NATURAL HISTORY. 9 



irresistibly directed upwards. And there, the vast 

 expanse of heaven, studded and adorned with 

 innumerable luminaries of various magnitudes 

 and at indefinite distances, each subservient 

 to fixed laws, and formed for purposes beyond all 

 human comprehension, would at once awaken 

 our curiosity, and prepare us for those still no 

 less wonderful attributes which the divine hand 

 has so liberally and so benevolently bestowed on 

 the universe. 



As these heavenly objects disappeared from our 

 astonished vision, our attention would be instinc- 

 tively directed to the eastern horizon, now gra- 

 dually enlightened by the approach of a new 

 luminary of far greater magnitude and powers 

 than any we had yet contemplated ; too vivid, 

 indeed, to be examined by our weaker sight, 

 but whose influence is at once brought home to 

 our senses and conviction bestowing light, life, 

 and activity upon all nature, and at once dis- 

 playing a scene of unparalleled grandeur and 

 comprehensiveness such a variety and order of 

 things so many causes and effects so much 

 contrivance with useful results and such a sub- 

 servience to one grand system, as at once with 

 language irresistible to bespeak the omnipotence 

 of the Creator, and to sink all human attributes 

 into comparative nothingness and insignificance. 



In every direction we should observe sojaie- 

 thing on which to fix our attention or to awaken 



