manufactories established for supplying employment to every class of labourers and artizans, and lecture-rooms prepared, furnished with requisite apparatus, to which they might resort for improvement in science. Roads would be cut In all convenient directions, diversified with rural decorations, hedge-rows, and shady bowers, foot-paths, broad and smooth, would accompany them in all their windings, and gas-lamps, erected at every half-mile's distance, would variegate the rural scene and cheer the shades of night. Narrow lanes in cities would be either widened or their houses demolished; streets on broad and spacious plans would be built, the smoke of steam-engines consumed, nuisances removed, and cleanliness and comfort attended to in every arrangement. Cheerfulness and activity would everywhere prevail, and the idler, the vagrant, and the beggar would disappear from society. All these operations and improvements, and hundreds more, could easily be accomplished, were the minds of the great body of the community thoroughly enlightened and mora lized, and every individual, whether rich or poor, who contributed to bring them into effect, would participate in the general enjoyment. And what an interesting picture would be presented to every benevolent mind, to behold the great body of mankind raised from a state of moral and physical degradation to the dignity of their rational natures, and to the enjoyment of the bounties of their Creator! to behold the country diversified with the neat and cleanly dwellings of the industrious labourer, the rural scene, during the day, adorned with seminaries, manufactories, asylums, stately edifices, gardens, fruitful fields and romantic bowers, and, during night, bespangled in all directions with variegated lamps, forming a counterpart, as it were, to the lights which adorn the canopy of heaven! Such are only a few specimens of the improvements which art, directed by science and morality, could easily accomplish.

SECTION VI.

OF THE INFLUENCE OF KNOWLEDGE IN PROMOTING ENLARGED CONCEPTIONS OF THE CHARACTER AND PERFECTIONS OF THE DEITY.

ALL the works of God speak of their Author, in silent but emphatic language, and declare the glory of his perfections to all the inhabitants of the earth. But, although "there is no speech nor language" where the voice of Deity is not heard, how gross are the conceptions generally entertained of the character of Him " in whom we live and move," and by whose superintending providence all events are directed! Among the

greater number of pagan nations, the most absurd and grovelling notions are entertained respecting the Supreme Intelligence, and the nature of that worship which his perfections demand. They have formed the most foolish and degrading representations of this august Being, and have "changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to four-footed beasts and creeping things." Temples have been erected and filled with idols the most hideous and obscene; bulls and crocodiles, dogs and serpents, goats and lions have been exhibited to adumbrate the character of the Ruler of the universe. The most cruel and unhallowed rites have been performed to procure his favour, and human victims sacrificed to appease his indignation. All such grovelling conceptions and vile abominations have their origin in the darkness which overspreads the human understanding, and the depraved passions which ignorance has a tendency to produce. Even in those countries where Revelation sheds its influence, and the knowledge of the true God is promulgated, how mean and contracted are the conceptions which the great bulk of the population entertain of the attributes of that incomprehensible Being whose presence pervades the immensity of space, who "metes out the heavens with a span," and superintends the affairs of ten thousand worlds! The views which many have acquired of the perfections of the Deity, do not rise much higher than those which we ought to entertain of the powers of an archangel, or of one of the seraphim; and some have been known, even in our own country, whose conceptions have been so abject and grovelling, as to represent to themselves "the King eternal, immortal, and invisible," under the idea of a " venerable old man." Even the more intelligent class of the community fall far short of the ideas they ought to form of the God of heaven, owing to the limited views they have been accustomed to take of the displays of his wisdom and benevolence, and the boundless range of his operations.

We can acquire a knowledge of the Deity only by the visible effects he has produced, or the external manifestations he has given of himself to his creatures; for the Divine Essence must remain for ever inscrutable to finite minds. These manifestations are made in the Revelations contained in the Bible, and in the scene of the material universe around us. The moral perfections of God, such as his justice, mercy, and faithfulness, are more particularly delineated in his word; for, of these the system of nature can afford us only some slight hints and obscure intimations. His natural attributes, such as his immensity, omnipotence, wisdom, and goodness, are chiefly displayed in the works of creation; and to this source of information the inspired writers uniform'y direct our attention, in order that we may acquire the most ample and impressive views of the grandeur of the Divinity, and the magnificence of his operations. "Lift up youreyes on high and behold! who hath created these orbs? who bringeth forth their host by number? The everlasting God the Lord, by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power. He measureth the ocean in the hollow of his hand, he comprehends the dust of the earth in a measure, he weigheth the mountains in scales, and hath stretched out the heavens by his understanding. All nations before him are as the drop of a bucket, and are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity. Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the giory, and the majesty, for all that is in heaven and earth is thine." The pointed interrogatories proposed to Job, and the numerous exhortations in reference to this subject, contained in the book of Psalms and other parts of Scripture, plainly evince, that the character of God is to be contemplated through the medium of his visible works. In order to acquire a just and comprehensive conception of the perfections of Deity, we must contemplate his character as displayed both in the system of Revelation and in the system of nature, otherwise we can acquire only a partial and distorted view of the attributes of Jehovah. The Scriptures alone, without the medium of his works, cannot convey to us the most sublime conceptions of the magnificence of his empire, and his eternal power and Godhead; and the works of nature, without the revelations of his word, leave us in profound darkness with regard to the most interesting parts of his character-the plan of his moral government, and the ultimate destination of man. Would we, then, acquire the most sublime and comprehensive views of that invisible Being, who created the universe, and by whom all things are upheld, we must, in the first place, apply ourselves, with profound humility and reverence, to the study of the Sacred oracles; and, in the next place, direct our attention to the material works of God as illustrative of his Scriptural character, and of the declarations of his word. And, since the sacred writers direct our views to the operations of the Almighty in the visible universe, in what manner are we to contemplate these operations? Are we to view them in a careless, cursory manner, or with fixed attention? Are we to gaze on them with the vacant stare of a savage, or with the penetrating eye of a Christian philosopher? Are we to view them through the mists of ignorance and vulgar prejudice, or through the light which science has diffused over the wonders of creation? There can be no difficulty to any reflecting mind in determining which of these modes ought to be adopted. The Scriptures

Job. ch. xxxviii. &c.

declare, that as "the works of Jehovah are great," they must be " sought out," or thoroughly investigated, "by all those who have pleasure therein;" and a threatening is denounced against every one who "disregards the works of the Lord," and "neglects to consider the operations of his hand."

Such declarations evidently imply, that we ought to make the visible works of God the subject of our serious study and investigation, and exercise the rational powers he has given us for this purpose; otherwise we cannot expect to derive from them a true and faithful exhibition of his character and purposes. For, as the character of God is impressed upon his works, that character cannot be distinctly traced unless those works be viewed in their true light and actual relations-not as they may appear to a rude and inattentive spectator, but as they are actually found to exist, when thoroughly examined by the light of science and of revelation. For example, a person unaccustomed to investigate the system of nature imagines that the earth is a fized mass of land and water in the midst of creation, and one of the largest bodies in nature, and, consequently, that the sun, moon, and stars, and the whole material universe revolve around it every twenty-four hours. Such a conception of the material system might, indeed, convey to the mind an astonishing idea of the power of the Deity in causing such an immense number of orbs to revolve around our world with so prodigious a velocity as behoved to take place, were the earth in reality a quiescent body in the centre of the universe. But it would give us a most strange and distorted idea of his intelligence. While it tended to magnify his omnipotence, it would, in effect, deprive him of the attribute of wisdom. For, in the first place, such a conception would represent the Almighty as having devised a system of means altogether superfluous and preposterous, in order to accomplish the end intended; for it is the characteristic of wisdom to proportionate the means to the nature of the design which is to be accomplished. The design, in the case under consideration, is to produce the alternate succession of day and night. This can be effected by giving the earth itself a rotation round its axis, as is the case in other globes of much larger dimensions. But according to the conception to which we are now adverting, the whole material creation is considered as daily revolving around this comparatively little globe of earth, an idea altogether extravagant and absurd, and inconsistent with every notion we ought to entertain of infinite wisdoni. In the next place, were the earth considered as at rest, the motions of the planets would present a series of looped curves without any marks of design, a scene of inextricable confusion, and the whole of the solar system would appear devoid of order and harmony, and, consequently,

and harmony the seasons revolve and appear in constant succession. The composition of the atmosphere is the same under every latitude, and light and heat are diffused by the same law in every region of the earth. One law causes a stone to fall to the ground, and by the operation of the same law, the moon is retained in her orbit around the earth, the planets directed in their revolutions round the sun, and the whole universe compacted into one harmonious system. In short, all the arrangements and operations of nature, so far as our knowledge extends, present to our view a single design, regularly executed by a single agency. The fair inference, therefore, is, that every part of the world in which we dwell, and every department of the solar system, are under the government of one Intelligence, which directs every movement throughout the universal system. And the more extensively our views of the universe are enlarged, the marks of unity in operation and design become more strikingly apparent. Now, if two or more intelligences had the government of the universe in their hands, and if they had equal power and contrary designs, their purposes would clash, and they could never become the parents of that harmony which we clearly perceive throughout the system of nature. Thus the operations of the visible world confirm and illustrate the declaration of the inspired oracles, that " there is none other God but one."

2. A scientific investigation of the material world opens to us innumerable evidences of Divine Wisdom.

Wherever we turn our eyes in the visible world around us, and survey with attention the various processes of nature, we perceive at every step the most striking marks of intelligence and design. We perceive the wisdom of the great Author of nature, in the admirable constitution of the atmosphere, and the wonderful properties of the constituent principles of which it is composed, in the motions of light, the inconceivable smallness of its particles, its adaptation to the eye, and the admirable manner in which vision is performed, in the nature of sound, the laws by which it is propagated, and the various modifications of which it is susceptible, -in the process of evaporation, and the rains, dews, and fertility which are the results of this admirable part of the economy of nature, in the utility of the mountains and valleys with which the earth is diversified, and the beautiful colouring which is spread over the face of nature, in the morning and evening twilight, and the gradual approaches of light and darkness, in the vast expanse of the ocean and its numerous productions, in the grand, and picturesque, and beautiful landscapes with which our globe is adorned, -in the composition and specific gravity of water, and in the peculiar structure and density of the solid parts of the earth,-in the expansion

of water in the act of freezing, and the nature and properties of heat and flame, -in the power of steam, the properties of the gases, the qualities of the magnet, and the agencies of the galvanic and electric fluids,- in the structure of vegetables, the adaptation of their seeds, roots, fibres, vessels, and leaves to the purpose of vegetative life, the curious processes which are continually going on in their internal parts, their delicate contexture and diversified hues, and the important purposes they serve in the system of nature, in the structure of the various animated beings which traverse the air, the waters, and the earth, the provision made for the continuance of the species, their architective faculties, their wonderful instincts, and the infinite diversity of organization which appears among them, suited to their various wants and modes of existence -in the admirable organization of the human frame, the numerous bones, muscles, ligaments, membranes, arteries, and veins which enter into its construction, the apt disposition of all its parts, the means contrived for the reception and distribution of nutriment, the effect which this nutriment produces in bringing the body to its full growth and expansion, its seifrestoring power when diseased or wounded, the provision made against evil accidents and inconveniences, the variety of muscular movements of which it is susceptible, the process of respiration, the circulation of the blocd, the separation of the chyle, the exquisite structure of the different senses, and the nice adaptation of every organ and movement to the ends it was intended to subserve. The same wisdom is perceptible in the position which the sun holds in the solar system, in order to a due distribution of light and heat to surrounding worlds; in the distance at which the earth is placed from this luminary,in the order and harmony of all the celestial motions, and in the wonderful and beautiful scenery, invisible to the unassisted eye, which the microscope displays, both in the animal and vegetable world. In short, there is not an object within us or around us, in the mountains or the plains, in the air, the ocean, or the sky, among the animal or the vegetable tribes, when steadily contemplated in all its aspects and relations, but displays to the eye of reason and devotion the consummate intelligence and skill of its almighty Author, and calls upon every intelligent agent, in silent but emphatic language, to praise him "who made the earth, the sea, the fountains of water, and all that live in them, for whose pleasure they are and were created."

Let us just select one example out of the many thousands which might be brought forward on this subject. This example shall be taken from an invisible department of nature. In consequence of modern scientific discovery, it has been ascertained that the atmosphere, or the air we breathe, is compounded of two invi

sible substances, termed orygen gas and nitrogen gas. Oxygen, as formerly stated, is the principle of vitality and combustion, nitrogen is destructive both to flame and animal life. Were we to breathe oxygen by itself, it would cause our blood to circulate with greater rapidity, but it would soon waste and destroy the human frame by the rapid accumulation of heat. Were the nitrogen to be extracted from the atmosphere, and the oxygen left to exert its native energies, it would melt the hardest substances and set the earth on flames. If the oxygen were extracted and the nitrogen only remained, every species of fire and flame would be extinguished, and ali the tribes of animated nature instantly destroyed. The proportion of these two gases to each other is nearly as one to four. Were this proportion materially altered, a fluid might be produced which would cause a burning pain and instantaneous suffocation. The specific gravity of these two substances is nearly as 37 to 33, that is, the nitrogen is a small degree lighter than the oxygen. Were this proportion reversed, or, in other words, were the oxygen of the atmosphere a small degree lighter than the nitrogen, so that the nitrogen might become a little heavier than common air, -as this gas is thrown off continually by the breathing of men and other animals, it would perpetually occupy the lower regions of the atmosphere, and be productive of universal pestilence and death. Again, oxygen gas is separated from the nitrogen in the lungs; it is absorbed by the blood, and gives it its red colour, and is the source of animal heat throughout the whole system. It forms the basis of all the acids; it pervades the substance of the vegetable tribes, and enables them to perform their functions, and it forms a constituent part of the water which fills our rivers, seas, and oceans. And as the atmosphere is daily hable to be deprived of this fluid by combustion, respiration, and other processes, the leaves of trees and other vegetables give out a large portion of it during the day, which, uniting with the nitrogen gas thrown off by the breathing of animals, keeps up the equilibrium, and preserves the salubrity of the air in which we move and breathe.

These facts demonstrate the infinite knowledge and the consummate wisdom of the Contriver of the universe, in the exquisitely nice adjustment of every minute circumstance, so as to preserve the balance of nature and secure the happiness of his sensitive and intelligent offspring. What an all-comprehensive intelligence does it indicate in the Divine Mind, to cause one single principle in different combinations to produce so immense a variety of important effects! What dreadful havoc would be produced throughout the whole of our sublunary system, if a substance like oxygen gas, which pervades every part of nature, were not nicely

balanced and proportioned. All nature might soon be thrown into confusion, and all the tribes of the living world either be reduced to misery, or swept into the tomb. A material difference in the proportion of the two airs which compose the atmosphere, might be productive of the most dreadful and destructive effects. One of the most corrosive acids, aquafortis, is composed of 75 parts oxygen and 25 parts nitrogen. Were this the proportion 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