think of the immense source of beauties, which so plentifully bestows them upon an herb that is to last but a few hours? What will he do when he shall undertake to adorn the mind, he who diffuses such splendour upon the grass designed for the food of animals? And how great is the blindness of the world, who reckon upon beauty, youth, authority and human glory, as solid benefits, without remembering that they are as the transient blossom, which to-morrow shall be no more! [q] All flesh is grass, and all the glory thereof as the flower of the field.

Fruits.

Hitherto we have considered the earth as a field or a garden of herbs; let us now consider it as a rich orchard abounding with all kinds of fruit, which succeed one another according to the seasons.

I consider one of these trees extending its branches, bowing down to the earth, under the weight of excellent fruit, whose colour and smell invite the taste, and in surprising plenty. This tree, by the pomp it displays before my eyes, seems to cry out, Learn of me how great the goodness and magnificence of God is, who has formed me for you. It is neither for him nor for me, that I thus abound in riches. He stands in need of nothing, and I can make no use of what is given me. Bless him, and unload me; give thanks to him; and as he has made me the minister of your entertainment, do you become the minister of my gratitude.

Such invitations as these I seem to hear from every quarter; and as I advance, I still discover new subjects of praise and admiration. Here the fruit lies concealed within; and there the kernel is covered with a delicate pulp, all shining without in the most lively colours. This fruit arises from a flower, as almost all fruits do; but that other, which is so delicious, is preceded by no flower, but springs out of the very rind of the fig-tree. The one begins the summer,

[9] Isa. xl. 6.

and

and the other ends it. If one is not speedily gathered, it falls and withers; and if time is not allowed to the other, it will never come to maturity. The one keeps long, and the other presently corrupts; one refreshes, and another strengthens; but all I see raises in me a spirit of wonder and transport, and I cannot avoid crying out with the prophet, [r] The eyes of all wait upon thee, O Lord, and thou givest them their meat in due season; thou openest thy hand and fillest all things living with plenteousness.

Trees.

We have already treated of these when we spoke of fruits; but they deserve some particular reflections. Amongst the fruitful trees, there are some which bear their fruits in two seasons of the year, and others join together both different seasons and years too, by bearing at once both flowers and ripe fruit, in order to shew the anbounded power of the Creator, who, by diversifing the laws of nature, lets us see that he is the master of them, and can alike dispose of all seasons, and all things at his pleasure.

I observe that there are the shrub-trees, or those of a moderate height, which bear the most exquisite fruits The higher they rise, they poorer they appear, and the less agreeable are their fruits. I understand this lesson, and the feeble stem of the vine, whose gapes I admire, tells me in its language, that the nost wonderful fruits are often nearest the earth.

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The other trees, which bear only leaves, or fruits that are bitter and very small, are notwithstanding very useful; and providence has made up the defect in such a manner, that upon some occasions the barren are to be preferred to the more fruitful, which are hardly of any use, either for building or navigation, or other indispensible wants.

If we had not seen such high and large trees as are in certain forests, we could not believe that the drops of rain which fall from heaven were capable of supplying them with nourishment. For not only a very [r] Psal. cxliv. 15. 16. T3

plentiful

plentiful sap is necessary to them, but one that abounds in spirits and salts of every kind, to give the root, the trunk and branches, that force and vigour which we admire in them. It is very remarkable, that the more these trees are neglected, the more beautiful they grow, and that were men to apply themselves to cultivate them like the small trees of their gardens, they would only do them a prejudice. Thou hereby, O Lord, givest a proof, that it is thou only that hast formed them, and teachest man that his cares and industry are useless to thee; and if thou requirest them to be used about certain little trees, it is only to employ him, and put him in mind of his own weakness, by having only weak things like himself committed to his care.

Lastly, among the trees I observe some which always preserve their verdure, and in them I imagine I discern a figure of immortality, as the others, which are stripped in winter to be clothed again in the spring, seem to present me with an image of the resurrection.

In the description of animals I shall obseve the order which God followed in their creation.

Fish.

What an abundance of fish do the waters produe of every size? When I view these animals, I seem t discern nothing beside a head and tail. They have neither feet nor arms. Their very head cannot freely be moved and were I only to consider their figure, I should think them deprived of all that was necessary for the preservation of their life; but with these few outward organs they are more nimble, dextrous and artificial, than if they had several hands and feet; and the use they make of their tail and fins carries them along like arrows, and seems to make them fly.

As the fish devour one another, how can these watery inhabitants subsist? God has provided for it by

mul

multiplying them in so prodigious a manner, that their fruitfulness infinitely surpasses their mutual desire of eating one another; and what is destroyed is always far inferior to their increase.

I am only in pain how the little ones should escape the bigger, which look upon them as their prey, and are continually in pursuit of them. But this weak race are swifter in their course than the others. They creep into places where the low water will not admit of the larger fish, and it seems as if God had given them a foresight in proportion to their weakness and dangers.

Whence comes it, that the fish live in the midst of water, so loaded with salt, that we cannot bear a drop of it in our mouths, and enjoy there perfect vigour and health; and how do they preserve, in the midst of salt, a flesh that has not the least taste of it?

Why do the best, and such as are most fit for the use of man, draw near the coasts, to offer themselves in a manner to him, whilst a great many others, which are useless to him, affect a remoteness from him?

Why do those, who keep themselves in unknown places, whilst they multiply and acquire a certain bulk, come in shoals at a particular time to invite the fishermen, and throw themselves, in a manner, into their nets and boats?

Why do several of them, and of the best kinds, enter the mouths of rivers, and run up even to their springs, to communicate the advantages of the sea to such countries as lie at a distance from it? And what hand conducts them with so much care and goodness towards man, but thine, O Lord, though so visible a providence seldom occasions their acknowledgment?

This providence is every where to be discerned, and the innumerable shells which are spread upon the shore, hide different kinds of fish, that with a very small appearance of life are sure to open their shells at certain regular times to take in fresh water, and retain therein, by speedily joining them together, the imprudent prey which falls into that snare.

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Birds.

Birds.

We see a surprising imitation of reason in several animals, but it no where appears in a more sensiblə manner than in the industry of birds in building their

nests.

In the first place, what master has taught them that they have need of them? Who has taken care to inform them to prepare them in time, and not to suffer themselves to be prevented by necessity? Who has told how they should build them? What mathemati cian has given them their figure? What architect has taught them to chuse a firm place, and to build upon a solid foundation? What tender mother has advised them to cover the bottom with a soft and delicate substance, such as down and cotton? And when these matters fail, who has suggested to them that ingeni ous charity, which leads them to pluck off so many feathers from their own breasts with their beaks, as ist requisite for the preparing a convenient cradle for: their young?

In the second place, what wisdom has pointed out to every distinct kind a peculiar manner of building their nests, so as to observe the same precautions, though in a thousand different ways? Who has commanded the swallow, the most subtle of birds, to draw near to man and make choice of his house for the building of his nest, within his view, without fear of his knowing it, and seeming rather to invite him to as consideration of his labour? Neither does he build like other birds with little bits of sticks and stubble, but employs cement and mortar, and in so solid a manner, that it requires some pains to demolish its work; and yet in all this it makes use of no other instrument but its beak.. Reduce, if it is possible, the ablest architect to the small bulk of this swallow, leave him all his knowledge and only a beak, and see if he will have the same skill and the like success.

Thirdly, who has made all the birds comprehend that they must hatch their eggs by sitting upon them? That this necessity was indispensible? That the father

and