superior maxillary bone, to which it is fixed; k, the eyeball. Fig. 2. represents the same muscles in a different point of view, where the same letters refer to the same muscles.

All these opposite and antagonist muscles preserve a nice equilibrium, which is effected partly by their equality of strength, partly by their peculiar origin, and partly by the na tural posture of the body and the eye, by which means the eye can be turned instantaneously towards any object, preserved in perfect steadiness, and prevented from rolling about in hideous contortions. This is only one out of a hundred instances in relation to the eye, in which the same benevolent design is displayed.

weight of thirty thousand pounds, it is in order to counterpoise the internal pressure of the circulating fluids, and to preserve the vessels and animal functions in due tone and vigour, without which pressure the elastic fluids in the finer vessels would inevitably burst them, and the spark of life be quickly extinguished. Thousands of examples of this description, illustrative of divine benevolence, might be selected from every part of the material system connected with our world, all of which would demonstrate, that the communication of enjoyment is the great end of all the contrivances of infinite wisdom.

There is a striking display of benevolence in the gratification afforded to our different senses. As the eye is constructed of the most delicate substances, and is one of the most admirable pieces of mechanism connected with our frame, so the Creator has arranged the world in such a manner as to afford it the most varied and delightful gratification. By means of the solar light, which is exactly adapted to the structure of this organ, thousands of objects of diversified beauty and sublimity are presented to the view. It opens before us the mountains, the vales, the woods, the lawns, the brooks and rivers, the fertile plains and flowery fields, adorned with every hue, the expanse of the ocean and the glories of the firmament. And as the eye would be dazzled, were a deep red colour or a brilliant white to be spread over the face of nature, the Divine goodness has clothed the heavens with blue, and the earth with green, the two colours which are the least fatiguing and the most pleasing to the organs of sight, and at the same time one of these colours is diversified by a thousand delicate shades which produce a delightful variety upon the landscape of the world. The ear is curiously con-

structed for the perception of sounds, which the atmosphere is fitted to convey; and what a variety of pleasing sensations are produced by the objects of external nature intended to affect this organ! The murmurings of the brooks, the whispers of the gentle breeze, the hum of bees, the chirping of birds, the lowing of the herds, the melody of the feathered songsters, the roarings of a stormy ocean, the dashings of a mighty cataract, and, above all, the numerous modulations of the human voice and the harmonies of music, produce a variety of delightful emotions which increase the sum of human enjoyment. To gratify the sense of smelling, the air is perfumed with a variety of delicious odours, exhaled from innumerable plants and flowers. To gratify the feeling, pleasing sensations of various descriptions are connected with almost every thing we have occasion to touch; and to gratify the sense of taste, the earth is covered with an admirable profusion of plants, herbs, roots, and delicious fruits of thousands of different qualities and flavours, calculated to convey an agreeable relish to the inhabitants of every clime. it is easy to conceive, that these gratifications were not necessary to our existence. The purposes of vision, as a mere animal sensation for the use of selfpreservation, might have been answered, although every trace of beauty and sublimity had been swept from the universe, and nothing but a vast assemblage of dismal and haggard objects had appeared on the face of nature. The purpose of hearing might have been effected although every sound had been grating and discordant, and the voice of melody for ever unknown. We might have had smell without fragrance or perfume; taste without variety of flavour; and feeling, not only without the least pleas

Now,