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STURM'S REFLECTIONS.

FEBRUARY 1.

EVERY THING IN NATURE CONTRIBUTES TO THE COMFORT OF MAN.

BE tremblingly alive, O man! to the love which God manifests towards thee, in distinguishing thee above the rest of his creatures. Acknowledge as thou shouldst the matchless happiness of being particularly the object of his boundless liberality-of being in some degree the centre of every thing which he has produced for the manifestation of his glorious attributes. The earth, the air, the waters teem with objects created for thy use. For thee the sheep is clothed with wool--the horse exerts his strength-the silkworm spins her silken cone; for thee the bee distils mellifluous honey; for thee the patient ox toils in the furrowed held; and it is for thee the woods, the fields, and gardens abound with such a profusion of beauty-such a variety of useful plants. Even the rocks and mountains present to thee the treasures of the mineral and metallic kingdoms.

It is true thy wants are more numerous than those of the brute creation; but hast thou not,

If

on the contrary, more faculties, talents, and industry, so that thou hast the power of appropriating every thing which surrounds thee to thine own use? Hundreds of creatures contribute to nourish, to clothe, to lodge, and to provide the pleasures and conveniences of life for thee. the Almighty has created thee with so many wants, it is precisely because they procure for thee the greatest variety of agreeable sensations. It would be impossible to satisfy thy numerous necessities, if those of the animal world were equally multiplied; and in this arrangement we discover the wisdom of Providence, for it is in order that thou mayst enjoy a never failing abundance that the articles which support the brute creation do not interfere with thy wants.

But it is not only in thy food that God has shown so much providential care: a thousand pleasures are within thy reach. For thee the lark carols his blithsome song—the nightingale her sweet melodious notes; for thee the flowers perfume the air, and charm thee with their varied hues. But, of all the gifts of God to man, reason is the most invaluable: it is this which renders him capable of these superior pleasures; it is this which enables him to overawe the brute creation, even to the subjugation of the lion and the elephant.

How canst thou, O man! be sufficiently grateful to thy heavenly benefactor for these blessings? How can the love of mortal man be sufficiently perfected to equal in any degree the love of God for him? Let the frequent contemplation of the liberality of the Father of

Nature excite in thine heart a fervour of devotion worthy the great bestower of all good. Look around thee, and meditate upon the works of nature. Inquire of the heavens, the earth, the sea; ask the brute creation-in short, all the beings that exist, the cause of their creation; and they will reply—“O man! thou art the happy being for whose use and service all nature has existence."

May this reflection penetrate thy soul with the most lively gratitude towards the Almighty disposer of events; and let thine only care, thine only ambition consist in an earnest desire for his favour, who has blessed thee above all other creatures.

Such, my Friend, are the reflections with which thou shouldst commence this month: each succeeding day hast thou fresh cause for acknowledging and celebrating the paternal cares of Providence for thy life, thy food, and pleasures. But, above all, consider well the joys which he has prepared for thee in eternity. Thou shalt one day be a partaker of that ineffable felicity which he has provided for his faithful disciples; the spirits of the blessed will be there thy companions, and thou wilt share with them those joys which it hath not entered into the heart of man even to conceive.

How trifling do the goods of this world appear when compared with the glory which awaits us in the abode of the blessed! Worldly blessings are continually evading our grasp, but in the world to come is perfect happiness for ever

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FEBRUARY 2.

THE INFLUENCE WHICH COLD HAS UPON OUR

HEALTH.

AT this time of the year it is very common to hear people launch out in praise of the other seasons of the year: the pleasures of spring, summer, and autumn are now extolled to the greatest degree, because we are no longer in their actual enjoyment. Such, indeed, is man; the good he really possesses he does not enjoy; and it is only when he is deprived of it that he is sensible of its value. But is it true that these three seasons merit the whole of our attention and praises? Is winter really such as it is very generally represented, totally without pleasure? and is it indeed the destroyer of our health? As this latter question may have a considerable influence upon our peace and contentment, let us impartially reflect upon the advantages which this season may procure even for our bodily health.

The sudden variations of spring and autumn are exceedingly prejudicial to our general health, exposing the human frame to repeated colds, from whence arise many fatal disorders. In summer the air is sometimes charged with noxious vapours, equally fatal in their effects. Now winter is at least free from these inconveniences, and possesses, in fact, many invaluable privileges. The cold is favourable to an insensible perspiration: this circumstance has the most beneficial effects; besides which, we feel lighter

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