sm 



sh and die with perpetual drought, but are hereby 

 made verdant and flourishing : so that as the psalmist 

 saith, The little hills rejoice on every side, and the 

 va flies shout for joy , and slug. 



A farther improvement of these remarks I subjoin h* 

 the words of Mr. Hervey. 



" If we turn our thoughts to' the atmosphere, we find' 

 a most curious and exquisite apparatus of air. This is 

 -a source of innumerable advantages; all which are 

 fetched from the very jaws of ruin. To explain this. 

 The pressure of the air on a person of a moderate size 

 is equal to the weight of twenty thousand pounds. 

 Tremendous consideration ! Should a house fall upon 

 us with half that force, it would break every bone of 

 our bodies. Yet so admirably has the Divine Wisdom 

 contrived the air, and so nicely counterpoised, its dread- 

 ful power, that we suffer no manner of inconvenience ; 

 -we even enjoy the load. Instead of being as a mountain 

 on our loins, it is as wings to our feet, or sinews to our 

 limbs. Is not this common ordination of Providence, 

 somewhat like the miracle of the burning bush ] Well 

 may we say unto God, O how terrible, yet how benefi- 

 cent art thou in thy works ! 



" The air, though too weak to support our flight, is & 

 thoroughfare for innumerable wings. Here the whole 

 common wealth of birds expatiate, beyond the reach of 

 their adversaries. Were they to .run upon the earth, 

 they would be in ten thousand dangers, without strength 

 to resist, or speed to escape them : whereas by mount- 

 ing the skies, they are secure from peril, they scorn the 

 horse and his rider. Some ol them peiching on the 

 boughs, or soaring aloit, entertain us with their notes* 

 Many of them yield us wholesome ar.d agreeable food, 

 and yet give us no trouble, put us to no expense, but til! 

 the time we want them, are wholly out ot the way, 



**The air is charged a!so : with several offices, abso* 



