Can we be any other than charmed with the goodness appearing in it, when we see the plants every where starting out of the earth, and hear their courteous invitation, feeble man, I am a remedy, which our gracious Maker has provided for thy feebleness; take me, know me, use me, thou art welcome to all the good that is to be found in me! Yea, such are the virtues of the vegetable world, that it is no rare thing to see a whole book written on the virtues of one single vegetable.

How long is Rosenbergius on the rose, in his rhodologia? Whitaker will have the vine to be the tree of life, in his treatise on the blood of it. Alsted has entertained us with a yet greater variety on that plant of renown.

I was going to mention the anatomia sambuci, written by a German philosopher. But I presently call to mind such a vast number of treatises published, each of them on one single vegetable, by the naturalists of Germany, that a catalogue would be truly too tedious to be introduced. If the coral may pass for a vegetable, Garencieres has obliged us with a whole treatise upon it.

But then we have one far-fetched and dear bought plant, on which we have so many volumes written, that they alone almost threaten to become a library. Tea is that charming plant. Read Pecklinus' book de potu theæ, and believe the medicinal and balsamic virtues of it; it strengthens the stomach, it sweetens the blood, it revives the heart, and it refreshes the spirits, and is a remedy against a world of distempers. Then go to Waldschmidt, and you will find it also to brighten the intellectuals.

There is a curiosity observed by Mr. Robin. son of Ousby, that should not be left unmention. ed; it is, that birds are the natural planters of all sorts of trees; they disseminate the kernels on the earth, which brings them forth to perfection. Yea, he affirms, that he hath actually seen a great number of crows together planting a grove of oaks; they first made little holes in the earth with their bills, going about and about, till the hole was deep enough, and then they dropt in the acorn, and covered it with earth and moss. At the time of his writing, this young plantation was growing up towards a grove of oaks, and of an height for the crows to built their nests in.

In Virginia there is a plant called the Jamestown weed, whereof some having eaten plentifully, became fools for several days; one would blow up a feather in the air, another dart straws at it; a third sit naked, like a monkey, grinning at the rest; a fourth fondly kiss and paw his companions, and snear in their faces. In this frantic state they were confined, lest they should kill themselves, though there appeared nothing but innocence in all their actions. After eleven days they returned to themselves, not remembering any thing that had passed.

My friend, a madness more senseless than that with which this vegetable envenoms the eaters of it, holds thee in the stupefying chains, if thou dost not behold in the whole vegetable kingdom such works of the glorious Creator, as call for a continual admiration.

"The man began to be cured of his blindness, who could say, I see men, like trees, walking. That man is yet perfectly blind who does not see

men, like trees, first growing and flourishing, then withering, decaying and dying.

"The rapæ anthropomorphæ, and some other plants, that have grown with much of a human figure, to be fancied on them, have been odd things. But there are points wherein all plants will exhibit something of the human figure.

The parts of plants analogous to those of the human body, are notably enumerated by Alsted in his Theologia Naturalis. The analogy between their states and ours would be also a profitable and reasonable subject of contemplation. And I hope the revival of the plants in the spring will carry us to the faith of our own resurrection from the dead. And of the recovery which the church will one day see from a winter of adversity; the world from a winter of impiety: the earth shall one day be filled with the fruits of righteousness, however barren and horrid may be its present aspect."

"I will hear these field preachers, their loud voice to me from the earth, is the same with what would be uttered by angels flying through the midst of heaven; fear God, and glorify him!"

"A famous German doctor of philosophy declares, that he found it impossible for him to look upon the vegetable world without these acclamations, Psalm cxxxix, 6. The knowledge of these things is too wonderful for me, it is high, I cannot attain to it."

"The pious Arndt observes, that every creature is enstamped with characters of the divine goodness, and brings testimonies of a good Crea

tor."

"A devout writer treats us with such a thought as this our God is like a tender father, who,

There is a curiosity observed by Mr. Robin. son of Ousby, that should not be left unmentioned; it is, that birds are the natural planters of all sorts of trees; they disseminate the kernels on the earth, which brings them forth to perfection. Yea, he affirms, that he hath actually seen a great number of crows together planting a grove of oaks; they first made little holes in the earth with their bills, going about and about, till the hole was deep enough, and then they dropt in the acorn, and covered it with earth and moss. At the time of his writing, this young plantation was growing up towards a grove of oaks, and of an height for the crows to built their nests in.

In Virginia there is a plant called the Jamestown weed, whereof some having eaten plentifully, became fools for several days; one would blow up a feather in the air, another dart straws at it; a third sit naked, like a monkey, grinning at the rest; a fourth fondly kiss and paw his companions, and snear in their faces. In this frantic state they were confined, lest they should kill themselves, though there appeared nothing but innocence in all their actions. After eleven days they returned to themselves, not remembering any thing that had passed.

My friend, a madness more senseless than that with which this vegetable envenoms the eaters of it, holds thee in the stupefying chains, if thou dost not behold in the whole vegetable kingdom such works of the glorious Creator, as call for a continual admiration.

"The man began to be cured of his blindness, who could say, I see men, like trees, walking. That man is yet perfectly blind who does not see

men, like trees, first growing and flourishing, then withering, decaying and dying.

"The rapæ anthropomorphæ, and some other plants, that have grown with much of a human figure, to be fancied on them, have been odd things. But there are points wherein all plants will exhibit something of the human figure.

The parts of plants analogous to those of the human body, are notably enumerated by Alsted in his Theologia Naturalis. The analogy between their states and ours would be also a profitable and reasonable subject of contemplation. And I hope the revival of the plants in the spring will carry us to the faith of our own resurrection from the dead. And of the recovery which the church will one day see from a winter of adversity; the world from a winter of impiety: the earth shall one day be filled with the fruits of righteousness, however barren and horrid may be its present aspect."

"I will hear these field preachers, their loud voice to me from the earth, is the same with what would be uttered by angels flying through the midst of heaven; fear God, and glorify him!"

"A famous German doctor of philosophy declares, that he found it impossible for him to look upon the vegetable world without these acclamations, Psalm cxxxix, 6. The knowledge of these things is too wonderful for me, it is high, I cannot attain to it."

"The pious Arndt observes, that every creature is enstamped with characters of the divine goodness, and brings testimonies of a good Crea

tor."

"A devout writer treats us with such a thought as this our God is like a tender father, who,