100 BOOK OF NATURE LAID OPEN. 



unfathomable depths, and immeasurable extent ot 

 the ocean ! where the eye is lost in wandering over 

 the liquid expanse, and which, if we look upon a 

 map of the world, we shall find to cover a consi- 

 derably larger portion of the surface of the globe 

 than even the dry land itself. Wonderful as the sea 

 is in itself, and beneficial as it is to the sons of men, 

 all its wonders and all its benefits reflect glory to 

 Him who formed it, and poured it abroad. When 

 we place ourselves upon the shore, and from thence 

 behold that immense body of water, stretching away 

 on all sides, as far as the eye can reach ; and when 

 we consider how large a portion of the globe is co- 

 vered in like manner, what a noble idea are we en. 

 abled to form of that Being, who taketh up the sea 

 in his hand, and in whose sight the ocean is no more 

 than a drop ; who covered the earth with the deep 

 as with a garment, and assigned it bounds which 

 it cannot pass ! And it is truly astonishing by what 

 simple, yet potent means, this great and important 

 end is accomplished ; for it is neither by adaman- 

 tine rocks nor tremendous precipices, nor shelving 

 banks of well cemented sand, that the unruly cle- 

 ment is confined within due limits, although these 

 all no doubt tend their aid in repelling the lashings 

 of its surges, and occasional attempts to encroach 

 on the land ; but by a barrier, simple, yet more ef- 

 fectual than all these, the word of the great Jeho- 

 vah's strength; who has impressed upon this ele- 

 ment that law of gravitation, by which the waters 

 of the mountains are made to go down into the val- 



