From these reasons and a thousand others, we may discover how all parts of nature agree to promote the welfare of mankind, and how poor and worthless: must that philosophy be, which wholly disregards those gracious ends of Providence; and instead of ascribing the invaluable blessings we receive, to the wisdom of God, and his tender concern for his. creatures, either imputes them to undesigning causes, or regards them as the effects of blind and unthinking chance.

ON

ON THE AIR.

THE effects of the air, which are most obvious, are the evaporation of the waters, the winds, the vegetation of plants, and the nutriment of all living. creatures. The air is also the vehicle of sounds, smells, and in some sense, of light. itself. The winds determine the course, the assemblage, and the separation of the clouds; which descend according to their gravity, and the nature of the air through which they pass, and disperse into mists, mildews, dews, or rain.

If

If in their descent they meet with an air sufficiently cold to congeal them, they are formed into flakes of snow; which partaking of unctious matter, volatile salts, and a portion of fire, it necessarily fertilizes the earth on which it falls,-a truth which every farmer can testify.

If a torrent of air impels and dashes the clouds against each other, the water they contain flows on every side in larger or smaller drops, according to the action. of the winds, which either drive them perpendicular or in a circular direction, their bulk increasing by incorporation in their fall; for the rain which descends from clouds near the earth is very small, whilethose drops from more distant clouds are of a greater circumference.

.

The atmosphere consists of several regions or beds of air expanded one over another,

another, whose dispositions alter according to the various qualities of the winds which act upon them; thus it frequently happens, that the drops of rain which meet as they fall, in some regions, cold enough to congeal them, are hardened into hail stones of their original size and bulk..

From the particles of fire contained in the clouds, and from the oily sulphureous, nitrous, and combustible particles which the water has carried with it into the upper regions, a train of inflammable matter is formed, from whence proceeds a stream of light commonly called a falling star; and when the stream of light is increased by meeting with other matter of a similar nature, it then forms lightning.

If the stream of fire darts downwards 'tis then termed a thunder-bolt, the effect of which is different according to the action

of

of the wind, on the power of the ingredients of which the flashes are composed.

The air, which is rarefied and dilated by the bursting of the vessicles wherein it was before confined, meeting with that which is pent up by thick clouds impelled by contrary winds, its elastic force bursts through them with a terrible explosion, which we call thunder; the claps and cracks continuing and being repeated in echoes. according to the resistance it meets in its passage through the clouds.

Great and tremendous Creator! whose hand guideth the awful thunder, and the raging tempest;-whose power is shewn alike in the mildest zephyrs and in the most outrageous storm!-How do all his works proclaim his might! for they duly perform their respective functions in absolute obedience and submission to his