I looked upon the lonely flower, Then bent the knee-FOR GOD IN LOVE THE BEING AND ATTRIBUTES OF GOD. BY MAXCY. "The invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen." Let us for a moment behold our earth. WITH WHAT A MIGHTY SCENE ARE WE HERE PRESENTED! The diversification of its surface into land and water, islands and lakes, springs and rivers, hills and valleys, mountains and plains, renders it to man doubly enchanting. We are entertained with an agreeable variety, without being disgusted with a tedious uniformity. Everything appears admirably formed for our PROFIT and DELIGHT. There the valleys are clothed in smiling green, and the plains are bending with corn. Here is the gentle hill to delight the eye, and beyond, slowly rising from the earth, swells the huge mountain, and, with all its load of waters, rock, and woods, heaves itself up into the sky. WHY, this pleasing, vast deformity of nature? UNDOUBTEDLY FOR THE BENEFIT OF MAN. From the mountains descend streams to fertilize the plains below, and cover them with wealth and beauty. The earth not only produces everything necessary to support our bodies, but to remedy our diseases and gratify our senses. WHO Covered the earth with such a pleasing variety of fruit and flowers? WHO gave them their delightful fragrance, and painted them with such exquisite colours? WHO causes the same water to whiten in the lily that blushes in the rose? Do not these things indicate a CAUSF, INFINITELY SUPERIOR TO ANY INFINITE BEING? Do they not directly lead us to BELIEVE the EXISTENCE of GOD, to ADMIRE His GOODNESS, to REVERE HIS POWER, to ADORE His WISDOM, in so happily accommodating our external circumstances to our situation and internal constitution? How are we astonished to behold the vast ocean rolling its immense burden of waters! WHO gave it such a configuration of particles as to render it movable by the least pressure, and, at the same time, so strong as to support the heaviest weight? WHO spread out this vast highway of all the nations under Heaven? WHO gave it its regular motion? WHO confined it within its bounds? A little more motion would disorder the whole world! A small incitement on the tide would drown whole kingdoms ! WHO restrains the proud waves when the tempest lifts them to the clouds? WHO measured the great waters, and subjected them to invariable laws? THAT GREAT BEING, who "placed the sand for the bound of the sea, by a perpetual decree that it cannot pass it; and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it." With reason may we believe that from the things that are made are clearly seen eternal power and wisdom. When we cast our eyes up to the firmament of Heaven, we clearly see that IT declares God's handiwork. HERE the immense theatre of God's works opens upon us, and discloses ten thousand magnificent objects. We dwindle to nothing in comparison with this august scene of beauty, majesty, and glory. WHO reared this vast arch over our heads? WHO adorned it with so many shining objects, placed at such immense distances from each other, regular in their motions, invariably observing the laws to which they were originally subjected? WHO placed the sun at such a convenient distance as not to annoy, but to refresh us? WHO, for so many ages, has caused him to rise and set at fixed times? WHOSE HAND DIRECTS, and WHOSE POWER RESTRAINS him in his course, causing him to produce the agreeable changes of day and night, as well as the variety of seasons? HE EXISTS THIS GREAT BEING IS EVERYWHERE PRESENT. ALL AROUND US. He is not, as we are apt to imagine, at a great distance. Whenever we turn, His image meets our view. We see HIM in THE EARTH, in THE OCEAN, in THE AIR, in THE SUN, MOON, and STARS. We feel HIM in ourselves. He is always working AROUND us; He performs the GREATEST OPERATIONS, PRODUCES the NOBLEST EFFECTS, and DISCOVERS HIMSELF in a THOUSAND DIFFERENT WAYS. All parts of the creation are equally under HIS INSPECTION. Though He warms the breast of the highest angel in Heaven, yet He breathes life into the meanest insect on earth. He LIVES through all His work, supporting all by the word of His power. HE SHINES in the verdure that clothes the plain, in the lily that delights the vale, and in the forest that waves on the mountain. He SUPPORTS the slender reed that trembles in the breeze, and the sturdy oak that defies the tempest. HIS PRESENCE CHEERS the inanimate creation. Far in the wilderness, where human eye never saw, where the savage foot never trod, there HE BIDS the blooming forest smile, and the D blushing rose open its leaves to the morning sun. THERE HE causes the feathered inhabitants to whistle their wild notes to the listening trees and echoing mountains. There nature lives in all her wanton wildness. There the ravished eye, hurrying from scene to scene, is lost in one vast blush of beauty. When you survey this globe of earth, with all its appendages; when you behold it inhabited by numberless ranks of creatures, all moving in their proper spheres, all verging to their proper ends, all animated by the same great source of life, all supported at the same bounteous table; when you behold, not only the earth, but the ocean and the air, swarming with living creatures, all happy in their situation; when you behold yonder sun, darting an effulgent blaze of glory over the heavens, garnishing mighty worlds, and waking ten thousand songs of praise; when you behold unnumbered systems diffused through immensity, clothed in splendour, and rolling in majesty; when you behold these things, your affections will rise above all the vanities of time; YOUR FULL SOULS WILL STRUGGLE WITH ECSTACY, AND YOUR REASON, PASSIONS, AND FEELINGS, ALL UNITED, WILL RUSH UP TO THE SKIES, WITH A DEVOUT ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF THE EXISTENCE, POWER, WISDOM, AND GOODNESS OF GOD. THE CREATOR'S WORK. [Earnest and bold.] There's not a star whose twinkling light And cheers the solemn gloom of night, There's not a cloud whose dews distil And clothe with verdure vale and hill, That is not sent by God. There's not a place in earth's vast round, Where skill and wisdom are not found, Around, beneath, below, above, Wherever space extends, There Heaven displays its boundless love, THE CHILD'S INQUIRY. [Dialogue for an adult and a young child.] Who made the world, the sun, and stars: "You say He made the shrubs and trees, And flowers that deck the sod, And gives us friends, and health, and food- "You say He sits enthroned in Heaven, That saints and angels sing His praise, AND THAT BRIGHT HEAVEN'S THEIR HOME. "You say, that though He rules all worlds, And stills the tempest wild : He looks from His imperial throne "But, teacher, more I want to know, As He's so good and wise, I wish to see Him here below, "I wish to see-to love Him more, "You tell me that he sent His Son Teacher. "All that I ve told you is quite true, And more than that you soon may learn "Not only how he made the world, ""Tis by his mercy that we live ; And every good we have, All did before belong to Him; "You say you want to see Him now, But His great glory is too bright "Yet from that glorious world above, Which comes from human tongues. "He sees our hearts, he knows our thoughts, Is hid from Him who all things sees- "Jesus presents our feeble prayer Before his Father's face: Child. "Teacher, I think from all you say, - I'LL TRY TO SERVE HIM THAT I MAY BEHOLD HIS FACE ABOVE.' " THERE IS A GOD. BY LORD BROUGHAM. [Bold and earnest.] "There IS A GOD," all nature cries: Thy name, GREAT NATURE'S SIRE DIVINE, Rejecting godheads, at whose shrine Yon COUNTLESS WORLDS in BOUNDLESS SPACE, |