Whenever we witness an eclipse of the sun or moon, let us reflect upon the awful events which will take place on the last day. What terrror will seize the hearts of men when they shall see the sun darkened, and the moon lose her light; when the elements shall melt with fervent heat, and the heavens pass away with fearful sound, as of the rushing of mighty waters. May we then be found fit to dwell in that glorious habitation, where the sun and the moon shall no longer be necessary!

JUNE XXIX.

The Stalk of Wheat.

WE see the young corn daily springing up, and the tender ears ripeniug insensibly, till in a few weeks they will afford us nourishing bread, a blessing which the bountiful hand of Nature has bestowed upon the labours of man. Let us for a while cast our eyes over a field of wheat, and endeavour to enumerate the millions of ears which wave over the surface; and then let us reflect upon the wisdom of those laws which cause such abundance to bless the earth. What preparations are necessary to procure us nourishment so useful and sweet; and what changes must take place before the ear could be formed! It is now nearly ready to re. ward our care with its nourishing fruits, and invites us to meditate upon its structure.

When a grain of wheat has been some time in the ground it shoots up a stalk, which rises perpendicularly, but advances very gradually, to favour the ripening of the grain. By its growing so high the grain is preserved from the moisture of the earth, which would rot it; and the height of the stalk also contributes to perfect the juices that ascend from the root; and its round form favours this operation, by admit

The Stalk of Wheat.

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ing the heat to penetrate every part of the stem. seems wonderful that so delicate a stalk should support itself, and bear so many grains, without sinking be. neath its burthen, or being beat down by each blast of wind; but nature has wisely provided against all these inconveniences in furnishing it with four very strong knots, which strengthen it without lessening its pliability. The structure of these knots evinces much wisdom; like a fine sieve, they are full of very small pores, through which the sap rises and the heat penetrates. The stalk is liable to be beat down by tempests and heavy showers, but its suppleness secures it from injury; it is flexible enough to bend without breaking; if it was more stiff it might be shivered by the storm, and would be unfit for straw.

From the principal stalk others spring up; they are not so high, and bear leaves, which, collecting the drops of dew and rain, supply the plant with those nutritious juices so necessary to its support; whilst the most essential part of the plant, the ear, is very gradually formed. To preserve the tender sprouts from the dangers and accidents which might destroy them the first moment of their appearance, the two upper leaves of the stalk unite closely, to preserve the ears, as well as furnish them with the necessary juices. As soon as the stalk is sufficiently formed to be able of itself to supply the grain with juices, the leaves gradually dry, that nothing may be taken from the fruit, and that the root may have nothing to support which is useless. When these leaves are removed, the young ear waves gracefully in unveiled beauty, and its beard serves it both as an ornament, and as a defence against birds and insects. Refreshed with gentle rains, it flourishes, and inspires the husbandman with the most pleasing hopes; it ripens from day to day, till at length, bowing beneath the weight of its riches, its head falls beneath the sickle, and the farmer joyfully gathers the golden sheaves. 2 B

Here we discover new marks of the wisdom and all-beneficent power of God, ever operating for the good of man. How wonderful is the structure of a single stalk of wheat! and what greater proof can we desire of the goodness of our Creator? Open your eyes, ye that are indifferent, and see the fields wide waving round with the choicest gifts of heaven, and you will no longer withold the tribute of praise and of gratitude to your all-bountiful Father; remembering, that he who can view a field of corn without his soul expanding with gratitude, or who does not feel rejoiced at the sight, is unworthy of the bread it so abundantly furnishes. Let us think as men endowed with minds capable of the most exquisite of all pleasures, the discovering the traces of an infinitely good and powerful Being in all the works of nature; by this we shall raise ourselves above the condition of brutes, and approach nearer to the angels of light.

JUNE XXX.

The Blight.

PRODIGIOUS Swarms of little insects, entirely covering the tops, stalks, and leaves of plants, occasion what is usually called the blight. These insects are as numerous in their varieties as the species of plants they infest, and they merit our attention most particularly from the peculiarities which they exhibit. They not only lay eggs, but they also bring forth their young alive; being both oviparous and viviparous. Whilst the fine weather continues, the young one sissue from the parent insect alive, and completely formed, because at that time the plants can afford them sufficient nutriment; but towards the end of autumn they lay eggs, which are not hatched till the following spring; for if they came to life sooner, they would perish for want of nourishment.

At the time when the female insects begin to lay their eggs, the males are observed to appear, which seems to indicate that their existence was not necessary before that period: and this conjecture is confirmed by the experiments which have been made upon these' insects. If we take one at the instant of its birth, and enclose it by itself within a glass, though secluded from all communication with other insects, it will pro duce a young one as soon as it has acquired a certain degree of growth, and in a few weeks it will be sur rounded by a numerous family. If the experiment be repeated upon one of its young, the result will yet be the same, though continued for many generations ; which proves that these creatures engender of them. selves, without copulation.

Another singularity worthy of observation is, that in some species of insects the males have wings, whilst the females are destitute of them: but in the class of which we are now treating, both sexes are alike in that respect; being either both furnished with wings, or both destitute of them. Those which have wings are so extremely small, that they are seen walking upon those that have none. This remarkable instance of the singularities of nature, so widely differing from the common rules, and where at the same time so much wisdom is observable, leads us naturally to ask, Whence these peculiarities in nature proceed, and why has the Creator thought fit sometimes to deviate from the customed laws? To answer these questions in a satisfactory manner, we ought to be able at once to em brace the whole of the creation, to comprehend all the parts of the vast kingdom of nature with all their uniting links, and justly to appreciate in what and how far any thing would be advantageous or prejudicial to the whole. But from the limited nature of our faculties, such an extensive range of knowledge is denied us, and we must be satisfied with some general reasoning

which may in some degree resolve our doubts, and answer the question to our satisfaction.

In the first place, by these singularities in the productions of nature, we see the command which God has over us: He is the supreme Governor, who assigns to each being the laws which he is to observe; and he who has the power to make has also the right to suspend laws, and to make whatever exceptions he pleases. Secondly, we everywhere find in nature a great variety of objects which give us occasion to rejoice in their contemplation, and to admire the glory of the Creator. It is easy to perceive how much these exceptions to general rules increase the variety we observe, and consequently the pleasure of the observer, as well as his admiration for the Author of nature. In the third place experience teaches us that the objects which we daily see become familiar, and the oftenrepeated impressions render us less attentive to their beauties. The magnificent spectacle of nature does not always interest us, because we acquire the habit of lightly passing over those things which we continually witness. Thus each singularity, each unusual appearance, by arresting our attention, tends to invite us to contemplate, as well as to call forth our admiration of, the works of God. And lastly, we may consider the singularities of the physical world, so far from diminishing the perfection of the whole, enter into the plan of the Divine Wisdom, and, together with the singularities of the moral world, are under the direction of an ill-wise Being, who governs all for endless glory, perfection and happiness.

END OF THE FIRST VOLUME.

JAMES ROBBINS, Printer, College-street, Winchester.