now approaching when I can sit beneath the shade of the spreading oaks, and, whilst my heart swells with love and gratitude, pour forth the feelings of my soul in songs of joy and hymns of adoration in praise of thee, and in celebration of thy holy name. APRIL XXIX. Pleasures derived from the Contemplation of Nature. NATURE, with maternal kindness, offers to all her children the most delightful and universal, as well as the least expensive, of all pleasures. Such our first parents enjoyed in Paradise, and it is only depravity which leads men to delight in other recreations. Mankind are accustomed to despise the blessings which they daily enjoy, and seek for amusements that afford them pleasure from their variety, and a succession of delight from their novelty: while the pleasures of nature exceed all others, are open to every one, and their enjoyment never leaves behind it the sting of remorse, or the tears of repentance. But we are so selfish as to disregard the charms of nature, because they are alike open to the eyes of the poor as to those of the rich; and so foolish as to despise them, because of their cheapness: whereas nothing should gratify us more than to know, the same objects which cause our delight constitute the happiness of millions. Compared with the noble and affecting pleasure such a consideration excites, how frivolous and deceitful are all those costly amusements and magnificent entertainments, which delight the rich and please the foolish! their enjoyment often ends with disgust, and leaves as its portion a painful vacancy of soul; whilst nature, ever rich and bountiful, continually varies her charms, and offers new beauties to the admiring observer. All the pleasures which are the effects of art are of short duration, and fleeting as the dream, the illusions of which vanish when we awake. But the exercise of reason, and the ever-varying pleasures of the imagination, last for ever, and derive new strength from contemplating the works of nature, which call forth all the finer feelings of the heart. To see the starry heavens, the earth variegated with flowers, a thousand different landscapes, and prospects vying with each other in beauty; and to listen to the evening song of the nightingale wafted on the breeze, whilst all nature is retiring to repose; will ever fill our souls with delight, and gratify all our feelings. If any one is insensible to these beauties, and unaffected by their charms, it must be owing to his depravity, or the stupidity which he has acquired from inattention. The great science of Christianity consists in the innocent enjoyment of every good which surrounds us; and he who practises this, possesses the art of deriving the means of happiness from every circumstance that does not injure his virtue, his intellect, or his feelings. Beneficent Creator! thou art mindful of us in this beautiful season, and providest us with abundant sources of pleasure! Thou continually causest new springs of delight to open, and our hearts are filled with joy and gladness! If we desire to elevate our hearts to thee, to indulge in holy ineditation, and to enjoy celestial bliss, nature offers us the most ample means. May we ever prefer this exalted satisfaction before all the pleasures of sense! In these sweet days of spring, may the enjoyment of nature's purer pleasures be more grateful to us than the allurements of sensual gratifications, which neither dignify the mind nor purify the heart! Teach us, O Lord, to acknowledge thy divine power and goodness; for it is by seeking to know thee in the varied and numerous works of thy creation, that we open to ourselves a pure and inexhaustible source of delight, and are enabled to enjoy, in this state of existence, a fore taste of the felicity which the righteous shall experience in thy presence for ever and ever! APRIL XXX. The Glory of God seen in the Creation of Animals. ANIMALS, instead of being abused, should be treated with all possible kindness; and, to enable us to do this better, we should consider them as subjects in which we may glorify God. All creatures may serve this purpose, but none so well as the animal creation. Every plant, tree, fower, and stone, bears the impression of the grandeur and glory of the Creator; but in the animal kingdom it is still more manifest. Examine the structure of any single living creature, and what art, beauty, and wonderful mechanism, do we discover! and how these are multiplied, when we consider the prodigious number and immense variety of animals, forming one uninterrupted chain from the elephant to the little mite seen through a microscope! What links, order, and relations, exist amongst all creatures! All is harmony; and if upon a superficial view we suppose we have discovered any imperfection, we shall soon find it was our ignorance led us to such an erroneous conclusion. It is not necessary that each individual should make deep researches into the nature of animals, or that every one should become a profound naturalist; it is merely sufficient to pay attention to what is well known and most common, to what may come under the observation of all. We see, for instance, a variety of animals formed in an admirable manner, which live, feel, and move, as we do; which, like us, are subject to hunger, thirst, and cold; and which consequently stand in daily need of having their ne cessities supplied. To all these creatures God has given life; he preserves them, and provides for their wants; he watches over them, as the father of a family over his household. From this we may conclude, that God has the goodness and tenderness of a father; and if his cares thus extend to animals, what will he not do for man? If it be his chief desire to render the lives of creatures devoid of reason comfortable and happy, what may we not expect from his beneficence? Let the imbecile and distrustful man blush for his doubts and anxieties, who, when abundance is no longer his portion, despondingly anticipates the dread of poverty, and fears that his Creator will suffer him to perish for want. We may rest assured that he who supplies the necessities of every animal will administer to us the necessaries of life. The instinct of animals gives us fresh cause to admire the Supreme Being, who has so wisely combined the means with the end. As the instinct of animals tends particularly to their preservation, it is most observable in the love and tender solicitude they feel for their young; and as the strongest instance of parental care, our Saviour makes use of the image of a hen gathering her young under her wings. It is certainly a very pleasing sight to see the strong affection which a hen bears to her young ones, and the continual care she takes of them; she never ceases to watch over them, flies to their assistance at the least appearance of danger, boldly opposes every aggressor, and hazards her own life to save her young. She calls them, and reanimates them with her maternal voice; extends her wings to receive and cover them; and neglects every convenience for herself, whilst she thinks of nothing but the safety and well-being of the objects of her affection. Every one must acknowledge in this the effects of infinite wisdom; for without this maternal solicitude, this instinct, so powerful and so superior to every thing, the chickens must perish, and the species soon become extinct. It cannot be said that the hen acts thus for her young with any understanding or reflection; or that she judges, reasons, foresees, combines, and draws inferences. She does it from the operation of that instinct which she has received from the liberal hand of nature, without study and without application. It is then the duty of man to seek in animals an occasion to glorify God; and as our attention increases and our observations become more extensive, our knowledge will be improved, and the pleasure we receive from these investigations will be more frequent and exquisite. MAY I. Hymn on the Beauties of Spring. BLESSED children of God! open your hearts to joy! See the Spring walking forth in beauty and gaiety. Contemplate the verdure of the fields and the flowers of the meadows, whose fruits will soon bring us the sweets of abundance. Yonder tree, which not long since appeared devoid of life and vigour, is now decked with blossoms that promise an abundant har vest. How beautiful is nature! How graceful her ornaments! Every animal, mead, wood, and field, revives, and, together with man, rejoices in a new existence. The lark soars aloft, till her sweet carols faintly die away on the breeze; the pigeons, in many a giddy whirl, fly round the flowery plain; and the plaintive melody of the nightingale pours from the groves, and amongst the flowers, the soft notes that are heard in the vales, or, louder swelling, fill the hills and woods. Here the fruitful hen guides, protects, and shelters with her wing, the feeble, unfledged little ones, which nature has entrusted to her care. The swallow, leaving her nest, immediately returns to the calls of tenderness, and brings her |