Nay, they fatisfy the defolate and wafte pound, and caufe the bud of the tender herb to fpring forth: that the natives of the lonely defert, the herds which know no mafter's tall, may nevertheless experience the care of an all-fupporting parent. How wonderful! that pendant lakes fhould be diffufed, fluid mountains heaped over our heads, and both fultained in the inneft part of the atmosphere! How Surprising is the expedient which without veffels of stone or brafs, keeps fuch loads of water in a buoyant ftate! job confiderel this with holy admiration. Doft thou know the balancings of the clouds? How fuch ponderous bodies are made to hang in even rcife, and hover like the lighteft down? He bindeth up the waters in his thick cloud: and the cloud, though nothing is more cofe and fluid, becomes by his order tenacious, as cafks of iron, is not rent under all the weight.

When the fluices are opened and the waters defcend, one would think they ald pour down in torrents. Whereas tead of this, which would be infinitely pemicions, they coalefce into globules, and are difpenfed in gentle fhowers. They pread themfelves as if ftrained through the orifices of the fineft watering pot, and form thofe fmall drops of rain which the clouds diftil upon man abundantly. Thus tead of drowning the earth, and fweeping away its fruits, they cherish univerfal nature, and (like their great Master) diftribute their ftores, to men, animals, vegetables, as they are able to bear them.

But befide waters, here are cantoned various parties of winds, mild or fierce, geatle or boisterous, furnished with breezy wings, to fan the glowing firmament, or elfe fitted to act as an univerfal befom, and by fweeping the chambers of the atmohere to cleanfe the fine ærial fluid. Without this whole fome agency of the winds, the air would ftagnate and become patrid: fo that all the great cities in the world, infead of being feats of elegance, would degenerate into links of corruption. At fea, the winds fwell the mariner's fails, and fpeed his courfe along the watery way. By land they perform the office of an immenfe feeds-man, fcattering abroad the feeds of numberlefs plants, which, though the fupport of many animals, are too fmall for the management, or too mean

for the attention of man.

Here are lightnings ftationed, in act to fpring whenever their piercing flash is

neceffary, either to deftroy the fulphureous vapours, or diflodge any othǝr noxious matter, which might prejudice the delicate temperature of the ether, and obfcure its more than chryftalline transparency.

Above all is fituate a radiant and majeftic orb, which enlightens and chears the inhabitants of the earth: while the air, by a fingular address, amplifies its ufefulnefs. Its reflecting power augments that heat, which is the life of nature: its refracting power prolongs that fplendor, which is the beauty of the creation.

I fay, augments the heat. For the air is a cover which, without oppreffing us with any perceivable weight, confines, reflects, and thereby increases the vivifying heat of the fun. The air increases this, much in the fame manner as our cloaths give additional heat to our body: whereas when it is lefs in quantity, when it is attenuated, the folar heat is very fenfibly diminished. Travellers on the lofty mountains of America, fometimes experience this to their coft. Though the clime at the foot of thofe vaft mountains, is extremely hot and fultry, yet at the top the cold is fo exceflive, as often to freeze both the horse and rider to death. We have therefore great reafon to praise God, for placing us in the commodious concavity, the cherishing wings of an atmosphere.

The emanations of light, though formed of inactive matter, yet (aftonishing power of divine wisdom!) are refined almost to the fubtilty of fpirit, and are fearce inferior even to thought in fpeed. By which means they spread, with almost instantaneous fwiftnefs, through an whole hemisphere: and though they fill whatever they pervade, yet they ftraiten no place, embarrafs no one, encumber nothing.

Every where indeed, and in every element, we may difcern the footsteps of the Creator's wifdom. The fpacious canopy over our heads is painted with blue; and the ample carpet under our feet is tinged with green. Thefe colours, by their foft and chearing qualities, yield a perpetual refreshment to the eye. Whereas had the face of nature glistered with white, or glowed with fcarlet, fuch dazzling hues, instead of chearing, would have fatigued the fight. Befides, as the feveral brighter colours are interfperfed, and form the pictures in this magnificent piece, the green and the blue make an admirable ground, which fhews them all to the utmost advantage.

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Had the air been much groffer, it would have dimmed the rays of the fun and darkened the day. Our lungs would have been clogged in their vital function, and men drowned or fuffocated therein. Were it much more fubtle, birds would not be able to wing their way through the firmament: neither could the clouds be fuftained, in fo thin an atmosphere. It would elude likewife the organs of refpiration: we fhould gasp for breath with as much difficulty and as little fuccefs as filhes do, when out of their native element.

§ 4. Reflections on the Vegetable Creation.

As to vegetation itself, we are fenfible all our reafonings about the wonderful operations of nature, are fo full of uncertainty, that, as the wife man truly obferves, Hardly ao we guefs aright at the things that are upon earth, and with labour do ave find the things that are before us. This is abundantly verified in vegetable nature. For though its productions are fo obvious to us, yet are we ftrangely in the dark concerning them, because the texture of their veffels is fo fine and intricate, that we can trace but few of them, though affifted with the beft microfcopes. But although we can never hope to come to the bottom and firft principle of things, yet may we every where fee plain fignatures of the hand of a Divine Architect.

All vegetables are composed of water and earth, principles which ftrongly attract each other and a large portion of air, which strongly attracts when fixed, but ftrongly repels when in an elastic flate. By the combination, action, and re-action of thofe few principles, all the operations in vegetables are effected.

The particles of air diftend each ductile part, and invigorate their fap, and meeting with the other mutually attracting principles, they are by gentle heat and motion enabled to affimilate into the nourishment of the refpective parts. Thus nutrition is gradually advanced, by the nearer and nearer union of thefe principles, till they arrive at fuch a degree of confiftency, as to form the several parts of vegetables. And at length, by the flying off of the watery vehicle, they are compacted into hard fubftances.

But when the watery particles again loak into and difunite them, then is the union of the parts of vegetables diffolved, and they are prepared by putrefaction, to appear in fome new form, whereby the

nutritive fund of nature can never be exhaufted.

All these principles are in all the parts of vegetables. But there is more oil in the more exalted parts of them. Thus feeds abound with oil, and confequently with fulphur and air. And indeed as they contain the rudiments of future vegetables, it was necessary they should be flored with principles, that would both preferve them from putrefaction, and also be active in promoting germination and vegetation.

And as oil is an excellent prefervative against cold, fo it abounds in the fap of the more northern trees. And it is this by which the ever-greens are enabled to keep their leaves all the winter.

Leaves not only bring nourishment from the lower parts within the attraction of the growing fruit, (which like young animals is furnished with proper inftruments to fuck it thence) but also carry of the redundant watery fluid, while they imbibe the dew and rain, which contain much falt and fulphur for the air is full of acid and fulphureous particles; and the various combinations of these, are doubtless very ferviceable in promoting the work of vegetation. Indeed fo fine a fluid as the air, is a more proper medium, wherein to prepare and combine the more exalted principles of vegetables, than the grofs watery fluid of the fap. And that there is plenty of these particles in the leaves is evident, from the fulphureous exudations often found on their edges. To these refined aërial particles, not only the most racy, generous taste of fruits, but likewife the moft grateful odours of flowers, yeaand their beautiful colours, are probably owing.

In order to fupply tender fhoots with nourishment, nature is careful to furnish, at fmall diftances, the young fhoots of ail forts of trees, with many leaves throughout their whole length: which, as fo many jointly acting powers, draw plenty of fap to them.

The like provifion has nature made, in the corn, grafs, and reed-kind: the leafy fpires, which draw nourishment to each joint, being provided long before the tem hoots: the tender ftems would easily break, or dry up, fo as to prevent their growth, had not thefe fcabbards been provided, which both fupport and keep them in a fupple and ductile itate.

The growth of a young bud to a fhoot, confifts in the gradual dilatation and extenfion of every part till it is ftretched out

to its full length. And the capillary tubes ftill retain their hollowness, notwithstanding their being extended, as we fee melted glafs tubes remain hollow, though drawn cut to the finest thread.

The pith of trees is always full of moisture while the fhoot is growing, by the expanfion of which, the tender, ductile fboot is distended in every part. But when each year's fhoot is fully grown, then the pith gradually dries up. Mean time nature carefully provides for the growth of the fucceeding year, by preferving a tender ductile part in the bud, replete with fucculent pith. Great care is likewife taken to keep the parts between the bark and wood always fupple with fimy moisture, from which ductile matter the woody fibres, veficles, and buds are formed.

The great variety of different fubftances in the fame vegetable, proves, that there are peculiar veffels for conveying different forts of nutriment. In many vegetables fome of those veffels are plainly feen full of milky, yellow, or red nutriment.

Where a fecretion is defigned to compole an hard substance, viz. the kernel or leed of hard-ftone fruits, it does not immediately grow from the ftone, which would be the shortest way to convey nourishment to it. But the umbilical veffel fetches a compass round the concave of the ftone, and then enters the kernel near its cone. By this artifice the veffel being much prolonged, the motion of the fap is thereby retarded, and a viscid nutriment conveyed to the fced, which turns to an hard fubftance.

Let us trace the vegetation of a tree, from the feed to its full maturity. When the feed is fown, in a few days it imbibes so much moisture, as to fwell with very great force, by which it is enabled both to frike its roots down, and to force its flem Out of the ground. As it grows up, the firit, fecond, third, and fourth order of lateral branches shoot out, each lower order being longer than thofe immediately above them, not only as fhooting firft, but becaufe inferted nearer the root, and fo drawing greater plenty of fap. So that a tree is a complicated engine, which has as many different powers as it has branches. And the whole of each yearly growth of the tree, is proportioned to the whole of the ourishment they attract.

But leaves alfo are fo neceffary to promote its growth, that nature provides small,

thin expanfions, which may be called primary leaves, to draw nourishment to the buds and young fhoots, before the leaf is expanded. Thete bring nutriment to them in a quantity fufficient for their small demand: a greater quantity of which is afterward provided, in proportion to their need, by the greater expanfion of the leaves. Á ftill more beautiful apparatus we find in the curious expantions of blossoms and flowers, which both protect and convey nourishment to the embryo fut and feeds. But as foon as the calix is formed into a fmal fruit, containing a minute, feminal tree, the bloffom falls off, leaving it to imbibe nourishment for itself, which is brought within the reach of its function, by the adjoining leaves.

Let us proceed to make fome additional reflections upon the vegetable kingdom.

All plants produce feeds: but they are entirely unfit for propagation, till they are impregnated. This is performed within the flower, by the duft of the antheræ falling upon the moift ftigmata, where it bursts and fends forth a very fubtle matter, which is abforbed by the style, and conveyed down to the feed. As foon as this operation is over, thofe organs wither and fall. But one flower does not always contain all these : often the male organs are on one, the female on another. And that nothing may be wanting, the whole apparatus of the antheræ and itigmata is in ail flowers contrived with wonderful wisdom. In most, the ftigmata furround the pistil, and are of the fame height. But where the pill is longer than the ftigmata, the flowers recline, that the duft may fall into the ftigmata, and when impregnated rise again, that the feeds may not fall out. In other flowers the piftil is shorter, and there the flowers peferve an erect fituation. Nay, when the flowering feafon comes on, they become erect though they were drooping before. Laftly, when the male flowers are placed below the female, the leaves are very small and narrow, that they may not hinder the duft from flying upwards like smoke: and when in the fame fpecies one plant is male, and the other female, there the duft is carried in abundance by the wind from the male to the female. We cannot also without admiration obferve, that most flowers expand themfelves when the fun fhines, and clofe when either rain, clouds, or evening is coming on, left the genital duft fhould be coagulated, or otherwife rendered ufe

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hence it is, that more fpecies of plants appear, when this caterpillar has laid waite the paiture the preceding year, than at any other time.

But all plants, fooner or later, muft fub mit to death. They fpring up, they grow, they flourish, they bear fruit, and having nished their courfe, return to the duft again. Almost all the black mould which covers the earth, is owing to dead vege. tables. Indeed, after the leaves and ftems are gone, the roots of plants remain: but thefe too at laft rot and change into mould. And the earth thus prepared, reitores to plants what it has received from them. For when feeds are committed to the earth, they draw and accommodate to their own rature the more fubtle parts of this mould: fo that the tallest tree is in reality nothing But mould wonderfully compounded with and water. And from thefe plants when they die, just the fame kind of mould is formed as gave them birth. By this means tility remains continually uninterruptwhereas the earth could not make good annual confumption, were it not conLily recruited.

la many cafes the cruftaceous liverworts are the first foundation of vegetation. Therefore however defpifed, they are of the utmost confequence, in the economy of nature. When rocks first emerge out the fea, they are fo polished by the force of the waves, that hardly any herb is able to fix its habitation upon them. But the minute crustaceous liverworts foon begin to cover thefe dry rocks, though they have no nourishment but the little mould and imperceptible particles, which the rain and ir bring thither. Thefe liverworts dying am into fine earth, in which a larger kind of liverworts ftrike their roots. Thefe alfo ce, and turn to mould: and then the vatious kinds of moffes find nourishment. Latly, thefe dying yield fuch plenty of ould, that herbs and fhrubs easily take root and live upon it.

That trees, when dry or cut down, may 3ot remain ufelefs to the world, and lie melancholy fpectacles, nature haftens on their deftruction in a fingular manner. Firt the liverworts begin to ftrike root in them: afterward the moisture is drawn out them, whence putrefaction follows. Then the mushroom-kind find a fit place to grow on, and corrupt them ftill more. A particular fort of beetle next makes himif a way between the bark and the wood.

Then a fort of caterpillar, and feveral other forts of beetles, bore numberless holes through the trunk. Laftly, the woodpeckers come, and while they are feeking for infects, fhatter the tree, already corrupted, and exceedingly hatten its return to the earth from whence it came. But how fhall the trunk of a tree, which is emerfed in water ever return to earth? A particular kind of worm performs this work, as fea-faring men well know.

But why is fo inconfiderable a plant as thiftles, fo armed and guarded by nature? Becaufe it is one of the most useful plants that grows. Obferve an heap of clay, on which for many years no plant has fprung up: let but the feeds of a thistle fix there, and other plants will quickly come thither, and foon cover the ground: for the thistles by their leaves attract moisture from the air, and by their roots fend it into the. clay, and by that means not only thrive themselves, but provide a fhelter for other plants.

Indeed, there is fuch a variety of wif. dom, and profufion of goodness, difplayed. in every object of nature, even in thofe that feem ulelefs or infignificant, and what' is more, in many of thofe which to an ignorant and fuperficial obferver, appear noxious, that it is palt doubt to the true philofopher, nothing has been made in vain. That is a fine as well as pious obfervation of Sir John Pringle, founded on the experiments of Dr. Priestley, that no vegetable grows in vain, but that from the oak of the foreft to the grafs of the field, every individual plant is ferviceable to mankind: if not always distinguished by fome private virtue, yet making a part of the whole, which cleanses and purities our atmosphere. In this the fragrant role and deadly night-fhade co-operate; nor is the herbage, nor the woods that flourish in the moft remote and unpeopled regions, unpro fitable to us, nor we to them; confidering how constantly the winds convey to them our vitiated air, for our relief, and their nourishment. And if ever thefe falutary gales rife to storms and hurricanes, let us till trace and revere the ways of a beneficent being; who not fortuitoufly but with defign, not in wrath but in mercy, thus fhakes the waters and the air together, to bury in the deep thofe putrid and peftilential effluvia, which the vegetables upon the face of the earth had been infufficient to confume.

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$5. General