FEBRUARY XXII. ASPIRATIONS OF THE SOUL TO GOD. WHEN I give up my heart to God, I begin to answer the end for which I have been placed in the world; and enjoy a foretaste of that felicity which awaits me in heaven. How contemptible the vain amusements of the world appear to me, when my heart gets into the habit of seeking its happiness in God, through Christ! How humble and mean do I appear in my own eyes, when I compare my meanness with the infinite majesty of God! How is my natural pride confounded, when I lose myself, so to speak, in the ocean of the divine perfections! and what ardent desires are there kindled in my heart for that happy day, when I shall be for ever united to the supreme and eternal Being! But am I so affected with the inestimable advantages which frequent meditation on God affords, as to form the resolution to employ myself in it as I ought? Alas! instead of employing my spirit with great and sublime objects, I too often fix my attention on earthly and perishing things! Instead of finding delight in meditating on my Creator, I take pleasure often only in what gratifies my senses. Instead of serving that Being who possesses all possible excellence, and who alone can render me perfectly happy, I attach my heart to the earth, and become passionately fond of objects which can neither constitute my happiness, nor be long enjoyed. O that my past experience may make me wise for the time to come! Hitherto I have only Aspirations of the Soul to God. loved temporal blessings, and set my heart upon them. I have sought my peace and happiness in things which are even more frail and perishable than myself. But, at present, my eyes are opened, through the grace of God. I contemplate a Being, the source of all perfection, who has formed me out of nothing, and given me a soul whose desires cannot be satisfied but by an infinite good. This is the Being to whom I consecrate my heart, giving myself up to him without reserve, and for ever. In him alone I will henceforth seek my comfort. These earthly goods, which I have hitherto had the imprudence to prefer to heavenly blessings, I will exchange for real and solid advantages; and, seeing it is the design of my Creator, I will use the former, but without ever preferring them to the love of my God. On the contrary, every creature shall afford me an opportunity to ascend to my Creator; and shall excite me to bless the goodness of him, who has given a power to earthly things to cheer my soul, and strengthen my body. When I enjoy any outward good, I will say to myself, if I feel so much sweetness in the enjoyment of the good things of this life; if, knowing only a small part of the works of God, that knowledge is now so pleasing to me, how happy shall I be when I possess God himself! How great is the felicity of his saints, who see him as he is, and live continually in blessed communion with him! If the pleasures which cannot be relished but through the medium of a frail, perishable body, can affect my mind so agreeably, how ecstatic must those delights be which I am to enjoy, without the incumbrance of this earthly Causes of Heat and Cold. tabernacle! What ineffable sensations shall I experience, when my spirit, freed from its fetters, shall be able to contemplate, at full liberty, the face of the Lord! If the small rivulets here below are so pleasant, what must the source be whence they flow? If one ray of light be so vivifying, what must the Sun himself be? If, even in this world, God is so admirable in his works, what must he be in the world to come! Oh! how I long to enjoy this felicity, in the possession of my God! Run rapidly by, ye days of darkness, which I must pass here below! Ye hours, which retard the happy moment, in which I shall gain a more perfect knowledge of my God, hasten your flight! O day, without clouds or darkness, in which my soul, freed from the burthen of this gross body, shall take its flight, and ascend beyond all these stars, to adore Jehovah at the foot of his throne! Blessed day, so earnestly desired, hasten thy appearance! FEBRUARY XXIII. CAUSES OF HEAT AND COLD. WHENCE proceeds the transition from extreme Heat to the most intense Cold? By what means does nature bring about these revolutions? It is indisputable, that the temperature of the atmosphere during the winter, depends on the situation of the sun. For, when our globe, in its annual course round the sun, is so placed, that its northern hemisphere is turned Causes of Heat and Cold. away from it, so that its rays fall in a very oblique manner on those parts; and when the sun is but a few hours above our horizon, it is impossible that these rays should produce much Heat. But the Heat does not entirely depend on the situation, or distance of the sun. That luminary passes annually through the same constellations; and is not farther from us in one winter than in another. Nevertheless, the degrees of Cold in our winters, are very different. Some winters are as mild as autumn; in others, deep seas are frozen up; and men and other animals find it difficult to defend themselves against the Cold. Even in those countries where, during the whole year, their days and nights are nearly equal, the heat of the sun is not strong enough to dissolve the snow on the tops of mountains. The most intense winter reigns on their ridges, whilst the most scorching summer prevails at their basis, although the same rays fall equally on the ridges and basis of these mountains. Were the sun, the alone cause of Heat and Cold, these phenomena would be inexplicable. Nature is rich in expedients; and a thousand causes, which are perhaps unknown to us, second her operations. But we know, at least, that the constitution of the atmosphere, and the winds, have a great effect on the Heat and Cold of a country. Hence it is, that sometimes, in the longest days of summer, it is cold, when the atmosphere is laden with thick vapours: when the sky has been, for a long time, covered with clouds; and when the north wind blows strongly. Hence, even in winter, the Cold is sometimes not so Causes of Heat and Cold. intense, when the South wind brings us a warm air. The soil of a country contributes much to its coldness or warmth. For instance: in Siberia, where the earth is full of nitre, and different salts, it is always colder than in countries nearer to the Pole, and where the rays of the sun fall more obliquely. The natural warmth of the earth, and internal heat sometimes, cause great variations in the temperature of the air, in different countries. These causes, and perhaps many more unknown to us, occasion the vicissitudes of Heat and Cold upon the earth. But, who can understand all the springs of the great machine of the universe, or explain their different effects? The greater part of the phenomena puzzle and confound us; and we are obliged to acknowledge, that all the sagacity of the most eminent philosophers, is incapable of penetrating the depths of nature. We see but a part, and perhaps, the smallest part of its operations; and it is certainly for wise reasons, that the Creator has hidden from us the causes of so many effects in the Kingdoms of Nature and Providence. He designs by this, to teach us to contemplate ourselves. What would it avail us to have the most accurate knowledge of nature, if we neglected the knowledge and sanctification of our own hearts? We know enough of nature to be happy, wise, and contented. Perhaps, a greater knowledge of it might puff us up; perhaps it might disturb our repose, and cause us to forget God. Let us endeavour to make a good use of the little we know, that we may the better glorify the Supreme Being, by becoming more holy. If, after all |