The Wilmingtonian, and Delaware advertiser., 1827-03-08

it may probably be effected, when the pow
er Of Omnipotence is interposed.
4 The Transformation of insects afford us
beautiful illustration of this subject All the
butterflies we see huttcring about in the
summer months, were originally catterp-
lars. Before they arrive at that highe,t
stage of their existence, they pass through
four different transformations The first
state of a butterfly is that Of an egg--it next
assumes the form of loathsome crawling
7yorm-after remaining some time in this
state, it throws off its caterpillar skin; Ian
\ guishes; refuses to cat; ceases to move, and
is shut up, as it were, in tomb. In this
state the animal is called chrusdiis-it is CO.
vered with thin crust or she'll, and remains
sometimes for six or eight months without
motion, and apparently without life. After
remaining its allotted time i'll this torpid
condition, it begins to acquire new life and
vigor; it bursts its imprisonment, and comes
forth butterfly, with wings tinged with the
most beautiful colors. 1t mounts the air;
it ranges from flower to flower, and seems
to rejoice in its new and splendid existence.
| How very different does it appear in this
state, from what it did in the preceding
stages ofits existence. How unlikely did it
seem that a rough, hairy, crawling worm,
|
death-like tolpor, and enshrouded in tomb
should lie reaninated, as it were, and Chan
ged into so beautiful form, and endued
with such powers of rapid mstion Perhaps
the change to be effected onthe bodies OF men,
at the general resurrection, may not be
greater, nor more wonderful in its nature,
than are the changes which take place from
the first to the last stage of caterpillar's
existence. In such transformations, then,
we behold lively representation of the death
and resurrection of righteous man. "a
little while he shall lie in the ground, as the
seed lies in the bosom of the earth; but he
shall be raised again, and shall never die any
more"
There is another illustration, taken from
a consideration of the chemical changes of
matter, which has still more direct bearing
on the doctrine OF a re esurrection. We know
| that substances which are invisibly incnrpo.
rated with air, water, and other fluids, and
which seem to be destroyed, may be made
to re-appear in their original form by the
application of certain chemical Reagents
For example, put a small piece of solid cam
phor into phial half-hlle with alcohol or
| spirits of wine; in short time the camphor
will be dissolved in the fluid, and the spirits
will be as transparent as at first. II water
be now added, it will unite with the ardent
spirit, and the camphor will be separated,
and fall to the bottom OF the phial In this
way the camphor may be nearly all recov-
cred as at first; and by distillation the alco-
hol may also be separated from the water,
and exhibited in separate state | have
already noticed that carbon. which forms an
essential part of animal and vegetable sub
stances, is found to be not only indestrucu-
bic by age, but, in all its combinations, which
are Infinitely diversified, it still preserves its
identity. In the state OF carbonic acid 1t
exists In union with earths and stones III un-
bounded quantities; and though buried tor
thousands of years beneath immense rocks
or IN the centre of mountains, it is still car
bonlc acid; for no sooner is it disengaged
from its dormitory than it rises with all the
life and vigour of recent formation, not in the
least impaired by its torpid inactivity during
a lapse of ages The beams of the theatre
at Hercuaneum were converted into char
coal, (Which is one of the compounds of car
bon) by the lava which overtlawcd that city,
during an eruption of Mount Vesuvus; and
during the lapse OF 1T00 years, the charcoal
has remained as entire as ifit had been form
ed but yesterday, and it will probably con-
tinue so to the end of the world
In addition to these facts it may be stated
that provision has been made for the res
toration of the fallen leaves of vegetables
which rot upon the gronnd, and, to a care
less observer, would appear to be lost forev-
er 1t has been shown by experiment, that
whenever the soil becomes charged with
such matter, the oxygen of the atmosphere
combines with it. and converts it into car
bonic acid gas. The consequence of which
is, that this 1ery same carbon is in process
of time, absorbed bv new race of vegeta-
bles which it clothes with a new foliage,
and which is itself destined to undergo SINH
lar putrefaction ard renovation to the end of
time.
These facts, and others Of a similar des-
cription which might have been stated, de-
monstrate, that one of the constituent parts
of animal bodies remain unalterably the
same, amidst all the revolutions of time, and
all the changes and decompositions which
take place in the system of nature; and, con-
sequently, that though human bodies may
remain in state of putrefaction for ages, in
the earth and in the waters. yet their COM
ponent parts remain unchanged, and in read
mess to enter into new and more glorious
combination, at the command of that lntelli-
gence, to whom all the principles OF nature,
and all their diversified changes, are inti-
mately known; and whose Power is able to
direct their combinations to the accomplish
ment of his purposes.
Tho such!consideratnns as these may have