thinner one, it should be bent. Now, water is thicker than air, and will bend the ray. See; I will pour water out of this jug into the basin, and when it is almost full, the ray between your eye and the bottom will be bent. C. How do you know that, uncle?

U. By the effect, my children. Seeing is believing, you know. So says the old proverb, at least; and I will show you that it holds good in the present case. Now, watch. I am pouring in the water. There, I have almost filled the basin. Look. What do you see?

C. O there is the sixpence! But did you not move it by pouring in the water?

U. Look again. Where do you see the sixpence ?

C. You are right, uncle. There it is, right on the flower at the bottom of the basin. O, we will tell mother when we get home that we can show her something that is out of sight.

U. Do so, my children. Repeat the experiment yourselves. Mother will get you a basin, and some water, and you can put a sixpence, or a halfpenny, or what you like, at the bottom; and then, like little philosophers

C. What is a philosopher, uncle? Tell us as you go on.

U. It is made up of two Greek words, one signifying love, the other, wisdom.

C. Then both together mean, the love of wisdom?

U. Properly speaking, philosophy means the love of wisdom; but that word is used to signify wisdom itself. However, philosopher means one that loves wisdom, and who, therefore, has sought for it, and obtained a measure of it. So, as I said, like little philosophers, who like to know things, and come to your old uncle that he may tell you about them, you can show your mother, when you get home, what the refraction of light is.

C. O! we will have such a laugh with her. Yes; we will tell her that we can show her something that is "out of sight.

U. You may safely do that. Indeed, though few people think of it, it happens every day, and makes each day longer than it would be by a good many minutes. By the reflection of light, we have, by means of the moon, day in the night; and by the refraction of light we have more day in the day-time.

C. Explain that, uncle, if you please.

U. If the rays of light never moved out of straight lines, we should never have daylight till the sun actually appeared above the horizon in the east, and it would be dark as soon as he sunk below it in the west. But, when the rays come into the thicker atmosphere of the earth, they are refracted or bent; and thus, we have them on the earth earlier in the morning, and later at night, than would otherwise be the case. And such is the extent of this bending, or refraction, that just as you saw the sixpence in the basin, when it was really below the edge, so we see the body of the sun as if it were actually above the horizon, when in reality it is, as much as its whole breadth, below it. It is the same at night. So that twice every day, at sunrise and sunset, you may see the sun before he rises, and after he sets. C. Thank you, uncle: we will tell mother about this, too.

U. All our talk this time has been about natural light: the next, we must talk about that which is called artificial.

SUBJECTS OF REFLECTION FOR THOSE

WHO HAVE NOT MANY BOOKS.

O BLESS the Lord! who, though he hath put the care of us upon ourselves, yet hath not cast off the care of us himself. Let us bless the Lord for his care and custody; and let us both take care of ourselves, and commit the care of ourselves to him. To both we are exhorted by St. Peter: "Commit the keeping of yourselves to him, in well doing." Take all the care you can of yourselves, and your own ways, and then cast

yourselves upon God's care. "Commit the keeping of yourselves to him, as to a faithful Creator." Let us commit the keeping of ourselves unto the Lord; and let us comfort ourselves in this, that he will then take us into his custody, and there we are in sure hands. He is faithful, and will keep what is thus committed unto him.-Richard Alleine.

A COMPENDIUM OF EVANGELICAL RIGHTEOUSNESS.It includes so firm an assent to the truth of the whole Gospel revelation, as that the soul is thereby brought, through the power of the Holy Ghost, sensibly to apprehend its former disobedience to God, and distance from him; the reasonableness of subjection to him, and desirableness in him; the necessity of a Redeemer to reconcile and recover it to God; the accomplishments and designation of our Lord Jesus Christ to that purpose and hence, a penitent and complacential return. to God, as the supreme authority, and sovereign good; an humble and joyful acceptance of our Lord Jesus Christ as its Prince and Saviour, with reliance upon his grace, and submission to his authority; (the exercise of both which are founded in his blood;) looking and pitching on him as the only medium through which he and his duties can please God, or God and his mercies approach him; and through which he hath the confidence to venture upon a covenant acceptance of God, and surrender of himself to him; afterward pursued to his uttermost, by a continued course of living in his fear and love, in obedience to him, and communion with him through the Mediator; always, while he is passing the time of his pilgrimage in this world, groaning under remaining sin, and pressing after perfect holiness; with an earnest expectation (animating him to a persevering patience through all difficulties) of a blessed eternity in the other world.-John Howe.

*

Mr. Wesley would have added, and we think most scripturally, "and seeking for that deliverance from it which the Gospel promises."

THE GOODNESS OF GOD.-He is eminently good. One diamond doth contain, virtually, many lesser pearls: creature excellencies are single, and want their adjuncts. Learning hath not always parentage; honour hath not always virtue. No individual creature can be the receptacle and continent of all perfections. But those excellencies that lie scattered in the creature, are united and concentred in God, as the beams in the sun, the drops in the ocean. And he is superlatively good. Whatever is in the creature, is to be found in God after a more transcendent manner. A man may be said to be wise, but God is infinitely so; powerful, but God is eternally so; faithful, but God is unchangeably so. The creature may be known and fathomed, but God is unsearchable. "Canst thou by searching find out God, or know the Almighty to perfection?"-Thomas Watson.

SKETCHES IN GENERAL BIOGRAPHY.

JOSEPH ADDISON, ESQ.

SOME years ago, the "Spectator" was more generally read than it is at present. It is a book, however, which has taken its place among the English classics, and will always be read so long as the language in which it was written endures. Now that what may be termed the dashing style is with many so much in favour, with others, the style of passion, and perhaps with most, the exciting articles on party politics which are furnished by the editors of party newspapers, (and how few newspapers are now to be found which are not devoted to the interests of party,) the simple, calm, yet truly elegant, and English style of the "Spectator," in which are given discussions on questions of criticism, or such as belong to what sometimes are termed minor morals, are considered, will find comparatively few admirers. Still, the " Spectator" will always be an English book for English readers. Even in cottages, odd volumes (now and then, complete sets) may sometimes be found; and

as age increases, and the judgment improves, and the conviction becomes stronger, that as London streets are not paved with gold, so likewise the politics of society will always furnish matters of complaint to those who search for them, the papers of the "Spectator" will, almost unawares, increase in the interest felt in their perusal ; and if the education movement goes on, and produces the effects which are anticipated from it, (and we hope that it will do both,) the day of "Spectator" reading will come round again, and often, after, perhaps, a hard day's work, or a day of fatiguing and anxious attention to business, will a little quiet relaxation be sought, in the perusal of the unexciting, but instructive and interesting, papers of the "Spectator." At all events, it is one of those English books of which odd volumes are often found, even now, on the cottager's shelf; and a brief account of the principal author will not, we think, be unacceptable to our readers, and friends, we were going to add, and why should we not? Our only object, in our monthly labours, which occupy more time, and more headwork, than might at first be thought, is the benefit of our readers. Often, if, through continued labour, we sometimes feel a little flagging, we think of the first week of the month, and of the thousands of families which at that time receive their " Cottager's Friend," and sit down in the evening, young and old, to read its contents, and we are animated again. We think we are introduced to our readers personally, and that we are permitted to converse with them. And if we can convey pleasing and useful information to them, if we can afford them an improving relaxation after their daily toil, (upon which may God's blessing ever rest, and may they have for it what the heathen poet considered as the grand object of prayer,-alas! he knew no better; he saw no farther; he had not had the advantage of being a student in the book of books,-mens sana in corpore sano, "a healthy mind in a healthy body,") very thankful shall we be, and more than recompensed for all our labour of preparation. But now to the "Spectator."