48 
OF LEAVES. 
considering this subject, you cannot but have been impressed with a 
sense of the goodness of that great Being who watches with unceas¬ 
ing care over his vast creation. To observe the progress of life, 
whether in the vegetable or animal kingdom, is highly interesting 
to an investigating mind. Man may plant and water, but God alone 
giveth the increase. 
A bud lives, an infant lives; both are destined to grow, and to 
pass through physical changes : but the bud, although active with a 
principle of life, knows not its own existence; while the infant be¬ 
comes conscious of its own powers and faculties, capable of loving 
those who have contributed to its well being, and especially of ador¬ 
ing the great Author of its existence. 
It is delightful, while gratifying our natural love of knowledge, 
by inquiring into the economy of nature, to be thus met at every 
step, with new proofs of the goodness and wisdom of the Author of 
Nature, particularly as manifested towards the human race. To dis¬ 
cover the character of the Deity, should indeed be the end and aim 
of all knowledge; and should an occasional digression from our 
subject retard your progress in botanical investigations, the loss 
would be slight, compared to the gain of one pious and devout 
aspiration. 
When we become so deeply engaged in philosophical specula¬ 
tions, as to forget Him whose works we study, we have wandered 
from the path of true knowledge. It was not thus that Newton 
studied the laws of matter, or Locke and Watts the laws of mind, 
or Paley the animal and vegetable physiology ; these great and good 
men, made their rich treasures of knowledge subservient to one 
great design, that of learning the character of God, and their duty 
to him, and of instructing their fellow-men in these sublime and im¬ 
portant truths. 
LECTURE IX. 
OF LEAVES. 
You all know what is meant by the leaf of a vegetable ; but were 
you called on to give a definition of the term leaf, you might find it 
more difficult than at first you would imagine. Young persons are 
often disconcerted, when asked by their teachers to explain some 
word of which they have an idea, and yet find themselves unable to 
give a definition; but although the pupil may be surprised at this 
fact, it is not unaccountable to those who know, that it is not always 
easy to convey our conceptions to the minds of others. To give cor¬ 
rect definitions of terms, is one of the greatest difficulties in science. 
The manner in which different persons describe objects, varies 
with the degree of knowledge possessed respecting their properties. 
For example; in attempting to describe common salt , if a person 
knew nothing more of it than his unassisted senses had informed 
him, he would speak of its colour, taste, and other obvious proper¬ 
ties. One familiar with the principles of chemistry, would first 
speak of the materials which compose salt; he would describe it as 
Comparison between a bud and an infant—The goodness of God particularly mani¬ 
fested towards the human race—Philosophical speculations should not lead us to for¬ 
get the Author of nature—Difficulty in giving correct definitions—Descriptions of ob¬ 
jects vary with our knowledge of their properties—Example : common salt- 
