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But the ORIGIN and CAUSE of all those things remained a secret; which gave INQUI RER great uneasiness, in painful suspense, from conviction of interest in the important relation of things: And nothing short of a solution of the query could give him proper satisfaction on the subject.

"Is it possible,' says INQUIRER to himself, that these things are so? Have I an existencé which shall continue here but for a limited period; and then must I moulder to dust and become food for worms; and have only a name remaining above ground! Solemn reflection! Awful thought!

But to soothe those sensations, which give uneasiness, the study of Nature presents itself to call off the mind, from Moral contemplation, to natural investigation.

REFLECTIONS ON NATURE.

The Canopy of Nature, appears to shut down in a concave form; through the limitation of sight; while the water exhibits a convex shape, through the globular form of the Earth. Thus the large and lowermost parts of a ship first diappear as she sails from the coast. But the uppermost parts, which are smallest, first appear as she returns to the shore.

The MIND makes the man, and is connected with its CASKET. Which being corporeal, confines him to the Earth, as a prison, through the power of gravitation; which principle prevails in all material things, and is called attraction of gravitation:

This prison to which Man is confined, revolves with almost incredible swiftness, in an annual revolution, at the rate of more than sixty thousand miles an hour, whirling its inhabitants imperecptible of motion, more than a thousand miles,

in the diurnal revolution on its own axis, at the same time.

The different kinds and grades of Beings, are so many, and so nearly related to each other, from the most intelligent creature to the lowest animated matter, the exact line of distinction between the Animal and Vegetable commonwealth, is difficult to be determined.

The Ourang Outang, appears to possess the organs of speech in his formation, and yet for some cause he is deprived of that faculty, though he differs from Man in anatomy, in the lack of the pan of the knee only.

The sensitive plant has some of the appearance of animation; while some of the sea Fish scarcely exhibit life of any kind. Some are in shells, located, growing upon Rocks. Others, called Sun-Fish, and Portuguese-men-of-war,' are floating on the water or near the shores, &c.

The perch, in embryo, has been known to produce more than twenty-eight thousand at a time. And the cod upwards of three millions.

Eight thousand different kinds of insects, and six hundred species of Birds, with the various Animals on land and in the water, of so many different shapes, forms, and sizes, with nature's so diverse; and yet abundance of food is suited to the demands and situation of the whole; all of which exhibits a parental tender care, marked with wisdom, goodness, and power, displayed through every part of Universal Nature. But The Origin and Cause of all those things still remained a query with INQUIRER, whose research for important touth was not, could not pass over things so interesting, with a stoical natjere

ence!

The SUN near an hundred millions of miles from the Earth; and but a step in comparison of the distance to one of the fixed stars,' which

is allowed by Philosophers to be so immense, that the velocity of a Cannon Ball, would require at least seven hundred thousand years to reach from one to another. Admitting it; and that seventytwo millions of those stars are within the sphere of Astronomical calculation. Moreover, admitting each Star to be a Sun like ours, in the centre of a system, with an equal number of Planets of a first and second order, and each planet to be a world, with as great a variety of Beings as inhabit this earth; what must be the aggregate number of the whole? And what or who could be the Author, and Upholder, Governor and Provider of this stupendous display? was the Inquirer's question still!*

MISCELLANEOUS REFLECTIONS.

The five uses' of the Body being avenues or inlets of knowledge to the MIND; the things of Nature may be examined, contemplated and reasoned upon; but never to satisfaction. Although inferences and conclusions may be drawn from causes to effects; yet there remains an hungering in the MIND, which continues unsatis fied, until a proper object can be found which is perfect both in its nature and degree; which alone can afford moral consolation.

Should the SUN be annihilated, the effects produced by him would cease; and what would be the consequence but unbearable Frost and perpetual night! The rays from the Sun but an inch diameter, when brought to a focus, is equally unbearable, producing a flame! What a strange dependency on the Sun!~Whose benign rays are wisely dispensed and with held, in such a proportionable manner, as to answer every purpose.Surely this declares an over-ruling HAND!

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From those circumstances, the Sun is Deified by many in the Heathen World; yet we have not evidence that he can quicken an inanimate substance, and cause it to possess the power and principle of Sense' and Reason. For the Being who is capable of such power and generous donation, must possess the principles of all innate substance; and in the nature of the case must be an Omnipotent Author!

Hundreds of Comets in their various orbs, with all the Heavenly Bodies, move in rotation; and have no infringement in their conjunction; but each in order keeps its course, and harmonises with the whole!

Could a drop of water, or a grain of sand go out of existence, but by the will of its Author, by the same rule, the whole Fabric of Nature could annihilate itself, and sink into a state of nonentity!

If every thing which had a beginning must have an end; then that which had no beginning ean have no end; consequently, if Nature exists by emanation, from the will or its Author; by the same rule it must continue to exist, or go out of Being; but when agreeable to His plea

sure.

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Those people who plead for the perfection of Nature, independent of its Author; saying Nature does this or that'-as Luek, Fortune, or Chance would have it, &c.-necessarily ascribe Omnifio Power and Omnifarious principles to Matter: And this would argue the omnipotence and omnipresence of nature; abstract from its Author also, inasmuch as there is a band of union throughout the whole; which Bond of union prevails, as far as Nature is explored and underderstood; as the Laws of electricity and magnetism, exemplify on this globe-and as the laws of gravitation manifest throughout universal Nature!

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But to ascribe those powers to nature, is not to make a proper distinction between Mind and Matter-moreover it imputes effects to causes which could never produce them.

MATTER, when moved by another cause, cannot stop of itself; and when stopped it cannot move of itself. Hence matter, when put in motion, is always indebted to some other cause.

Consequently, those heavenly bodies, which play in their different orbits, harmonizing togeth er; have not existed for ever in their order; but must have emanated from a Higher Cause, who prescribed their spheres, and gave them their Laws dependent upon himself; as their author and support-of course, the Causeless Causator must be considered as the centration, and Bond of Union throughout the whole of universal nature. Otherwise, how can man account for any thing in Nature; even how a particle of sand or a drop of water coheres together!

MORAL INQUIRIES.

Inquirer fooling an hungering in the Mind, and being unsatisfied on various accounts, went to a school in the environs of BABYLON,' in order to be taught.

The Tutors with their Ushers, who constituted Masters of different grades; taught doetrines, which may be inferred from their expressions.-Such as seated upon a topless throne an eternal decree go down to the hottem of the bot tomless pit from all eternity a Covenant was made an infinite number-boundless space'the creature Man is an infinite Being.'

Thus by starting wrong, they must forever continue in error. Those expressions being contradictory, must be considered as nonsensical; and hence they ought to be turned out of doors, as beneath contempt,

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