ASTRONOMICAL NOTES FOR NOVEMBER. NOVEMBER 1. The sun rises here at 6.55, and sets at 4.32. He is now in the sign Scorpio, and 14 deg. S. of the equator. The duration of twilight is now 1h. 56m. Nov. 3. The moon will pass less than 1 deg. S. of Mercury at 8.32 p.m. Nov. 5. The moon will pass 12 deg. to the N. of Venus at 6.25 pm. Mars rises throughout the month at about 5.40 a.m., but the smallness of his apparent diameter divests him of all interest at present. Jupiter is now a fine object in the morning sky, rising in the E. by N. on the 1st, at 2.8 a.m., and 3 min. earlier each morning. Saturn is situated a little to the W. of Jupiter, and rises a few minutes before him. An unusual degree of interest attaches to this planet during the month, on account of the entire disappearance Nov. 12. A transit of Mercury occurs this morning partially visible here, further particulars of which will be found in another part of this Magazine. Nov. 19. The moon will be 12 deg. of his ring, a phenomenon which only N. of Uranus at 5.35 a.m. and occurs at intervals of about 15 years. For a long time past, the motion of Saturn in his orbit has caused his ring to be turned more and more edgeways towards us; on the 1st of this month it will be visible only as a narrow, and, perhaps, partially broken line of light, and on the 23rd, at 3 p.m., its thin edge Nov. 27. The moon will pass 7 deg. to the S. of Saturn at 0.26 a.m., 7 deg. S. of Jupiter at 4.38 a.m. Nov. 29. The moon will pass 5 deg. alone will be presented to us, and the S. of Mars at 9.56 p.m. The phases of the moon are-New, 2nd day, at 4.3 pm. First Quarter, 9th day, at 10.44 a m. Full, 17th day, at 1.7 p.m. Last Quarter, 25th day, at 11.7 a.m. She will be at her least distance from the earth on the 2nd, at 4 p.m., and at her greatest distance from it on the 16th, at 6 a.m. Mercury will transit the sun on the morning of the 12th, but will not be well situated for general observation until after the 22nd, when he may be seen rising in the E S.E. about 5.45 a.m. Venus is now an evening star, and towards the end of the month may be seen for about four hours after sunset. She sets on the 7th, at 6.22 p.m., and a little later each evening, but her great distance S. of the equator will render her, at this season of the year, rather difficult of observation. planet will be seen as a round disc, crossed with its usual belts alone, the ring being entirely invisible. Of course, a telescope will be necessary for these observations (no perceptible difference in the planet being apparent to the naked eye); and upon the power of the instrument used will mainly depend the period of invisibility. After the 23rd, the northern surface of the ring will gradually come into view, and for the next 15 years the southern side must remain in midnight darkness. Uranus is now visible all night, he is in the constellation Taurus, and but little altered in position since last month. Two celebrated meteoric periods occur during this month, namely, from the 12th to the 14th, and from the 27th to the 29th. The Question Bor. To CORRESPONDENTS. RIDEL.- Appoint some particular W. T.-You may purchase them at subject as the burden of your prayers 56, Old Bailey, London. F. T.-You may purchase a magic lantern at most London opticians, cheaper than you can make one. C. B.-Read "Butler's Analogy," where this and kindred questions are fully discussed. J. G. The ten tribes can only be said to be lost in the sense of their nationality being merged into that of some other people, and all traces of their descent and peculiar characteristics, for the time being, lost to our researches. It is extremely unlikely that all the descendants of a people once so numerous have been utterly swept away, though we fail in our endeavours to identify them. Read No. 11, "Library of Biblical Literature" (2d.), where you will find an epitome of all that is now known on the subject. H. Y. Z.-Jonathan means, 66 Whom Jehovah gave." D. S. and H. Y. Z. inquire where they can find the "Book of Jasher," and "The Acts of Solomon," both of which are referred to in the Old Testament. These books are not now in existence, nor do we know anything of them beyond the incidental references named. M. THERESA. Very profound subjects, beyond all human, and probably all angelic comprehension. Titus iii. 9. F. B. M.-We feel very diffident in expressing an opinion upon a subject 30 purely artistic, and would rather refer you to more competent authorities, -we incline to answer both inquiries in the affirmative. at each meeting, as missions, your relatives, Sunday schools, submission to God's will, &c.; let the hymns sung, and the scriptures read, bear upon the subject; and a few words of exhortation, or a short extract from some suitable book, may be introduced with advantage. Vary the exercises frequently in order to avoid formality, and above all things let them be conducted with becoming cheerfulness. REPLIES. 54. What is the distinction between the "soul" and "spirit" in man? The former is mostly used to denote mere animal life (Gen. i. 20). The latter signifies the higher part of our nature-the seat of the intellect and the loftier affections.-H. Also by Y. Y., R. H. M. 55. The probable age of David when he was anointed king of Israel? His age at this period is variously stated; Josephus makes him to be only ten, Dr. Hales and Calmet say fifteen, but this appears to be too young an age for him to have the charge of his father's flocks, and is inconsistent with the account he gave to Saul of his exploits when he proffered his services to attack Goliath. Dr. Lightfoot makes him to have been twenty-five, but this is too old. Professor Jahn's statement is probably as correct as can be ascertained, that when he was anointed by Samuel, he was about 18 or 20 years of age, as he is immediately after described to Saul as a mighty valiant man.-J. F. B. Also by R. W. D.; Caroline; R. H. M. from a root meaning "to strike some (the last two wrong.) 56. Explain 1 Cor. xv. 29. In Barnes's notes on this verse a very long paragraph is to be found that will well repay perusal; giving the various explanations of commentators with regard to this passage, which appears to be one of the most difficult in the Scriptures. However, it clearly belongs to the argument in the 19th verse; and as Paul in one of his epistles describes baptism as being buried with Christ, and rising with Him (Col. ii. 12), he seems here to ask where lies the truth of the ordinance in prefiguring a resurrection, if the dead and Christ rise not? -R. H. M. This passage has given rise to much conjecture. The three most authenticated renderings are these: - 1st. That it means, "baptized in the name of one who certainly died," and who, "if the dead rise not, still remains among the dead." 2nd. That it refers to a practice which once prevailed in the church, of baptizing a living person in the stead, and for the supposed benefit, of one who had died unbaptized. 3rd. That it means the washing of the dead bodies among Jews and Christians before burial,- - a kind of profession that they expected a resurrection.-A. V. Also by Caroline; Y. Y. 57. The meaning of the words Neginoth, Shiggaion, Nehiloth, Seginoth, &c., prefixed to many of the Psalms? The various titles of the Psalms refer generally to the music that was set to them, or to those who were appointed to sing them; thus "Neginoth" comes instrument;""Shiggaion" from a root signifying "wandering" or an elegiac strain; "Nehiloth" from a root "to be hollow," referring to the flute or trumpet, &c.; "Muth-labben and Alamoth," meaning "virgins," probably instructed the masters of music that the psalms were to be sung by females only.R. H. M. Also by Caroline. 58. "When will the next total eclipse of the sun, visible in London, take place?" February 3rd, 1916.—A. L. S. 59. A good cheap book upon chess, containing games, with criticisms on the moves? Routledge's "Sixpenny Handbook of Chess."-R. W. D. Staunton's "Chess Player's Handbook," published by Bohn, Covent Garden, price 5s.—Caroline. QUESTIONS. We are waiting replies to questions 30, 34, 41, 52, 53. 60. Where can I find the hymn beginning, "Welcome, welcome, lovely eve, Gladly thy approach I hail"? C. K. H. 61. When were the books of the Apocrypha rejected as uncanonical? What evidence have we that they are not canonical? and were they not formerly incorporated with the other books of the Bible?-M. H. G. 62. What reason is there for supposing that Job lived anterior to the time of Abraham?-L. A. 63. Wherein do the creeds of the Greek and Latin churches differ?M. A. W. THE BEAR-LIKE DASYURE. YOUNG people who have relations or friends in Australia are often struck with the strange dissimilarity between life in those distant colonies and life in Old England. It seems very odd to have letters from friends who complain of the "excessive heat" on Christmas Day, or the "bitter cold" at Midsummer. And when they go on to tell us something more about the country and its productions, we meet with facts more startling still. Many of the trees, for instance, have their leaves turned edgeways instead of being spread out flat, giving a remarkable appearance to the landscape. Rare and singular birds are there: one is quite destitute of wings; the swans are all black; and song-birds are almost unknown: and in its forests and by its rivers lurk grotesque and unearthly beasts, which we must not stay to enumerate now. But one order of quadrupeds is peculiar to Australia-the Marsupialia, or pouched animals, of which the kind most familiar to our readers is the kangaroo. They are characterized by a bag or pouch on the under side of the body, into which the young ones are received, and in BIBLE CLASS MAGAZINE.] N DECEMBER, 1861. |