some idea of these orbits, you may reflect that one of the comets-that which appeared in 1680, is supposed, at the extremity of its orbit, to be 11,200 millions of miles distant from the sun; you may also reflect that in the part of its orbit, in which it was nearest the sun, it travelled at the rate of 880,000 miles an hour.

Observe once more, that the sun is the centre of a system of worlds.—I would also call your attention to a remarkable fact, which is, that the nearer a planet is to its centre of attraction, the swifter is its motion, the motion of the planet at the greatest distance from the sun being the slowest of all, and of that nearest to it, the swiftest.

[Ask questions, and ascertain that the pupils understand the meaning of the terms used.]

Now let us, for a few minutes, turn our attention to the fixed stars.-Do you know how many of these are visible to the naked eye?

[In different parts of the globe about 3000.] But multitudes have been discovered by the aid of the telescope; there are probably millions of fixed stars. In the milky way alone, Dr. Herschel discerned through his telescope, 116,000 stars in a quarter of an hour.

It is calculated that the distance of the nearest fixed star, cannot be less than 100,000 times the length of the 19,000,000,000,000 miles.

earth's orbit, or

To help you to

form some conception of the greatness of this distance, we will suppose a cannon ball, which may move at the rate of 1200 miles an hour, to be sent from the nearest fixed star :-it would not reach the earth in less than 1,800,000 years.

It is supposed that all the millions of fixed stars may be suns to other worlds.-Let your mind, if possible, embrace for a moment, the immensity of space. Let it first behold our sun as a centre of worlds-then as one of millions of centres. We cannot count the num-` ber of these centres, still less can we ascertain that of their revolving worlds!

What has been said of the distance of the nearest of the fixed stars, may be sufficient to give some faint idea of the immensity of a space, which to us appears boundless.

Now let me ask-Who pervades all space, upholds all worlds?-Who has fixed their place, appointed their orbits, regulated their motions, ordained their time?

He, the greatness of whose power and wisdom we cannot even conceive, knows every grain of sand upon the sea-shore; He who comprehends the Universe knows and sustains the minutest atom.

The Father of the Universe, the Creator and Preserver of myriads of worlds, is also your Creator, your Father. He who ruleth over all, numbers the very hairs of your head. He by whom the worlds were framed, (Heb. i.2; xi. 3.)

became man, and died to redeem you.* Admire His creative Power-adore and confide in His redeeming Love!

* Who can glance at the wonders of Creation, without admiring the Creator's Power ?-but where is the hope of fallen man?-In the mystery of Redemption, in the Love" which passeth knowledge." The same Power which created, has redeemed the omnipotence of the "WORD made flesh" united with inconceivable Love.

The whole Creation waiteth with extreme desire for the triumphal reign of Immanuel. Rom. viii. 19-21.—And even now, by the Spirit of adoption, every redeemed soul calleth upon the incomprehensible Jehovah, and saith--' my Father.'

"Tell me, ye shining hosts,

“That navigate a sea that knows no storms,
"Beneath a vault unsullied with a cloud,
"If from your elevation, whence ye view
"Distinctly scenes invisible man,
"And systems, of whose birth no tidings yet
"Have reach'd this nether world, ye spy a race
"Favour'd as ours? transgressors from the womb,
"And hasting to a grave, yet doom'd to rise,
"And to possess a brighter Heav'n than yours?-
"As one, who, long detain'd on foreign shores,
"Pants to return, and when be sees afar

"His country's weather bleach'd and batter'd rocks,
"From the green wave emerging, darts an eye
"Radiant with joy towards the happy land;
"So I with animated hopes behold,

"And many an aching wish, your beamy fires,
"That show like beacons in the blue abyss,
"Ordain'd to guide th' embodied spirit home
"From toilsome life to never-ending rest.
"Love kindles as I gaze. I feel desires,
"That give assurance of their own success,

"And that infus'd from Heav'n, must thither tend."

ARTIFICIAL OBJECTS.

BOOK.

Look at this object. Is it natural or artificial?

Is it simple or compound?-Are its parts alike?

What is its shape? Is it square? Oblong?Has it most length, breadth, or thickness?

By what means is it opened and shut? How is the back formed?

Let us more particularly observe the outside. What is the outside of a book called?

Has it sides-corners-ends of lines?

How many ends of lines meet in the righthand upper corner, on this side ?-How many in the opposite under corner? How many in all the corners on this side? In all the corners of the other side?-How many in all?

Is the cover, or binding, composed of more than one substance?—What is animal-what vegetable-what mineral?

What was the external, animal substance, in its first state? What is it now?

What kind of leather is it?Is any other kind used for binding?

What is the use of the binding?

We will now consider the inside.

Of what is the inside composed? Are the leaves few or many?

What is each side of the leaf called?

Of what substance are the leaves ?-Is paper animal or vegetable? How was it made? Is the paper plain or marked ?

With what is the paper marked?
With what substance?

Of what regular divisions does each printed page consist? Each line? Each word?

How were these lines, words, letters, impressed on the paper?

Was manual labour requisite to form the book? What kinds of manual labour?

What labour was required for the arrangement of the letters, of which the words and sentences are composed?

How have we chiefly considered the book, with relation to matter or to mind?

Recapitulate what we have said.

How may we consider the book with relation to mind?

[To speak in general terms, we may consider it as an expression, or manifestation, of the thoughts and feelings of a human being.]

How does a book manifest thoughts and feelings?