present Deity," with prophetical delineations of the present and future condition of the race of Adam,—with descriptions of the Power, Wisdom, Love and Majesty of the Almighty, and of his operations in Heaven and Earth,with the results and bearings of the Economy of Redemption, with Divine Songs, Odes and Hymns, composed by angels and inspired men,-with maxims of moral wisdom, examples of sublime eloquence, of strength of reasoning, and of manly boldness of reproof,-with Proverbs, Parables, Allegories, Exhortations, Promises, Threatenings, and Consolatory addresses.-In short, we have here detailed, in the greatest variety-History, Antiquities, Voyages, Travels, Philosophy, Geography, Natural and Moral Science, Biography, Arts, Epic Poetry, Epistles, Memoirs, Delineations of Nature, Sketches of Human Character, Moral Precepts, Prophecies, Miracles, Narrations, Wonderful Providences, Marvellous Deliverances, the Phenomena of the Air, the Waters, and the Earth; the Past, the Present, and the Future Scenes of the World-all blended together in one harmonious system, without artificial order, but with a majesty and grandeur corresponding to the style of all the other Works of God,-and all calculated to gratify the principle of curiosity-to convey "reproof, correction, and instruction, in righteousness," and "to make the Man of God perfect, and thoroughly furnished to every good work."

And, as the scenes of Nature, and the scenes of Revelation, are thus wonderfully diversified, in order to excite the attention of intelligent beings, and to gratify the desire for variety, so, we have every reason to believe, that the scenes, objects, and dispensations, which will be displayed in the heavenly world, will be incomparably more grand and diversified. When we consider the immensity of God's Universal Kingdom, and the numerous systems, and worlds, and beings comprehended within its vast circumference, and that the energies of Creating Power may be forever exerted in raising new worlds into existence-we may rest assured, that the desire of variety and of novelty, in holy intelligences, will be completely gratified throughout an endless succession of existence; and that the most luxuriant imagination, in its boldest excursions, can never go beyond

the reality of those scenes of diversified grandeur which the Heaven of Heavens will display.

Now, since the book of Nature, and the Book of Revelation, since all the manifestations of the Creator in heaven and earth are characterized by their sublime and diversified aspect; we would ask, why should we not be imitators of God, in displaying the diversified grandeur of his kingdom of Providence and of Grace before the minds of those whom we profess to instruct? Why should we confine our views to a few points in the Christian system, to a few stones in the fabric of the Divine operations, when " a wide and unbounded prospect lies before us?" Why should we not rather attempt to rouse the moral and intellectual energies of mankind, from the pulpit, from the press, in the schoolroom, and in the family circle, by exhibiting the boundless variety of aspect which the Revelations of Heaven present, and the holy tendencies of devout contemplation on the Works and the Ways of God? that they may learn, with intelligence, to "meditate on all the works of the Lord, and to talk of all his doings."-By enlarging and diversifying the topics of religious discussion, according to the views now stated, we have it in our power to spread out an intellectual feast to allure and to gratify every variety of taste,-the taste, the young and the old, the learned and the unlearned; yea, even the careless and the ignorant, the sceptical and the dissipated, might frequently be allured by the selection of a judicious variety of striking and impressive objects and descriptions, to partake of those mental enjoyments which might ultimately issue in the happiest results. The man of an inquisitive turn of mind, who now throws aside every thing that has the appearance of religion, on account of its dullness, might have his curiosity gratified amidst such a variety as that to which I allude; and, from perceiving the bearing of every discussion on the great realities of religion and a future state, might be led to more serious inquiries after the path that leads to immortality. In a word, to associate and to amalgamate, as it were, the arts and sciences, and every department of useful knowledge, with divine subjects, is to consecrate them to their original and legitimate ends, and to present religion to the eyes of men, in its most sublime, and comprehensive, and

attractive form, corresponding to what appears to be the design of the Creator, in all the manifestations he has given of himself, in the System of Nature, in the Operations of Providence, and in the Economy of Redemption.

II. By connecting Science with Religion, Christians would be enabled to take AN EXTENSIVE SURVEY OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

How very narrow and limited are the views of most professors of religion respecting the universal Kingdom of Jehovah, and the range of his operations! The views of some individuals are confined chiefly within the limits of their own parish, or at farthest, extend only to the blue mountains that skirt their horizon, and form the boundary of their sight. Within this narrow circle, all their ideas of God, of religion, and of the relations of intelligent beings to each other, are chiefly confined. There are others, who form an extensive class of our population, whose ideas are confined nearly to the county in which they reside, and to the adjacent districts; and there are few, comparatively, whose views extend beyond the confines of the kingdom to which they belong-though the whole island in which we reside is less than the two thousandth part of the globe we inhabit. Of the vast extent of this earthly ball, of its figure and motions, of its continents, seas, islands, and oceans; of its volcanoes and ranges of mountains, of its numerous and diversified climates and landscapes; of the various nations and tribes of mankind that people its surface, and of the moral government of God respecting them, they are almost as completely ignorant as the untutored Greenlander, or the roving savage. With regard to the objects which lie beyond the boundary of our world, they have no precise and definite conceptions. When the moon is "walking in brightness" through the heavens, they take the advantage of her light to prosecute their journeys; and, when the sky is overcast with clouds, and they are anxious to travel a few miles to their destined homes, they will lift up their eyes to the heavens to see if any of the stars are twinkling through the gloom, that their footsteps may be directed by their glimmering rays. Beyond this they seldom soar.

What may be the nature of the vast assemblage of shining points which adorn the canopy of their habitation, and the ends they are destined to accomplish in the plan of the Creator's operations, they consider as no part of their province to inquire.

"Their minds, fair Science never taught to stray

Far as the Solar Worlds, or Milky Way."

How very different, in point of variety, of grandeur, and of extent, are the views of the man who connects all the different departments of knowledge, and the discoveries of science, with his prospects of God's Universal Dominions and Government? With his mental eye he can traverse the different regions of the earth, and penetrate into the most distant and retired recesses where human beings have their residence. He can contemplate and adore the conduct of Divine Sovereignty, in leaving so many nations to grope amidst the darkness of Heathen Idolatry,— he can trace the beams of the Sun of Righteousness, as they gradually arise to illume the benighted tribes of men, he can direct his prayers, with intelligence and fervor, in behalf of particular kindreds and people,-he can devise with judgment and discrimination, schemes for carrying the "Salvation of God" into effect, he can realize, in some measure, to his mental sight, the glorious and happy scenes which will be displayed in the future ages of time, when "the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ," and when the "everlasting gospel" shall be published, and its blessings distributed among all who dwell upon the face of the earth. He can bound from this earth to the planetary worlds, and survey far more spacious globes, peopled with a higher order of intelligences, arranged and superintended by the same Almighty Sovereign, who " doth according to his will among the inhabitants of the earth." He can wing his way beyond the visible region of the sky, till he find himself surrounded on every hand with suns and systems of worlds, rising to view in boundless perspective, throughout the tracts of immensity-diversified with scenes of magnificence, and with beings of every order-all under the government and the wise direction of Him who "rules mong the armies of heaven," and who "preserveth them

all," and whom the "host of heaven worship" and adore. He can soar beyond them all to the throne of God, where angels and archangels, cherubim and seraphim, celebrate the praises of their Sovereign Lord, and stand ready to announce his Will, by their rapid flight to the most distant provinces of his empire. He can descend from that lofty eminience to this terrestrial world, allotted for his temporary abode, and survey another unbounded province of the Empire of God, in those living worlds which lie hid from the unassisted sight, and which the microscope alone can descry. He can here perceive the same Hand and Intelligence which direct the rolling worlds above, and marshal all the angelic tribes-organizing, arranging, and governing the countless myriads of animated existence which people the surface of a muddy pool. He can speed his course from one of these departments of Jehovah's kingdom to another, till, astonished and overwhelmed with the order, the grandeur and extent of the wondrous scene, he is constrained to exclaim, "Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty!" "Thine understanding is infinite!" The limits of thy dominions are past finding

out!"

By taking such extensive surveys of the empire of Jehovah, we are enabled to perceive the spirit and references of those sublime passages in the sacred writings which proclaim the Majesty of God, and the Glory of his Kingdom. Such passages are diffusely scattered through the inspired volume, and have evidently an extent of reference far beyond what is generally conceived by the great mass of the Christian' world. The following may suffice as a specimen

Thine, O Lord! is the greatness, and the glory, and the majesty; for all in heaven and earth is thine! Thine is the kingdom, O Lord! Thou art exalted above all, thou reignest over all, and in thine hand is Power and Might. Behold the heaven, and the Heaven of heavens, is the Lord's; the earth also, with all that therein is.Ascribe ye greatness to our God; for there is none like unto the God of Israel, who rideth upon the heavens in his strength, and in his excellency on the sky. Thou, even thou art Lord alone; thou hast made heaven, the Heaven