"But in either view of this bird, with what wonderful skill is it gifted! And, yet, I might tell you, perhaps, of many other birds, whose instinct, or skill is still more wonderful. It is sometimes asked, why God should have adorned the little beings which we see around us with so much beauty?—why he should have endowed them with such skill divine?" But we forget that it was just as easy for him to array in beauty, as in deformity,-to impart skill, as to withhold it. But besides this, it was doubtless the design of God to give to mankind, by means of the study of his smaller works, exalted ideas of himself. This study has indeed been long neglected, and is still neglected; but the time may come, when our admiration of God will be raised as high by means of a single bird, or flower, or insect, as by a view of the host of worlds which roll above us."

SIXTH DAY.

"We have now," said Mr. M. "reached the sixth, and, in some respects, most important day of the creation. Here is a picture of it.

"James, you may read the account of this day's work." James. And God said (Gen. i, 24-31.) Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.

'And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind; and God saw that it was good.

And God said, let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

'So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

And God said, Behold I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

'And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat; and it was so.

'And God saw every thing that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.'

"You will observe, my children," said Mr. M. "that we have some further account of the creation in the second chapter. You may read my son, the 7th verse, and from the 19th to the 25th of the next chapter."

James. And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

'And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them; and whatsoever Adam called every living thing, that was the name thereof.

And the Lord caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept; and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;

'And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. 'And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of man.

'Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

'And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.'

"You will perceive, my children," said Mr. M. "that in the creation of animal life, God began with the lower orders, and proceeded to those which were higher-first, fish-next, fowl, and now cattle, creeping things, and beasts of the earth.

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By cattle are meant all tame and domestic creatures, such as oxen, sheep, horses, &c. By the term beast is meant all wild animals, such as lions, bears, wolves, &c. Creeping things, include reptiles, from the huge boa constrictor down to the grub.

"Thus, all things were put in order. The sun was now shining in his full strength, and the planets were moving round him in their orbits. The earth, also, was reduced to order-the waters of the ocean were confined to their bed-the dry land had appeared-forests were clothing the mountain's top-grass and plants and flowers were adorning the landscape-fish were swimming in the deep-fowl were sporting on the wing-flocks and herds were grazing in the fields, and beasts and creeping things, now harmless, were feasting on the bounties, which God had provided for them.