Short; fo that we were almoft perfuaded he would recover. From that time till he died, which was feven or eight hours, be felt no pain; but spoke to every one quite eafy, and exhorted, in a very folemn manner, a friend of his who came to fee him. He faid, "Do you believe you will ever die ?" The other replying, “To be fure I do," he asked again, “ Are you ready to die?" He replied, "I hope in the mercy of God." To whom the fick man faid with earneftnefs, "Why, I tell you, man, if you do not repent, and get your fins pardoned here, you will be damned!"

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I left him now for fome time, and when I returned found him crying earneftly to God that he would cleanse him from all unrighteousness: which he foon obtained, as was evident by the joy which appeared in his countenance. His fpeech began to fail; but his looks and expreffions were furprifing. Sometimes he would fay, "Holy, holy, holy!" At other times, "Glory, glory, glory be to Jesus."

About two hours before his departure, he began praying for the world in a moft earneft manner; though he could not express the words plain. He repeated over and over, “O God of the world, and my God: God of the juft, and of the unjuft:" and then added quite loud feveral times, “amen." He had wonderful views, and feemed to get an answer to his prayer; for, he rejoiced in a profpect of that time when all the world should ferve God. Whilft he was thus exercifed, a Preacher came in and prayed with him. He attended to his prayer; and then went on again praying and rejoicing, nor could he ftop, except juft whilft the Preacher was at prayer. I asked him was he happy now? He replied in a low voice, but fo as all around the bed could hear, very happy." His fenfes continued to the laft moment, He was going on faying fomething, but we could not understand him; his face being full of fmiles of tranfport; when his breath just stopt without any struggle or pain; and his happy fpirit took its flight to behold that Jefus, whom he fo lately

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knew,

knew, and yet had fo much longed to fee! Surely this was a brand plucked from the burning! And is another inflance of the willingness of God to receive every returning prodigal; and that Chrift is able to fave to the uttermoft all that come to. God through him. To whom be all the glory! Amen!

An Extract from a SURVEY of the WISDOM of GOD in the CREATION.

6.

GENERAL REFLECTIONS.

Q

Of Metals, Minerals, and other Foffils.

[Continued from Vol. xii. page 644-]

UICKSILVER differs from all metals, in that it is

naturally liquid. Its properties are 1. It is the heavieft of all bodies, but gold and platina. 2. It is the most fluid of all. The particles even of water, do not divide fo eafily as thofe of Quickfilver: they have hardly any cohefion. 3. Of all bodies it is divifible into the minuteft parts. Being on the fire, it refolves into almost an invifible vapour. But let it be divided ever fo much, it ftill retains its nature. For the vapours of distilled Quickfilver, received in water or on moist leather, become pure Quickfilver. And if it be mixed with lead or any other bodies, in order to be fixed, it is easily by fire feparated from them again, and reduced to its ancient form. 4. It is extremely volatile, being convertible into a fume, even in a fand-heat. 5. Of all fluids it is in equal circumftances the coldest and the hotteft. This depends on its weight; for the heat and cold of all bodies, is (cæteris paribus) as their weight. 6. It is diffolvable by almost all acids, but vinegar. And hereby we difcover, if it be fophifticated with lead. Rub it

in

in a mortar with vinegar. If it be mixed with lead it grows fweetifh: if with copper it turns greenifh or bluifh. If there be no adulteration, the Quickfilver and vinegar will both remain as before. 7. It is the moft fimple of all bodies, but gold and platina. 8. It has no acidity at all, nor does it corrode any body.

But it may be observed of Metals in general, there is great uncertainty and inconftancy in the Metallic and Mineral kingdoms, both as to colour, figure, and fituation. A Marcafite, for inftance, may have the colour of gold and filver, and yet afford nothing but a little vitriol and fulphur: while what is only a pebble in appearance, may contain real gold.

It is common alfo to find the fame Metal shot into many dif. ferent forms, as well as to find different kinds of Metal of the fame form. There is the fame uncertainty as to their place. Sometimes they are found in the perpendicular fiffures of the ftrata, fometimes interfperfed in the fubftance of them; and the fame Metals in ftrata of very different natures. They are likewife frequently intermixed with each other; fo that we feldom find any of them pure and fimple, but copper and iron, gold and copper, filver and lead, tin and lead in one mafs: yea, fometimes all fix together.

What diftinguishes them from all other bodies as well as from each other, is their heavinefs: each Metal having its peculiar weight, which no art can imitaté.

But who can reckon the various ways, wherein Metals are ufeful to mankind? Without thefe we could have nothing of culture or civility; no tillage or agriculture; no reaping or mowing, no plowing or digging, no pruning or grafting, no mechanic arts or trades, no veffels or utenfils of houfhold ftuff, no convenient houfes or edifices, no fhipping or navigation. What a barbarous and fordid life, we muft neceffarily have lived, the Indians in the northern parts of America are a clear démonftration.

And

And it is remarkable, that those which are of most necessary use, as iron and lead are the most plentiful. Those which may better be spared, are more rare. And by this very circumftance they are qualified to be made the common measure and ftandard of the value of other commodities, and to serve for money, to which use they have been employed by all civilized nations in all ages.

All metals are liable to ruft. Gold itfelf rufts, if exposed to the fumes of fea-falt. The great inftrument in producing ruft is water air, only by the water it contains. Hence in dry air Metals do not ruft; neither, if they are well oiled water not being able to penetrate oil. Ruft is only the Metal under another form. Accordingly ruft of copper may be turned into copper again. Iron if not preserved from the air by paint, will in time turn wholly into rust.

7. Mines in general are cavities within the earth, containing fubftances of various kinds. These the miners term loads: if Metallic, they are faid to be alive; if not, to be dead loads. In Cornwall and Devonshire the loads always run from East to Weft. Mines feem to be, or to have been channels of waters within the earth, and have branches opening into them in all directions. Moft mines have ftreams running through them: where they have not, probably the water has changed its courfe. The fprings in these parts are always hard, abounding either with flony or fulphureo-faline particles. These particles are either of a vitriolic or an arfenical nature. The first concretes into white cubes, refembling filver, the fecond into yellow ones refembling gold. Both thefe are by the miners termed Mundic..

But

8. Mundic is varioufly coloured on the cutfide with blue, green, purple, gold, filver, brass and copper-colours. within it is either of the colour of filver, of brafs, or gold colour, or brown. The other colours are no more than a thin film or fediment, which water variously impregnated, depofites upon the furface.

There

There are few copper-loads, if any, but have this Semimetal (which is a kind of wild mock-copper) attending upon them. Therefore, in fearching for copper, it is reckoned a great encouragement to meet with Mundic. The Mundic does not intimately incorporate itfelf with the ore of copper; for copper in its mineral state, being ufually of a clofe confiftence, repels the Mundic, which is therefore eafily feparated from the ore.

Cornifh waters are infected by Mundic, more or less, according to the quantity which they pafs through, and the dif pofition of the Mundic, either to retain or to communicate the noxious particles of which it confifis. Arfenic, fulphur, vitriol, and mercury are the conftituents of Mundic, yet thefe pernicious ingredients are fo bridled and detained by their mutual action and re-action, and by mixing with other minerals, that the water is not poifonous, (generally fpeaking) even in the mine where it proceeds directly from the Mundic.

Mundic refembles plants, animals, mouldings, carvings, and fundry more varieties, too numerous to infert. Shall we attribute this to a plastic power fuperintending the congress of foffils, and sporting itself with fuch reprefentations? Or fhall we rather say, that the great power which contrived and made all things, needing no delegate, artfully throws the flexible liquid materials of the foffile kingdom into various figures, to draw the attention of mankind to his works, and thence lead. them, to the acknowledgment, and adoration of an intelligent being, inexhaustibly wife, good and glorious? Doubtless these are the works of that fame lover of shape, colour and uniformity that paints the peacock's train, that veins the onyx, that streaks the zebra: it is the fame hand whofe traces we may discover even among the meanest and obfcure foffils. God loves fymmetry, gracefulness, elegance, and variety, and diftributes them for his complacency as well as glory, limits them not to plants, and animals, and open day light, but like a great mafter habitually imparts them to all his works, though in the deepest ocean, and in the moft fecret parts of the earth. [To be continued.]

VOL. XIII.