The Sun as the Source of Light and Heat, Motions of the Planets, Resisting Medium, V. SUNDAY.-Divine and Human Knowledge com- pared, THE MICROSCOPE. VIII. SUNDAY.-Greatness of God even in the Small- est Things, AUTHOR'S PREFACE. Yet this Or all the works on Natural Theology, which, in former or recent times, have enlightened and delighted the pious mind, none of any great extent, or of much importance, have been devoted to the illustration of the Divine perfections, in connexion with the Seasons of the Year. is a view at once interesting and popular. The changes of the seasons display, in themselves, a remarkable and beneficent arrangement; and the adaptations by which vegetable and animal life are fitted to exist, and to fulfil the end of their creation, during these changes, afford ample materials for a beautiful and striking exhibition of the power, wisdom, and goodness of the Creator. In investigating this subject, we meet every where also, with the most remarkable analogies in the character of the material world, with that which is so distinctly impressed on Revealed Truth; and, while we hence derive a very satisfactory argument in proof of their origin from the same Almighty and Intelligent Author, we find, that these kindred sources of information continually throw a light, clear, consistent, and useful on each other. The attention of scientific men, while it has of late been very successfully, has, perhaps, been too exclusively, directed to the book of Nature, in illustration of the Divine perfections; and those, who peruse their writings, may be induced to overlook the highly important truth, that, after all, natural religion affords but an imperfect glimpse into the moral attributes of the Eternal. I. 1 VII. One great object of the Author, in the following pages, is to show that the God of Nature can only be known, in the perfection of His character, when regarded as the God of Grace; and that it is not till the light of Revelation shines on the Divine operations, that the clouds and darkness, which surround the throne of the Most High, are dispersed. Under the illumination of this celestial light, the study of creation is, in the highest degree, calculated to expand the understanding, enlighten the judgement, and improve the heart. If it be true, that the human mind takes its character from the nature of the subjects with which it is conversant, we may assuredly expect that it will be ennobled and refined, when it is humbly, judiciously, and piously occupied in investigating the attributes and works of Him, who is the First and the Last, the Greatest and the Best. The most important and animating views of the Creator and His operations, in reference to the Seasons, are found scattered through many publications, which it has been the agreeable task of the Writer to combine in a new series, and render generally accessible. In doing this, he has frequently quoted the precise words of the various authors from whom he has borrowed his facts. He has no ambition to acquire fame as an original writer; his more humble, but perhaps not less useful aim, being to instruct and edify those who may not be in possession of many works on Natural Theology, by rendering them acquainted with the discoveries, which have been made by others, in the most interesting of all sciences. The plan adopted by the wellknown, but somewhat antiquated, German author, STURM, in his 'Reflections,' has been so far imitated, that the Work contains a paper for every day of the year, and is thus well suited for stated family reading. The chief reasons which induced STURM to give his Work this form, as he himself observed in the |