134 PHYSIOLOGICAL VIEWS. 



the vegetable world, fading under a change of temperature, the 

 44 sear and yellow leaf," a prey to the autumnal blasts, and even 

 the fruits themselves, exhibiting a mass of decayed matter ; were 

 this appearance of decay and death, now presented to us for 

 the first time, how gloomy would be the prospect. How little 

 should we expect the return of life, and beauty, and fragrance. 

 No power short of Omnipotence, can effect tjiis miracle ! But 

 we are now so accustomed to these changes, that, " seeing, we 

 perceive not;" we think not of the mighty Being, who produ- 

 ces them ; we call them the operations of nature ; and 

 what is nature, or what are the laws of nature, but manifesta- 

 tions of Almighty power? 



The word nature, in its original sense, signifies born or pro- 

 duced ; let us then look on nature as a created thing, and be- 

 ware of yielding that homage to the creature which is due to 

 the Creator. The sceptic, with seeming rapture, may talk of 

 the beauties of nature, but cold and insensible must be thcit 

 heart, which from the contemplation of the earth around, and 

 the heavens above, soars not to Him, 



" The mighty Power from whom these wonders are." 



How beautifully is the reanimation of the vegetable world, 

 brought by St. Paul, as an illustration of our resurrection from 

 the dead! The same power, which from a small, dry, and ap- 

 parently dead seed, can bring forth a fresh and beautiful plant, 

 can also, from the ruins of our mortal bodies, produce a new 

 and glorious body, and unite it to the immortal spirit by ties 

 never to be separated. 



Germination. The process of the shooting forth of the seed 

 is termed germination. The principle of life contained in the 

 seed does not usually become active, until the seed is placed in 

 circumstances favourable to vegetation. When a seed is com- 

 mitted to the bosom of the earth, its various parts soon begin 

 to dilate by absorbing moisture. A chemical action then com- 

 mences ; oxygen from the air unites to the carbon of the seed 

 and carries it off in the form of carbonic acid gas. As the car- 

 bon of the cotyledons by the process continues to diminish, and 

 oxygen is produced in excess, a sweet, sugar-like substance is 

 formed ; this is conveyed to the embryo, which by its new 

 nourishment is kindled into active life ; from this period we may 

 date the existence of the young plant. 



Cause of our forgetfulnees of God when beholding his operations Meaning 

 of the word nature Feelings which should be excited by created object* St. 

 Paul's illustration of the resurrection Describe the process of germination. 



