102 



THE CHRISTIAN PHILOSOPHER. 



and the chymical action of acids and alkalies, 

 and of the minutest particles of matter upon each 

 other ought to be viewed as so many modifica 

 tions of the agency of Deity, and as manifesta 

 tions of his wisdom, in carrying forward those 

 plans which regard the interests of his universal 

 kingdom; just as we consider the rise and fall of 

 empires, the revolutions of nations, and the cir 

 culation of the Scriptures in heathen lands, as 

 so many acts of his moral administration as the 

 Governor of mankind. For let it be carefully re 

 membered, that all these physical agencies have 

 ultimately a moral and intellectual bearing ; and 

 are essentially connected with every other part 

 of God s providential procedure. Though we 

 may be apt to consider them as so many detach 

 ed and insulated piece? of machinery, with which 

 we have little concern, w may even disdain to 

 notice their mode of operation; yet, in the all- 

 comprehensive mind of Him who takes in, at 

 one glance, the whole chain of causes and effects, 

 they are as essentially connected with his ultimate 

 purposes, and the eternal destiny of man, as are 

 the revelations of his word. Were a single 

 principle or motion which now animates the 

 system of nature to cease were the agencies of 

 electricity, for example, or the principle of eva 

 poration, to be destroyed the physical constitu 

 tion of our globe would instantly be deranged ; 

 nature would be thrown into confusion ; and the 

 sentient and intellectual beings that now in 

 habit the earth would either be destroyed, or 

 plunged into an abyss of misery. If, therefore, 

 we admit that the moral agency of God is worthy 

 of our contemplation, we ought to consider his 

 physical operations also as no less worthy of our 

 study and investigation ; since they form the 

 groundwork of all his other manifestations. 



There is nothing, however, which so striking 

 ly characterizes the bulk of mankind, and even 

 the great mass of the Christian world, as that 

 apathy and indifference with which they view 

 the wonders of creation which surround them. 

 They can look on all that is grand, and beautiful, 

 and beneficent in nature, without feeling the least 

 sentiment of admiration, or of gratitude to that 

 Being who is incessantly operating within them 

 and around them ; and they are disposed to con 

 sider the experiments of philosophers, by which 

 the wonderful agency of God is unveiled, as only 

 so many toys and amusements for the entertain 

 ment of children. They would prefer the paltry 

 entertainments of a card-table, of a ball-room, or 

 of a gossipping party, to the inspection of the 

 nicest pieces of divine mechanism, and to the 

 contemplation of the most august scene in nature. 

 However lightly some religionists may be dis 

 posed to treat this subject, that spirit of indif 

 ference with which the visible works of God are 

 treated must be considered as flowing from the 

 game depraved principle which leads multitudes 

 \o nject. the revelations of the Bible, and to trifle 



with their everlasting interests. &quot; Man,&quot; say 

 Rollin, &quot; lives in the midst of a world of wmch 

 he is the sovereign, as a stranger, who looks 

 with indifference upon all that passes in it, and 

 as if it was not his concern. The universe, in 

 all its parts, declares and points out its Author ; 

 but, for the most part, to the deaf and blind, who 

 have neither ears to hear, nor eyes to see. One 

 of the greatest services that philosophy can 60 

 us, is to awaken us from this drowsiness, and 

 rouse us from this lethargy, which is a dishonour 

 to humanity, and in a manner reduces us below 

 the beasts, whose stupidity is the consequence of 

 their nature, and not the effect of neglect or in 

 difference. It awakens our curiosity, it excites 

 our attention, and leads us as it were by the hand, 

 through all the parts of nature, to induce us to 

 study and search out the wonderful works of it.&quot; 

 Belles Lettres, vol. 4. 



Since, therefore, the science of natural philo 

 sophy is conversant about the works of the Al 

 mighty, and its investigations have a direct 

 tendency to illustrate the perfections of his 

 nature, to unveil the plan of his operations, to 

 unfold the laws by which he governs the king 

 dom of universal nature, and to display the order, 

 symmetry, and proportion, which reign through 

 out the whole it would be needless to enter into 

 any further process of reasoning, to show that 

 the study of it is connected with the great objects 

 of religion. Whatever studies tend to raise our 

 minds to the Supreme Ruler of all worlds to 

 expand our views of his infinite knowledge and 

 wisdom to excite our gratitude and our admira 

 tion of the beneficent designs which appear in 

 all his arrangements to guard us against erro 

 neous conceptions of his providential procedure 

 and to furnish us with important auxiliaries for 

 extending the influence of his religion through the 

 world ; must always be interesting to every Chris 

 tian who wishes to enlarge his intellectual views, 

 and to make progress in the knowledge of God. 



CHYMISTRY. 



This science, which is intimately related tc 

 the preceding, has for its object to ascertain the 

 ingredients, or first principles, of which all matter 

 is composed to examine the compounds formed 

 by the combination of these ingredients to in 

 vestigate those changes in natural bodies, which 

 are not accompanied with sensible, motion, and 

 the nature of the power which produces these 

 combinations and changes. 



Within the limits of the last half century, the 

 empire of chymistry has been wonderfully ex 

 tended. From an obscure and humble place 

 among the objects of study, it has risen to a hi^h 

 and dignified station among those sciences which 

 improve and adorn the human mind. No longer 

 confined to the paltry and mercenary object of 

 searching for the philosopher s stone, or of fur 

 nishing a little amusement, it now extends its 



