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VALUE OF RIVERS.

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lets would be very refreshing to the inhabitants, spreading a coolness over those streets along which they ran. Indeed, the sight, as well as the taste, of running water, is reviving in a sultry climate, which is elegantly expressed by their being made glad; indeed, during the oppressive season, they must have felt cheered by a draught of its cooling

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EFFECTS OF PRESENCE AND ABSENCE OF RIVERS.

He [the Lord] turneth rivers into a wilderness, and the water-springs into dry ground.-PSALM Cvii. 33. He doeth the reverse, verse 35. He turneth the wilderness into a standing water, and dry ground into water-springs.

He often does so in Africa. Crossing that continent in 1813, in the dry season, the beds of all the rivers were dry, and no spring sent forth any water; the grass that remained was all withered, the bushes sickly, game had all forsaken it, only a solitary zebra appearing now and then; but when God sends a plentiful rainy season, which he does not do annually, then the watersprings break forth and descend to the forsaken river course, and by their contributions re-create a river, which by-and-by causes the lovely and useful grass to spring up, the bushes to send forth their beautiful flowers of varied hues, the trees to look gay, lively, and healthy, and the game to return and browse peacefully in every direction. The natives who had, with their cattle, removed to more favoured spots, also return, and rear their

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A PRESENT OF SWEET CANE.

huts, which renders that part no more to be a wilderness and solitary place, but a land where men pass through, while others become stationary residents in it. Formerly it appeared as if God frowned upon the land, but that now he smiles and blesses it, and makes it a goodly heritage, a desirable habitation. Such moral changes are effected by the introduction of the gospel of salvation into heathen countries; then the Sun of Righteousness may be said to have arisen upon them with healing under his rays.

BOUGHT NO SWEET CANE.

Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money, neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices; but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities. ISAIAH xliii. 24.

On approaching and entering first the city of Mashow, and afterwards that of Kurreechane, the two highest up towns which I visited in Africa, various of the inhabitants who, like all the rest of their countrymen, had never seen waggons nor white men before, were charmed with the sight, and, as a proof of it, they presented me with pieces of sugar, or sweet cane, about a foot in length, and in such numbers, that the bottom of that part of the waggon where I sat was covered with sweet cane. It was an act of kindness. This occurrence explained to me this passage in Isaiah, where God is evidently charging his ancient people with want of affection or

RAIN FALLING MODERATELY.

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unkindness; which expression they would understand, having probably the same custom which I found in Africa, which the Hebrews may have learned while they resided in Africa, viz., in Egypt.

RAIN FALLING MODERATELY.

Be glad, then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God: for he hath given you the former rain MODERATELY, and the [barn] floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats [or vats] shall overflow with wine and oil.-JOEL ii. 23, 24.

In southern climates, rain comes at particular seasons, which are generally termed the rainy seasons. The rain seldom continues to fall long, at one time, even then, but rather falls in what may be called thunder showers, and in torrents. If the ground happens to be hard, which it generally is, such a short, though plentiful fall of rain does little service to the land, as it runs off immediately, not having time to soften and sink into the ground; afterwards the powerful heat of the sun, soon breaking forth from behind the clouds, draws up the little damp that has been left, which soon re-hardens the surface of the ground, and renders it as impervious as before, so that succeeding showers are rendered almost useless; but rain falling MODERATELY, as promised in the text, gradually penetrates the ground, and prepares it to retain future showers, which process produces fertility.

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DESOLATE GROUND SATISFIED.

SATISFYING DESOLATE AND WASTE GROUND.

To convince Job of his ignorance, God proposes a number of questions for him to answer. Among these he asks, Who hath divided a water-course for the overflowing of waters, or a way for the lightning of thunder; to cause it to rain on the earth, where no man is; on the wilderness wherein there is no man; TO SATISFY THE DESOLATE AND WASTE GROUND; and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth ?—JOB xxxviii. 25, &c.

To rain in a wilderness wherein there is no man, proves that rain is not the production of man, but of God. The object of God in sending it to such a forsaken solitary land is beautifully expressed, viz., TO SATISFY THE DESOLATE AND WASTE GROUND, &c., which, from its sickly and faint appearance, seems as if crying earnestly for water, that it might produce something that might be of some use, if it were only to feed a few reptiles or insects, which cannot live without some food. This longing desire God is represented as benevolently satisfying, accommodating the displays of his goodness to the inanimate, as well as the animate, part of his creation.

WILD BEASTS PREVENTED MULTIPLYING IN

CANAAN.

God said to his ancient people, previous to their taking possession of the country of Canaan, I will not drive them [viz., the inhabitants of Canaan] from before thee in one year, lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee. By little and little will I drive them out from be

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fore thee, until thou be increased, and [be capable to fill up or] inherit the land.-Exod. xxiii. 29, 30.

Uninhabited or desolate parts of the earth are generally possessed by wild beasts; and countries on a continent, which, by wars or pestilence, might become desolate, would very soon be taken possession of by the beasts of the forest, or ravenous animals, which would afterwards require a long time to clear away.

No ravenous animal increases fast, which is a mercy; and though troublesome to man, yet they are useful in keeping down the number of those animals which multiply so fast, if unmolested, as I would soon become a serious nuisance to the world: such, for example, as rabbits, one pair of which would soon become 1000, and these in a few years 10,000, and so on. Even one pair of cats, were all their progeny permitted to live for half a century, they would hardly find standing room in the whole county of Rutland.

LAPPING WATER.

Gideon brought down the people unto the water, and the Lord said unto him, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink [set him also by himself]. And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water.-JUDGES vii. 5, &c.

The 300 men that lapped as a dog lappeth,

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