and practical truth is all that a congregation can well digest and improve. Nay, we believe that one discourse of this nature is all that most preachers can effectively deliver. Especially if the interval between the two services is only two or three hours, the preacher is likely to come to the second service in such a state of exhaustion, that he must make a feebler impression than he did in the morning, and thus weaken the general effect of his labors. We have known serious hearers to reason upon the matter in this way, and to say, and with the highest admiration of the preacher, "I have received from him the highest and most delightful impression of the truths of religion that he can make upon me, and I do not wish to resort to a feebler administration at the same hands." But if we suppose that the preacher can collect his forces, and deliver himself as earnestly and powerfully in the afternoon as in the morning, still we should doubt the utility of it. The morning impression, if it be not weakened, is liable to be disturbed by the evening impression; and the effect is likely to be that worst effect of preaching-a vagueness, a confusion of mind, that prevents the hearer from remembering or feeling anything distinctly; so that the day after, perhaps, he will not have enough of the matter left with him, to be able to tell you either the text or the theme.

What we would propose, therefore, is, that the morning service should be directly and wholly given up to religious impression, to the impression of some spiritual truth upon the heart and conscience; and that the afternoon or evening service should be devoted to communications of a different character. Indeed, we should be willing that the whole character of the two services should possess a marked difference. Let the morning service be "a holy convocation unto the Lord." Let it be the chief season of public worship. Let there be readings of the Scriptures, and prayers liturgical or original, and discourses and meditations; and let them all conspire immediately to some practical end; and let all the people come up to this convocation, feeling that each one has a part to take in the service as much as any other, and all, scarcely less than the preacher himself. This, we think, is as much of active and devout public worship, as it is expedient to ask of a

there is an eye-itself a world of wonders in miniature — to look into the exquisite mechanism and surpassing loveliness of the creation, that it is made so exquisite and lovely. The world is a stupendous theatre of instruction, built and fashioned and fitted up, to train intelligent and religious beings to wisdom and happiness.

Some of them, indeed, have been thus trained, and they have endeavored to instruct others. But it seems to us one of the most saddening things in the history of the human race, that such multitudes, the great mass of mankind, have passed over this crowded and magnificent theatre, and have learned almost nothing of the wisdom of its mechanism and its adaptations. Are we asked how they should have learned it, immersed as they are in cares, and wearied with toils? We answer, that the clergy have a seventh part of the time of life set apart to them for the instruction of mankind; and the clergy, it seems to us, of every country and of every age, are the very persons who should have interpreted to man the great lessons of the creation. If it should be objected that this would not be preaching, or would not be preaching the Gospel - not preaching salvation, and therefore that it would not be proper for the pulpit, we must say that we cannot, with any patience, listen to the objection. For we ask, — has it pleased God to spread this mighty page for our instruction, and do we take upon us to say, that it is not proper for us to interpret it in our holy hours and sacred places? Is it an employment too low, too secular for us to study, what it has pleased God to make, for our instruction? That rest which the holy penmen ascribe to the Almighty on completing the work of creation, is doubtless ascribed to him by a sort of rhetorical figure; they represent it, as if he had paused to behold the perfection of his finished and wonderful work. But for man, it seems from the objection, it would be unworthy thus to employ any of the Sabbath hours.

We have done with the objection: but we may observe, as it falls in with our purpose under this head, that a just and full exposition of Scripture demands this kind of illustration from Natural Science, which we propose. The Psalms are filled with allusions to the works of nature. Let the preacher then take one of the Psalms; and