Of the changes of the moon.

and that the other half must necessarily remain in the dark. With the naked eye we may perceive that the moon is a sphere which receives its light from the sun. When she is, therefore, nearly in a direct line between the earth and the sun, her enlightened half is turned towards that luminary, and the dark half towards the earth; consequently, at such times she is invisible to us. She then rises and

sets at the same time with the sun, and in the same point of the horizon. This is what we denominate

new moon.

When the moon, pursuing her course, gradually retires from the sun, and passes back toward thể east, her dark side is not entirely turned to the earth. We begin to perceive a small portion of her enlightened side, a narrow stripe in the form of a sickle. This luminous crescent we perceive to the right, immediately after sun-set, or even before, at the opposite point of the horizon. The two points, or horns, are toward the east. The farther the moon recedes from the sun, so much the more the visible portion of her illumined surface increases. At length, at the end of seven days, when the moon has accomplished one fourth of her revolution round the earth, we perceive one half of her surface enlightened. The luminous portion is then turned toward the sun, and the dark part reflects no light upon the earth. Now the luminous part of the moon constitutes only one moiety of the whole sphere; the half of this portion is consequently but a fourth part of the lunar globe. Hence the moon, when in this state, is said to be in her first quarter.

The farther the moon retires from the sun, and the more her course again approaches to a right

Of the changes of the moon.

line, the more her light increases, and the more we can discover of her illumined half. In seven days after she has completed her first quarter, she is nearly in opposition with the sun; and in this position, her whole hemisphere illumined by the sun is visible to the earth. She then rises in the east exactly at the moment when the sun sets in the west, and this is called the full moon.

The day after the full moon, the enlightened half is turned a little from us, and we can no longer see the whole of it. The light gradually leaves the western side, and is communicated to the other half which is turned from the earth. The farther the moon proceeds in her course, the larger becomes her dark portion, till at length she turns one half of her dark side, and consequently one half of her luminous side toward the earth. This appearance of the moon is denominated her last quarter.

Let us, my dear reader, adore the wisdom and the goodness of the Creator, whose glory is displayed to the earth in the various changes of the moon. From the admirable harmony which exists between the revolution of the moon round her axis, and her course round the earth, it. happens that the moon presents to us the same side which she has shewn ever since the creation. During so many ages the moon has, with invariable accu-racy, completed her revolution in twenty-seven. days and eight hours. With the utmost regularity she has at certain periods enlightened at one time our nights, and at another those of distant regions.. With what tender solicitude hath the divine wisdom. provided for the comfort of mankind,, assigning to the earth a companion in the moon, which illu mines our nights during almost half the year. How

Of mineral waters.

far, alas, we estimate this dispensation of the Creator below its real value! But let us remember that there are people who more highly appreciate the benefit of moon-light, and cannot live without its influence. They are, doubtless, more grateful for this gift of heaven than we in general are.

The continual changes of the moon, both in her appearance and in her course, are a lively emblem of the vicissitudes to which all terrestrial things are incessantly subject. At one moment health, joy, and affluence, with a thousand other advantages, diffuse around us a brilliant light. In a few days its splendor disappears, and we have nothing left but the mournful recollection of departed pleasures. What abundant reason have we to desire to depart from this inconstant world, and to pray for our reinoval to that blissful region, where we shall rejoice so much the more in our felicity, because thenceforward it will not be liable to change.

JULY 14.

1

OF MINERAL WATERS.

WHETHER We consider mineral waters with respect to their formation, or their utility to man, they cannot but be regarded as valuable gifts of the goodness of God: but this, like many other blessings, we are too apt to pass over with neglect and ingratitude. Even those very places where life and health flow for us in copious streams, are seldom what they ought, by right, to be, theatres of praise and thanksgiving to the dispenser of all good. Let us, my brethren, be henceforth more grate

3

Of mineral waters.

ful for the bounty and loving-kindness of our heavenly benefactor.

The salt springs, from which our common salt is prepared, are richly deserving of our attention. It is probable that they owe their origin to the mineral salt which the waters dissolve in the earth. The hot springs and baths are not less remarkable. They are not only so numerous, that Germany contains upwards of one hundred and twenty, but likewise so hot, that the water must be left twelve, or even eighteen hours, to cool, before it is fit for bathing. What can be the cause of this excessive heat? Not the sun, otherwise all these waters, without exception, would necessarily be hot as long as they were exposed to the heat of the sun, and they would become cool after the setting of that luminary, and also in winter. Neither can this heat be ascribed to subterraneous fire, for even then the question whence these baths derive their medicinal properties, would still remain to be answered. The most natural way of accounting for it is, that these waters pass through soils containing sulphur and pyrites, and hence acquire such a high degree of heat. When the water comes in contact with the pyrites, it dissolves the sulphureous and ferrugineous particles, which become heated by the fermentation and reaction of their principles, and communicate the same degree of temperature to the water in its passage.

Medicinal waters, and particularly those which are acidulous, are produced by the dissolution and mixture of mineral substances. They are generally found in places. containing iron, sulphur, or coal; hence their taste and effect are widely dif

Continual activity of Nature in the vegetable kingdom.

ferent, according as they are more or less impregnated with those substances. These springs are bitter when they pass through bitter roots, bitumen, nitre, or copper ore. They are cold when the water is mixed with sal ammoniac, nitre, alum, or when it issues from the bed of a rock. They are rendered oily by bituminous substances; and sulphureous by sulphur combined with an acid.

Admire with me, my dear reader, the inexhaustible source of the divine mercy, which pours forth upon mankind never-failing streams. I will not deny that mineral waters may answer many other different purposes, but it is incontestible that they were all produced for the preservation and the health of man. For thee, O mortal, the Lord causeth springs to arise. You, in particular, my brethren, who experience the healing and invigo rating virtues of these waters, let your hearts expand with joy and gratitude to your heavenly Father; honor him by imitating his example, and let the gifts which he has bestowed upon you be sources of life and consolation to your needy and afflicted fellow-creatures.

JULY 15.

CONTINUAL ACTIVITY OF NATURE IN THE VEGETABLE KINGDOM.

If we would discover the reason why Nature is. incessantly employed throughout the year, we need only consider the numberless advantages resulting from this continual activity. The vegetableking-dom is destined for the use both of man an animals, affording the former food and recreation, and