What is the great cause of the necessity for man's labour? Gen. iii. 17-19. But does the earth yield no kind of productions without labour? If it depended upon our industry to have grass and trees, and many different kinds of plants, would all our wants be supplied? Whose power and goodness constantly provides a succession of the productions of the earth? Who prospers the labour of man, and converts it into a moral blessing? What relation have our bodies to the earth? And how is the connection to be dissolved? We have considered a little of the nature of earth; we have named different kinds of earth; some of the productions contained within the earth, and some of those which belong to its surface. We have mentioned the earth as a habitation for man-now consider what relation the earth bears to the other parts of creation.* What is its place in the universe? What do we know with respect to its time? Who is its Creator and Preserver? We have confined ourselves to a very few general considerations.-The Instructor might touch upon the natural geography of the earth, its seas, continents, islands, &c. its mountains and rivers, diversities of climate, the natural productions of each country.-He might give a general idea of the size and form of the earth, its annual and diurnal motion, &c. These subjects are particularly treated in many works for the instruction of young persons. In what state was it created? Where do you read of the creation of the earth, and of its productions? And what did God say when He beheld all that He had made? [Gen. i. 31.] What great changes have taken place on the earth? What is the first change of which we read? Are the consequences of this change still manifest? What was the second change? To what are both these changes owing? Are any of the consequences of the deluge to be perceived? How? What third change do we expect? What will take place at the end of the time of the earth? Read 2 Pet. iii. 10; and Rev. xxi. 1. Will then all our possessions upon earth be destroyed? What use should we make of this consideration? What does our Saviour say, Matt. xxiv. 35-42. Compare this with Matt. vi. 19-21. And ought our affections to be set upon a world which is corrupted by the sin of man, and which is to be dissolved by fire? [1 John ii. 15-17.] Let us seriously apply to ourselves the words in the 2d Epistle of St. Peter.-" Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness." GRAIN OF WHEAT. I. What do you call the little object before you? How do you know it from other grain?-a grain of barley?-of oats? What is the outside covering called? What is its use while united to the grain? What is its use when stripped off from the grain ? * Let us take off the outside, or husk.-What is the colour of the grain? What was its colour?-Of what is its present colour a proof? do What form has it? Is it alike at both ends? On all sides? What you observe in the middle? Was the grain always the same size? How did it grow? Is this grain a whole, or a part? It is a whole in itself, but it is a part of what? What part of the ear may you call it? * The Instructor, in considering the husk, might refer to the comparison, Ps. i. 4; and Matt. iii. 12. He might contrast the value of the body with that of the soul. (Matt. xvi. 26.) Can you use it as both? If we use it as a fruit, what shall we do with it? We have already stripped off the husk: how are the husks of corn usually separated? What shall we next do with the grain? What process will it undergo in the mill? What is the outer part of the grain called, when separated from the inner? What is the use of bran? Which is the most precious part of the grain? Does the inside, after being ground, remain as it was? Into what is it divided? Has every particle an use? What do we make of flour? Of what use is bread? What is bread called, Ps. cv. 16? [Read in connection Lev. xxvi. 26; Ezek. iv. 16; xiv. 13.] Would this single grain produce much flour? But would it not produce a portion? Think how many grains of corn are necessary, in order to supply a single loaf! Yet are not multitudes of the human race constantly supplied with bread? Are there not several grains of corn in an ear? And what must there be in a field? And who supplies every grain? And with what design? Reflect upon all that the Power of God effects from the first awakening of life in the seed, to its maturity in the full ear. Reflect upon that Love which has prepared every particle of our necessary subsistence. Has God appointed a seed time? Has God appointed a harvest? And what promise has God given with respect to these seasons? (Gen. viii. 22.) Has the divine promise ever failed? How great is the goodness of God, in giving bread year after year, to the several generations of men! From the time the promise was made to the present hour, the earth has been the parent of man's nourishment-it yearly produces millions of millions, and millions of millions of ears of corn.-There have indeed been times when, for some crying sin, the bounteous hand of God has been closed towards a part of mankind; but how few have been the seasons of scarcity and famine, compared with those of plenty ?-Perhaps we have seen a plenteous harvest, without any emotion of gratitude: we may have seen the fields waving with yellow corn, and yet have never raised our hearts in thanksgiving, nor thought of opening wide our hand to our poor brother. * * The mind may be led into different trains of thought by such a subject. We might often mourn that when God sends abundance, the sins of men should cause want amongst so large a portion of His creatures.-We may also be led to take a serious view of the evil of waste. It should be constantly impressed on the youthful mind, that it is wrong to waste a piece of bread; and a reference should be made to the example of our Saviour, John vi. 12. The universal application of such a principle, might have a strong influence on the temporal and spiritual welfare of whole families. |