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tion, stones lying at the bottom of a pond appear nigh the surface of the water. Phil. Trans. of R. S. vol. i. p. 637.

1347. [Acts x. 11-16.] Sailing along the coast of Tartary, June 16th, 1787, at four in the evening, we discovered, says J. F. G. DE LA PEROUSE, the continent, which extended from west by south to north by east; and very soon after, to the south, an extensive land, running west towards Tartary, so as not to leave an opening of 15 degrees between it and the continent. We distinguished the mountains, the vallies, and all the particulars of the land; and could not conceive how we had entered into this strait, which could be no other than that of Tessoy, the search after which we had given up. In this situation I thought it adviseable to haul our wind, and steer south-south-east. But soon these hills and valles disappeared. The most extraordinary fog-bank I had ever beheld was the cause of our illusion. We saw it disperse ; its shapes, its colors, ascended, and vanished in the region of the clouds; and we had still day-light enough left to remove every doubt about the existence of this fantastic land. I sailed all night over the space of sea it had appeared to occupy, and at day-break nothing of it was visible, though our horizon was so extensive, that we distinctly saw the coast of Tartary upwards of fifteen leagues distant.

Voyage round the World, vol. ii. p. 7.

1348. [Rev. xvii. 8.] On Wednesday July 26th, 1797, WILLIAM LATHAM Esq. being informed that the Coast of France might plainly be distinguished from the Sea-side at Hastings by the naked eye, went down from his house there immediately to the shore, and was surprised to find that, even without the assistance of a Telescope, he could very plainly see the cliffs on the opposite coast; which, at the nearest part, are between 40 and 50 miles distant, and are not discerpible, from that low situation, by the aid of the best glasses. He then went upon the Eastern Cliff, which is of a considerable height, from whence he could at once see Dover Cliffs, and the French Coast, all along from Calais, Boulogne, &c. to St. Vallery; and as far to the westward even as D eppe. By the Telescope, the French fishing-boats were plainly to be seen at Anchor; and the different colors of the land upon the heights, together with the buildings, were perfectly discernible. This curious phenomenon continued in the highest splendor (though a black cloud totally obscured the face of the sun for some time) from about 5 til past So'clock in the afternoon, when it gradually vanished. He learnt that the same phenomenon had been equally visible at Winchelsea, and other places along the coast.

1349. [Heb. xii. 22, 23.] Every man, with respect to his spirit, is in some association; in a celestial one, if he be in the affection of what is good; in an infernal one, if he be in the concupiscence of what is evil. From an fernal association he cannot be extricated, by the Lord, but according

to the laws of His Divine Providence; of which this is one, that a man must see himself therein, desire to depart, and endeavour of himself to do so. This a man can do while in the world, but not after death: he then abides to all eternity in the society, which he had introduced himself into, while in the world. This is the reason why a man ought to examine himself, to see and acknowledge his sins, to repent of them, and then to persevere to his life's end.

SWEDENBORG's Div. Prov. n. 278.

1350. [Matt. xxiv. 35.] In the Intermediate State, earthly objects are imaged upwards in the different spheres arising from our terraqueous globe; whilst all the sacred buildings, cities, plantations, &c., that have been executed according to the divine directions given in Scripture, still remain permanently fixed in the four concentric spheres of the Sun of Righteousness which correspond with the spiritual spheres around our earth. Now, as our earth in its revolution from west to east, is continually removing with all its spiritual appearances in its imagery heavens, it may with strict propriety be said in this case, as also when earthly objects perish, that heaven and earth do really pass away. But, as the objects taken up into the Angelic Heavens apparently come down to the extremities of the solar spheres thence, and are thus perma. nently fixed over the revolving earth, those heavenly ideas, images, or words "shall not pass away."

See Heb. xi. 10. —Rev. xxi. 2.

1351. [Jer. i. 11, 13.] From Jer. i. 11, 13. and other passages of sacred Writ, it should seem that, in the spiritual world, the things which exist around angels and spi rits according to their affections and thoughts, represent a kind of universe. The Prophets testify that, in that world, there appear lands, mountains, hills, vallies, plains, fields, lakes, rivers, fountains, as in the natural world; consequently all things of the mineral kingdom. That there appear also paradises, gardens, groves, woods, in which are trees and shrubs of all kinds with fruits and seeds; also plants, flowers, herbs and grasses consequently all things of the vegetable kingdom. That there appear, in short, animals, birds and fishes of all kinds; consequently all things of the animal kingdom. Such things appear to the life and exist around an angel, and around angelic societies, as things produced or created from them. They remain also around those that produce them; and do not recede, except when the producing angel, or society, departs to some other place. They then disappear. Also when other angels succeed in their place, the appearance of things around where they had been is changed: the paradises are changed as to their trees and fruits; the gardens are changed as to their roses and seeds; also the fields, as to their herbs and grasses; and the kinds of animals and birds are changed likewise. The reason why such things so exist, and are so changed, is, because they are correspondent exhibitions and representative images of the affectious and thoughts of spiritual beings, irradiated and displayed under the creative influence of the Divine Glory.

See SWEDENBORG's Divine Love, nn. 321, 322.

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1356. [2 Pet. iii. 10.] The day of the LORD will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, an earth also, and the works that are therein, shall be burnt up.

"Whether (this be spoken of) the whole world, or our great vortex only, I dispute not," says the Honourable ROBERT BOYLE (in his Considerations about the Reconcileableness of Reason and Religion, p. 88).— The probable opinion of the Cartesians is, that the earth and divers other mundane globes, as the planets, are turned about their own axes by the motion of the respective ethereal vortices or whirlpools, in which they swim.

BOYLE, on the High Veneration Man's
Intellect owes to God, p. 20.

1357. [2 Pet. iii, 10, 12.] On Hewit Common, about three miles from York, my attention, says N. PIGOTT, Esq. (F. R. S.) was attracted towards the W.N.W. by some luminous matter in motion, which, collecting together from several directions, and immediately taking fire, presented itself under the form of a ball, of so vivid a brightness, that the whole horizon was illuminated, so that the smallest object might have been seen on the ground. -Nine or ten minutes after its dissipation, I heard a noise, much resembling the report of a cannon at a very great distance. --Supposing sound to move 1106 feet in one second of time, I calculate its perpendicular altitude above the earth's surface to have been about 40 miles. Phil. Trans. Abridg. vol. xv. p. 620.

If the aspect of the earth be horrible in polar climates, the sky affords the most beautiful spectacle. As soon as the nights grow dark, fires of a thousand colors, and a thousand various shapes lighten the sky. Sometimes they begin by forming a large scarf of clear and moving light, whose extremities reach to the horizon, and which rapidly traverses the heavens with a motion resembling the cast of a fisherman's net, preserving in this motion very perceptibly a direction perpendicular to the meridian. Most frequently after these preludes, all the lights unite towards the zenith where they form the head of a kind of crown. To describe all the figures which these lights assume, and all the motions they make, would be an endless task. Their most ordinary motion is one which makes them resemble curtains flying in the air; and by the shades of colors which they assume, one would take them to be of those taffeties which are called flame-coloured; sometimes they carpet part of the heavens with scarlet. On the night between the first and the second of September, 1767, from ten in the evening until one in the morning, the heavens were on fire throughout the arctic hemisphere; the night was as brilliant as the day: I read a letter, says M. DE KERGUELEN TREMAREC, at midnight as casily as I could have done at noou. We first of all saw, remarks this intelligent observer, a luminous cloud in the form of au arch, which occupied half the firmanent. From this, about eleven o'clock, rose columns perpendicular to the horizon, and alternately white and red. The upper part of these columns towards midnight changed into sheaves of a flame color, from the centre of which arrows of light issued into the air like rockets; at length after midnight, these columns, which were arranged with such admirable symmetry, were confounded all at once in a brilliant chaos of cones, pyramids, radii, sheaves, and globes of fire. This celestial appearance disappeared gradually; but the air was full of light even till day.Phenomena of this description have been seen in all ages and countries; but what are their origin? Why are they observed towards the north? As every one is allowed to have his own system, I shall hazard a conjecture on the probable cause of the aurora borealis, called so from its luminousness resembling that of dawn, although more commonly known by the name of the northern lights, on account of their being seen in the north. Imo, I imagine the matter of the aurora borealis to be the same as that of lightning or electricity. 2do, That the diurnal motion of the earth occasions a con

common fire, are only different effects of the same cause differently acted upon, disposed, modified and circumstanced. These aurora borealis are greatly useful to the inhabitants of the polar regions; it seems as if nature were desirous by them to make amends for the absence of the sun, and the privation of his beams.

1358.

PINKERTON'S Coll. of Voy. and Trav. vol. i. pp. 246, 785, &c.

Light occasions the rapid combustion of hydrogen in oxymuriatic acid gas. The more powerful the light, the more rapid is the diminution of the mixture. But if, in experiments, the hand, or any opaque body, be interposed to cut off the solar light, the diminution is instantly suspended. The effect of light is nearly the same on mixtures of this gas with carburetted hydrogen and carbonic oxyde. If hydrogen and oxymuriatic acid be mixed in a strong phial, and the mixture exposed to the solar rays, an explosion almost instantly takes place with a loud report (or 'great no se'). DALTON'S Chem. Phil. part ii. p. 301.

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1359. [2 Pet. iii. 11, 12.] It is somewhat remarkable that those gases which are known to combine occasionally, as azote and oxygen, and those which are never known to combine, as hydrogen and carbonic acid, should dissolve one another with equal facility; nay, these last exercise this solvent power with more effect than the former; for, hydrogen can draw up carbonic acid from the bottom to the top of any vessel, notwithstanding the latter is 20 times the specifie gravity of the former.

tinual flux of this matter towards the poles; which makes these meteors most visible in their neighbouring regions. 3tio, That a certain density, temper, and particular constitution of air be requisite to cause the igneous particles to approach, heap together, and compress so as by their fermentation to produce those sheaves, rockets, and luminous columns which are peculiar to the aurora borealis. 4to, That all the rapid movements, the lateral divergences, the sudden appearance of columns, &c., result from their mutual attraction and repulsion, a natural property of electric fire, as is proved by the alternate attraction and repulsion of gold leaves and light bodies by electrical globes. 5to, That if this meteor appear but rarely, it is because the air possesses seldom the requisite density, or is properly constituted to produce it. The most celebrated philosophers have long maintained an opinion that the element of fire is dispersed throughout existence, and that solid and fluid bodies are abundantly impregnated with igneous particles. I conceive that the ether of Newton, the elementary fire of Boerhaave, aud elec. tric fire, are the same substance, whose different effects vary in proportion to the impulse, agitation, direction, strength and quantity of the assembled matter; hence the action of the sun on this substance produces the double advantage of light and heat. Thus the attrition of a globe of glass re-unites a certain quantity of it, which managed and directed with art, produces the various phenomena of electricity. Thus the sudden and violent collision of two hard bodies elicits sparks, and the continual friction of two bodies of whatever description they be, excites and originates elementary fire in sufficient quantity to inflame and consume any combustible matter exposed to its action. When a great quantity of particles of fire is accumulated in condensed clouds which compress and drive them together, the particles of fire then striking the one against the other, inflame, sparkle, kindle into a blaze, and burst with explosion the prison which incloses them. Hence the flash of lightning and the thunder-clap; and if the lightning be seen before the thunder be heard, it is because the vibrations which expand from the igneous matter are more rapid of flight than the undulations of the air which bring us the sound. When clouds have less density; when they pass over space more lightly and more freely; when they contain only a small quantity of the particles of fire, then, should they unite and elash together, they kindle into flame without explosion; they produce that silent lightning, and those falling stars which shine and disappear. When the atmosphere is not too much overspread with clouds, and those have no more than the density requisite for sustaining and leading on the parti-pecting the coming of Christ to judgment, is delivered by cles of fire in their sphere of mutual attraction, without keeping them in, without heaping or pressing them, then no explosion succeeds; but the particles of fire inflame in the open air, and according to the different figures, though different consistence of the inflammable matter, and the different refractions of light, those globes, pyramids, radii, sheaves, and columns differently coloured of the aurora borealis are seen. The identity of the essence of lightning and that of electricity, which has lately been discovered, and whose respective effects are very various, greatly supports the hypothesis, that the light of the sun, of lightning, electric phenomena,

Ibid. part i. p. 179.

1360. [2 Pet. iii. 10.] The earth, in stretching forth its sphere, necessarily exhibits itself and every object that covers it, at the extremity of every degree in its atmosphere. Consequently in the judgment, when the Light of God preys upon or consumes the spheres of the wicked as the light of the sun also destroys correspondent gases, the appearance then is that the earth, its works, and all that do wickedly, are burned up as stubble. See Mal. iv. 1.

1361. [2 Pet. i. 19.] This sure word of prophecy, res

our Lord Himself in Matt. xvi. 28, John xxi. 22; where it is positively declared, that the disciple whom Jesus loved should survive the great event when the Son of man should come in the glory of his Father to reward every man accord ing to his works. See the accomplishment, Rev. i. 9—18. See No. 963.

1362. [Matt. xvi. 28.] The Book of Revelation opens with declaring Jesus Christ's appearance to John, commauding him to write what he (actually) saw and he

accordingly thus describes the fulfilment of our Lord's prediction in Matt. xxiv. 29, 30, 34, 40, 41: "I BEHELD (says he), and lo! the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, the moon became as blood; and the stars of heaven fell to the earth.” -" And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud sat one like the son of man," &c. Rev. vi. 12, 13; xiv. 14. -" And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God: and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the Book of Life: and the dead WERE judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and Death and Hades deliv

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END OF PART FIRST.

Printed by Joseph Pratt, at the Academy Press,

SALFORD, MANCHESTER.

IN

Science and Religion:

DESIGNED TO ILLUSTRATE

A

NEW TRANSLATION OF THE BIBLE.

BY THE REV. WILLIAM COWHERD,

LATE MINISTER OF CHRIST-CHURCH, SALFORD.

A POSTHUMOUS WORK.

PRINTED BY R. BARNES, AT THE ACADEMY PRESS,

SALFORD, MANCHESTER.

1820.

Entered at Stationers' Hall.

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