phant: in the humble form of a blade of grass, as in the majestic height of the oak; in a grain of sand, as well as in the highest mountain. No creature thou hast formed can be unworthy my attention. Who can tell, if the object of the most insignificant appearance may not contain the greatest wonders? A being that God hath vouchsafed to form, is it not, from that very circumstance, worthy my observation? MARCH VII. WINTER GRADUALLY SUBSIDES. THE same wisdom, which, at the beginning of winter, caused the cold to come on gradually, has ordained that it should diminish also by degrees ; so that this severe season now draws insensibly towards its end. The sun already stays longer above our horizon, and reflects more heat upon the earth. Flakes of snow no longer cloud and darken the atmosphere. The nights are now only attended with a white frost, which vanishes with the mid-day sun. The air becomes serene. The fogs and vapours disperse, or fall in fertile showers of rain. The earth becomes lighter, more moveable, and fitter to receive moisture. The seeds begin to shoot. The branches, which appeared dead, begin again to bud; and some blades of grass venture to spring out of the earth. We see the preparations which nature is making, in order to restore verdure to the fields, leaves to the trees, and flowers to the gardens. She silently labours to bring back spring, though the storms, the hail, and frosty nights, still oppose it in some. measure.. measure. She will soon loose her sad gloomy appearance; and the earth will shine again in all the beauty of youth. Every change in nature is made thus gradually. Every effect which we perceive has been prepared by preceding effects; and a thousand little circumstances, which escaped our observation, succeed one another, till the end which nature proposes to herself is fulfilled. An infinite multitude of springs must be put in motion, before a single blade of grass can shoot, or a bud can blossom. All the changes in winter, so disagreeable to us, must necessarily take place, in order to open to us a promising prospect. Storms, rain, snow, and frost, were essential, that the earth might rest and recover its strength and fertility. Neither could these changes happen sooner or later, be more or less sudden, or last longer or shorter, without injury of some sort to the fertility of the earth. Now that the advantages of these plans of nature open insensibly to us, we acknowledge her designs; and the happy consequences of the winter plainly demonstrate that it is a real blessing to the earth. As the seasons, so do the periods and events of our lives continually vary. In that of every man there is so admirable and mysterious a chain of causes and effects, that nothing but futurity can discover to us why such and such events were necessary and beneficial. I see, perhaps, at present, why God caused me to be born of such parents rather than others; why precisely such a town should be the place of my birth; why such and such unhappy accidents happened to me; why it was necessary I should embrace such a kind of life and no other. All this was then concealed from me: But now I comprehend that the past was necessary for the present, and for the future; and that that several events, which did not at all seem to agree with the plan of my life, were, however, indispensible, to make me as happy as I now am. I also gradually approach the moment in which all the events of my life will be laid open and explained. Perhaps I am very near the period wherein the winter of my life will draw to its end, and I shall be on the point of entering a new world. O my God! grant that my heart may then be full of hope and joy. And, when all the visible creation disappears from my sight, grant me a glimpse of a blessed eternity; and give me a foretaste of it, which may raise me above every thing earthly and perishable. པར......2.. MARCH VIII. THE HUMAN BODY RELATIVELY TO ITS NOW that nature does not yet appear in full beauty, while the fields and gardens afford no charms to unbend my mind agreeably, I will meditate on myself, and reflect on the formation of my body. It will furnish me with the best opportunity of acknowledging the power and wisdom of God; and I shall learn, at the same time, to be sensible of the value of my life. Of all the visible parts of the body, the head holds the first rank, not only from its beauty, but because it contains the principles of sensation and motion. All the sentiments and passions of the soul are painted on the face, which is the most beautiful part of man, and wherein are placed the organs of the principal senses, by means of which We we receive the impression of outward objects. The several motions of the lips and tongue, whether they touch the palate or the teeth, serve for articulation, and enable us to give so many different inflections to the voice and to sound. With teeth we can either cut or grind our food, and the great number of glands in the mouth furnishes the saliva necessary for digestion. The head is placed on the neck, where it moves different ways, as on a pivot, in order to turn to which side it pleases. After the neck come the shoulders, so formed as to bear heavy loads. To the shoulders are fastened arms, and to those, hands formed in such a manner, that they serve to perform many movements, to touch, to take, to raise, to push away, &c. and the joints and bones support and facilitate the motions. The chest contains and guards the heart and lungs, and for that purpose is composed of hard strong ribs and bones. The midriff separates the chest from the belly, which contains the stomach, the liver, the spleen and the intestines. All this mass rests upon the hips, the thighs, and the legs, which, as well as the arms, have several joints to make the motions easy. The feet support the whole; and the toes also contribute to it, as they serve to fix the foot firm on the ground. The flesh and skin cover the whole body. The hair of the head, and the down on other parts, guard from the bad effects of cold. What variety in these exterior parts of the body, and yet they are only the principal and most essential of them. Their form, construction, order, situation, motions, and harmony, all afford incontestible proofs of the wisdom and goodness of our Creator. No part of the human body is imperfect or deformed; none useless; no one hurts the other. If, for example, we were deprived of the use of our hands, hands, or if they were not provided with so many joints, we should be unable to do many things we do. If we were to preserve our reason, and yet be quadrupeds or reptiles, we should be unfit for arts or trade; we could not act, move, or turn, as we wished. If we had but one eye in the middle of our foreheads, it would be impossible to see to the right or left; to take in so large a view, or distinguish so many objects at a time. In a word, all the parts of the body are so constructed and placed, as to concur to the beauty and perfection of the whole, and are well adapted for their different purposes. Let us therefore bless our Creator, who has made us so wonderfully: And, while we feel the happiness of our formation, let the sense of his goodness never be effaced from our minds. MARCH IX. THE HOPE OF SPRING. EVERY day draws us nearer to the pleasures of spring, and gives us hope of the time approaching, in which we may breathe more freely, and contemplate nature with more satisfaction and joy. This sweet expectation is almost the only one which does not deceive us, being founded on the invariable laws of nature. The charms of this hope are felt in every heart, without distinction; for the beggar, as well as the monarch, may behold the spring approach with pure joy, and promise himself sure pleasures, in it. This hope is not attended with impatience, because it extends very far, and takes in a multitude of objects.- The |