sure of seeing in the sky some luminous specks, the particular nature and purpose of which they very imperfectly know, and which are even but seldom observed? Such an idea cannot be formed by any body, who considers that there is, throughout all nature, an admirable harmony between the works of God and the purposes he designs them for; and that in all he does, he has in view the advantage, as well as the pleasure of his creatures. It cannot be doubted, but that Cod, in placing the stars in the sky, has had much higher views than that of affording us an agreeable sight. Indeed we cannot precisely determine all the particular ends the stars may answer; but, at least, it is easy to believe that they must be designed for the advantage as well as the ornament of the world; and the following considerations will be sufficient to convince us of it. Among the stars that are easiest to distinguish, there are some which we see constantly in the same part of the sky, and are always over our heads. These serve to guide travellers by sea and land in the darkness of night. They point out the way to the navigator, and tell him when he may undertake his voyages with least danger. Other stars vary their aspect; and though they always hold the same situation, as ⚫ to one another, they change the order of their rising and setting in respect to us, from day to day. Even these changes, which never vary in their regularity, are of great use to us; they serve to measure time, and to determine it by settled rules. The regular revolutions of the stars mark precisely the return and the end of the season. The ploughman knows exactly, by this means, when he ought to sow seeds in the earth, and the whole progress of the country la bours. However considerable the use of the stars is to our earth, it may well be presumed, that it is not the only, nor the most important object,

which God proposed to himself, in producing so many globes of a prodigious size. Can it indeed be supposed, that the wise Creator strewed the iminense expanse with so many millions of worlds and suns, merely that the small number which inhabit the earth should be informed of the measure of time, and the return of the seasons? Undoubtedly these innumerable globes are for more sublime purposes; and each of them has its par ticular destination. All the stars being so many suns, which can give light, animation, and heat, to other globes, is it probable that God should have given them that faculty for no purpose? Would he have created stars, whose rays can pierce even to the earth, without having produced worlds also to enjoy their benign influence? God, who hath peopled this earth, which is a mere speck, with so many living creatures, would he have placed, in the immense space, so many desert globes? No, certainly: perhaps each of these fixed stars, which we see by myriads, has its worlds moving round it, for which it has been created. Perhaps, these spheres which we see above us, serve as abodes for different sorts of creatures; and are peopled, like our earth, with inhabitants who admire and praise the magnificence of the works of God. Perhaps, from all these globes, as well as from ours, there rises continually towards the Creator, prayers and hymns of praise and thanksgiving. It is true that these are only probable conjectures; yet, to every true lover of God, these conjectures must be most agreeable and most delightful. How sublime is this thought, that exclusive of the small number of rational creatures which inhabit this globe, there are innumerable numbers of them in those worlds which appear from hence to be but mere luminous specks. It must be indeed out of the question, that the empire of the Most High should not be beyond the limits of

our earth. Beyond this world there is an im mensity, in comparison of which our globe, large as it is, can be but reckoned as nothing. Souls without number exist there. All of them magnify the name of our great Creator; and are all as happy as their destination admits of; and perhaps aspire to a better world.

FEB. V.

The wonderful make of the Eye.

THE eye infinitely surpasses all the works of the industry of man. Its formation is the most astonishing thing the human understanding has been able to acquire a perfect knowledge of. The most skilful artist could imagine no machine of that kind, which would not be much inferior to what we observe in the eye. Whatever sagacity or industry he might have, he could execute nothing which would not have the imperfections necessarily belonging to all the works of man. We cannot, it is true, perceive clearly the whole art of Divine Wisdom in the formation of this fine organ; but the little we do know is sufficient to convince us of the infinite knowledge, goodness, and power of our Creator. The most essential point is for us to make use of this knowledge, weak as it is, to magnify the name of the 'Most High.

In the first place, the disposition of the external parts of the eye is admirable. With what intrenchment, what defence, the Creator has provided our eyes! They are placed in the head, at a certain depth, and surrounded with hard and solid bones, that they may not easily be hurt. The eye-brows contribute also very much to the safety and preservation of this organ. Those Mairs which form an arch over the eyes, prevent

drops of sweat, dust, or such things, falling from the forehead into them. The eye-lids are another security; and also, by closing in our sleep, they prevent the light from disturbing our rest. The eye-lashes still add to the perfection of the eyes. Thay save us from a too strong light, which might offend us; and they guard us from the smallest dust, which might otherwise hurt the sight. The internal make of the eye is still more admirable. The whole eye is composed of coats, of humours, of muscles, and veins. The tunica, or exterior membrane, which is called cornea, is transparent, and so hard, that it can resist the roughest shocks. Behind that there is another within, which they call uvea, and which is circular and coloured. In the middle of it there is an opening, which is called the pupil, and which appears black, Behind this opening is the crystal, which is perfectly transparent; of a lenticular figure, and composed of several little flakes, very thin, and arranged one over the other. Underneath the crystal there is a moist and transparent substance, which they call the vitreous humour, because it resembles melted glass. The cavity, or the hinder chamber, between the cornea and the cry. stal, contains a moist humour, and liquid as water, for that reason called the watery humour, It can recruit itself when it has run out from a wound of the cornea. Six muscles, admirably well placed, move the eye on all sides, raise it, lower it, turn it to the right or left, obliquely, or round about, as occasion requires. What is most admirable is the retina, a membrane which lines the inside bottom of the eye. It is nothing but a web of little fibres, extremely fine, fastened to a nerve or sinew which comes from the brain, and is called the optic nerve. It is in the retina that the vision is formed, because the objects paint themselves at the bottom of the eye on that tunica and though the images of exterior ob

jects are painted upside down on the retina, they are still seen in their true position. Now, in order to form an idea of the extreme minuteness of this picture, we need only consider, that the space of half a mile, that is to say, of more than eleven hundred yards, when it is represented in the bottom of the eye, makes but the tenth part of an inch.

I return thee thanks, O Lord God, for having formed my eye in so wonderful a manner. My soul acknowledges thy infinite power, goodness, and wisdom. Hitherto I have not considered my eyes as I should have done, that is, as a masterpiece of thy hands, and as a demonstrative proof, that even the most minute parts of my body are not the work of chance, and that Thou hast formed them for most useful purposes. But I begin to see a little the wonders of thy wisdom; and I am struck with astonishment, in reflecting on myself and all the works that Thou hast done. O wise and Almighty Creator! pardon me, if hi therto, in making use of my eyes, I have not thought of Thee, or if I have not thought of Thee with the highest gratitude. Dispose me thyself, to remember thy blessings with more gratitude. Teach me to use them only for the purposes thou designest them, and never to profane or dishonour these fine organs by any fault of mine. Grant that hereafter I may often employ them in examining thy works; and that every time I contemplate either the heavens or the earth, or myself, I may be induced to praise and bless thy wonderful goodness. And when I see the many evils and miseries of great part of my fellow-creatures, let not my eyes refuse them tears, nor my heart be shut to compassion. Thus shall 1 fulfil the views of thy goodness, and make myself worthy thy approbation.