hourly, every moment, goes forth from him, to sustain the worlds he has made-to support and comfort the countless millions of beings, which he has formed. Surely, it may be said, 'He is the father of lights, from whom descends every blessing bestowed upon the creatures of his power.'

"I have spoken to you of the moon.

"The moon is a beautiful object, and by her meek and quiet aspect-her slow and solemn course, might lead us to many pious reflections. A poet has sweetly said

The Moon awakes, and from her maiden face
Shedding her cloudly locks, looks meekly forth,
And with her virgin Stars walks in the heavens;
Walks nightly there, conversing as she walks,
Of purity, and holiness, and God.*

"And, yet, how perpetually is she changing. A fit representation of the unstable nature of all things here below. What changes does only a single day often effect! In that short time, how often is the man of wealth made poor-the man of strength laid low

* Pollok's Course of Time, altered.

upon the bed of sickness-the father or mother of a dependent family taken from them, and laid in the grave. How often is the youth, bright, gay and happy, cut down-cut down as suddenly—as unexpectedly, as the flower, blushing upon its stem, is cut by the passing sythe!

"Let us not, then, my children, set too much value upon the present world. Let us not calculate too strongly upon to-morrow. Let us feel, that we are only strangers and sojourners here; and, when we propose to accomplish any thing, let our language be, 'If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this or that.'

"We are told that God appointed the sun and moon to be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years. The successive seasons of the year, Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter, strongly remind us of the different stages of life:

"The spring, of infancy, when every thing around us is bright and joyous ;-the summer, of manhood, when we attain to full maturity;-the autumn, when age, with its cares and burdens, begins to creep upon us; and winter, when infirmity and disease give

warning that our earthly tabernacle is about to be dissolved."

Behold, fond man!

See here thy pictur'd life; pass some few years,

Thy flowering Spring, thy Summer's ardent strength,
Thy sober Autumn fading into age,

And pale concluding Winter comes at last,

And shuts the scene.

FIFTH DAY.

"We will next proceed to the fifth day's work. Here is a picture of it.

Harriet.

And God said, (Gen. i, 20-23.) Let

that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.

And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind and God saw that it was good.

'And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters of the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.

'And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.'

"We will not long detain ourselves here," said Mr. M. "Before the arrival of the fifth day, the way had been preparing for the accommodation of animal life. That work was now begun. The waters were bid to bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl were directed to fly in the open firmament of heaven. The command was obeyed. Fishes of every kind rose into being, at the command of the Father of the universe, whilst the air became peopled with all manner of flying creatures. The blessing of God was pronounced upon them. This done, all things were declared to be good, and the evening and the morning were the fifth day.”

May I interrupt you, father," said Harriet, inquire why fowls were taken from the water?"

"It is not quite certain that they were taken from the water," replied Mr. M.

"But, father," said Harriet, "in verse 20th it is so declared is it not?"

"True, it appears to be," said Mr. M. "but in the second chapter and 19th verse, it is said, that 'out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every foul of the air.'"

"Can this discrepancy be reconciled?" asked Har

riet.

"Easily, I think," said Mr. M. "Learned men are of the opinion that the fowl were formed from the ground, as is said in Chap. ii, v. 19, and that Chap. i, v. 20, should be translated thus: 'And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and let the fowl fly above the earth, in the open firmament of heaven." "

"If I understand you, father," said Harriet, Chap. ii, v. 19, tells us whence the fowl were taken, and Chap. i, v. 20, tells us where they were to fly."

"Exactly so," said Mr. M. "But should any still think that fowls were taken from the water, and explain