case, II. NATURAL OCCURRENCES SOMETIMES PROVIDENTIAL JUDGMENTS. THE writer, very properly, in the first instance, refers to the natural causes of such phenomena, (as they were then understood,) though he says there were some remarkable circumstances connected with this; but having done so, he faithfully states their dependence on Divine Providence. "But put the that some natural cause or secret influences had their ordinary operations in this earthquake, whereof notwithstanding there is not any sufficient likelihood; shall we so gaze upon the mean causes, that we shall forget or let slip the chief and principal causes? Know we not (after so long hearing and professing of the Gospel) that a sparrow lighteth not on the ground without God's providence? that the neglecting of his loving-kindness, and the continuing in sin without amendment, provokes his vengeance? and yet that he, of his own fatherly free goodness, doth ever give warning before he striketh? Surely we cannot but know it, yea, and see it too, unless the god of the world hath so blinded our eyes, that we will not see it. For it is daily and almost hourly told us by the Ministers of his word, and the Bible lieth always open for us to read it ourselves, that the only original cause and wellspring of all plagues and punishments is sin; so the plagues and punishments themselves, and the orderly disposing, directing, and guiding of all causes to their due ends and effects, is the only work of God, who, to make all offenders unexcusable, doth often cause the very elements and senseless creatures to foreshow in most terrible manner, even by their natural operations, the approaching of his just vengeance. And truly, as it is said in the Psalm, their speaking and talking to us is not soft and whisperingly, as that the voices of them cannot be heard; but, contrariwise, they be so loud in our ears, so manifest to our eyes, and so visible to our feeling, that (unless we be stony and steely-hearted, or given over to a lewd mind) they cannot but be grievous to our hearts, and terrible to our consciences." (To be concluded in the next Number.) SENTENCES FOR REFLECTION. To suffer wrong will breed thee less molestation than to do it. To be patient will create thee not half so much trouble as vexing, fretting, and fuming, within thyself would do. If thou by just authority art assigned to any public charge, thou art to embrace it cheerfully, not as a prize either to ambition or covetousness, but as an opportunity to do good in thy generation. Avoid singularity. There may often be less vanity in following the new modes, than in adhering to the old ones. It is true, that the foolish invent them; but the wise may conform to, instead of contradicting them.* When thou hast done any one a good turn, thou shouldst so forget it as not to speak of it: if thou boast of it, or upbraid the receiver with it, thou hast paid thyself, and lost the nobleness of thy charity. If thou wilt do precisely no more than just what thou needs must, thou wilt soon be brought on to omit something of thy duty, and wilt be apt to believe less to be necessary than really is. If thou art verily persuaded that those things which we have heard and read concerning another world be true; thou shalt have no need of having an assurance of living long in this be thy stay in it long or short, thy work will be to be fully prepared for the next. : Thou art not master of what thou hast spoken; it is gone, and will do its work whether thou wishest or not: but thou mayest dispose of what thou hast not spoken as thou pleasest, and mayest say it, or not say it, as thou wilt. * The right principle is here suggested to the Christian. Nothing is to be done from vanity. Affected singularity is always wrong; though it is true that, in many things, "a Christian is singularity all over," and must be so to maintain a good conscience in this world without God. But where duty does not compel, we should act and appear so as not to attract notice to ourselves, but to be able to pass on our way, through the crowd, unnoticed. What is wrong is always to be avoided, to whatever reproach or ridicule we may thus expose ourselves; but in all indifferent matters, the safest plan is that which enables us to be "little and unknown." Avoid the fashion when following it would attract notice: follow it where notice would result from avoiding it.-ED. Y. J. What advantage or pleasure will it be to thee, to receive a thousand eulogies from others, if thy conscience tells thee thou deservest them not, and, therefore, that they are none of thine? Suffer not little things to have great hold upon thee if thou dost, thou wilt be as much transported with them as if they deserved it. In loving of God thou must not hate thy neighbour. The observation of the second table of the decalogue must be joined with our care to keep the first. He keepeth no commandment truly that wilfully neglecteth one. If thou puttest off repentance to a death-bed, thou thereby showest, that thou wouldest never mind God, or thy soul, at all, if it were not for mere necessity, and fear of damnation. NOTICES OF ANIMATED AND VEGETABLE FOR NOVEMBER, 1847. BY MR. WILLIAM ROGERSON, of the Royal Observatory, Greenwich. "SEEN is the hill's o'ershadowing pride, In all its tints diversified, Which Autumn's glowing touch indues "Too true, too true! for as we tread SENTENCES FOR REFLECTION. To suffer wrong will breed thee less molestation than to do it. To be patient will create thee not half so much trouble as vexing, fretting, and fuming, within thyself would do. If thou by just authority art assigned to any public charge, thou art to embrace it cheerfully, not as a prize either to ambition or covetousness, but as an opportunity to do good in thy generation. Avoid singularity. There may often be less vanity in following the new modes, than in adhering to the old ones. It is true, that the foolish invent them; but the wise may conform to, instead of contradicting them.* When thou hast done any one a good turn, thou shouldst so forget it as not to speak of it: if thou boast of it, or upbraid the receiver with it, thou hast paid thyself, and lost the nobleness of thy charity. If thou wilt do precisely no more than just what thou needs must, thou wilt soon be brought on to omit something of thy duty, and wilt be apt to believe less to be necessary than really is. If thou art verily persuaded that those things which we have heard and read concerning another world be true; thou shalt have no need of having an assurance of living long in this: be thy stay in it long or short, thy work will be to be fully prepared for the next. Thou art not master of what thou hast spoken; it is gone, and will do its work whether thou wishest or not: but thou mayest dispose of what thou hast not spoken as thou pleasest, and mayest say it, or not say it, as thou wilt. * The right principle is here suggested to the Christian. Nothing is to be done from vanity. Affected singularity is always wrong; though it is true that, in many things, "a Christian is singularity all over," and must be so to maintain a good conscience in this world without God. But where duty does not compel, we should act and appear so as not to attract notice to ourselves, but to be able to pass on our way, through the crowd, unnoticed. What is wrong is always to be avoided, to whatever reproach or ridicule we may thus expose ourselves; but in all indifferent matters, the safest plan is that which enables us to be "little and unknown." Avoid the fashion when following it would attract notice: follow it where notice would result from avoiding it.-ED. Y. J. What advantage or pleasure will it be to thee, to receive a thousand eulogies from others, if thy conscience tells thee thou deservest them not, and, therefore, that they are none of thine? Suffer not little things to have great hold upon thee if thou dost, thou wilt be as much transported with them as if they deserved it. In loving of God thou must not hate thy neighbour. The observation of the second table of the decalogue must be joined with our care to keep the first. He keepeth no commandment truly that wilfully neglecteth one. If thou puttest off repentance to a death-bed, thou thereby showest, that thou wouldest never mind God, or thy soul, at all, if it were not for mere necessity, and fear of damnation. NOTICES OF ANIMATED AND VEGETABLE NATURE, FOR NOVEMBER, 1847. BY MR. WILLIAM ROGERSON, of the Royal Observatory, Greenwich. "SEEN is the hill's o'ershadowing pride, In all its tints diversified, Which Autumn's glowing touch indues "Too true, too true! for as we tread And mushrooms spread their gilt-like rays, The club-like stem, the pent-house crown; |