Singularities in the Mineral Kingdom. our researches, and all other meditations, many things still remain veiled from our eyes, let us draw this conclusion from the whole, that the wisdom of God surpasses all our conceptions; that it is infinite, that our understanding is limited. And thus, under a conviction of our weakness and insignificancy, we shall feel it our greatest duty, to humble ourselves and to adore the Most High. FEBRUARY XXIV. SINGULARITIES IN THE MINERAL KINGDOM. Ir would be difficult, not to say impossible, for our weak and contracted understanding to comprehend, at once, the whole empire of nature; and to conceive, at once, the whole detail of the wonderful properties of natural things. We shall arrive more easily at this knowledge, if we begin with certain detached objects, some particular beauties; and employ ourselves first, with the more sensible phenomena. Let us consider, at present, some curiosities of the Mineral kingdom; and we shall discover in them, as every where else, proofs of the infinite wisdom of God! Among stones, none merits our attention more than the Loadstone. When suspended, it turns itself so that it constantly points North and South; and in those two ends which we call its poles, its greatest attractive virtue resides. What is very particular is, it attracts nothing but iron. If we take two Loadstones, Singularities in the Mineral Kingdom. we shall find that the two opposite poles, viz. the North and South, attract each other: whereas, the poles of the same denomination, viz. the two South, or the two North poles, repel each other. We find properties in Quicksilver equally wonderful. It will assume any form you please; but it always ends by reassuming its own natural one. In the fire it rises up in vapours; and, when it is shaken a long time, it changes into dust. By being dissolved, it may become a hard and transparent crystal; but it can easily be restored to its former fluid state. Gold is the first and most precious of the metals: not only because it is heaviest (Platina excepted,) but because of its wonderful properties. It is the hardest and most unalterable of all bodies; so that it can stand the action of the hotest fire for months together, without any change in its nature, or the loss of the smallest portion of its weight. Its particles are so fine, that one grain of gold may be beaten out so as to cover 50 square inches; and the naked eye may discover, on the two surfaces thus covered, four millions of particles. Its ductility also is such, that one grain may be drawn out into a thread 500 feet long! and is divisible into 23,400,000 parts perfectly distinguishable by the eye. The wonderful form of common Salt-brilliant stones-singular figures of earth, where metals are hidden-petrified bodies, which are often found on the highest mountains, some hundreds of miles from the sea, where they had their origin--and a hundred Singularities in the Mineral Kingdom. other singularities of the mineral kingdom, seem to be formed to waken our curiosity. No occupation whatever has so many charms; is so satisfactory, or affords more diversified pleasures, than the attentive contemplation of nature. Supposing we were to live some centuries upon the earth; and that we should employ each day, each hour, in the study of the singularities and phenomena of the mineral kingdom; even at the end of this time, there would be found a thousand things which we could not explain, which would still be hidden from us, and which would excite our curiosity more and more. But, as the duration of our life scarcely extends to half a century, let us employ a little of that time which is granted unto us, and consecrate it, as far as our other duties will admit, to the observation of nature; and thus affords our minds the most durable and innocent pleasure. The satisfaction which we shall find in it will increase more and more, in proportion as we take care to meditate on the designs which God proposes to himself in his works; for the works of nature are incomparably more wonderful and sublime, than all the productions of human art. These do not always promote our welfare, or render us better: often they are only the objects of a fruitless admiration. But, all the works of nature, even the most singular, have for their object the universal good. They exist, not only to be seen, but also to be enjoyed. And all, without exception, proclaim the goodness, as well as the wisdom of God! FEBRUARY XXV. DAILY, AND EXPERIMENTAL PROOFS OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE. Do we wish to enumerate the blessings we have received from the mercy of God, since the first moment of our existence to the present time ?-Can we count the stars?-Can we number the blessings which we have received even in a single year?-How then can we enumerate those which God has heaped upon us in the course, perhaps, of a long life! How many mercies have we received in our infancy which are now forgotten! Nights passed quietly in sweet sleep; food, by which our bodies have been refreshed and strengthened!-From how many dangers, seen and unseen, have we been delivered! How often has God provided for our wants, and confounded our unbelief, which considered the relief impossible! In every accident, the eye of God has watched over and preserved us. Every day of our life has increased the sum of God's mercies to us. His goodness is renewed to us as often as the sun begins and ends his daily course. And who can tell how often God has granted him mercies, of which he is still ignorant, and preserved him from perils which he knew not of, and of which he can only be informed in the world to come! And, what shall we say of the blessings of grace? We have been redeemed by Christ Jesus: the way of salvation is made plain to us by his gospel. What a mercy it is, that we have not been born in the darkness of Paganism, but in the light of Christianity! and that Proofs of Divine Providence. God incessantly labours to sanctify and perfect us in love! Are not all these proofs of his goodness, and of his tender compassion? Taking it for granted, that it is impossible for any one to calculate the immense series of God's mercies during the course of his life; let us confine ourselves to a single day, and endeavour to sum up the blessings which one day brings with it. Light, air, food, strength to labour, the house we dwell in; the relations on which our happiness depends, the different amusements, and varied pleasures of life. Let us not forget the power by which we respire, nor think it a matter of little consequence. On respiration, the preservation of our life depends. We respire, at least, twelve times in a minute: then, each minute brings twelve blessings, each of which is so essential, that without it, we could never receive another. With respiration, God preserves our understanding, will, and the several members of our bodies. Let us suppose, that in each minute our soul performs only thirty operations, and only reckon, according to the calculations of physicians, 6000 different parts in our bodies, which God every moment supports; and what wonders of preservation do we not discover! For, according to this calculation, we receive every minute from God 12 blessings relative to respiration; 30 relative to our understanding and will; and 6000 relative to the different parts of our bodies: consequently, God grants us each minute, 6042 blessings, which will amount to 362,520 every hour of our life! |