ture, which, when put in motion by the first cause, produce natural effects according to fixed and established laws; which cannot be altered unless by the First Mover.

The origin of that light which now renders bodies visible to us, seems chiefly to be fire; though light and fire are not inseparably connected; for light may be propagated where there is no fire, as from putrid bodies, and fire may be where there is no light, as in iron, sulphur, &c.

According to Moses, Light was the first specifical creature that was formed in this system, but the materials were already created when the other matter, of which the heavens and the earth were formed, received its existence. Moses seems plainly to hint at the operation of a principle in the universe, which, as a second cause, produced the phenomenon of light. This, most probably, was the motion of the luminous and fiery particles in the chaotic mass, which, at the divine command, separated themselves from the other gross materials of the miscellaneous composition, and by an attractive sympathy associated in one body, and after three natural days, formed that body which we now call the Sun.

Whether there be any subtle body, of a purer nature than fire, in this system, is of little consequence in this enquiry; for, admitting that similar particles have, according to their nature, a quality, or power to attract one another when put in motion, it answers all the purposes required. The first thing that Moses takes notice of in the order of the things created, is the centre of this system, which he calls or light; and which after a short progression rested in the sun, the common centre of this system of which we are a part. And by the influence of this central light, or fire, the various parts of the system were balanced, and, by mutual attraction, moved in the expanse, at determined distances.

The account which Moses gives of the abyss, or deep, as it is called in our translation, is very favourable to the idea which Sir Isaac Newton has suggested concerning attraction and gravitation; for the Hebrew word signifies, to move with a sort of confused motion. This shews that the chaotic mass had some gravitating powers in it, before the forming of the system; and that the attracting and repelling forces were naturally and originally in the universe; and that the first mover gave them, in a regular course, their specifical direction, and systematical attractions. Thus it is imagined that the doctrine of Moses, even in point of philosophy, is much more agreeable to the system of Sir Isaac Newton, than that of Mr. Hutchinson; and it does not appear that there is any thing said by Moses that

to the principles of gravitation and projection, it is scarcely possible to account, are known to be performed in very eccentric ellipses, the lower focus of each of which is in or near the sun. Throughout their courses, they are governed by the law of describing equal areas in equal times, which is known to regulate the motions of all the other bodies in the system. All their orbits have considerable inclinations to those of all the other Planets ;- —a circumstance which certainly could never have been the work of chance. Undoubtedly it has been so appointed by the wisdom of the Deity to prevent a possibility of their collision with any of the other circumvolving bodies. This admirable contrivance is a convincing proof of the divine foresight; who has ordered all things well: for, were any of these Comets to move in paths coincident, or nearly coincident, with the paths of the planets, at the point of intersection, they might, at some time meet and then the consequences of the shock would be fatal.

Sir Isaac Newton was the first to deduce a series of sound reasoning from the hypothesis of gravitation, by which he clearly demonstrated that one and the same principle, viz. the power of gravity, produced and regulated all the motions of the mundane system.

Dr. Halley knew that on that principle, the time of a comet's return might be foretold almost as certainly as that of a planet, if its period could be but once deduced from previous observations. To this arduous task he therefore applied himself, and from History collected such observations as seemed fully to satisfy him with regard to the periods of two of the Comets, viz. that of 1680, and that of 1682. The former, indeed, of these eccentric bodies proving a period of 575 years, put the observation of its return at so great a distance, as to make the certainty of its revolutionary period of no use for several ages to come. Its heat is supposed, when nearest the sun, to be 2000 times greater than red-hot iron; and that being thus heated, it must retain its heat till it comes round again, although its period should be 20,000 years, instead of 575. How wonderful are thy works, O Lord God!

The Comet of 1682, having a period the shortest of all, this philosopher, with a becoming confidence, predicted its return, and lived himself, within a few years, to see his own prediction accomplished. At the return of this Comet to the sun, it came to Jupiter so near, and stayed in his neighbourhood so long, as to acquire an accelerated motion by the united forces of the Sun and Jupiter.

Owing to this cause, when it left the Sun, it, from necessity, went off with greater velocity than at any former period of the revolution, and shot forth into a wider immensity of space: consequently the time of its return was thereby made longer, and

occasioned the Doctor to say, that it probably would not return until the end of 1758 or the beginning of 1759. At this time it really did appear, and fixed the æra of perfection in this part of celestial science.

SUPERNATURAL PHENOMENON.

The darkness at our Saviour's crucifixion, supernatural.

FROM the account given of the nature of eclipses, it plainly appears that the sun can never be eclipsed in a natural way, but at the time of new moon, nor the moon, but when she is full; and that when the sun is totally eclipsed, the darkness can never continue above five minutes at any place of the earth.

But the three Evangelists, St. Matthew, St. Mark, and St. Luke, mention a darkness that continued three hours, at the time of our Saviour's crucifixion. If their account of that darkness had been false, it would have been contradicted by many who were then present; especially as they were great enemies both to Christ and his few disciples, as well as to the doctrine he taught. But as none of the Jews have contradicted the Evangelists' account of this most extraordinary phenomenon, it is plain, that their account of it is true. Besides, the Evangelists must have known full well, that it could not be their interest to palm such a lie upon mankind; which, when detected, must have gone a great way towards destroying the credibility of all the rest of the account they gave of the Life, Actions, and Doctrine of their Master: And instead of forwarding the belief of Christianity, it would have been a blow at the very root thereof. We do not find that they have bestowed any panegyric on the life and actions of Christ, or thrown out an invective against his cruel persecutors; but, in the most plain, simple, and artless manner, have told us what their senses convinced them were matters of fact: So that we have as good reason to believe that there was such darkness, as we have to believe that Christ was then upon earth: and that he was, has never been contradicted even by the Jews themselves.

But there are other accounts of Christ, besides those which the Evangelists have left us. It is expressly affirmed by the Roman historians, Tacitus and Suetonius, that there was a general expectation spread all over the Eastern nations, that out of Judea should arise a person who should be governor of the world. That there lived in Judea, at the time which the gos

pel relates, such a person as Jesus of Nazareth, is acknowledged by all authors both Jewish and Pagan, who have written since that time. The star that appeared at his birth, and the journey of the Chaldean wise men, is mentioned by Chalcidius the Platonist. Herod's causing the children in Bethlehem to be slain, and a reflection upon him, on that occasion, by the emperor Augustus, is related by Macrobius. Many of the miracles that Jesus wrought, particularly his healing the lame, and curing the blind, and casting out devils, are owned by these inveterate and implacable enemies of Christianity, Celsus and Julian, and the authors of the Jewish Talmud. That the power of the heathen gods ceased after the coming of Christ, is acknowledged by Porphyry, who attributed it to their being angry at the setting up of the Christian religion, which he calls impious and profane. The crucifixion of Christ under Pontius Pilate, is related by Tacitus, and the earthquake and miraculous darkness attending it, were recorded in the public Roman Registers, commonly appealed to by the first Christian writers, as what could not be denied by the adversaries themselves; and are in a particular manner attested by Phlegon, the freed man of Adrian.

Some people have said, that the above-mentioned darkness might have been occasioned by a natural eclipse of the sun; and consequently, that there was nothing miraculous in it. If this had been the case, it is plain that our Saviour must have been crucified at the time of new moon. But then in a natural way, the darkness could not possibly have continued for more than five minutes; whereas, to have made it continue for three hours, the moon's motion in her orbit must have been stopped for three hours, and the earth's motion on its axis must have been stopped as long too. And then, if the power of gravitation had not been suspended during all that time, the moon would have fallen a great way towards the earth. So that nothing less than a triple miracle must have been wrought to have caused such a long continued darkness by the interposition of the moon between the sun and any part of the earth: which shews that they who make such a supposition, are entirely ignorant of the nature of eclipses. But there could be no natural or regular eclipse of the sun on the day of Christ's crucifixion; as the moon was full on that day, and consequently in the side of the heavens opposite to the sun. And therefore, the darkness at the time of his crucifixion was quite supernatural.

The Israelites reckoned their months by the course of the moon, and their years, (after they left Egypt,) by the revolution of the sum, computed from the equal day and night in

And Onesiphorus said unto him, Hail thou servant of the Blessed. Paul replied, grace be with thee and with thy house. Demas and Hermogenes filled with envy and dissimulation cried out, And are we not the servants of the Blessed? Why hast thou not saluted us? To whom Onesiphorus answered, I do not see in you the fruits of righteousness: but if ye are indeed such, come and abide also at my house. So Paul went with him, and there was great joy in the house of Onesiphorus; and having fallen upon their knees and prayed, and broken bread, Paul preached to them the word of God, concerning temperance, and the resurrection, to this effect:

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are they that keep the flesh unspotted, for they shall become the temples of God.

Blessed are they that renounce this present world, for they shall please God. Blessed are they that have wives as though they had them not, for they shall become like the angels of God. Blessed are they that tremble at the words of God, for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are they that receive the wisdom of Jesus Christ, for they shall be called the sons of God. Blessed are they that keep the knowledge of Jesus Christ, for they shall dwell in light. Blessed are they that for the love of Christ have forsaken the form of this world, for they shall judge angels, and shall sit at the right hand of Christ, and shall see the day of judgment without bitterness.

Whilst Paul was discoursing thus in the house of Onesiphorus, Thecla, daughter of Theoclia, a virgin who was espoused to Thamyris, a prince of the city, standing at the window of her house continued night and day to hear the word spoken by Paul concerning the love of God, and faith in Christ; nor would she be removed: but being filled with exceeding joy, became subject to the faith. And seeing many women and young persons entering in to hear Paul, she was exceedingly desirous of being counted worthy to stand in his presence, and to hear the word of Christ; for as yet she had never seen the person of Paul.

And as she continued thus to hear him, Theoclia her mother sent for Thamyris, and informed him, that Thecla had not risen from her place for three days, neither to eat, nor to drink; but in fixed attention on the words of Paul, had wholly given herself to that stranger; teaching seducing and wicked opinions: adding, This is the man that hath stirred up the whole city of Iconium, and that hath perverted Thecla. But go thou and speak to her for she is espoused to thee.

Thamyris fearing the distraction of her mind, spake to her