into a blessed eternity; and permit me to enjoy such a foretaste of it as shall elevate my soul above every earthly and perishable things!

MARCH VIII.

The external Parts of the Human Body.

WHILE the beauty of nature is veiled, and the fields and the gardens have not yet gained those charms which fascinate and invite to enjoyment, let us consider the structure and formation of the human body, which will furnish ample cause for admiring the power and wisdom of God.

Amongst the most remarkable and conspicuous parts of the body is the head, whether considered as to the beauty of its form and appearance, or as the supposed centre of sensation and seat of the mind. The organs of sight, of hearing, of smelling, and of tasting, are all placed in this wonderful part; and upon the face, where shines every beauty, all the movements of the heart, all the feelings, are portrayed; the secret sentiments of the mind are legible, and the passions of the soul displayed. The lips, as they move in smiles, or assist the tongue in giving harmony and diversity of tone to the voice; the teeth, as they add to the beauty of the countenance and divide and comminute the food; with the different glands in the mouth, which secrete the saliva so necessary to digestion; are all admirable and wonderfully formed. The head, from its peculiar articulation with the neck, is capable of turning in any direction; the shoulders are constructed in a manner which gives the greatest degree 'of strength of which a form like ours is capable; to them are attached the arms, and to these the hands, which are formed with exquisite wisdom; we are enabled to perform by their

means an infinite variety of motions; their peculiar structure is one great cause of our superiority in the arts, and all their movements are facilitated by their numerous bones and joints.

The chest forms a bony cavity, in which the heart and lungs securely perform their functions. The diaphragm separates them from the abdomen, which contains the stomach, the liver, the spleen, the kidneys, and the intestines. All this mass is supported by the hips and lower extremities, which have various joints to facilitate their motion; and lastly, the feet contribute very powerfully to this important purpose. The whole body is covered with skin, beneath which are muscles, with which we are enabled to perform our various motions; and we find, in some parts, a luxuriance of hair, which much adds to the beauty of the whole.

What a diversity we see in these different parts! and yet they are only some that are the most conspicuous, for there are many more equally essential. Their form, structure, order, situation, movements, and harmony, all display their divine origin. No part of the body is imperfect or useless, and the least alteration in its present organisation disturbs its regularity, and interrupts its functions.

If we only consider the consequences of being deprived of our hands, or having them formed like the hoof of a horse, how helpless we should be, incapable even of providing for our most urgent necessities, we shall admire and rejoice in our present happy conformation. If we possessed the ratiocinative faculty with the form of some quadruped or reptile, how incapable we should be of exercising those arts and employments which we now perform! or had we, like the fabled Cyclops, but one eye placed in the middle of the forehead, how impossible to see objects on the right or on the left, and how confined would be our view! or if our ear was differently situated, how imperfectly we should distinguish sounds! We should

be perfectly satisfied that the present organisation of our body is best adapted for our condition in life, and we should bow down with reverence and gratitude before the throne of the Almighty, who has thus so wonderfully formed us; who has given us senses, which, however excellent from nature, may all be improved by cultivation; and a mind, the expansibility of which seems to be unlimited. Seeing then that it depends upon ourselves whether our mind is to be luminous and our senses acute, or whether it is to be contracted and they brutified and callous, let us pray to the God of nature that we may never lose sight of these truths, nor ever neglect improving those talents which, in his infinite mercy and condescension, he has entrusted to our care. Let us take the greatest care and make the noblest use of our bodies, seeing, that after they shall have reposed a certain period in the grave, they will be restored to us infinitely more glorious and perfect. It behoves us then not to dishonour a body which will be so illustrious in a future world, conformed to the glorified body of our Lord. Let the blessed and glorious hope of our future bliss, from this moment, animate us to dedicate our bodies to holiness, to regard them as the temple of the Deity, and preserve them pure and blameless till the glorious coming of Christ Jesus.

MARCH IX.

Hope of Spring.

EVERY day hastens the approach of spring, and our hearts begin to throb with the pleasurable hope of soon seeing the happy time arrive, when we can inhale the balmy breeze, and, walking forth into the fields, see all nature rejoice. This sweet expectation is one of the few which does not deceive, because it is

founded on the invariable laws of nature. The charms of this fond hope are alike diffused through every pure heart: it is not the splendour of the purple, nor the glittering of the diadem, which alone procure these delights, that often cheer the peaceful breast of the cottager, who cannot penetrate the abode of royalty, nor find entrance amid the busy sons of traffic. The arrival of spring is attended with a thousand new delights; the beauty and fragrance of the opening blossoms, the warbling of the birds, and the widely diffused joy and gaiety that smile around. In general our terrestrial hopes are damped by anxiety and repressed by doubt, but the hope of spring is no less certain and satisfactory than it is pure and innocent. Let us then, whilst the stormy days of March shall continue, instead of repining and being chagrined, indulge the fond hope of spring, and suffer its pleasing influence to cheer our souls.

Hope is one of the choicest gifts which Heaven mercifully deigns to mortality; when the storms roar and the tempests howl, hope still supports our droop ing spirits, and the rays of consolation gladden our hearts. Without this pleasing emotion how sad and dreary would have passed many of the winter hours! Cheered by the hope of spring I have borne with patience, and endured without complaint, the rigours of winter and the hardships of the season, and now I am upon the eve of seeing it realised: a few more boisterous days passed, and all the beauteous pictures my imagination has so brilliantly painted will be confirmed; the sky will become serene, the air mild, the sun return with power, and the earth resume her long-lost beauty. Gracious God! I humbly thank thee, and bow before thee in the fulness of my joy and the overflowing of my gratitude, for the source of that consolation, which, in the hour of distress, warms my heart and softens the asperities of life. With what providential care and merciful regard thou hast veiled the evils which hover around me, whilst the pleasures

which await me are seen far off, and smile upon my exertions!

Without hope, how dreary would be the world; appearing to the care-worn pilgrim one wide desert, all the paths of which are surrounded with misery, beset with trouble, and embittered with sorrow! But hope lights us on our way; when darkness lowers and gloom oppresses, hope strengthens our faltering steps, collects our scattered senses, and presents to our view a pleasing prospect lying before us and just within our reach; we spring forward with alacrity, and often pass our lives in the eager pursuit, with as much pleasure as if we had obtained the object of our wishes. Hope raises the sinking heart, and restores the courage which begins to droop; and each time I feel the magic influence of her rays, I will bless thee, O my God! and thank thee for the daily benefits I receive, as well as for those reserved for me at a future time. Blessed for ever be thy divine mercy, which permits me to hope that when time here shall be no more, my glad soul shall quit these narrow confines, to repose in the bosom of its Creator through the countless ages of eternity. Were it not for this certainty of immortality, this fond hope of eternal life and happiness, few would be the incitements to virtue, and weak the inducements to mental improvement; when oppressed by care and weighed down by misery, we should have little encouragement to continue longer in a world chequered by misfortune; or, did affluence favour us, we should be tempted to indulge in the thoughtless round of continued dissipation. But with the expectation of a future glorious state of existence, we can smile at care and trouble, arm ourselves against the fleeting pleasures of this life, and pity the deluded disciples of folly and dissipation.