1941.] The Style of Scripture intentionally Conventional, not Scientific. 717 quently receive-or rather cause-more dew than others. We may make dew by bringing a cold substance-say a wine-glass taken from a cold cellar-into a warm room containing much moisture, as where several persons are breathing. An iced cream, brought out of an icehouse into such an apartment causes a rapid deposition of dew on the containing vessel; and if the ice is cold enough, that dew becomes hoar-frost. All this is demonstrable. Dew then does not fall from the sky, any more than rise from the earth. It is formed—that is, deposited-from moisture in the air in contact with a sufficiently cooling surface, upon which it is condensed. It may be seen upon under surfaces which nothing falling can touch. Here it rises, instead of falling; if indeed either expression were philosophically correct, which it is not. But dew was known from the earliest times: whereas its causes were not accurately ascertained till recently; in all languages, therefore, it is spoken of as falling from the sky, or the clouds, or the higher regions of air; being described as the exhalations of the day condensed by the cold of night; which, properly speaking, it is not, for these condensed exhalations form mist, or fog, or sleet, or rain; but dew is a local deposit, caused by the contact of a cold surface with the air, which is thereby constrained to give up a portion of its moisture. The whole atmosphere may be misty or foggy by the condensation of the day's exhalations in a chilly night; but there cannot be dew except in immediate contact with the bedewed body. When exhalations are being condensed by the chill of night, the air becomes clouded: whereas when dew is formed it is transparent.

All this is demonstrable, yet it seems to contradict the language of Scripture far more than anything in geology. If we turn to biblical writers, we find Cruden saying, "Dew is small rain, falling on the ground in the morning;" and Dr. Brown says that "it is a thick moist vapour that falls upon the earth ;" and he goes on to tell us "why the lower bodies are first moistened," namely, because the dew is " first raised from the earth" before it falls down upon it; according to which notable reasoning rain would fall first on the ground before it reached the top of a house or a church tower; he adds also, that bodies “most hard share least of the dew,” which is not the fact; but it shews that the character of the bodies bedewed was observed to have something to do with the deposit ; whereas if dew were "small rain," the same quantity, neither less nor more, would fall on a square yard of gravel-walk as on the same surface of lawn; and it is strange to hear a reasoning man talk of the hardness or softness of the recipient having anything to do with the amount of moisture falling upon it; as if a wooden and an iron bowl, of equal size, similar shape, and similarly circumstanced, would not collect equal quantities of "small rain." I might quote many other biblical critics who argue in the same manner. They are not to blame for not knowing how dew is formed: though there is somewhat of assumption in giving an opinion where they had no clear ideas, and were obliged to write nonsense when they attempted a solution. But the point to be noticed is, that they consider the falling of the dew from the sky or clouds as a fact not questionable; and they have the phraseology of Scripture to support them. Thus, Numb. xi. 9, "The dew fell upon the camp in the night;" Deut. xxxiii. 28, "His heaven shall drop down dew;' 1 Sam. xvii. 12, "We will light on him as the dew falleth ;" and

use.

718 The Style of Scripture intentionally Conventional, not Scientific. [DEC. Proverbs iii. 20, "The clouds drop down the dew." This last passage, they might urge, expressly contradicts modern science, which asserts that dew is deposited chiefly when the sky is least cloudy. There is no difficulty in all this. The Bible does not mention natural phenomena with a view to explain them. A thousand questions arise respecting the Creation, the Deluge, the miracles both of the Old and the New Testament, and many other subjects, which it does not even incidentally cast any light upon, as it might have done, by using phraseology different from that in colloquial It is conversant with higher subjects. Does it, for instance, mention the phenomena of dew? Who does not instantly think of the coolness, the refreshment, the invigoration, which it brings with it in a sultry land? In Palestine, from the beginning of May to the end of August, a cloud is rarely seen; no rain falls, and vegetation would be burned up but for the copious dews which supply its place. The " dew of heaven" thus becomes an expression for the favour of God in giving blessings to man: "God give thee of the dew of heaven." (Gen. xxii. 27.) The allusion in this passage is to temporal blessings; for it is added, "The fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine;" but the image is also applied to characterise spiritual blessings: "I will be as the dew unto Israel," Hos. xiv. 5; or to both, The dew lay all night on my branch," Job xxix. 19. To withhold dew is an expressive phrase to indicate Divine displeasure. Quick evaporation of dew affords a striking illustration, Hos. vi. 4, "Your goodness is as a morning cloud; and as the early dew it goeth away." Dew beautifully represents the silent, gentle, and refreshing nature of Divine truth, and the influences of the Holy Spirit: "My speech shall distil as the dew," Deut. xxxii. 2. Brotherly love is beautifully likened (Ps. cxxxiii. 3) to "the dew of Hermon; and the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion:" and anything cheering and beneficial is so described: "The king's favour is as dew." Its innumerable drops, sparkling like diamonds in the morning sun, depict "the company which no man can number" of the church of Christ; at least if Ps. cx. 3, is rightly translated by Lowth and Parkhurst, "more than (the dew from) the womb of the dawn, (shall be) the dew of thy progeny."

Who can imagine that the sacred penmen, in recording, by Divine inspiration, these glowing allusions, descended for one moment to think whether dew rises or falls; or that the Holy Ghost, in impressing their minds with the image, and inditing the words, meant that the ordinary language of mankind should be used otherwise than in the customary manner; be the ordinary application scientifically correct or otherwise.

I think then that those who feel difficulty in receiving the inferences of modern geology, as being in their view incompatible with Scripture, have not considered the whole of the case. If they will lay down some principle (in doing which I see no difficulty) whereby they may reconcile the declaration that the clouds drop down the dew, with the fact that dew does not drop down from the clouds, but is formed in the manner above described, they can be at no loss to solve the difficulties of geology. "Let God be true and every man a liar;" but let us be sure that we rightly interpret God's words before we infer that our Christian brother really contravenes them.

F.

CORRESPONDENCE OF SIMPSON WITH HILL, ROMAINE,
FLETCHER, AND BERRIDGE.

To the Editor of the Christian Observer.

I HAVE been reading Sir J. B. Williams's Life of the Rev. D. Simpson, prefixed to his "Plea for Religion," which was alluded to in your last Number, and have risen from the perusal with mingled feelings of pleasure and regret; pleasure at witnessing much of Scriptural doctrine, and zealous and affectionate piety; regret at many things, of which I will only specify the inconsistency of some eminently holy men of that day, in their bounden duties as members of the Anglican Church. Mr. Simpson's correspondence brings before the reader letters from, and references to, several clergymen, who, frequently, or occasionally, violated those vows of canonical obedience by which they had voluntarily bound themselves. Assuredly it was not righteous to obtain office in a church, and then to infringe the obligations without which they could not have obtained it.

And then to see how lightly some of them speak of this breach of faith. We find Rowland Hill telling Mr. Simpson that "the canon law is nothing" what! not to a man who had sworn canonical obedience? He says, "Not a hair of your head can ever be touched for preaching under toleration." What! and are we to be subject only for wrath, and not for conscience sake? As a clergyman of the Church of England, he had nothing to do with the "Toleration" Act, except to maintain its spirit by not persecuting others, while he adhered to his own vows. These zealous clergymen might have found plenty to do, without forsaking their own pale; for doing which their excuses were most flimsy.

I admit the lamentable state of our church at that period; the coldness, irreligion, bare orthodoxy, and persecuting spirit which so widely prevailed, and which drove many good men out of her pale. But this does not lessen my grief that any of those who were scripturally minded, should have broken their fealty, and caused their good to be evil spoken of, and deeply injured the cause of pure and undefiled religion, in the communion to which they belonged, by ecclesiastical irregularities.

I have thrown these remarks upon paper as the book is passing through my hands; but as not many perhaps of your readers have it in their's, I will copy a few of the letters, which are taken from the original manuscripts, and which will bear out my remonstrance; while, abating what is requisite on this score, and on some other accounts, they will be found devout and interesting.

To the Rev. D. Simpson, Macclesfield, Cheshire.

My very dear, much honoured, because much persecuted, Friend and Brother, -Your most worthy friends, Mr. and Mrs. Roe, did me the favour, this morning, to eat a breakfast with me. Blessed be God, disinterested souls shall be borne through. Our greatest honour is to be sufferers for God. No Cross no Crown. Twice have they cast you out. I dare not direct; all that I can say is, for myself, I bless the Lord I am entirely his, and daily find the portion of the outcast is a happy one indeed. However, is not your way plain? Another door opens, in which none can molest you. Be sure of this: not a hair of your head can ever be touched for preaching under toleration: nor can it hinder you of any preferment that should offer. The canon law is nothing, having never had any parliamentary ratification. This Judge Blackstone has publicly declared. Though

I preach in licensed places continually, yet more churches are open to me than I can serve. Thousands in this city flock to hear, yet multitudes go away for want of room. Ecclesiastics roar, as Luther says, like bears struck on the snout; yet this, they know, is all they can do. Your share of humility and diffidence I long for exceedingly; yet a little courage to face the devil may not be amiss. The Lord knows how difficult it is to keep measures with the wretched, much-to-be pitied, Church governors of the present day. As I can sincerely assure you I love you affectionately, do let me hear from you how matters are to turn. Direct for me, at Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire. There is my parish: my church is a meeting-house. Those parts, of late, have been remarkably evangelized. Happy should I be, indeed, to see you there, with Mrs. Simpson, if you could spare time. This, perhaps, you may do while your church is building. No doubt you have heard your poor fellow pilgrim has got a wife as well as yourself. Next to the blessing of redemption she is my greatest. Pray for us both. Dear Charles (The Rev. Thomas Charles, of Bala) sends his love. I saw him yesterday, and to-morrow I preach for him at the Lock. Thus, blessed be God, rams' horns and silver trumpets sweetly coalesce. I congratulute you upon being a father. That the choicest of blessings may rest upon you in every relationship in life, is the sincere prayer of your ever affectionate Brother, ROWLAND HILL.

Bierly, Sept. 5, 1774.

My good Brother, -I did not answer your letter, because I would have you to wait a little. You know I have been accustomed to such treatment as you have met with, and I have lived to see the goodness of God's dealings with me. It seems to me worth your while to wait a little upon the Lord. Don't hurry: you may take a hasty step, and repent it all your days. Wait, I say, upon the Lord; be may teach you why he silenced you. You may see it was for your good. He wanted to teach you submission, to break your own spirit, and curb your self-will; perhaps he intended to humble you, and so to fit you for more usefulness; that having done his work at Macclesfield, you might rely more upon his grace in labouring for him elsewhere.

You ask me my opinion. I give it you freely. If you follow Providence, it speaks plain. You are not shut out of the Lord's vineyard, but only called to labour in another part of it, where the door is open for you. Providences, in such cases, speak as plain as Scripture. Pray to the Lord to make his will yours, and I doubt not in the least, but you will see your way here as plain as I do; and if you accept it, may our Divine Head bless you abundantly, and give you a large Yorkshire harvest. I am, with great respect, yours, very sincerely, W. ROMAINE.

"Madeley, 4th August, 1770. "Rev. and dear Sir,-I have sometimes preached in licensed places, but have never been censured for it. Perhaps it is because my superiors in the church think me not worth their notice, and despair of shackling me with their unevangelical regularity. If the Bishop were to take me to task about this piece of irregularity, I would observe-I. That the canons of men cannot overthrow the canons of God. Preach the word. Be instant in season and out of season; the time cometh, and now is, when true worshippers shall worship,' particularly and exclusively of other places, neither on Mount Gerizim, nor on Mount Zion; but they shall worship every where in spirit and in truth. The contrary canons are Jewish, and subversive of the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free; yea, contrary to the right of Churchmen, which must, at least, include the privileges of Dissenters. 2. Before the Bishop shackled me with canons, he charged me to look for Christ's lost sheep that are dispersed abroad, and for his children who are in the midst of this wicked world; and these sheep, &c. I will try to gather whenever I meet with them. We have a general canon -While we have time, let us do good to all men, and especially to them of the household of Faith. Go into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature willing to hear it. A justice of peace would once prosecute me upon the Conventicle Act; but when it came to the point, he durst not do it. Some of my parishioners went and complained to the Bishop about my conventicles. I wrote to the registrar, that I hoped his Lordship, who had given me the abovementioned charge at ordination, would not be against my following it: that I thought it hard the tipplers should have twenty or thirty tippling-houses, the Dissenters three or four, and the Papists one meeting-house, in my parish, undisturbed, and that I should be disturbed, because I would not have God's Word confined to one house. And that, with respect to the canons, it would

be absurd to put them in force against preaching clergymen, when they were set aside with respect to catechising, tippling, gaming, carding clergymen. That I did not desire his Lordship to patronise me, in a special manner, in the use of my Christian liberty; but that I hoped he would connive at it. Whether they received my letter or not, I do not know; but they never attempted to molest me. As I was speaking on the head of preaching in licensed places, or Dissenting meeting houses, with the late Mr. Whitfield, he told me, that when a minister of the Church of England did read the common prayers, there was no law against him; and that the Church clergy do so, very frequently, in America. "The questions of your letter are most of them out of my sphere; but they may be properly answered by a worthy servant of Christ, the Rev. Mr. John Ryland, minister of the new chapel at Birmingham, whose case is 'somewhat similar to yours. This chapel was built upon the estate of a serious lady, who got it consecrated, and presented him. I design to send him your letter, and desire him to give you and your worthy patron [to whom I beg you would present my Christian respects] all the intelligence he can; only be modestly and steadily bold for God, and your enemies will be more afraid of you, than you of them; or, if God will honour you with the badge of persecution, he will comfort and bless you the more for it. May the God of all grace and power be with you more and more-ask it, dear sir, for your brother, and servant in Christ, J. FLETCHER.

Everton, near Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, August 8th, 1775. Dear Sir,-Your letter, for want of full direction, first rambled to Woburn, and then was remanded to London, before it visited Everton. This accounts for my tardy answer. When I began to itinerate, a multitude of dangers surrounded me, and seemed ready to ingulph me. My relations and friends were up in arms; my college was provoked; my bishop incensed; the clergy on fire; and the church canons pointing their ghastly mouths at me. As you are now doing, so did I send letters to my friends, begging advice, but received unsatisfactory or discouraging answers. Then I saw, if I meant to itinerate, I must not confer with flesh and blood, but cast myself wholly upon the Lord. By his help, I did so, and made a surrender of myself to Jesus, expecting to be deprived, not only of my fellowship and vicarage, but also of my liberty. At various times, complaints or presentments were carried to my college, to successive archdeacons and bishops; and my first diocesan frankly told me I should either be in Bedlam or Huntingdon gaol by and by. But, through the good blessing of my God, I am yet in possession of my senses, my tithes, and my liberty; and he who has hitherto delivered, I trust will yet deliver me from the mouth of ecclesiastical lions, and the paws of worldly bears. I have suffered from nothing, except from lapidations and pillory treats, which yet have proved more frightful than hurtful. If you are invited to go out, and feel yourself inclined to do so, take a lover's leap, neck or nothing, and commit yourself to Jesus. Ask no man's leave to preach Christ; that is unevangelical and shameful. Seek not much advice about it; that is dangerous. Such advice I found, generally, comes the wrong way -heels uppermost. Most preachers love a snug church, and a whole skin; and what they love they will prescribe. If you are determined to be evangelically regular, i. e. secularly irregular; then expect, wherever you go, a storm will follow you, which may fright you, but will bring no real harm. Make the Lord your whole trust, and all will be well. Remember this, brother David! for if your heart is resting upon some human arm for support, or if your eye is squinting at it for protection, Jesus Christ will let you fall, and roll you soundly in a kennel, to teach you better manners. If you become a recruiting serjeant, you must go out-duce et auspice Christo. The Lord direct, assist, and prosper you. Grace be with you, and your much affectionate friend and servant,

J. Berridge.

Rodborough, near Stroud.

My dear old Friend, I received your letter last post. I should be heartily glad to promise you the assistance you request, if I thought it would be in my power to perform. All my time at present is taken up, in attending upon the work of building a new chapel on the Surrey side of Blackfriar's Bridge, a part of the town that, for many years, has been quite destitute of the Gospel: the place is to be upon a large scale, and, consequently, requires much of my attention. Another circumstance confines me in London. Some good people have jealousies raised in them, lest building the new place would take me from the old ones: it is thought necessary to give them the closer attendance, that all may be CHRIST, OBSERV. No. 48. 4 Z