Heed well this orb, where fate has fix'd thy lot:

Observe, the air, the waters, and the earth,"

Each moment gives ten thousand creatures birth. - ^

swiftness of eleven millions, eight hundred and fifty thousand miles® in a minute of time; yet, even with this velocity, it would take nearly a year and a quarter in coming from the nearest fixed star hither. Compare it with the velocity of a ball issuing from the mouth of a cannon, at the rate of twenty miles in a minute, it'1 would be more than seven hundred thousand years in its flight from hence thither. Compare it, also, with the velocity of sound, which flies at the rate of twelve miles and half in a minute, and we shall find it would take one million one hundred and fifty-six thousand years in passing from hence thither.

In the calculations which lead to these results, regard has been had only to the nearest fixed star we perceive: but some there are whose vast distances are such, that the celebrated HUYGENS deemed it not impossible that their light had not yet reached the earth since their creation.

C.

Then, since the fixed stars are at such immense distances, and shine by their own light, 'tis plain they must be bodies like our sun in size and glory. Nor are they all placed in one concave surface of the same sphere, and equally distant from us; but

Here, ev'ry place, so far from lying waste,
With life is crouded, and with beauty grac'd:
Nor can those other worlds, unknown by thec,
Less stor❜d with creatures, or with beauty, be.
For God is uniform in all his ways,

And every where his boundless pow'r displays:
His goodness fills immensurable space,--

Is not restrain'd by time, or limited to place:

spread every where through the indefinite expanse, and as far from one another as this sun of our's is from the nearest of them. Were we removed from the sun as we are from the fixed stars, the sun and stars would seem alike: Our planets would not be seen at all, their light being much too weak to affect us at such a distance, and all their orbits would be united in one single point. Hence a spectator who is near any one sun, will only look upon that as a real sun, and the rest but as so many glittering stars fixed in his own heaven or firmament.

By the eye, unassisted with glasses, the greatest number of stars we can see at one view, is no more than about five hundred hence, in both hemispheres, the number would not far exceed a thousand-but by the help of telescopes, a far greater number

C

His wisdom form'd great nature's mighty frame,

And rules by laws eternally the same.

Where's now thy pride, which, lately dar'd to say,

The Stars were only made to light thy way,

And all the Universe thy pleasure to obey?

What impious madness urg'd thee on to call
Thyself the sole and sov'reign LORD of all?

If such thou art, let some plain proof be shown,
And make thine empire o'er thy vassals known.

lies open to our sight. Dr. HERSCHEL has added to the former catalogue, thirty thousand, on which he has made particular observations. LA LANDE has, even with an imperfect telescope, ascertained the places of forty-three thousand, four hundred stars; and doubts not but, with Dr. HERSCHEL's telescope, ninety millions may be discovered !-Nor are we, from hence, to suppose that this vast number comprizes all the fixed stars, or suns, that have been created For, in the language of the pious HERVEY, "could we soar beyond the moon, and pass through all the planetary choir; could we wing our way to the highest apparent star, and take our stand on the loftiest pinnacle of our hemisphere we should then only find ourselves advanced to the suburbs of ereation!"

C.

Bid the sun shine: command the winds to cease:

Make the rains fall: or chide the seas to peace.
What! are these deaf?-once more exert thy sway:
Try which of all thy subjects will obey:
Enjoin the tyger to refrain from blood,

Or bid the crocodile provide thy food.

These know their king, perhaps, and will comply.-
Hail, mighty Lord!-what! does the monarch fly?
Unhappy prince! whose impotent command,
The meanest of thy vassals dares withstand,

And wrest the sceptre from thy feeble hand.
BEING OF BEINGS! self-existing ONE!

Eternal FIRST! supreme! before thy throne
O bend my soul with adoration down!

Whilst, all amaz'd, thy wonders I survey,

Grant me to learn thy will, and what thou will'st

[obey!

Nor grievous is the task: for still we find

Man's happiness is with his duty join'd,

And for rebellion only, wretchedness assign'd. Nor are thy laws perplext, (as some have taught, With vanity possess'd, and void of thought,)

But plain and easy. Thou, all-wise and good,

Could'st ne'er command what can't be understood:

Like some mad tyrant, of his power proud,

Who joys to punish, and delights in blood.-
Much diff'rent are the maxims of thy reign:
Not one, of all thy creatures, can complain:
Almighty tho' thou art, thy pow'r is shown
By infinite beneficence alone,

And mercy sits, triumphant on thy throne.
From ev'ry coast there lies a road to Heaven,
And thou to all a faithful guide hast giv'n,