GENERAL REFLECTIONS. 311 



Who can refrain from sentiments of profound 

 admiration of its God-like energy, and the won- 

 derful manner in which it produces an endless 

 succession of the most diversified effects ? 



There is not a more striking evidence of bene- 

 ficent design in the whole mechanism of creation, 

 than the rapid evolution of heat from atmos- 

 pheric vapour, in the concentrated form of light- 

 ning, during hot and sultry weather. Were it 

 given out in the diffused form, it would cause 

 an inconvenient augmentation of temperature. 

 Besides, were it evolved gradually, as during 

 winter, the number of rainy days would be so 

 far increased, as greatly to interfere with the 

 operations of agriculture. On the other hand, 

 being given out in the form of sensible heat 

 during the formation of clouds, rain, and snow, 

 in the higher latitudes, it moderates the exces- 

 sive cold which would otherwise prevail during 

 winter. 



It was observed by a distinguished writer of 

 the present day, "that the delight with which 

 speculative minds contemplate universal truths, 

 does not so much spring from perceiving that 

 some general principle holds good, and reap- 

 pears in a great number of instances very nearly, 

 or perfectly resembling one another, as from 

 discovering the occult presence or efficacy of 

 some such principle in a multiplicity of cases 

 which have few points, or perhaps no other point 



