1844-51 OCCASIONAL LECTURES. 327 



ledge were not merely understood, but intimately felt and ap- 

 preciated, when exemplified in the joyous activity and happy 

 dispositions of one, who drew so evidently and so largely from 

 knowledge the aliment of his energies, and the materials of 

 varied and exquisite enjoyment." 



In the spring of 1846, he was requested by the Young Men's 

 Society to give a short course of lectures on the " Eelation of 

 Physical Science to the doctrines mooted in the Vestiges of the 

 Natural History of Creation," in order to counteract the views 

 promulgated in that work. Speaking of those lectures, he says 

 to Dr. Cairns, in a letter of July 11, 1846, "I have too much 

 wrought only at science and literature, hoping thereby to secure 

 a position which would enable me to serve Christ effectually. 

 But many things warn me that my life will be a short one, and 

 that what I can do, must be done swiftly. Here there seems 

 some slight opportunity of doing a little good, and I must not 

 willingly let it pass, or mar it." The lectures were largely 

 attended, and attracted considerable notice at the time. Offers 

 were made by six publishing houses to print them without 

 delay. He felt averse, however, to their appearing permanently 

 in the polemical form, and put them aside to be reproduced at 

 a time of leisure, which never came. The severe illness, indeed, 

 induced by the additional labour they gave, made some months 

 of quiet rest in the country indispensable, and fresh literary work 

 pressing in on him soon absorbed every leisure moment. 



Occasional lectures in provincial tow^ns were delivered, the 

 number of such requests being truly legion. Of one in Dunbar, 

 in 1846, he says, " From what I saw of the people who attended 

 it, I am satisfied that single lectures are out of the question to 

 miscellaneous audiences, so far as rational instruction is con- 

 cerned ; nor is it possible to offer a prelection which shall be 

 equally suitable to little boys, young ladies, elderly ditto, 

 clergymen, doctors, farmers, tradesmen, and working people. 

 The thing is preposterous. The utmost that I believe is, that 

 the lecture would do them no harm." 



To no appeals for aid was a more ready assent given than to 

 those from struggling home-mission workers, Sunday or appren- 

 tice schools, etc. ; and the careful arrangement of illustrations 



