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Winter an Emblem of Life.

clouds are drained. The darker they are, the sooner the rays of the sun disperse them. Adversity occupies but a small portion of our life; and when it appears the most oppressive; when we think we are about to be overwhelmed by it, it is a proof that it is near an end.

I will therefore receive, without murmuring, that portion of affliction which it shall please God to allot me. I should be very unreasonable, if I required pleasure, and days of happiness only. No, my Lord, let rain and the rays of the sun, darkness and light, alternately succeed each other during the course of my life; I hope to be resigned to it. And, if thou shouldest think proper to shake my heart with the storms of adversity, thy will be done! "What matters it, that the cup which is presented to me be more or less bitter; that my troubles be more or less durable, while I am on this side the grave: I know in whom I have believed: I know, O my God, that thou wilt one day bring me to thy eternal glory. Those who sow in tears, shall reap in joy. When the short sufferings of this life are passed away, I shall see how advantageous they have been; and shall bless God for having taken me, through much tribulation, into the kingdom of heaven.”

These considerations will support me under my afflictions. As the expectation of the spring renders the melancholy appearance of winter tolerable, the pleasing hope of eternity shall encourage me to bear, with resignation and courage, the sufferings of the present life. Through the darkness of this life, the

Utility of Mountains.

delightful prospect of a happy futurity opens to my view. What I already see of eternity, casts some rays of light on the path in which I walk and thus I shall arrive, imperceptibly, at the blessed abode of rest, light, and joy.

FEBRUARY XVIII.

THE UTILITY OF MOUNTAINS.

WOULD it not be of more advantage to our globe, were the surface more even; and were it not disfigured by so many enormous mountains? We have sometimes thought, if the form of the earth had been more regular, had its surface been but one vast plain, that our sight might have extended further, we should have travelled with much more convenience, and have enjoyed a hundred other advantages. But, we are probably deceived in thinking thus. Let us endeavour then to discover the truth, and reflect on the utility of Mountains, to see whether we have any reason to be discontented with the present arrangement of our globe.

First, It is evident, that from mountains and hills, those springs flow, which are produced either by abundant snows, or by the clouds with which their tops are always covered: and it is these that feed brooks and rivers. "ys lod

2. Those ridges of high mountains, which extend from East to West over a vast tract of country, serve

Utility of Mountains.

to prevent the dissipation of the vapours, and to condense them into water. They are therefore as so many alembics, which prepare and purify the water for the service of men and beasts; and by their declivities they give a moderate fall to the springs, which flowing thence, water and fertilize the vallies. 3. Besides this inestimable advantage of fountains and springs which mountains afford us, there are many others not less remarkable. They are the habitations of various kinds of animals, which are of great use to us. 4. They furnish without any expence to us, nourishment and support for a multitude of beasts, which are very profitable to us, both by their flesh and by their skins. 5. An innumerable multitude of trees, plants, herbs, and medicinal roots grow on the sides of mountains, which we cannot cultivate in our plains; or, which, if cultivated there, would not possess the same virtues. 6. In the bowels of mountains, metals and minerals are formed; the generation of which, could not be so well carried on in a low and level country, where they could not find a sufficiency of moisture.

7. Mountains serve also to shelter us from the cold and piercing blasts of the North and East winds. They are the fosterers of the most exquisite vines, their bowels contain precious stones; they are, so to speak, the bulwarks of nature to preserve us from the fury of the winds and the waves: and like ramparts and natural fortifications, they defend many states from hostile invasion, and from the ambition of conquerors. 8. Probably, they preserve the equilibrium of our globe but however this may be, they are a species of

Utility of Mountains.

amphitheatres, which afford us the most delightful prospects, and are to houses, and even whole cities, the most delightful situations.

It is true, that some mountains are formidable and dangerous: they occasion terrible earthquakes and volcanos, which scatter flames and desolation around. But we should consider, that as sulphur, nitre, and other minerals, not only contribute to the fertility of the earth; but are also necessary to the life of all sorts of plants, it was requisite, that there should be a kind of universal magazine, where these materials might be deposited, that they might be distributed by the air and winds, over the surface of the earth. And, although they may be the cause of some inconveniencies; yet these can furnish no reasonable objection against the wisdom and goodness of God; seeing the good they produce is infinitely beyond all the evils which can result from them.

In this respect, we have no cause to complain of the formation of our globe. Were there no mountains, we should be deprived of many useful stones and fossils: there would be neither rivers, fountains, nor lakes; the sea itself would become a stagnated marsh: we should be entirely destitute of a great number of the most beautiful and wholesome plants, and many species of animals: and the privation of one of these things, might render our life gloomy and miserable. Let us therefore conclude, that mountains as well as all other creatures, announce the wisdom, power, and goodness of the Most High.

Lord God Almighty! we adore thee, and acknow

Confidence in God.

ledge, with the most profound veneration, the wonders of thy wisdom! All that exists, all that thou hast created, from the smallest particle of sand to the highest mountain, all is well combined, all is in harmony, and all is pregnant with advantages to mankind. On the heights, as well as in the depths; on the mountains, as well as in the vallies; above the earth as well as under it, thou shewest thyself the glorious benefactor of thy creatures. O Lord our God, we will bless

thy name for ever and ever!

FEBRUARY XXIX.

MOTIVES FOR CONFIDENCE IN GOD.

WHEN I reflect on the infinite perfections, which manifest themselves in the arrangement of the universe; and in the manner in which God conducts and governs the whole; my confidence in him must necessarily increase, and be strengthened more and more. How satisfied should I be, concerning my lot, seeing it is in the hands of this great Being, of whose power, wisdom, and goodness, I have as many proofs as there are creatures before me! What wishes can I form for my happiness, which cannot be fulfilled by this God, whose unbounded power has drawn so many thousands of worlds out of nothing! Can I be in any trouble, embarrassment or perplexity, from which I may not be happily delivered by that infinite wisdom, which has stretched out the heavens; and which has

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