146 THB CHRISTIAN NATURALIST. 



mercy to the human race. If occasionally, to remind 

 us that we live in a diseased world, a blight has been 

 permitted to fall upon the fruits of the earth, how soon 

 has the evil been again repaired, how rapidly has the 

 serpent's head been crushed when it was about to 

 sting, and an additional proof afforded of the Divine 

 goodness and forbearance.* As in ancient Egypt the 

 seven years famine, came not till it was provided for 

 by a seven years plenty, so we shall still find that no 

 divine judgment has at any time overspread the fruits 

 of the ground without an abundant compensation, 



* * The annual riches given anew to mankind every summer, 

 by the continued produce of the earth, would amaze us by their 

 amount, if the whole could be ascertained and calculated. A 

 few instances will imply it. The yearly produce of France in 

 1828, on an average of 4 years, was. 21 millions of quarters of 

 wheat, and 32 millions of other grains. The annual value of 

 all the grain in Britain, as computed in 1827, has been estimated 

 at 112 millions of pounds sterling. Few cultivate their soil as 

 they ought, but with all their indolence or ignorance, still 

 enough is raised from it all over the world to sustain a popula- 

 tion of 800 or 1000 millions, who are now living on the globe. 

 Now if each inhabitant of it, on an average, required only the 

 value of ^10. produce for his yearly support, the earth is on 

 this calculation yielding annually to the human race, from itg 

 vegetable system, either 8 or 10 thousand millions of pounds 

 sterling in the feeding articles only, and this with a constancy 

 that never fails in its general sufficiency,' — Ikimer's Sacred 

 History (if the World, v. I, p. 147. 



