result of the action of heat upon the inert bodies in the neighbourhood of the volcanic furnace. The great number of burning volcanos spread over the surface of the earth, and the still greater number of mineral masses which bear evident marks of their ancient volcanic origin, ought to make us regard the ultimate or outermost stratum of the earth as a crust of scoriæ, beneath which exists a great many any furnaces, some of which are extinguished, while others are rekindled. It is well calculated to excite surprise, that the earth, which has endured through so many ages, should still possess an intestine force sufficient to heave up mountains, overturn cities, and agitate its whole mass. The greater number of mountains, when they arose from the heart of the earth, must have left these vast cavities, which would remain empty unless filled by water. I think, however, that De Luc and many other geologists, have reasoned very erroneously on these cavities, which they imagine stretching out into long galleries, by means of which earthquakes are communicated to a distance. An earthquake, as Dr. Young has very justly observed, is analagous to a vibration of the air. It is a very strong sonorous undulation, excited in the solid mass of earth by some commotion which communicates itself with the same rapidity with which sound travels. The astonishing considerations in this great and terrible phenomenon are, the immense extent to which it is felt, the ravages it produces, and potency of the cause to which it must be attributed. But sufficient attention has not been paid to the ease with which all the particles of a solid mass are agitated. The shock produced by the head of a pin at one end of a long beam, causes a vibration through all its fibres, and is distinctly transmitted to an attentive ear at the other end. The motion of a carriage on the pavement shakes vast edifices, and communicates itself through considerable masses, as in the deep quarries under Paris. Is it therefore so astonishing that a violent commotion in the bowels of the earth, should make it tremble in a radius of many hundreds of leagues? In conformity with the law of the transmission of motion in elastic bodies, the extreme stratum, finding no other strata to which to transmit its motion, makes an effort to detach itself from the agitated mass, in the same manner as in a row of billiard balls, the first of which is struck in the direction of contact, the last alone detaches itself and receives the motion. This is the idea I have formed of the effects of earthquakes on the surface of the globe; and I should explain their great diversity by also taking into consideration, with M. de Humboldt, the na ture of the soil and the solutions of continuity which it may contain. In a word, earthquakes are only the propagation of a commotion through the mass of the earth, and are so far from depending on subterranean cavities, that their extent would be greater in proportion as the earth was more homogeneous. The Grace of God Manifested. A sketch of the life, with a circumstantial account of the sickness and death, of MRS. FRANCES COOK, who died Aug. 17, 1823. (Concluded from page 63.) He instantly fell on his knees by her bed-side and their united voices ascended to the throne of God, and made the house echo with praise and thanksgiving. After prayer was ended, they sung and shouted together until their bodily strength was nearly exhausted, and their happy souls filled with holy ecstacy and bliss. A new and glorious scene now opened to her view. Instead of doubts, anxieties, fears and perplexities, all was peace and joy. She frequently declared that she felt no longer a desire to live, nor the least dread of death, but rather a wish to depart and be at rest in the arms of her Saviour. She said, she felt such an unshaken confidence of her acceptance with God, through the death of Christ, that she considered her title to heaven and glory insured to her beyond the possibility of failure. Her brother was at this time, making preparations to go and preach the gospel in the state of Connecticut, whither he had been stationed by the Conference of 1823. This was to her a source of much sorrow. She had received so much comfort and instruction from his exhortations and prayers, that she felt unwilling to lose his company. The period of his departure at length arrived, and they took leave of each other with tears, little expecting to have another interview in this world. From this time her strength rapidly declined, her cough grew more continued and violent, her bodily pains became severe and almost incessant; yet amidst all these sufferings, she was so filled with the love of God, and had such bright and continual prospects of approaching glory, that she was constantly enabled to rejoice in the Lord, which she did in such accents of praise, and with such a cheerful and animated countenance, as astonished every beholder. She soon, however, began to talk much about her brother, and said, "I must see him again before I die, and hear him pray once more, and then I shall depart in peace." This wish was opposed by the family, who represented to her the great difficulty of her brother's leaving his circuit, and travelling such a distance; but all dissuasives were unavailing. Her request was conveyed to him by letter, and he shortly after arrived. The interview between them was affecting beyond description. It was a scene in which the tenderest emotions of nature burst forth, heightened and exalted by the more powerful attractions of Christian love. While he was singing and praying with her, her soul was made unutterably happy, and after he ceased, she declared herself satisfied. The next day he was obliged to return for the purpose of fulfilling ۱ his engagements on his circuit, and after putting his horse before the wagon, he went up stairs, where the family, and some of the neighbours were collected, to pray with his beloved sister, and bid her farewell. While attempting to sing a hymn before prayer, being deeply affected at the thought of leaving for ever, his dear, suffering sister, his voice trembled and faultered-he burst into tears and wept aloud. After a lapse of a few minutes he fell on his knees by her bed-side and attempted to pray, but after uttering a few unconnected and broken sentences, in a voice scarcely audible, he again burst into tears Once more he attempted to pray-and was again obliged to desist. He then arose, and stepped out of the room to compose his mind. In a few minutes he returned, and advancing to the bed, he took his sister by the hand for the purpose of saying something to cheer and comfort her in the approaching hour of death; but here again grief choked his utterance, and he could only articulate a faint farewell-then pressing her hand, he hastily left the room, and never afterwards beheld her more. This scene of sorrow which so overwhelmed the feelings of her brother, and caused every one present to weep, she appeared to enjoy with the utmost delight. She fixed her eyes upon his -face all the time he was singing, praying and weeping, with a look of satisfaction, and when he took his final leave, she never expressed the least concern at his departure. Here it may be proper to advert to that firmness of purpose mentioned in the former part of this narrative, as a distinguished trait in her character. Her friends now expected that this interview with her brother, which she so much desired, would only increase her anxiety to see him again; but not so. She had emphatically said, "If I can see him only once more, and hear him pray, I shall be satisfied and die in peace;" and so it was for after this time she made no further inquiry about him. The Rev. E. BROWN was now requested to visit her, which solemn duty he performed until her death, in the true spirit of a gospel minister, frequently calling three times a day, and administering such spiritual consolation, as the extreme sufferings of her situation required. Finding her life fast drawing to a close, she commenced the arrangement of her temporal concerns, which she disposed of with great judgment and deliberation among her relatives, and in this distribution not one was forgotten, but from the oldest to the youngest, each received from her own hands some little token of remembrance, accompanied with a solemn and impressive charge to prepare for death, and meet her in heaven, where she assured them all, her happy soul would soon be conveyed. She next gave orders to have her grave clothes prepared, and insisted on having them made in the house at the foot of her bed where (her head being elevated by pillows) she could observe the work as it progressed. The persons whom she selected for making her shroud, were two young ladies of her most intimate acquaintance; and, while they were making it, she looked on with much satisfaction, and frequently suggested alterations and improvements, until it was completed exactly to her mind. She would not consent to have a mahogany coffin, but gave orders to have it made of common wood, and in the plainest manner. The muslin that she had prepared for her cap, she gave to her sister Badeau to make, saying, that no one else could make one to suit her. This proved too great a trial for her sister, and she got it made by another person; but when she brought it to her and tried it on, Fanny looked her full in the face, and said, "This does not look like your work-did you make it yourself?" Her sister was then obliged to confess the truth, and actually obliged to make the cap with her own hands. She was very particular in giving directions for conducting her funeral throughout every part of it, in order, as she said, that no confusion, delay or mistake might take place. She pitched upon Brother WASHBURN to address the people at the house, and read the burial service at the grave; and brother Brown to preach her funeral sermon, both of which requests were promptly complied with. Having thus made every preparation for the interment of her body, and disencumbered her mind from all earthly concerns, she made a full and entire surrender of both soul and body into the hands of the Lord, waiting with patience for all his holy will to be accomplished in her; and, though her sufferings grew more and more severe, yet such was her hope and assurance of a glorious immortality, that her soul daily derived new strength and vigour from the anticipation of that eternal rest which was every moment drawing nearer and nearer. She not only felt peace, joy, and comfort, on the bed of death, but her soul was filled with all the graces of the Holy Spirit. Patience under her sufferings-resignation to the will of God-gratitude to those who attended her, and a fervent love to all her fellow creatures-were all by turns fully exhibited, as the circumstances of her situation brought them into action. About two weeks before her death, she became so feeble as to be able to speak only in a whisper, and her fits of coughing became more long and violent. These paroxisms were followed by fits of swooning, which brought the family weeping around her bed several times in a day, in expectation that death would ensue every moment; but this was not her opinion, for she said, she had long prayed that the Lord would make known to her the immediate time of her departure, and she believed her request would be granted. One day, after reviving from one of these fainting fits, lying in a composed state, with her eyes gently closed, and apparently in a slumber, she suddenly raised her hands and laughed; and, when one present observed, that she was dreaming something pleasant, she opened her eyes, while joy beamed on her countenance, and said, "O no! I have not been dreaming; I was ravished with a view of the joys of heaven. My soul is filled with perfect peace." Though her devotions were constant and fervent at all times, yet when Brother Brown was singing and praying with her, her joy rose almost to rapture; and she would testify her happiness, by turning her eyes delightfully up towards heaven, and by raising, and feebly clapping her hands. The most of her time, which the agonies of her body permitted her to improve, was spent in prayer, which she breathed out in whispers that could be heard only by those who were near her. At one time, when she was thus employed, her sister observing her lips to move rapidly, stole softly to her pillow, and laying her ear close to her mouth, heard her distinctly pronounce the following prayer. "O blessed Jesus, -precious bleeding Saviour, come-come, and support and comfort thy poor suffering child. O come and take full possession of my soul. Release my longing, strugling spirit from this prison of clay, and take me to thyself, where my weary soul may rest forever in thine embrace. Yet, O Lord, grant me patience to wait thy own appointed time. If it is thy will that I should suffer still longer, O support and strengthen me, that I may endure thy afflicting hand without murmuring. "O thou glorious and merciful Redeemer! thou hast redeemed my soul, and made me happy in thy love; and I long to soar away to those regions of bliss that now open in such delightful prospect before my eyes. O Saviour! delay no longer; cut the thread of life, and take me forever to thyself. O come, thou compassionate Saviour, and receive, at this moment, receive my spirit into glory." Such was the substance of all her prayers; and while she breathed them out, her soul appeared to rise above the consideraton of all earthly objects, and to feast upon the substantial joys of heaven, before it was separated from the body. On the evening of the day before she died, the Lord was graciously pleased to restore to her the power of speech, when she suddenly, and to the surprise of every one present, exclaimed in an audible voice, that was distinctly heard through every part of the house, “Glory, glory to any blessed Redeemer! my race is almost run, my sufferings are fast drawing to a close; this poor wasting body will shortly sleep in forgetfulness; but O! what a glorious crown waits me in heaven! The power of the tempter is destroyed, and one bright, extensive scene of glory shines around me on every side. Come thou precious, precious, precious Saviour, O come and embrace me in thine everlasting arms of mercy." Then extending her hands above her head as high as she could reach, she exclaimed, in a voice of rapture, "Glory, glory, hallelujah, victory! O that I had wings to fly away and meet my Jesus," &c. Seeing the family stand weeping round her, with a look of deep concern, |