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remember is that of the Yankee's mill-wheel, which travelled three times as fast as the stream which drove it, while the latter was swift enough to make the sawlogs fly up out of the water merely by the force of the

current.

This nebular notion was always as contrary to astronomical facts as to mechanical principles. The orbits of the comets being inclined at angles to the Sun's equator, are often out of the plane of his rotation, and so in the way of the theory. The moons of Uranus revolve in a direction contrary to all the other bodies, and fly right into the face of the theory. According to the nebular theory, the outer planets first cast off from the sun ought to be lighter than those nearer him, as these had longer pressing near the middle of the mass; and the sun himself, having been pressed by the weight of all the rest of the system, should be the densest body of the whole. And the author of the "Vestiges of Creation," in expounding the theory, manufactures a set of facts to suit it, and tells his readers that the planets exhibit a progressive diminution in density from the one nearest the sun to that which is most distant. Our solar system could not have lasted thirty years had that been the case. The Earth, Venus, and Mars are nearly of the same density. Uranus is more dense than Saturn, which is nearer the Sun. Nepture is more dense than either. The Sun, which ought to be the heaviest of all, according to the theory is only one-fourth the density of the Earth. La Place himself has demonstrated that these densities and arrangements are indispensable to the stability of the system. But they are plainly contradictory to his theory of its formation.*

The palpable difference of luminosity between the Sun and the planets, which, as they are all made of the very same materials, and by the same process, according to this theory, ought to be equally self-luminous, is in itself a self-evident refutation of the nebular hypothesis, or of any other process of creation by mere mechanical law. "The same power, whether natural or supernatural, which placed the Sun in the centre of the six primary planets, placed Saturn in the centre of the orb of his five secondary planets; and Jupiter in the centre of his four secondary planets; and the Earth in the centre of the moon's orbit; and therefore, had this cause been a blind one, without contrivance or design, the Sun would have been a body of the same kind with Saturn, Jupiter, and the Earth-that is, without light or heat. Why there is one body in our system qualified to give light and heat to all the rest, I know no reason, but because the Author of the system thought it convenient." So says the immortal Newton.t

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and in contemptuously dismissing the notion of development and creation by natural law from the halls of science.

"Up to the present time we are ignorant, as I have already remarked, of any internal necessity-any mechanical law of nature-which (like the beautiful law which connects the square of the periods of revolution with the cube of the major axis) represents the above named elements-the absolute magnitude of the planets, their density, flattening at the poles, velocity of rotation, and presence or absence of moons—of the order of succession of the individual planetary bodies of each group in their dependence upon the distances. Although the planet which is nearest the Sun is densest-even six or eight times denser than some of the exterior planets, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune-the order of succession in the case of Venus, the Earth, and Mars, is very irregular. The absolute magnitudes do generally, as Kepler has already observed, increase with the distances; but this does not hold good when the planets are considered individually. Mars is smaller than the Earth; Uranus smaller than Saturn; Saturn smaller than Jupiter, and succeeds immediately to a host of planets, which, on account of their smallness, are almost immeasurable. It is true the period of rotation generally increases with the distance from the Sun; but it is in the case of Mars slower than in that of the Earth, and slower in Saturn than in Jupiter."*

"Our knowledge of the primeval ages of the world's physical history does not extend sufficiently far to allow of our depicting the present condition of things as one of development." +

4. Astronomy not only exposes the folly of past cosmogonies, but demonstrates the impossibility of framing any true theory of creation, and thus refutes all future cosmogonies.

The grand error of all cosmogonies lies in the arrogant assumption, on which every one of them must be founded, that the theorist is acquainted with all substances and all forces in the universe, and with all the modes of their operation; not only at the present period, and on this Earth, but in all past ages, and in worlds in widely different and utterly unknown situations; for, if he be ignorant of any substance, or of any active force in the universe, his generalization is avowedly imperfect, and necessarily false. known force must have had its influence in framing the world. Its omission, then, is fatal to the theory which neglects it. A theory of creation, for instance, which would neglect the attraction of gravitation, would be manifestly false. But there are other laws, as far

That un

The great expounder of modern science-Humboldt-reaching, whose omission must be equally fatal; for

is equally explicit in enumerating the decisive marks of choice and will in the construction of the solar system,

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instance, the power of repulsion.

A conviction of this truth has given rise to a constant effort to simplify matters down to the level of our ignorance, by reducing all substances to one, or at most

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two, simple elements, and all forces to the form of one universal and irrational law; but the progress of science utterly blasts the attempt. Instead of simplifying matters, the very chemical processes undertaken with that view revealed new substances; and every year increases our knowledge of nature's variety. No scientific man now dreams of one primeval element. In the same way, astronomy, which, it was boasted, would enable us to account for all the operations of the universe, by reducing all motion to one mechanical law, has revealed to us the existence of other forces as far-reaching as the attraction of gravitation, and more powerful; and substances whose nature and combinations are utterly unknown. But every cosmogony is just an attempt to simplify matters, by ignoring the existence of these unknown substances and mysterious forces; a process which science condemns, as utterly unphilosophical and absurd.

The Sun's heat, at its surface, is 300,000 times greater than at the surface of the Earth; but a tenth of this amount, collected in the focus of a lens, dissipates gold and platina in vapour. When the most vivid flames which we can produce are held up in the blaze of his rays, they disappear. If a cataract of icebergs, a mile high, and wider than the Atlantic Ocean, were launched into the Sun with the velocity of a cannon ball, the small portion of the Sun's heat expended on our Earth would convert that vast mass into steam as fast as it entered his atmosphere, without cooling its surface in the least degree. "The great mystery, however, is to conceive how so enormous a conflagration (if such it be) can be kept up. Every discovery in chemical science here leaves us completely at a loss, or rather seems to remove further the prospect of probable explanation." "Yet, the Sun is the nearest of the fixed stars, and by far the best known, and most nearly related to us. In fact, we are dependent on his influences for life and health. But if the theorist cannot tell his substance, or the nature and cause of the light and heat he sends us, how can he presume so far on the world's credulity as to present a theory of his formation?

"Astronomical problems accumulate unsolved upon our hands, because we cannot, as mechanicians, chemists, or physiologists, experiment on the stars. Are they built of the same material as our planet? Are Saturn's rings solid, or liquid? Has the moon an atmosphere? Are the atmospheres of the planets like ours? Are the light and heat of the Sun begotten of combustion? And what is the fuel which feeds these unquenchable fires? These are questions which we ask, and variously answer, but leave unanswered after all."+ But, till he can answer these, and a thousand questions like these, let no man presume to describe the formation of these unknown orbs.

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Comets constitute by far the greatest number of the bodies of our solar system. Arago says seven millions frequent it, within the orbit of Uranus.* They are the largest bodies known to us, stretching across hundreds of millions of miles. They approach nearer to this Earth than any other bodies, sometimes even involving it in their tails; and generally exciting great alarm among its inhabitants. But the nature of the transparent luminous matter of which they are composed is utterly unknown. As they approach the Sun, they come under an influence directly the opposite of attraction. The tail streams away from the Sun, over a distance of millions of miles, and yet, the rate of the comet's motion towards the Sun is quickened, as though it were an immense rocket, driven forward by its own explosion.

Further while the body of the comet travels towards the Sun, sometimes with a velocity nearly one-third of that of light, the tail sends forth coruscations in the opposite direction, with a much greater velocity. The greatest velocity with which we are acquainted on Earth is the velocity of light, which travels a million of times faster than a cannon ball, or at the rate of 195,000 miles per second; but here is a substance capable of travelling twenty-three times faster, and here is a force propelling it, twenty-three times greater than any which exists on Earth. Its existence was first discovered by the coruscations of the comet of 1807. "In less than one second, streamers shot forth, to two and a half degrees in length; they as rapidly disappeared, and issued out again, sometimes in proportions, and interrupted, like our northern lights. Afterwards, the tail varied, both in length and breadth; and in some of the observations, the streamers shot forth from the whole expanded end of the tail, sometimes here, sometimes there, in an instant, two and a half degrees long; so that within a single second they must have shot out a distance of 4, 600,000 miles. Similar exhibitions of this unknown force were made by the comet of 1811, by Halley's comet, and several others.

In these amazing disclosures of the unknown forces of the heavens, do we not hear a voice rebuking the presumption of ignorant theorists, with the questions : Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? Canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth? Hear one of the most distinguished of modern astronomers expound the moral bearings of such a discovery: "The intimation of a new cosmical power-I mean, of one so unsuspected before, but which yet can follow a planet through all its wanderings-throws us back once more into the indefinite obscure, and checks all dogmatism. How many influences, hitherto undiscovered by our ruder senses, may be ever streaming toward us, and modifying every terrestrial action! And yet, because we had traced one of these, we have deemed our astronomy complete!

* Somerville's Connection of the Physical Sciences, 300.

† Dick's Siderial Heavens, chap. xx.

Deeper far, and nearer to the root of things, is that world with which man's destiny is entwined.” *

We can have no reason, save our own self-sufficient arrogance, to believe that the discovery of these two forces exhausts the treasures of infinite wisdom. Humboldt thus well refutes the folly of such an imagination: "The imperfectibility of all empirical science, and the boundlessness of the sphere of observation, render the task of explaining the forces of matter by that which is variable in matter, an impracticable one. What has been already perceived by no means exhausts that which is perceptible. If, simply referring to the progress of science in our own times, we compare the imperfect physical knowledge of Robert Boyle, Gilbert, and Hales, with that of the present day, and remember that every few days are characterized by an increasing rapidity of advance, we shall be better able to imagine the periodical and endless changes which all physical sciences are destined to undergo. New substances and new forces will be discovered.+

Thus, ail true science, conscious of its ignorance, ever leads the mind to the region of faith. Its first lesson, and its last lesson, is humility. It tells us that every cosmogony which the children of theory so laboriously scratch in the sand, must be swept away by the rising tide of science. When we seek information on the great questions of our origin and destiny, and cry, "Where shall wisdom be found, and what is the place of understanding?" the high priests of science answer, in her name, "It is not in me; the measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea."

We receive this honest acknowledgment as an inestimable boon. We are saved thereby the wearying labour of a vain and useless search after knowledge which lies not in her domain. We come down to the Bible with the profound conviction that science can give us no definite information of our origin, no cer

tainty of our destiny, and but an imperfect acquaintance with the laws which govern this present world. If the Bible cannot inform us on these all-important questions, we must remain ignorant. Science declares she cannot teach us. The Word of God remains, not merely the best, but absolutely the only the last resource of the anxious soul.

The Bible gives us no theory of creation. It simply asserts the fact, that "in the beginning God created the heaven and the earth," but does not tell us how he did so. The knowledge could be of no use to us, for he never means to employ us as his assistants in the work of creation. Nor could we understand the matter. The force by which he called the worlds into being, and upholds them in it, exists in no creature. "He stretches forth the heavens alone. He spreadeth abroad the earth by himself." "He upholdeth all things by the word of his power."

But it presents anxious, care-worn, humbled souls with something infinitely more precious than cosmogonies: even an explicit declaration of the love towards them of him who made these worlds.

"Thus saith the Lord, THY REDEEMER,
"And he who formed thee from the womb:
"I am the LORD, who maketh all things;
"Who stretcheth forth the heavens alone,
"And spreadeth abroad the earth, by myself."

Yes, the Creator of heaven and earth, who upholds all things by the word of his power, became a man like you, and dwelt on earth, and suffered the sorrow, the shame, the pain, the death, that sinful man deserved; and when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. From that heavenly throne his voice now sounds, reader, in your ear, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

The Children's reasury.

THE LITTLE CHIMNEY-SWEEP.

FOUNDED UPON FACT.

CHAPTER III.

OOD morning, uncle dear!" said Flora, | cheeks?" added he; as, placing his hand affectionately
bounding into the rector's study in a
most unceremonious manner on the fol-
lowing morning. A privileged visitor at

all times was she.
"Good morning, mad-cap," said Mr. Sanar, returning
her kiss. "What has brought such colour to these

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under her chin, he tried to raise the little face to his own. "What! no breath to answer with? You must not run so fast another time."

With an arch smile, Flora looked into her uncle's kindly face and said, "Oh, it will come back again soon. I ran fast because I have a favour to ask-will you grant it me?" "First tell me what it is."

"It is to go and see my sweep, and to help him be

cause he has such a bad cold and cough. He can't go to school because his mother is too poor to send him, so I want you to teach him-will you?"

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'Stop, stop, my pet; one question at a time. Who is this sweep in whom you are so suddenly interested? Sit down quietly and explain all."

Thus urged, Flora sat down, still holding the hand of her uncle, and repeated the history of yesterday as calmly and connectedly as her excitement would allow.

"And now, uncle dear, won't you help me, because I am a little girl and cannot help him, you know?" "Not so. I know nothing of the kind, Flora dear. No little follower of the Lord Jesus is without power to help another. Once brought to him, even a little child has work for him to do, that none other can do. Therefore there is work for you, with this little boy, and you | must ask your Master to show you what it is."

Before the latter left, he read a few verses from the Bible, and besought Charlie to thank the great God, who had brought such a blessing within his reach. Mr. Sanar then left the cottage, followed by the blessing of the widow. A woman of few words, she ever felt more than she could express to man. Not so with God, however; to him her heart spoke out of its abundance, and gratefully did she thank him now for this unlooked-for answer to prayer.

On his way home Mr. Sanar called upon his sister, and told her that one difficulty in the way of Charlie was the lack of suitable clothing. Flora, who was present, looked grave at this announcement; but her mother relieved her at once by promising to give him some of her brother's, which had lain by ever since his death. Fully did Mr. Sanar and Flora appreciate this sacrifice and effort on the part of Mrs. Westmore; for both well

"Oh, uncle! do you really think so. I am glad if knew that the loss of Fred had been so keenly felt by you do."

"Yes, darling, I do think so. Even now I think that you have begun to do it, in seeking him and bringing the case before me; but remember you must pray as well as work. Prayer, even from a child-if one of faith-moves the great God to draw nigh to such, while it brings down an answer of peace to the pray-er. Yes; wonderful is the thought that prayer can bend the Ruler of the universe to stoop at the voice of a little child! Does your little friend know the Saviour?"

"No, uncle; that is why I wanted your help." "Very well, dear. Then remember to pray that he may be brought to know Him. At present, that is work enough for you to do. I will go to see Charlie to-day. Though I have been here only a few months, I thought I knew all my people. But it seems that I do not." "Ah, uncle! that is because they used to go to a church nearer to them. They have only come to Swan Alley lately, and he has not been well enough to go to school-but that reminds me. Papa says he will pay Charlie's school-fees for one year."

"All right. Now, unless you mean to dine with us, you must start at once, for it is just one o'clock, pet." "No, thank you, I must not stop to dinner. So good-bye, dear, good uncle."

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'Good-bye, little flatterer," was Mr. Sanar's answer, as his little niece ran out of the room, shaking her head reprovingly at him for this last epithet.

The afternoon found Mr. Sanar seated by the fireside of the widow, in conversation with Charlie, and making arrangements for his regular attendance at school. Willingly had his mother given her consent, for she felt that the little he earned, though a loss to her, would be nothing compared with the gain of having her boy educated. Gratefully, therefore, she thanked the clergyman for his interest, and promised that Charlie should be at school on the following Monday. As for Charlie, his joy knew no bounds when he heard the good news. In his own mind he called Flora a "little angel;" but he was too shy to express his thoughts before the clergyman.

his mother, that the sound of his name, or the sight of aught belonging to him, tried her to the uttermost. Even now, as she spoke, her face paled and her voice faltered. Was this the first step in a new and hitherto untried path in the "narrow way"-that which excludes SELF-was it? Was this a step taken, perchance, in the dark; guided by an unseen hand, yet the first in the right way? Was this the first link in the chain which should afterwards bind the soul of Mrs. Westmore to her Saviour? Who can say? for God alone knows the exact moment when his child begins to live. He only hears the first feeble wail which proves the life of his infant. But this we do know, that from this very morning, little by little, was Mrs. Westmore led to walk with God, following in the footsteps of a little child, who showed her the way to Jesus ;-that child was Flora! Already had her Master shown to her the work she was to do for him, in answer to her own prayer.

Swiftly flew past the remaining days of the week. On Saturday the suit of clothes was given to the grateful widow, with the promise of one shilling a week, in future, to make up the loss she would sustain in allowing Charlie to attend school regularly. Flora looked forward to Sunday for the pleasure of seeing her protegé at church among the school children; but she was doomed to disappointment. Clear and fine as the day proved, no Charlie appeared either morning or afternoon. Keenly did Flora feel her disappointment-so keenly, that it evidenced to others how much this disappointment was needed in order to teach her that her will was not yet bent to the will of God. Eagerly had she seized upon a piece of work to do for him, with a heart full of love. But she was ignorant of the fact that her heart must do God's work in his own time and manner. This she had to learn from her uncle in the afternoon, who wisely put it before her as they walked home from church together.

"God is teaching his little one to be patient, Flora dear; asking her to give up her own way, to trust him to do what is best for his little wanderer, Charlie. Shall

he ask in vain? Will his child turn away and sulk this afternoon, because she cannot have all she wanted done | carried out at once?"

As Mr. Sanar ceased speaking, he looked down kindly upon the little child at his side. For a few moments no answer cane; then he felt his hand gently pressed, and looking into the face now raised to his, he read the wished-for answer before he heard the whispered, "No, uncle, I won't fret; I will leave Charlie to God."

"That is right, my pet. You have still the way of prayer open; take it for to-day, and to-morrow we will find out, between us, what has come to Charlie."

The morrow told its tale. Charlie's cough was so much worse, that he could not leave his bed. The doctor desired that he should not do so for some days. All parties concerned felt the disappointment and delay in Charlie's attendance at school. None felt it so keenly as the little invalid himself, however.

Days passed rapidly. Charlie did not improve; yet nourishment in every form found its way into his room from the "big house," as it was still called by him. Gratefully as all was received, the strength of Charlie did not return. Mr. Sanar visited the cottage daily, and sought to build upon the foundation of texts and hymns which had been stored in the boy's memory, even while his heart was untouched. But in this case no fruit appeared; for though Charlie would listen respectfully to Mr. Sanar, he yet showed no interest in the subject of conversation. This was a great trial to the good clergyman, as well as to the poor widow. "Persevere in prayer, my good woman," were Mr. Sanar's words to her one morning, when she had followed him to the end of the alley to tell out her heart trouble. "Persevere, and in God's time a blessing will surely come."

And what of Flora all this time-was she forgetful of her little protegé? No. Daily in her own small chamber did she kneel and pray for Charlie, that God would make him learn to love Jesus; that if he did not wish Charlie to get well, and go to school, then that he would take charge of him and teach him himself; teach him, too, without their help in any way, if only he were thus taught of God.

Did the Hearer of prayer turn a deaf ear to the voice of his own Spirit rising from the heart of a little child? He could not, and the result will prove that he did not.

CHAPTER IV.

CONCLUSION.

"MAMMA, may I stay and speak with Charlie all alone to-day?" Such was the request of little Flora some weeks after the decísion given by the doctor that Charlie was not to leave the house during the winter months. March had now set in, and though the morning was cold, it was a day to delight in for a brisk walk. Flora stood now before her mother, anxiously waiting for the answer to her petition.

This came at last. "Yes, pet. If Miss Prescott do not mind, perhaps she will kindly wait outside for you, while you speak with Charlie. I cannot let you walk there alone, remember."

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“Oh no, mamma, that would not do, it is so cold; but if Miss Prescott would take me to Mrs. Astlake, and then go on into the town, and call for me on her way back, that would do nicely ;-don't you think so, mamma?"

"It would, therefore you may ask her."

Permission obtained, Flora found herself soon after in the room of the widow, standing all alone by the bedside of Charlie. For a time both children were too shy to speak; then recollecting that Miss Prescott would soon return from the town, Flora conquered her timidity, and anxious to disburden her heart of its load, she turned to Charlie with the question, "Do you love the Lord Jesus?"

"Don't know, miss; not much, I fear."

"But why not, when you know all he has done for us, Charlie?"

"Yes, I know the story; but somehow I don't care much about him, 'cause he is so far off."

"O Charlie, don't speak so. He is not far off. He is close to us now, and hears all we are saying. I wish you did love him!" added the little girl, while tears came into her eyes as she spoke.

"Oh! don't take it to heart like that, little miss. I'll try to love him, if it bothers you so. If he'd only take away this cough, and let me go to school now, I'd love him then, and no fear."

"No, Charlie, I do not think so, because the Bible says we cannot love him of ourselves. If you do not love Jesus for dying to save you and make you good--dying to open a way for you to go to heaven-then, I do not think you could love him, even if he let you get well and go to school. No, Charlie, I think you want what uncle calls the 'new heart;' that means God's Spirit in it, making you quite different from what you were born, and able to love God!"

Turning restlessly in the bed, Charlie looked away, while a fit of coughing prevented him speaking for a few moments; then he said, "But, miss, I want to go to school; and when it was all so near. Everything square for me to go, too; why, if he loves me, did Jesus go and upset it all."

A sudden thought flashed across Flora's mind. "I think I know, Charlie: it is this,-I think you have been at school all this time, only you didn't know it."

"Oh, miss, how do you make that out, when I ain't left this bed for months, except to sit in the chair by the fire?"

"This way, Charlie: I think God has put you to school to himself. This bed is the school-room. He is going to be your teacher; and the lesson you have to learn, is to love him though he will not give you your own way. There now, Charlie; I am sure I have made it out, and all right, too! And just think,-you have the

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