the sun (the greater light) to perpetuate the same. Therefore Thomas Paine's objection comes to nothing and it is just as absurd as it would be for a man to say, that a cart which was made for a certain horse to draw, could not be used to convey anything to a distance without the horse to draw it; for if the watchmaker, by his finite skill, could arrange his little complex machine, and prove its accuracy-by the aid of his thumb, give it motion, and then supply a main spring to perpetuate it, surely the all-wise Creator could, by the power of his Spirit, arrange the elements, give them their laws of motion, and then ordain the sun to perpetuate the same. But, from infidel objections I will return to my text again.

The greater light, it states, was to rule the day-it was to "divide the light from the darkness," for "the light he called day, and the darkness he called night." I have before observed, that darkness is nothing else than the densities of the atmosphere progressing to a state of stagnancy: therefore it says that the greater light was to rule the day. The word meshel, translated rule, implies a principle of power, action-a very apt figure to express the day-spring, which the solar orb actually is; and the word youm (day) signifies tumultuousness, the exact condition in which our atmosphere is actually in, when the solar orb is shining with meridian splendour into any portion of it: for by the impulse of the solar rays, or light, the atmosphere round the earth is kept in constant commotion, because then, the solar orb, by diffusing its heat into the atmosphere, causeth that portion upon which it is operating to be so rarified, that

C

a conflict immediately occurs, as a natural consequence, between the part rarified and that which falls into the disk or shadow of our earth, or any other planet. And thus it appears, that while the rays of the sun are acting upon one hemisphere, the darkness or densities of the less rarified parts are falling upon the other, or opposite one; so that the solar orb, by the power of its rays of light, or centrifugal force, is constantly driving the other planets from it, their proper centre; whilst the less rarified darkness or densities of the atmosphere, or centripetal force, are as constantly pressing them to it: and by that means each planet is made to revolve upon its own axis; and so it follows, as a natural consequence, that the planets, revolving upon their own axes, must of necessity travel or perform certain orbits. The particular dimensions of each must consequently be in proportion to their magnitude, diameter, or circumference; and thus the variations of the magnitude of the orbits of the several planets may be accounted for: and most beautifully is the action of the solar orb described in the first chapter of Ecclesiasticus, fourth verse; but before I enter upon the text, I must offer a few remarks upon the three different terms which in the Hebrew are applied to the solar orb, all three of which have, by most of our translators, been used to express the same thing, whereas in the Hebrew they have different significations: the first is Up shemesh, signifying the light of the solar orb or its rays in action; the second is chawmah,* denoting the heat or flame of the same; the third is cheres,† the name of the solar orb *See Cant. vi. 10. Isa. xxx. 26. † Judges viii. 13.

itself, signifying a burning ulcer. I have before observed that the sun is the main-spring of our solar system-the central focus of light, with which it is supplied without measure; and by its diffusing the same into the immensity of space, causeth the revolution of the spheres, within the range of its power; therefore, being the central focus of light, or electrical fire, it is in the Hebrew very aptly symbolized by a burning ulcer; concerning which I have much to say.

Modern philosophers have raised an objection to the philosophical portions of the scriptures, on account of their being at variance with the evidence of natural facts, as they suppose. They allege that the bible represents the solar orb as rising and setting; and the inference they draw from that is, that the sun is represented as going round the earth: whereas plain natural facts prove that the sun is the centre of the solar system, and that the planets travel round it—and so the scriptures state, and that I will in a few words prove, from the text I have just hinted at, Eccles. i. 5. I will give the original text further on, with the literal translation, because the common translation is not quite correct-therefore my learned readers may judge for themselves; it reads in the original thus:—

"And the solar rays spring forth, and the solar rays (draw off or) go in again; and to his place draweth in and spreadeth his renown; he goeth to the south, and round about to the north, whirling about and moving the wind continually, and upon his circuit turning it back again."

Infidels and atheists ridicule the scriptural account of the creation; but Solomon, who was

skilled in all kinds of wisdom, considered it the very perfection of philosophy; and I can, without fear of contradiction, assert that the philosophy of the bible is in perfect harmony with every real philosophical truism which modern philosophers lay claim to as the spontaneous productions of their own researches; and every fact in the Newtonian system is in perfect unison therewith; and the text just quoted (out of many) is a standing proof of the same, the details of which I will now proceed to open; and, to make it as explicit as possible, shall take it sentence by sentence, se

and the solar (וזרח השמש ובא השמש) .parately

rays spring forth, and the solar rays draw off or go in again." Thus is the morning and evening described, or the sun's rising and setting, according to the vulgar notions; but the sense of the text sheweth the springing forth of the solar light from the (D cheres) solar orb, or centre, upon any portion of the earth, in the morning, and their drawing off or retiring from the same in the twilight of the evening, as I have before remarked concerning the earth revolving upon its own axis.

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and to his place ואל מקומו שואף זורח הוא שם

draweth in and spreadeth his renown." Now the last word in this quotation (D) is used in Gen. vi. 4, Num. xvi. 2, and other places, to express renown; and as the word i shemesh is used all through the scriptures to express the action of the rays of light spreading forth from the (cheres) solar orb, or the goings forth of the sun, so the pronoun hu stands in the text, to shew that all the attributes there set forth belong to him as the principal; for, although the nominative cheres, which governs the whole sentence, is

not in the text, yet must it be understood by the masculine pronoun (hu) third person singular, as belonging to (cheres) the solar orb; therefore (shemesh) is the agent by which he performs his office; and who, having a mighty work to accomplish, and no hands to do it, yet does perform the same by breathing forth of his vital principle to the uttermost bounds of his habitation, or system, of which he is the centre. Therefore it may be

truly said, that before his place he spreadeth his renown; because his appointed station is the centre, and his field of action the extremity of the system of which he is the centrifugal power of motion, in which his influence is sensibly felt, and may be justly called the life-spring of the same, because by his influence all nature is quickened, to perform the work of procreation.

he goeth to * הולך אל דרום וסובב אל צפון

the north, and round about to the south." I think this section of the text is sufficient to prove, beyond all doubt, that the term shemesh cannot refer to the solar orb itself, because, according to the vulgar notion of the sun's rising and setting, it is always understood as rising in the east, and setting in the west; consequently it must have reference to his spreading forth his rays in every

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whirling * סובב סבב הולך הרוח - direction ועל סביבתיו שב הרוח,about the wind continually

and upon its circuit turning it back again." How strikingly does the above text set forth the glorious and handy work of God, in appointing the solar orb to keep the vast machine of nature in life and motion, by causing each planet of his system to revolve upon its axis, and travel its appointed and proper orbit. But the last