divine will; and though they have neither speech nor language, yet their voices revibrate through all nature. "What though in solemn silence all Every object that we see is either a display of the divine indulgence, that we may be induced to love God, or a demonstration of his terror, that we may be compelled to fear hin.-Hence the awful voice of his thunder, to rouse those out of their lethargy who either abuse, or are insensible of his favour-and though it does not often strike them dead, yet it at least forces them to reflect, and serves as a lesson lesson of instruction. Storms and tem pests, however, are not intended as an admonition only; they purify the air and render it wholesome,-they destroy a number of insects, which though in some respects useful, might become pernicious to mankind, were they to multiply without restriction. They likewise fill the reservoirs of such countries as have no springs, and supply our rivers with more water in one hour, than common showers can do in several months.. The same causes which produce the evaporation of the waters, and the meteorswhich roll over our heads, produce, likewise, other effects yet more tremendous under our feet,-as earthquakes, eruptions of volcanos, &c. These waters, with all the filth they have contracted, soak into the earth, through different channels,. over beds of salt, sulphur, iron, and vitriol; in their passage dissolving and carrying along with them divers particles of their several materials. These subterranean rivers, if I may so call them, cast up and lodge on each side of their channels, a quantity of inflammable and active materials, which dry one upon another, in proportion as the waters sink and fall away. The least particle of fire added to these by the action of the wind, or any other way kindled, or by means of fermentation, which is common between. sulphureous and metalic bodies, likewise inflames the particles of oil which are adjacent, and which also communicating from one stream of sulphur to another, unite at length into one vast body of fire; by the force of which the stony particles are calcined, the mineral particles dissolved, and the air, pent up in these subterraneous caverns being suddenly dilated, with force. and and violence repels the salt-petre, which is: the hardest and most unalterable of these inflammable ingredients. The expansion of the air, and the projection of the salts with which it abounds, are such terrible and powerful agents, that wherever they meet the least resistance, they make the surface of the earth to shake and tremble. They overthrow whole cities, turn the course of rivers, and would spread universal desolation, did not. the divine wisdom set bounds to their effects, by opening several vents, or volcanos, at a proper distance from each other, through which the condensed air and inflamed matter which rend the bowels. of the earth may have room to discharge their fury, and exhaust their active powers. Thus those very volcanos, which by weak minds are considered as judgments and plagues to those countries where they are. found, found, are in reality placed there by the indulgence of the Almighty, for the welfare and preservation of the inhabitants. Philosophy deceives us when we entertain the vain hope of forming an adequate idea of the true nature and composition of the glorious works of the creation; nothing but the immediate power of God could give such elastic force to the air,—nothing but Omnipotence could multiply the rays of light to infinity,-nothing but the same Almighty hand could form the elements, assign to each its particular powers, balance those powers in the most exact proportion, and establish that mutual dependance on each other, which is so absolutely necessary for promoting the harmony and regularity of the whole system. Man, by study, has acquired an adequate idea of the motions of the air, of |