and 6 in the gallery for singers. The entries above and below are spacious, clearing 10 feet wide. Indeed, in its whole arrangement it is one of the neatest, most appropriate, and substantial places of worship in the city. By the generous efforts of individuals it has been also well furnished with an organ, clock, communion table, lamps, &c. and is rapidly filling up with the families in its neighborhood. So substantial an evidence of the interest which our churches take in the poorer class of our community is worthy of all praise. The building committee were Messrs. Henry B. Rogers, Abner Bourne, Samuel May, John M. Fessenden, James McAllaster, and Richard Sullivan; the architect, Richard Upjohn.

LECTURES BEFORE THE LOWELL INSTITUTE.-The first courses of lectures on this foundation have been given this winter, in the Odeon. The introductory lecture, by Governor Everett, was delivered on the evening of the 31st of December, and repeated on a subsequent day for the benefit of the large number who in vain attempted to find seats at its first delivery. It was principally occupied with a sketch of the life of Mr. John Lowell, Jr., by whom this bequest was made to his native city. Though not eventful, Mr. Lowell's life was such as enabled the lecturer to draw from its incidents the character of one, who in all his plans and movements exhibited clearness of judgement, large conception, and singular force of purpose. After his domestic happiness was broken up by the hand of death, he indulged, what became it may almost be said his ruling passion, a desire to visit the East and penetrate its least frequented recesses. For this journey he made ample preparations of every sort, and had partially accomplished his design, when he was arrested by illness, first in Egypt, and again in Bombay, where he sunk under disease induced by fatigue and exposure. It was on or near the ruins of Thebes that he drew up his last and fullest directions respecting the trust, which he committed to his kinsman for the benefit of his fellow-citizens in the New World; and of this circumstance Mr. Everett took advantage, to close his lecture with an eloquent description of the difference between the ancient and the modern civilization, as denoted on the one hand by the monuments of Egypt, and manifested on the other by the establishment of an institution for the intellectual culture of all classes of the people.

The introductory lecture was followed by a course on Geology, by Professor Silliman of New Haven, which has just been completed. If the munificent founder of this Lectureship could be permitted to look upon the throng, of young and old, who have crowded the Odeon to listen attentively to the instruction which he has provided, he could not but feel that he was fully rewarded. A few years ago we could scarcely have dreamed of any thing more preposterous, than that the old Boston theatre would ever be filled to inconvenience with an intelligent audience, anxious to learn something of the structure and metamorphoses of the hard earth beneath them. The experiment has fully succeeded. Scarcely had the lecturer entered upon his course, when the

booksellers enjoyed a rare harvest in the sale of certain books with which novel readers are not wont to meddle. Innumerable copies of the Geologies of Lyell, Bakewell and Mantell disappeared from the shelves, and were to be seen upon the centre tables of drawing rooms, and in the hands of clerks and attendants in the warehouses, who snatched moments from the employments of trade to peruse them. There was a short time when it was extremely difficult, if not impossible, to purchase a single text-book of Geology in our city. The lecturer was listened to throughout with great attention. His manner is easy and urbane, and he is a thorough master and an enthusiastical expounder of his science. He was richly furnished with drawings and specimens, so that by the aid of the eye, (and we must add, on the part of a few who sat nearest to the lecturer, by the aid of the fingers, for some people are never satisfied till they can touch as well as see,) the whole force of his statements was made clear to the mind.

At first sight no subject would appear more unpromising than that of the structure of rocks, and the modifications which the earth underwent thousands of ages before man was an inhabitant of it. But the moment that the great relations of this science are disclosed, it receives an absorbing interest, hardly less attractive than the history of our own species. There is something in the treatment of this subject by oral lectures, admirably calculated to excite individual inquiry. Now and then the most attentive listener will lose a word, or a connecting or explanatory statement, and when he leaves the lecture-room he will have recourse to the text-books to clear up and define his knowledge. Thus many will be led, before they are aware of it, to make the whole science the subject of diligent study.

In closing his lecture and his course on Tuesday evening, February 11, Professor Silliman adverted in a most happy manner to the relation which the scientific pursuit of his science bore to the assertions in the first part of the book of Genesis, describing the conflict in his own mind when he first began to fear a collision between fact and inspired record, and his happy conviction that after all no discord between the researches of the Geologists and a fair interpretation of the words of Moses could be made to appear, that record and scientific observation not only harmonised, but incidentally confirmed each other. The calmness and solidity of his arguments might well silence the misgivings of the most timid adherent to ancient opinions.

Professor Silliman has been followed by Rev. Dr. Palfrey, who is now delivering in the same place a course of eight lectures on the Evidences of Christianity. Two thousand tickets have been distributed, among twice as many persons who desired them. Dr. Palfrey will be succeeded by Mr. Nuttall, who will give a course on Botany.

LECTURES ON THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST.-Mr. William Miller has been exciting some attention in this city by his lectures on the second coming of Christ, and on the end of the world, which he believes to be near at hand.

After delivering several discourses on the subject in Chardon Street Chapel, and preaching several times to crowded houses in the large Baptist meetinghouse in Cambridgeport, he commenced a course of sixteen lectures in the Marlboro' Chapel, which was hired for the purpose by Rev. Mr. Himes, pastor of the Second Christian Church in Boston. Tickets for the course were issued at a low price, and the chapel was filled on the successive evenings. How many converts have been made to Mr. Miller's interpretation of the prophecies we cannot say, but that some are persuaded that in the main at least it is sound, and that many are troubled by fears which he has awakened, we presume cannot be questioned. The immediate effect is bad, by familiarising the hearers to an incorrect use of Scripture, and the greater evil will probably be seen two or three years hence, when they who are now alarmed at the idea of approaching judgement shall exchange their anxieties for a distrust of all religious teaching and a disregard of the Bible. How much better would it be to preach the doctrines of a present retribution which in some measure punishes the sinner on earth, and of a certain judgement into whose hands death, the messenger of God, whose footstep may be now approaching our threshold, will deliver the transgressor.

Curiosity led us one evening into the Marlboro' Chapel, to hear the lecturer, and although we grieved over his ignorance of the principles that belong to the interpretation of Scriptural language, which, he said, "should always be interpreted literally, except when it was contrary to the laws of nature," (we presume he meant, "except when a literal construction is contrary to common sense,") we could not but notice the ingenuity with which he defended his use of the passage which he had taken for his text. He was explaining on that evening the xxivth chapter of Matthew, and endeavoring to show that our Saviour's language could not refer to the destruction of Jerusalem, but was prophetic of the end of the world, which is now at the door. His text, however, seemed to contradict such an application of the passage," This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled." But" generation," says Mr. Miller, "always in Scripture means the children of one parentage; children born to the same father at different periods of his life would constitute one generation. Hence in a moral sense we read of "the generation of the ungodly," who have one father, even the devil, and one mother, for they "are of the earth, earthy;" and of "the generation of the righteous," who also have one father, for they are born of God, and one mother, for "Jerusalem which is from above is the mother of us all." In our Saviour's prophecy, therefore, by "generation we must understand this holy brotherhood of the righteous, or, in other words, Christian disciples; and our Lord's meaning is, that the end of the world shall come before all Christians shall have been removed from the earth. It was sad to listen to such a perversion, however ingenious, of the Saviour's words.

Mr. Miller's views have been published in a small volume, and two replies have been issued from the press, one of them containing lectures which were preached at the Universalist meetinghouse in Cambridgeport after his visit to that place. Rev. Mr. Phelps, the pastor of the Marlboro' Church, has also

been delivering a course of lectures in reply to Mr. Miller. Opposition and unbelief he probably counted upon, and in no way disheartened disseminates his views from place to place. We observe in the "Christian Herald" a notice, that he "will commence a course of lectures in the Baptist Chapel in Watertown on the 1st of March, and on the 11th of March will commence a course in Portland." As some of our readers may be ignorant of the nature of the discussion which he conducts, we copy the prospectus of his Lectures in this city. "Lecture I. Second Coming of Christ, Titus ii. 13. II. The 2300 days, Dan. viii. 13, 14. III. The seventy Weeks, Dan. ix. 24. IV. Pagan Rome numbered, Rev. xiii. 18. V. Vision of the latter days, Dan. x. 14. VI. 1260, 1290, 1335 Days explained, Dan. xii. 7. VII. Explanation of the xxth chapter of Matthew. VIII. Explanation of the xxvth chapter of Matthew. IX. The new Song and seven Seals, Rev. vth chapter. X. The three woe Trumpets, Rev. viii. 13. XI. Time shall be no longer, Rev. xth chapter. XII. Two Witnesses, Rev. xi. 3. XIII. The seven Vials, Rev. xvi. 17. XIV. Resurrection,-Millenium, Rev. xx. 5, 7. XV. Return of the Jews examined, Rom. xi. 26. XVI. Signs of the times, Matt. xvi. 3."

REVIVAL AMONG THE METHODISTS.-The occurence of the Centenary celebration among the Methodists seems to have called forth, not only large pecuniary contributions, but also unusual efforts for the increase of their numbers. In Cincinnati particularly we notice that great success has followed the preaching of Mr. Maffitt, whose name is familiar from his former residence in this part of the country. In this city (Boston) the Methodist paper, Zion's Herald, remarks that "the great revival continues with unabated interest and power. We never witnessed before such a state of religious feeling among our people, although we have seen as great a revival in one society." In reference to this result it observes, "that precious doctrine, perfect love, had for some time been the theme of the Church, and with it also, its industrious handmaid, personal effort for the salvation of souls."

UNITARIAN CHURCH IN HOULTON, MAINE.-Extract of a letter from Houlton, on the frontier between the United States and New Brunswick, written last September.

"I wrote an account of our safe arrival at Calais. I have now to record my journey one degree further north, to this place. After passing one sabbath, I took leave of Calais in a wagon, that carried the mail through the woods. We travelled until nightfall without any accident, save a good drenching from the rain. Our restingplace for the night was a log house, in which resided three men, two women and three children; besides myself I found that there were two other travellers, so that we were in all ten who were here to be sheltered. How this was to be done, 1 marvelled. My first business was to get warm and dry, the next to eat my supper, and the third, after chatting about moose-hunting, was to go to bed.

To my astonishment, I found a very good bed in the garret; or rather, discovered in the morning that there were three beds there, and all occupied. At six o'clock we started again, the driver preferring to breakfast at a better house than that at which he slept, which he said was much worse than the one where I lodged, there being neither lamps nor beds at his resting place. We were two hours going seven miles, with thunder and rain for our companions through the forest; and for the remainder of the day had a good road and the pine trees, with here and there a clearing, until five o'clock in the evening, when the pines and firs gave place to the beech and maple, and better land and better farms appeared every mile. We reached Houlton at 8 1-2 P. M., having been two long days travelling ninety miles.

"After remaining one night at the tavern, I was kindly invited to spend a few days with a Mr. * * *. I found him to be one of the first settlers, a native of Massachusetts, who, with two other families by the name of Houlton, came here in 1805. It happened that all the first emigrants were from Newsalem, and nearly all of them related, and as they brought with them Massachusetts thrift and industry, they have laid the foundation of one of the best farming towns in Maine. The land is nearly equal to that on the Connecticut, and large fields of wheat and oats and buckwheat are to be seen on all sides. There is abundance of every comfort, and all the inhabitants seem to have enough. The town presents a very pleasant scene; from the garrison there is a gradual slope down to a small stream that empties into the St. John. On this stream is a grist mill, which is going night and day, all the country round coming hither with grain. My host owns the mill, and in his large farm-house, built after the fashion in Massachusetts thirty years ago, keeps from fifteen to thirty men, besides a large number of sons and daughters. He has a large farm, a large family, and a large heart. By his attention I have been introduced to several excellent families, simple in their habits, and firmly persuaded that Unitarians follow the good old way. The congregation on Sunday was small, but attentive; their church is a neat unpretending building, but it is their own, and all paid for without any aid from abroad. They intend to go slow and sure, and say that they do not want a minister unless they can support him themselves.

"Tell your brothers that there is game here in abundance, from a moose down to a pigeon. Deer are abundant, and trout and pickerel. I have visited several families, and find them a quiet orderly people, not much disturbed by the vain fancies that are abroad in the world, nor much given to novelties. It is rather lonely here to me, but I have enough to do, and seeing new faces every day, the time passes pleasantly."

From another letter, written by the same correspondent at the close of December :

"My time here has been prolonged much beyond my expectation. The town's-people have done nobly, and 1 cannot bear to leave so steadfast a band, which is daily gathering strength and appearing more and more grateful for what little I can do. It would amuse you to see the gathering on Sundays. Long before service some appear on horse, men and maidens, some in chaises,