The eye of a ruftic, who has no notion of optics, or any of its laws, fhall lengthen and thorten its axis, dilate and contract its pupil, without the least hesitation, and with the atmoft propriety: exactly adapting itself to the particular distance of objects, and the different degrees of light. By this means it performs fome of the moit curious experiments in the Newtonian philofophy, without the leait knowledge of the fcience, or confcioufnefs of its own dexterity! Which fhall we admire moft, the multititude of organs; their finished form and taaltlefs order; or the power which the fcal exercifes over them? Ten thousand reins are put into her hands: and the manages all, conducts all, without the leaft perplexity or irregularity. Rather with a promptitude, a confiftency, and fpeed, that nothing can equal! So fearfully and wonderfully are we made! Made of fuch complicated parts, each fo nicely fashioned, and all fo exactly ranged; every one executing fuch curious factions, and many of them operating in myfterious a manner! And fince health depends on fuch a numerous affemblage of moving organs; fince a fingle fecretion fred may spoil the temperature of the fad, a fingle wheel clogged may put an end to the folids: with what holy fear fhould we pass the time of our fojourning here below! Trufting for continual prefervation, not merely to our own care, but to the Almighty Hand, which formed the admirable machine, directs its agency, and fanports its being! This is an ingenious defcription of the taket, it is fit we fhould attend to the jewel it contains. If the House is fo seriously and wonderfully made by the all-wife Architect, what may we not expect the Inhabitants to be! elegant writer, to its perfection, without a poffibility of ever arriving at it, feems to me to carry a great weight with it for the immortality thereof. How can it enter into the thoughts of man, that the foul, which is capable of fuch immenfe perfections, and of receiving new improvements to all eternity, fhall fall away into nothing almost as foon as it is created? Are fuch abilities made for no purpofe? A brute arrives at a point of perfection that he can never pafs in a few years he has all the endowments he is capable of; and were he to live ten thousand more, would be the fame thing he is at prefent. Were a human foul thus at a ftand in her accomplishments, were her faculties to be full blown, and incapable of farther enlargements, I could imagine it might fall away infenfibly, and drop at once into a state of annihilation. But can we believe a thinking being, that is in a perpetual progrefs of improvement, and travelling on from perfection to perfection, after having just looked abroad into the works of its Creator, and made a few difcoveries of his infinite goodness, wifdom, and power, muft perish at her firft fetting out, and in the very beginning of her enquiries? A man, confidered in his present state, feems only fent into the world to propagate his kind. He provides himfelf with a fucceffor, and immediately quits his poft to make room for him. Heres, Heredem alterius, velut unda fupervenit undam. HORACE. Ep. 2. Heir crowds heir, as in a rolling flood Wage urges wave. ed? ed? Capacities that are never to be gratified? How can we find that wisdom, which fhines through all his works, in the formation of man, without looking on this world as only a nursery for the next, and believing that the feveral generations of rational creatures, which rife up and disappear in such quick fucceffions, are only to receive their first rudiments of existence here, and afterwards to be tranfplanted into a more friendly climate, where they may fpread and flourish to all eternity. There is not, in my opinion, a more pleafing and triumphant confideration in religion than this of the perpetual progrefs which the foul makes towards the perfection of its nature, without ever arriving at a period in it. To look upon the foul as going on from ftrength to ftrength, to confider that he is to thine for ever with new acceffions of glory, and brighten to all eternity that he will ftill be adding virtue to virtue, and knowledge to know ledge; carries in it fomething wonderfully agreeable to that ambition that is natural to the mind of man. Nay, it must be a profpect pleafing to God himfelf, to fee his creation for ever beautifying in his eyes, and drawing nearer to him, by greater degrees of refemblance. Methinks, this fingle confideration, of the progrefs of a finite fpirit to perfection, will be fufficient to extinguish all envy in inferior nature, and all contempt in fuperior. That cherubim, which now appears as a god to a human foul, knows very well, that a period will come about in eternity, when the human foul fhall be as perfect as he himfelf now is: nay, when the fhall look down upon that degree of perfection, as much as the now falls fhort of it. It is true, the higher nature ftill advances, and by that means preferves his diftance and fuperiority in the fcale of being; but he knows, how high foever the flation is of which he ftands poffeffed at prefent, the inferior nature will at length mount up to it, and fhine forth in the fame degree of glory. With what aftonishment and veneration may we look into our own fouls, where there are fuch hidden ftores of virtue and knowledge, fuch inexhaufted fources of perfection? We know not yet what we fhall be, nor will it ever enter into the heart of man to conceive he glory that will be always in referve for him. Tre foul, confidered with its Creator, is like one of thofe ma thematical lines that may draw nearer to another for all eternity without a poffibility of touching it: and can there be a thought fo tranfporting, as to confider ourselves in thefe perpetual approaches to him, who is not only the standard of perfection but of happiness! 8. Confiderations on the Chain of Being fuppofed to be in Nature. The chain of being, which fome worthy perfons have fuppofed to exist in nature, is a very pleafing idea, and has been ably handled by the late Soame Jenyns, Efq. in his Difquifition upon that fubject. The farther we enquire, fays that able writer, into the works of our great Creator, the more evident marks we shall discover of his infinite wisdom and power, and perhaps in none more remarkable, than in that wonderful chain of beings, with which this terreftrial globe is furnished; rifing above each other, from the fenfelefs clod, to the brighteft genius of human kind, in which though the chain itself is fufficiently vibe, the links, which compofe it, are fo minute, and fo finely wrought, that they are quite imperceptible to our eyes. The various qualities, with which thefe various beings are endued, we perceive without difficulty, but the boundaries of thofe qualities, which form this chain of subordination, are fa mixed, that where one ends, and the next begins, we are unable to difcover. The manner by which this is performed, is a fubject well worthy of our confideration, and on an accurate examination appears to be this. In order to diffuse all poffible happiness, God has been pleafed to fill this earth with innumerable orders of beings, fuperior to each other in proportion to the qualities and faculties which he has thought proper to bestow upon them: to mere matter he bas given extenfion, folidity, and gravity; to plants, vegetation; to animals, life and inftinét; and to man, reafon; each of which fuperior qualities augments the excellence and dignity of the poffeffor, and places him higher in the fcale of univerfal exiftence. In all thefe, it is remarkable, that he has not formed this neceffary, and beautiful fubordination, by placing beings of quite different natures above each other, but by granting fome additional quality to each fuperior order, in conjunction with all thofe poffeffed by their inferiors; fo that, tho' they rife above each other in excellence, by means of these additional quali ties, ties, one mode of existence is common to them all, without which they never could have coalefced in one uniform and regular fyftem. Thus, for inftance, in plants we find all the qualities of mere matter, the only order below them, folidity, exterfion, and gravity, with the addition of vegetation; in animals, all the properties of matter, together with the vegetation of plants, to which is added, life and inflinct; and in man we find all the properties of matter, the vegetation of plants, the life and instinct of animals, to all which is fuperadded, reason. That man is endued with thefe properties of all inferior orders, will plainly appear by a flight examination of his compoútion; his body is material, and has all the properties of mere matter, folidity, extension, and gravity; it is alfo vefted with the quality of plants, that is, a power of vegetation, which it inceffantly exercifes without any knowlegde or consent of his: it is fown, grows up, expands, comes to maturity, withers and dies, like all other vegetables: he poffeffes likewife the qualities of lower animals, and shares their fate; like them, he is called into life with out his knowledge or confent; like them, de is compelled, by irrefiitible inftincts, to antwer the purposes for which he was defigned; like them, he performs his defined courfe, partakes of its bleffings, and endures its fufferings for a fhort time, then dies, and is feen no more: in him instinct is not lefs powerful, than in them, tho' lefs vifible, by being confounded with reafon, which it fometimes concurs with, and fometimes counteracts; by this, with the concurrence of reafon, he is taught the belief of a God, of a future ftate, and the difference between moral good and evil; to pursue happiness, to avoid danger, and to take care of himself, and his offfpring; by this too he is frequently impelled, in contradiction to reafon, to reinquith eafe, and fafety, to traverfe inhospitable deferts and tempeftuous feas, to inflict, and fuffer all the miferies of war, and, like the herring, and the mackarel, to hasten to his own deftruction, for the public benefit, which he neither under derftands, or cares for. Thus is this wonderful chain extended from the lowest to the righeft order of terreftrial beings, by links fo nicely fitted, that the beginning and end of each is invifible to the most inquifitive eye, and yet they altogether compofe one vait and beautiful fyftem of subordination. The manner by which the confummate wifdom of the divine artificer has formed this gradation, fo extenfive in the whole, and to imperceptible in the parts, is this; He contantly unites the highest degree of the qualities of cach inferior order to the lowest degree of the fame qualities, belonging to the order next above it; by which means, like the colours of a skilful painter, they are fo blended together, and haded off into each other, that no line of diftinction is any where to be feen. Thus, for instance, folidity, extenfion, and gravity, the qualities of mere matter, being united with the lowest degree of vegetation, compofe a flone; from whence this vegetative power afcending thro' an infinite variety of herbs, flowers, plants, and trees, to its greateft perfection in the fenfitive plant, joins there the lowest degree of animal life in the fhell-fish, which adheres to the rock; and it is difficult to distinguish which poffeffes the greatest fhare, as the one thews it only by fhrinking from the finger, and the other by opening to receive the water, which furrounds it. In the fame manner this animal life rifes from this low beginning in the fhell-fifh, thro' innume rable fpecies of infects, fishes, birds, and beafts, to the confines of reafon, where, in the dog, the monkey, and the chimpanze, it unites fo clofely with the loweft degree of that quality in man, that they cannot eafily be diftinguished from each other. From this lowest degree in the brutal Hottentot, reafon, with the affistance of learning and fcience, advances, thro' the various stages of human understanding, which rife above each other, till in a Bacon, or a Newton, it attains the fummit. Here we mult top, being unable to purfue the progrefs of this aftonishing chain beyond the limits of this terreftrial globe with the naked eye; but thro' the perfpective of analogy and conjecture, we may perceive, that it afcends a great deal higher, to the inhabitants of other planets, toangels, and archangels, the loweft orders of whom may be united by a like eafy tranfition with the highest of our own, in whom, to reafon may be added intuitive knowledge, infight into futurity, with innumerable other faculties, of which we are unable to form the leaft idea; through whom it may afcend, by gradations almott infinite, to thofe molt exalted of created beings, who are feated on the footflool of the celeftial throne. and keep the thread of it in your mind a you go on. I know of none, true or fietitious, that is equally wonderful, interefting, and affecting; or that is told in fo fhort and fimple a manner as this, which is, of all hiftories, the moft authentic. I fhall give you fome brief directions, concerning the method and courfe I with you to purfue, in reading the Holy Scrip tures. May you be enabled to make the beft ufe of this moft precious gift of God May you read the Bible, not as a talk, nor as the dull employment of that day only, in which you are forbidden more lively enter tainments-but with a fincere and ardent defire of inftruction: with that love and delight in God's word, which the holy Pla mift fo pathetically felt and defcribed, and which is the natural confequence of loving God and virtue! Though I fpeak this of the Bible in general, I would not be underflood to mean, that every part of the ve lume is equally interesting. I have already faid that it confifts of various matter, and various kinds of books, which must be read with different views and fentiments. The having fome general notion of what you are to expect from each book, may poffibly help you to underland them, and will heighten your relish of them. I fhall treat you as if you were perfe&ly new to the whole; for fo I with you to confider yourself; because the time and manner in which children ufually read the Bible, are very ill calculated to make them really acquainted with it; and too many people, who have read it thus, without understanding it, in their youth, fatisfy themselves that they know enough of it, and never afterwards study it with attention, when they come to a maturer age. As you advance in years and understand. ing, I hope you will be able to examine for yourfelf the evidences of the Chriftian religion; and that you will be convinced, on rational grounds, of its divine authority. At prefent, fuch enquiries would demand more study, and greater powers of reafoning, than your age admits of. It is your part, therefore, till you are capable of un--this facred treasure of knowledge!derstanding the proofs, to believe your parents and teachers, that the Holy Scriptures are writings inspired by God, containing a true history of facts, in which we are deeply concerned-a true recital of the laws given by God to Mofes; and of the precepts of our blefied Lord and Saviour, delivered from his own mouth to his difciples, and repeated and enlarged upon in the edifying epiftles of his apoftles-who were men chofen from amongst those who had the advantage of converfing with our Lord, to bear witness of his miracles and refurrection-and who, after his afcenfion, were affifted and infpired by the Holy Ghoft. This facred volume must be the rule of your life. In it you will find all truths neceffary to be believed; and plain and eafy directions for the practice of every duty. Your Bible, then, must be your chief study and delight: but, as it contains many various kinds of writing-fome parts obfcure and difficult of interpretation, others plain and intelligible to the meanest capacity I would chiefly recommend to your frequent perufal fuch parts of the facred writings as are most adapted to your understanding, and moft neceffary for your inftruction. Our Saviour's precepts were fpoken to the common people amongst the Jews; and were therefore given in a manner eafy to be understood, and equally ftriking and inftructive to the learned and unlearned: for the most ignorant may comprehend them, whilst the wifeft mutt be charmed and awed by the beautiful and majestic fimplicity with which they are expreffed. Of the fame kind are the Ten Commandments, delivered by God to Mofes; which, as they were defigned for univerfal laws, are worded in the most concise and fimple manner, yet with a majesty which commands our utmost reverence. I think you will receive great pleasure, as well as improvement, from the hiftorical books of the Old Teftament-provided you read them as an history, in a regular course, If the feelings of your heart, whilft you read, correfpond with those of mine, whilst I write, I fhall not be without the advantage of your partial affection, to give weight to my advice; for, believe me, my heart and eyes overflow with tenderness, when I tell you how warm and earnest my prayers are for your happiness here and hereafter. Mrs. Chapont. $222. Of Genefis. I now proceed to give you fome fhort sketches of the matter contained in the different books of the Bible, and of the courfe in which they ought to be read. The first book, Genefis, contains the moft grand, and, to us, the most interesting events, events, that ever happened in the univerfe: -The creation of the world, and of man: -The deplorable fall of man, from his firit ftate of excellence and blifs, to the diftreffed condition in which we fee all his defcendants continue:-The fentence of death pronounced on Adam, and on all his race with the reviving promife of that deliverance which has fince been wrought for us by our blefled Saviour:-The account of the early state of the world: Of the univerfal deluge:-The divifion of mankind into different nations and languages: The story of Abraham, the founder of the Jewith people; whose unhaken faith and obedience, under the feyereft trial human nature could fuftain, obtained fuch favour in the fight of God, that he vouchfafed to ftyle him his friend, and promised to make of his pofterity a great nation, and that in his feed-that is, in one of his defcendants all the kingdoms of the earth fhould be bleffed. This, you will eafily fee, refers to the Meffah, who was to be the bleffing and deliverance of all nations. It is amazing that the Jews, poffeffing this prophecy, among Bany others, fhould have been fo blinded by prejudice, as to have expected, from tais great perfonage, only a temporal deliverance of their own nation from the fubjection to which they were reduced under the Romans: It is equally amazing, that fome Chrift ans fhould, even now, confine the bleffed effects of his appearance upon earth, to this or that particular fect or profion, when he is fo clearly and em phatically defcribed as the Saviour of the whole world. The story of Abraham's proceeding to facrifice his only fon, at the command of God, is affecting in the Ligheit degree; and fets forth a pattern of unlimited refignation, that every one ought to imitate, in thofe trials of obedience under temptation, or of acquiefcence under aticing difpenfations, which fall to their lot. Or this we may be affured, that our trials will be always proportioned to the powers atorded us; if we have not Abraham's trength of mind, neither fhail we be called upon to lift the bloody knife against the bofom of an only child; but if the almighty arm fhould be lifted up again him, we must be ready to refign him, and ad we hold dear, to the divine will. This action of Abraham has been cenfured by fome, who do not attend to the diftinction between obedience to a fpecial comand, and the detestably cruel facrifices of the Heathens, who fometimes voluntarily, and without any divine injunctions, offered up their own children, under the notion of appeafing the anger of their gods. An abfolute command from God himfelf→ as in the cafe of Abraham-entirely alters the moral nature of the action; fince he, and he only, has a perfect right over the lives of his creatures, and may appoint whom he will, either angel or man, to be his inftrument of deftruction. That it was really the voice of God which pronounced the command, and not a delufion, might be made certain to Abraham's mind, by means we do not comprehend, but which we know to be within the power of him who made our fouls as well as bodies, and who can controul and direct every faculty of the human mind: and we may be af fured, that if he was pleased to reveal himfelf fo miraculoufly, he would not leave a poffibility of doubting whether it was a real or an imaginary revelation. Thus the facrifice of Abraham appears to be clear of all fuperftition; and remains the noblest inftance of religious faith and fubmiflion, that was ever given by a mere man: we cannot wonder that the bleffings beflowed on him for it should have been extended to his pofterity. This book proceeds with the hiftory of Ifaac, which becomes very interesting to us, from the touching scene I have mentioned-and still more fo, if we confider him as the type of our Saviour. It recounts his marriage with Rebeccathe birth and hiftory of his two fons, Jacob, the father of the twelve tribes, and Efau, the father of the Edomites, or Idumeans the exquifitely affecting story of Jofeph and his brethren-and of his tranfplanting the Ifraelites into Egypt, who there multiplied to a great nation. Mrs. Chapone. $223. Of Exodus. In Exodus, you read of a feries of wonders, wrought by the Almighty, to rescue the oppreffed Ifraelites from the cruel ty ranny of the Egyptians, who, having first received them as guefts, by degrees reduced them to a ftate of flavery. By the moft peculiar mercies and exertions in their favour, God prepared his chofen people to receive, with reverent and obedient hearts, the folemn reftitution of thofe primitive laws, which probably he had revealed to Adam and his immediate defcendants, or which, at least, he had made known by the dictates of confcience; but which time. and |