Although the eight hundred millions of men that now people the globe, and all the other millions that have existed since the world began, were to be compared, no two individuals would be found to present exactly the same aspect in every point of view in which they might be contemplated. In like manner, no two horses, cows, dogs, lions, elephants, or other terrestrial animals will be found bearing a perfect resemblance. The same observation will apply to the scenery of lakes, rivers, grottos, and mountains, and to all the diversified landscapes which the surface of the earth and waters presents to the traveller, and the student of

nature.

If, from the earth, we direct our views to the other bodies which compose our planetary system, we shall find a similar diversity, so far as our observations extend. From the surface of one of the planets, the sun will appear seven times larger, and from the surface of another, three hundred and sixty times smaller than he does to us. One of those bodies is destitute of a moon; but from its ruddy aspect, either its surface or its atmosphere appears to be endowed with a phosphorescent quality, to supply it with light in the absence of the sun. Another is surrounded by four resplendent moons, much larger than ours; a third is supplied with six, and a fourth, with seven moons, and two magnificent rings to reflect the light of the sun, and diversify the scenery of its sky. One of these globes revolves round its axis in ten, and another in twenty-three hours and a half. One of them revoles round the sun in eighty-eight, another in two hundred and twenty-four days; a third in twelve years, a fourth in thirty, and a fifth in eighty-two years. From all which, and many other circumstances that have been observed, an admirable variety of phenomena is produced, of which each planetary globe has its own peculiarity. Even our moon, which is among the smallest of the celestial bodies, which is the nearest to us, and which accompanies the earth during its revolution round the sun, exhibits a curious variety of aspect, different from what is found on the terraqueous globe. The altitude of its mountains, the depths of its vales, the conical form of its insulated rocks, the circular ridges of hills which encompass its plains, and the celestial phenomena

which are displayed in its firmament-present a scenery which, though in some points resembling our own, is yet remarkably different, on the whole, from the general aspect of nature in our terrestrial habitation.

If, therefore, the Author of nature act on the same general principles, in other systems, as he has done in ourswhich there is every reason to believe, when we consider his infinite wisdom and intelligence-we may rest assured, that every one of the two thousand four hundred millions of worlds which are comprehended within the range of human vision, has a magnificence and glory peculiar to itself, by which it is distinguished from all the surrounding provinces of Jehovah's empire. In this view, we may consider the language of the Apostle Paul as expressing not only an apparent, but a real fact. the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory "There is one glory of of the stars; for one star differeth from another star in glory." To suppose that the Almighty has exhausted his omnipotent energies, and exhibited all the manifestations of his glory which his perfections can produce, in one system, or even in one million of systems, would be to set limits to the resources of his wisdom and intelligence, which are infinite and incomprehensible. the sacred writers, when contemplating the numerous obHence we find jects which creation exhibits, breaking out into such exclamations as these, "How manifold, O Jehovah, are thy works! In wisdom hast thou made them all."

In the next place,-Besides the magnificence and variety of the material structures which exist throughout the universe, the organized and intelligent beings with which they are peopled, present a vast field of delightful contemplation. On this general topic, the following ideas may be taken into consideration :

1. The gradations of intellect, or the various orders of intelligences which may people the universal system. That there is a vast diversity in the scale of intellectual existence, may be proved by considerations similar to those which I have already stated. Among sentient beings, in this world, we find a regular gradation of intellect, from the muscle, through all the orders of the aquatic and insect tribes, till we arrive at the dog, the monkey, the beaver

and the elephant, and last of all, to man, who stands at the top of the intellectual scale, as the lord of this lower world. We perceive, too, in the individuals which compose the hu. man species, a wonderful diversity in their powers and capacities of intellect, arising partly from their original constitution of mind, partly from the conformation of their corporeal organs, and partly from the degree of cultivation they have received. But it would be highly unreasonable to admit, that the most accomplished genius that ever adorned our race, was placed at the summit of intellectual perfection. On the other hand, we have reason to believe, that man, with all his noble powers, stands nearly at the bottom of the scale of the intelligent creation. For a be ing much inferior to man, in the powers of abstraction, conception, and reasoning, could scarcely be denominated a rational creature, or supposed capable of being qualified for the high destination to which man is appointed. As to the number of species which diversify the ranks of superior intellectual natures, and the degrees of perfection which distinguish their different orders, we have no data, afforded by the contemplation of the visible universe, sufficient to enable us to form a definite conception. The intellectual faculties, even of finite beings, may be carried to so high a pitch of perfection, as to baffle all our conceptions and powers of description.-The following description in the words of a celebrated Swiss naturalist, may perhaps convey some faint idea of the powers of some of the highest order of intelligences :

"To convey one's self from one place to another with a swiftness equal or superior to that of light; to preserve one's self by the mere force of nature, and without the assistance of any other created being; to be absolutely exempted from every kind of change; to be endowed with the most exquisite and extensive senses; to have distinct perceptions of all the attributes of matter, and of all its modifications; to discover effects in their causes; to raise one's self by a most rapid flight to the most general principles; to see in the twinkling of an eye these principles ;to have at the same time, without confusion, an almost infinite number of ideas; to see the past as distinctly as the present, and to penetrate into the remotest futurity; to be

able to exercise all these faculties without weariness: these are the various outlines from which we may draw a portrait of the perfections of superior natures."*

A being possessed of faculties such as these, is raised as far above the limited powers of man, as man is raised above the insect tribes. The Scriptures assure us, that beings, approximating, in their powers and perfections, to those now stated, actually exist, and perform important offices under the government of the Almighty. The perfections of the angelic tribes, as represented in Scripture, are incomparably superior to those of men. They are represented as possessed of powers capable of enabling them to wing their flight with amazing rapidity from world to world. For the angel Gabriel, being commanded to fly swiftly, while the prophet Daniel was engaged in supplication, approached to him, before he had made an end of presenting his requests. During the few minutes employed in uttering his prayer, this angelic messenger descended from the celestial regions to the country of Babylonia. This was a rapidity of motion surpassing the comprehension of the most vigorous imagination, and far exceeding even the amazing velocity of light. They have power over the objects of inanimate nature; for one of them "rolled away the stone from the door of the sepulchre,' at the time of Christ's resurrection. They are intimately acquainted with the springs of life, and the avenues by which they may be interrupted; for an angel slew, in one night, 185,000 of the Assyrian army.--They are perfectly acquainted with all the relations which subsist among man. kind, and can distinguish the age and character of every individual throughout all the families of the earth. For one of these powerful beings recognised all the first-born in the land of Egypt, distinguished the Egyptians from the children of Israel, and exerted his powers in their destruction.

*This writer, in addition to these, states the following properties:"To be invested with a power capable of displacing the heavenly bodies, or of changing the course of nature, and to be possessed of a power and skill capable of organizing matter, of forming a plant, an animal, a world."--But I can scarcely think that such perfections are competent fo any being but the Supreme.

And as they are "ministering spirits to the heirs of salvation," they must have a clear perception of the persons and characters of those who are the objects of the Divine favour, and to whom they are occasionally sent on embassies of mercy. They are endowed with great physical powers and energies; hence they are said "to excel in strength :" and the phrase, "a strong angel," and "a mighty angel," which are sometimes applied to them, are expressive of the same perfection. Hence they are represented, in the book of the Revelation, as "holding the four winds of heaven,” as executing the judgments of God upon the proud despisers of his government, as "throwing mountains into the sea," and binding the prince of darkness with chains, and "casting him into the bottomless pit."

They are endowed with unfading and immortal youth, and experience no decay in the vigour of their powers. For the angels who appeared to Mary at the tomb of our Saviour, appeared as young men, though they were then more than four thousand years old. During the long succession of ages that had passed since their creation, their vigour and animation had suffered no diminution, nor decay. --they are possessed of vast powers of intelligence. Hence they are exhibited in the book of Revelation, as being "full of eyes," that is, endowed with "all sense, all intellect, all consciousness; turning their attention every way; beholding at once all things within the reach of their understandings; and discerning them with the utmost clearness of conception.' The various other qualities now stated, necessarily suppose a vast comprehension of intellect; and the place of their residence, and the offices in which they have been employed, have afforded full scope to their superior powers. They dwell in a world where truth reigns triumphant, where moral evil has never entered, 'where substantial knowledge irradiates the mind of every inhabitant, where the mysteries which involve the character of the Eternal are continually disclosing, and where the plans of his providence are rapidly unfolded. They have ranged through the innumerable regions of the heavens, and visited distant worlds, for thousand of years; they have beheld the unceasing variety, and the endless multitude of the works of creation and providence, and are, doubtless, en