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LESSON X.

"THE FIRMAMENT SHOWETH HIS HANDIWORK."

See Mitchell's "Orbs of Heaven." The First Lecture and latter part of the Ninth and Tenth.

Also, "First Steps in General Knowledge: The Starry Heavens." (Published by the Christian Knowledge Society.)

It was now April. The weather had been, for a few days, almost like summer; but now it was cold and frosty again, and one night when Walter's mother drew up the window-blind to look out before getting into bed, she saw the stars shining so brilliantly that she stood looking at them for a good while. She was startled to hear Walter's little voice speaking to her from his bed." Mother" said he, "what are you looking at?"

Mother.you awake?"

The stars, my child—but why are

Walter."I have been dreaming, mother, such a nice dream! about going on and on such a long way! and seeing something prettier and nicer all the time; and I felt your hand holding me, and leading me all along,—but I did not see you,—and at last my dream made me wake, and I did see you, mother; and I have been awake watching you all the time you have been standing at the window."

His mother kissed him, and asked him if he would like to get up, and look at the stars too. He said he should like it very much; so she wrapped him up in a large shawl, and he stood upon the window-sill beside her, with her arm round him." Mother," he said, after they had been looking at them quietly for a little while, "Mother how far off are they?"

Mother." Such a long, long way, my child, that if you were to go on and on as quickly as a bird flies, till you were as old as I am, you would not seem to have got any nearer to them. If we could get as near to them as we are to the sun, they would look as large as the sun, and if we could get quite near to them, we should find that they are as large as all this world, and larger It is because they are so very, very far off, that they look so small. You know how very small

the lark looks when it is high up in the sky?— As it goes higher and higher, it looks smaller and smaller, till it seems no larger than a little fly, and it looks smaller and smaller as it gets further off, till at last we cannot see it any longer. And so it is with the stars. Some of them are so far off, that we cannot see them at all, though they really are larger, as I told you, than all this world: and if we could get to them, we should see more and more, farther on, and farther on yet!"

Walter.-"Oh, mother! I can hardly fancy that! It seems farther off even than I went in my dream."

Mother. "It is difficult for us, my child, even to fancy it. Think, then, how great and how wonderful must be the Great Spirit who made them all, and put them there, and is even now amongst them all, guiding them as they move; for they move, Walter, as our sun moves; only they are too far off for us to see them moving. God is as much with the stars, all through them, as He is with the wind, all through it, and with the sweet-smelling hyacinth. Lo! these are a part of His works, and a little portion of His wonders. They that know the most will praise God the best; but which of us can number half

His works?' Walter, darling! the next hymn you learn shall be the one I am going to say to

you now."

I saw the glorious sun arise
From yonder mountain grey,

And as he travelled through the skies
The darkness went away;

And all around me was so bright,

I wished it would be always light!

But when his shining course was done,
The gentle moon drew nigh,

And stars came twinkling, one by one,
Upon the shady sky.

Who made the sun to shine so far,

The moon, and every twinkling star

"Twas God, my child, who made them all,

By His Almighty skill;

He keeps them, that they do not fall,
And guides them as He will.
That glorious God, who lives afar
In heaven, beyond the highest star.

HYMN.

My little eye can never reach
Beyond the distant star;

But God my Father's eye can stretch
A thousand times as far.

But more than that, thro' endless space
His mighty power is known;
No mortal can, nor angel, trace
The wonders of His throne.

But though He is so great and wise,
And I but weak and poor,
His kind compassion never dies-
His promise is secure.

And every morning, when the sun

Shall bid

my slumber cease,

I'll bow the knee before His throne,

And ask His saving peace.

[See also Hymn 112, Martineau's Hymn Book.]

Psalm cxiii. 4, 5.-The Lord is high above all nations, and His glory above the heavens. Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on

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