"I thought sleep came upon me, and I be held a beautiful form advancing towards me, who, taking me by the hand, we arose together in a sort of cloudy vehicle with great velocity, leaving this earth behind us! We were soon out of the atmosphere which surrounds it, and began to approach the Moon. Here I could not help expressing a curiosity to touch, and make some stay; but my conductor assured me that what I should soon see, would be so transcend. ently glorious, that to stop here would be mere oss of time. However, we passed so near as to distinguish that its surface was diversified like that of the earth, with land and water, mountains and vallies, lakes and islands, and appeared to be fertile and inhabited. Turning my head, I looked back on the earth, which appeared illuminated about four times the size the moon appears from it, and over its surface were dispersed spots of light and dark, in which I recognized the shape of continents and islands! We proceeded with the swiftness of lightning, and passed Mars towards Jupiter, whose magnitude, surrounded by his four sat. tellites, filled me with admiration! We soon arrived at Saturn, whose luminous ring, twentyone thousand miles in diameter, and seven moons revolving round him, in a regular and brilliant rotation, caused a sensation better felt than described. The next planet we came to was Herschell, who had six satellites attending him. Finding myself now out of the known limits of our system, and launching out into the immensity of space, I was seized with awe and fear; but my conductor reassured and strength. ened me, observing, that I should soon be convinced that our system was but a point in the

immense universe of God, in every part of which his power and goodness were equally present. Our course then directed itself towards Sirius, and I was delighted and sur. prised to see that star, as we approached nearer, dilate itself into a system, with a sun blazing in its centre, diffusing light and animation to the planets which moved round him in their orbits! I was quite wrapped up in the contemplation of this glorious object, when my conductor bade me look back, and see if 1 could find my system. I looked, but in vain; upon which he pointed it out as a star, twinkling among its neighbouring systems! Alas! thought I, how little now appears human vanity! We advanced through thousands of stars, every one, on our approach, dilating itself; till at last we approached a place whose bright. ness and glory surpassed any thing that thought could conceive; where I saw angels clothed in light and beauty, and my ears were delighted with the most harmonious music! My conductor informed me this was the place where the great Creator displayed his presence and glory in a peculiar manner, though at the same time omnipresent, and which mortals had some idea of, by the name of Heaven! I now stood, he said, in the centre of the Universe, and bade me look around; when with infinite admiration did I perceive large systems regularly moving round the place where I stood, as their centre; again other systems round them, and round these again others still smaller, revolving in eternal order, and infinite succession, till my powers were lost in the contemplation. You now, said my conductor, behold the Universe of God! Every one of those millions of worlds is peopled with inhabitants, and the

Deity diffuses life and happiness through his wide creation."-W. J. T.

Jamaica.

A VISIT TO SOUTHAMPTON

By the celebrated Mr. Gray in the year 1764, shall be transcribed. To the sensible and feeling mind it must prove entertaining and impressive:-

"MY health is much improved by the sea, not that I drank it, or bathed in it as the common people do; no, I only walked by it, and looked upon it. The climate is remarkably mild even in October and November, no snow has been seen to lie there for these thirty years past, the myrtles grow in the ground against the houses, and Guernsey lilies bloom in every window; the town clean and well built, sur. rounded by its old stone walls, with their towers and gateways, stands at the point of a peninsula, and opens full south to an arm of the sea, which having formed two beautiful bays on each hand of it, stretches away in direct view 'till it joins the British Channel; it is skirted on either side with gently rising grounds, cloathed with thick wood, and directly cross its mouth rise the high lands of the Isle of Wight, at a distance but distinctly seen! In the bosom of the woods (concealed from profane eyes) lie hid the ruins of Netley Abbey; there may be richer and greater houses of religion, but the Abbot is content with his situation. See there at the top of that hanging meadow, under the shade of those old trees that bend into a half circle about it, he is walking slowly, good man! and bidding his beads for the souls of his beneD

factors interred in that venerable pile that lies beneath him! Beyond it the meadow still descending, nods a thicket of oaks that mask the building, and have excluded a view too garish and luxuriant for a holy eye, only on either hand they leave an opening to the blue,glittering sea! Did you not observe how as that white sail shot by and was lost, he turned and crossed himself to drive the tempter from him, that had thrown that distraction in his way! I should tell you that the ferryman who rowed me, a lusty young fellow, told me that he would not for all the world pass a night at the abbey, (there were such things seen near it) though there was a power of money hid there!"---Gray.

PICTURE OF A PHILOSOPHER

DRAWN by the masterly hand of Dr. Thomas Reid, of Glasgow, is worth attention; though small, yet it is full and expressive.

"HUMAN knowledge is like the steps of a ladder. The first step consists of particular truths discovered by observation or experience, the second collects these into more general truths, the third into still more general. But there are many such steps before we come to the top, that is, to the most general truths! Ambitious of knowledge, and unconscious of our own weakness, we would fain jump at once from the lowest step to the highest. But the consequence of this is, that we tumble down, and find that our labour must be begun anew! Is not this a good picture of a philosopher? I think so truly, and I should be vain of it if I were not afraid that I have stolen it from Lord Bacon."Dr. Reid.

THE CREATION OF THE WORLD

By the Supreme Being is a fundamental article of our faith; the bible opens with it, and how. ever we explain it, it is a glorious and important truth.

" IT is a comfortable reflection that the question whether matter was created or not, is a pure inconsequential speculation, and that ei ther side may be adopted without impiety. To me it appears more simple and more natural to hold it to be a work of creation, than to be selfexistent, and consequently independent of the Almighty either to create or to annihilate. I cheerfully make the former an article in my creed, but without anathematising those who adopt the latter. I would, however, have it understood that I limit my concession to matter in its rude and chaotic state. I cannot possibly go so far as to comprehend the world or universe in its orderly or systematic form. That immense machine composed so as to fulfil an infinite variety of useful ends and purposes, must be the work of an artist, the production of a great Being omniscient as well as om nipotent! To assign blind fatality as the cause is an insufferable absurdity.---Kaimes.

THE ART OF VIRTUE

WAS the title of a book which the late great and good Dr. Franklin intended to have writ ten, but never accomplished. He thus mentions it in a letter to Lord Kaimes, dated May, 1760.

"MANY people live bad lives that would