hard-hearted people, it was neceffary that their minds fhould be properly impreffed with the nature of rewards and punishments in this life. When a mafter ftruck out an eye or tooth of his fervant, then he was obliged to

let him go free, because, in such an inftance, the mafter exceeded the bounds prescribed by the law, and inflicted fuch cruelty as was inconfiftent with the dictates of natural reafon and religion.

SACRED TRUTHS:

DEMONSTRATED FROM A SURVEY OF THE HEAVENLY BODIES.

[Continued from page 23.]

H

AVING already fhewn, that the giving motion to fuch immenfe globes as the heavenly bodies are, muft have been the work of God; we shall find a much greater demonstration thereof, if we confider, that thofe motions are not at random, but fuch as fhew infinite wisdom and fkill. This will appear from the following examples. Firft, That all the planets fhould have their directions given them perpendicular to the radii. Secondly, That the motions and orbits of the planes should not interfere with one another, but tend one and the fame way from weft to eaft, and lie in planets but little inclined to one another, or when inclined, that it fhould be very beneficially fo, as fhall be hewn afterwards.

Thefe, and many other inftances, fhew thefe orbs to be the work of an omnipotent Being, as their creator, and whose wisdom ftill conducts them. Thus Cicero makes the Stoic argue, and prove our prefent point, from the shepherd at Actium, when, from. the top of an hill, he happened first to

fee a fhip failing in the fea. He was for a while in great amazement and furprize to fee fuch a moving, inanimate body, and could not imagine of what a nature it was poffible it fhould be, until he perceived, by fome tokens, that it was made and managed by men So (faith he) the philofophers ought to have done, if they had any doubts at the first view of the world.. Afterwards, when they fhould behold its determined and equal motions, and all things managed by, and established with, immutable conftancy, they ought then to understand, that there is not only fome perfon inhabiting this heavenly, this divine house, but alfo fome ruler and architect of fo great a work, fo noble a perform ance. The conclufion is fo natural, that nothing lefs than the most egregious ftupidity could reject the force of the evidence. faith the Stoic, they feem to have very improper notions of the heavens and the earth." And great reafon the Stoic had for faying fo; for fo manifeft a demonftration of the Deity are the motions of the heavens and earth, that if men do not acknowledge them to be fo, it argues grofs infenfibility; and if they will not fee and be convinced by them, it is as plain a fign of their prejudice and perverfenefs.

"But now,

[To be continued.] 115

PHY.

TO THE EDITORS OF THE

NEW CHRISTIAN'S MAGAZINE.

LECTURE

ON THE ORIGIN AND PROPAGATION OF LIGHT,

[Continued from page 413.]

He

IR Ifaac Newton has demonstrated this latter opinion by fo many wonderful experiments, that it is impoffible to deny the propagation of light, without being devoted to fcepticifm. The author of Spectacle de la Nature, has endeavoured to fhew the impoffibility of the motion of light according to Sir Ifaac's experiments; but his reafons given for this impoffibility are frivilous and whimsical. wants to fet Mofes and Newton at variance, when they are perfectly agreed. The Abbe imagines that the fun by this time would have been exhaufted, provided he had emitted fuch a quantity of rays or particles of light, as Sir Ifaac's fyftem fuppofes to have proceeded from that luminary; for he affirms that the fun is but a mere point in comparison of the quantity of light that must have iffued from him during the space of fix-thousand years There might be fome probability in the Abbe's fuppofition, provided that one part of nature was not formed to fupply another, and that actual experiments did not every day prove the truth of Sir Ifaac's doctrine. If experiments and matters of facts convince our fenfes, I fee no reafon why we fhould fuppofe that what our fenfes really perceive is contrary to reafon, becaufe we do not know what is the pabulum folis, or the nutriment of the fun. If it is ftill capable of being demonftrated by undoubted

experiments, that light really comes and moves from the fun, and the fun ftill remains the fame, all that is neceffary to be fuppofed is, that the author of nature hath found a conftant fupply from that luminary, from fome fource of nature, which we have not yet difcovered. Mr. Romer's obfervations on the ecliples of Jupiter's fatellites has put this matter beyond all reasonable doubt; and Sir Ifaac Newton has proved clearly in his optics, that the rays of light take about feven minutes in their paffage from the fun to our earth.

The Abbe Pluche has shewed us that air is undeftructible, as he calls it, or, a substance of the semper idem kind; but that is as far as it is within the reach of our earth; but how did he know, but that this invariable fubftance, when carried through other regions, might not become pabulum to the fun, and be a perpetual feeder to that body of fire: Experience teaches us that fire throws out all bodies except air, but readily receives this body at all times; and why may not air pafs through the higher regions, and enter into the body of the fun, and receive a new character.

What the Abbe fays with refpect to the wind-gun, only proves that the air within, or the atmosphere, retains its elasticity, and is uncorruptible; and it is on this account the better fitted to be the pabulum of fire, which though it may change its character, may continue to be a fubftantial fupply to the other elements of nature. Whatever may be in these matters, it does not appear from all the Abbe has faid, that the Principia of Mofes, and that of Sir Ifaac Newton, are in the leaft different with regard to light; Both of thefe writers

K 2

writers allow light to be created by the Almighty, and to be managed by his providence; and both of them agree in fuppofing gravitating powers in this fyftem. Sir Ifaac allows the fource of light to be created by God, but the rays which fupply our fyftem with illumination to be propagated mechanically, according to certain laws of nature, established by the great Creator.

But not to purfue difputes concerning this wonderful creature, light, I fhall proceed to point out fome of its properties, that my readers may thereby admire the great Creator of the univerfe, both for favouring us with light and preferving us from feveral of its

powers.

But

One bleffed effect of light is, that it makes things vifible to us, is the medium through which we perceive objects vifible, and know how to use many of them. It is owing to light that we are enabled to behold the wonderful works of the Almighty, to learn knowledge from the things he has made; without this marvellous bleffing of divine goodness, this world would be an inhofpitable wildernefs, and all that is in it lumber to us, by means of light we fee to walk, to read, and contemplate the mar vellous works of a kind and merciful Creator. The adyantages of light are fo numerous, and yet so well known, that it would be fuperfluous to mention them in detail. The peafant is in this refpect almoft as wife as the philofopher. It is however by the means of light that the philofopher can fee his Creator in thofe works that the naked eye cannot behold: he can by the help of glaffes, through the medium of light, defcry worlds that were undifcovered before, and explore fyfters that would otherwife have for ever lain concealed. By the inftrumentality of this precious creature men can travel by

fea and land, and bring riches and wealth from all quarters of the globe,

But there is a property in light that is most awful. The rays of this body which render things vifible are alfo capable of deftroying the whole world. Light can produce fire of the most terrible kind: It can even melt bodies of the moft folid natures in an inftant of time. It will burn wet wood in a

moment, vitrily bricks and pumice ftones, and diffolve earthen veffels full of water; and plume allum, which will bear the fire of the hottest glafs-houses, without alteration, is melted by rays of light, in a glafs, in an inftant. Yea gold, that refifts the force of common fire, is foon liquified by the rays of light, converged in a burning glafs. Were there not an overruling Providence to direct this wonderful body, how foon might it make the whole of this globe a liquid ocean of fire! Were the rays of light to unite as the rain often does, and come from the fun in the quantity of hail, how foon would they confume the whole of this earth! What a mercy is it that our atmosphere has none of the qualities of a burning-glafs to converge the rays of light, which are real particles of fire of the hottest nature; for though all light is not fire, yet the greatest part of it, that we know, is nearly connected with it, and of the fame quality.

But let us confider light in the quality of fire, or having the power of burning; how amazing is it, that the air which is full of light and fire does not scorch us to death! All the waters in the ocean could not quench fome forts of fires, which actually exist in nature, provided they were once kindled. We fee often how dreadfully a fire burns in the midst of a watery cloud when it is pouring down in fpouts from the heavens; and did not Providence over-rule thofe

fires, how foon would they confume the

the world! a very little application of art will convince any reasonable person that a fire may be kindled that water cannot quench. The filings of fteel and fulphur, mixed together and kneaded into a dough with cold water, will in a few hours take fire; and phosphorus will burn in the midst of water. But did the light come down as close to our earth as it is compacted near the fun, it would fet all the waters a boiling, and melt the globe into a liquid fire. We fee fome forts of fiery particles that can only be kindled by water; fuch as lime-ftones, which, as foon as wet, burn and turn into actual fire, but are harmless enough when kept dry. What is more than all, there is reafon to believe that there is fire that will burn with or without air. There is a kind of phosphorus which if you put it in a bottle of water, a little warm, and place it in the receiver of an air pump, and exhaust all the air, will burn as well as in the open air, which fhews that this fire will burn without air. What is remarkable of this fort of fire is that it will lie five or fix years under water, and when heated a little, or put in motion, will presently kindle: which fhews that fire may remain in cold water unextinguifhed, and may be produced on all occafions, We may truly fay with the apostle Peter, feeing these things are fo! what manner of perfons ought we to be? feeing all these things that are fo abfolutely neceffary for our happiness and enjoyment, may be fo eafily turned to our destruction; we have no fafety but in the favour of that God, who governs all things by his wisdom.

There is one ipecial quality in the rays of light as they come from the fun, that they diverge, and confequently enlighten all bodies on all pdes, and preferve the earth from being burnt and confumed. The difpofition of rays of light to be refracted in paffing through one medium to another is of fingular fervice to mankind; for to this difpofition of light we owe the evening and morning twi

lights, which are of fuch eminent service to both man and beast. Were the light of the fun to recede from us in a moment, we fhould be in palpable darkness all on a fudden, which would be very difagreeable; and were the fun all in an inftant to break forth upon us in the midst of darkness, it would destroy our fight in a fhort time. Herein is the wifdom and goodness of our Creator manifefted, that he makes all things contribute to our happiness by certain laws, without which they would be hurtful inftead of being profitable.

There is another thing that pertains to light, and that is, that it can be reflected by other bodies; without this difpofition all the other properties of light would be of no more fervice to us than to thofe that are born blind. Had not bodies the faculty of reflecting light, and were not light capable of being reflected, there would arife little benefit therefrom to mankind. It does not appear that reflected light, when collected in a burning glafs, has any heat. At least the light of the fun when reflected from the moon has no heat. For though the light is greatly encreased by means of the glass, there is no heat at all to be found from the increase of light. This is attended with advantages to the world in general, especially in hot countries; for if the rays of the moon afforded heat like the rays of the fun, fome parts of the habitable world would be burnt up,-fince the defcending dews of the night, by which it is moistened, would then ceafe to fall, and the fire of the moon would draw its vapours upwards. If of the moon were to fucceed in heat to the rays and heat of the fun, it is easy to perceive how hurtful it would be to the health of mankind, efpecially in warm climates. But providence has ordered all things well, and has, by means of the moon's tranfmitting by reflection a part of the fun's light, without any of his heat, given the inhabitants to enjoy the benefit of light, in the absence of the

the rays

fun,

fun, without any injury to their health or perfons'. May we not here join with the infpired writer and fay, O Lord, thy works are wonderful, in wisdom thou haft made them all!

When we confider the words of Mofes, it appears evident that what is in our version called light, is in the Hebrew, rather fomething that fends forth light. Aor may fignify any thing that makes things vifible by

emitting particles of light; and fometimes comprehends rain, or what is in the clouds, or air. When the Almighty faid, let, there be Aor, it is not certain that he meant elementary fire, or original unpropagated light. It is more probable that he intended by that word, a body that fent forth light by means of the motion of fimi lar particles of luminous and igneELIZA de BEREA,

ous matter,

A DISSERTATION

CONCERNING

CHRIST THE SAVIOUR.

TH

HE publication of the gospel is exceeding agreeable, and perfectly anfwers its original name, which fignifies good tidings. These are the best tidings that were ever heard in any age of the world! Happy fhepherds! to whom this news was fent down from heaven! Ye were in this, more happy than kings, that the wonderful nativity of the fupreme King, begotten from eternity, that nativity which brought falvation to the whole world, was firft communicated to you, and juft at the time it happened. "Behold, fays, the angel, I bring you glad tidings of great joy, which fhall be to all people; for unto you is born this day a Saviour." And immediately a great company of the heavenly hoft joined the angel, and in your hearing fung, Glory to God in the higheft."

His name was alfo fent down along with him," His name fhall be called Jefus, for he fhall fave his people from their fins." Ofweet name of Jefus, honey in the mouth, melody in the ears, and healing to the heart. This is THE Saviour, who, though we were fo miferable, and fo juftly miferable, yet would not fuffer us perish quite. Nor did he only pu

to

on our nature, but also our fins; that is, in a legal fenfe, our guilt being transferred to him; whence we not only read, that the word was made flesh;" but also, " that he was made fin for us, who knew no fin; and even, as we have it in the epiftle to the Galatians, that he was made a curfe, that from him an eternal bleffing and felicity might be derived to

us.

:

The spotlefs lamb of God bore our fins, that were devolv'd upon him by thus bearing them, he deftroyed them; and by dying for them gained a complete victory over death. And how wonderful is the gradation of the bleffings he procured for us; he not only delivered us from a prison and death, but prefents us with a kingdom; according to that of the Pfalmift, "Who redeemeth thee from deftruction; who crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender mercies.”

But may we not, with fome reason, fufpect of the greateft part of nominal Chriftians, who commonly receive thefe truths with great applaufe, that it may be faid to them, without any injuftice, "What is all this to you Thefe privileges are truly great and manifold, and indifferently directed to all, to whom they are preached, unless they reject them, and fhut the door against happiness offering to come in and this is not only the cafe of a great part of mankind, but

:

they