very well; but these everlasting laughing buffoons are nearly too much for me. It is my one great care that amidst a reviling, laughing, shouting crowd, I do not seem abashed.

"Towards the close of the evening Abraham approached, and I called him to see what he could do. He said the people were like dogs barking at the sun, and would do nothing but hurt their own throats."

THE ANCIENT AND MODERN HISTORY OF

NATIONS.

ANCIENT SACRED HISTORY.

THE next period of this history begins from the government of the Israelites, in the year B. C. 1095, by kings, and continues to the end of the Babylonish captivity, which includes a space of five hundred and fiftynine years.

The principal fact that happened during the history of the kings, is the schism that happened in the reign of Rehoboam, when the people were divided into two parts, and thence into two distinct kingdoms, Judah and Israel. Three kings only reigned over Israel in its undivided state, viz. Saul, David, and Solomon. The ten tribes revolting from Rehoboam, made choice of Jeroboam for their king, consequently Rehoboam and his successors henceforth governed only the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin. From that time the kings of Judah are to be distinguished from those of Israel, to which the reader of the Old Testament should pay attention, if he would well understand the narrative. Of the kings of Judah the most remarkable in history were, Rehoboam, through whose weakness and folly the kingdom was divided; Jehoiachim, who was conquered by Nebuchadnezzar, and carried into Babylonish captivity; and Zedekiah, under whom Jerusalem was taken and destroyed, and the rest of the Jews carried into captivity. Jerusalem was the capital and residence of the kings of Judah; and Samaria the royal city of the monarchs of Israel.

The most celebrated among the kings of Israel were Jeroboam, the founder of the new kingdom; Ahab, known or his impiety and persecution of the prophets; and Hosea, in whose reign the royal city of Samaria

was besieged and taken by the Assyrians, and the ten tribes carried away into captivity.

Under the first kings divine worship was confined to the ark and the tabernacle. But in the reign of Solomon, the temple, which was called after his name, was built, and became the place of religious worship. This has been called the prophetic æra, as more than thirty prophets flourished during this period.

The Hebrews were much attached to, and skilful in the practice of agriculture, but are generally supposed to have neglected the liberal arts; architecture and navigation must, however, have been well understood by them, of which their foreign merchandize and the magnificence of Solomon's temple are sufficient proofs.

The fifth period of sacred history includes a space of time amounting to three hundred and seventy-two years, commencing from the end of the Babylonish captivity to the times of the Maccabees.

The Babylonish captivity lasted seventy years, at the end of which, Cyrus, King of Persia, permitted them to return to their own country, where they were governed, first, by Zerubbabel, by whom they had been conducted home, and who laid the foundation of the second temple; and afterwards by Nehemiah, who inclosed Jerusalem with walls, and wrote a history of his own times. After the death of Nehemiah the supreme power devolved upon the high priests. To Esdras, a priest, we are indebted for the collection, revision, and transcript of the books of the Old Testament. In this period the Jews were subject to the Persians, and afterwards were under the dominion of the Greeks. Under the Persian monarchs they were treated with the greatest clemency, but endured the most rigorous oppressions while they were under the power of the Greeks, particularly in the reign of Ptolomy Lagus, who carried a hundred thousand Jews into slavery.

The Massorets, a set of grammarians held sacred among the Jews, arose in this period, by whose care and labours the sacred text has been preserved in the state in which we find it. The books of kings, Chron

icles, Esdras, Nehemiah, and Esther, were written in this æra; also the septuagint translation of the Hebrew scriptures, which, as the title denotes, is ascribed to the labours of seventy learned Jews.

The sixth period of scripture history begins with the family of the Maccabees, and continues till the reign of Herod the Great, containing one hundred and twenty-four years. In this period the contending sects of the Pharisees and Sadducees rose up; the Pharisees, in general, took the lead in number, and also on account of their supposed piety and austerity of manners, which recommended them to the people; they were the strenuous assertors of Jewish traditions. The Sadducees were inferior in numbers, but supported by the favour of the great, gave much trouble to the Pharisees. In fact, the Sadducees seem to have been quite Latitudinarians in principle, which probably rendered them very acceptable to the heathens. Besides these there was a great variety of other sects, which it is not necessary to notice in this place.

The institution of the Sanhedrim or grand senate, is referred to this period, which consisted of persons vene- . rable for age, and remarkable for wisdom and knowledge, by whose authority the power of the reigning prince was, in a great measure, restrained within certain prescribed limits. This period is likewise celebrated for the encouragement given to literature by the Maccabean princes.

CIRCLE OF THE SCIENCES, WITH SUITABLE REFLECTIONS.

ASTRONOMICAL SKETCHES.NO. II.

BESIDES the revolution of the Sun round its axis in 25 days, 14 hours, and his irregular motion about the centre of gravity of the solar system, he appears to have a progressive motion in absolute space. As all the bodies of this system naturally partake of this motion, it can only be perceptible from a change in the fixed stars, to which the system is advancing, or from which it recedes. This change of place, or proper motion in

the fixed stars, as it is called, was first observed by Halley, and afterwards by Le Monnier. If the Sun has a motion in absolute space, directed towards any quarter of the heavens, it is obvious that the stars in that quarter must appear to recede from each other, while the distance between those in the opposite region should seem gradually to diminish. The proper motion of the stars, therefore, in those opposite regions, as ascertained by a comparison of ancient with modern observations, ought to correspond with this hypothesis. Dr. Herschel has examined this subject with his usual success, and he has certainly discovered the direction in which our system is advancing. He found that the apparent proper motion of about 44 stars out of 56, is very nearly in the direction which should result from a motion of the Sun towards the constellation Hercules,* or, more accurately, to a point whose right ascension is 250° 52′ 30′′, and whose north polar distance is 40° 22'.

The Parallax of the Sun is computed, by some astronomers, to be 8" 8"; by others, to be 8" 35". Trifling as this discrepancy may appear, it makes a difference in the Sun's distance from the Earth of 4,653,138 miles : and the difference of 1", or the 60th part of 1 minute of a degree, makes a difference in the computation of the Earth's distance from the Sun of 10,000,000 of miles.

The Sun is the fountain of light, heat, and animation to all the planets which revolve around him; and God is the Father of Lights to all His rational creatures. From Him all his people derive their light and power; through His influence they grow in grace, and live a life of faith, love, and obedience. The Ministers of his word shine by reflection; from Him they receive their light, spiritual life, and ability to dispense the word of salvation; and their success in promoting his glory depends upon His agency. Without Him they are nothing, and can do nothing. The light and heat of the Sun are not more essential to the production,

* A northern constellation, which lies between the stars Arcturus and Lyra.

growth, and perfection of vegetation, than the light and influence of God are to the spiritual life and usefulness of the Ministers of his word. It is this divine influence which awakens, enlightens, quickens, and purifies the souls of men. He is the Sun of Righteousness, and the beams of his mercy are as free as the beams of that sun which shines upon the evil and upon the good.

The Sun is the common centre of attraction to all the planets. This will appear from their unequal motions at different times. When these immense bodies approach the Sun, their motion is accelerated; but as they recede from the Sun, their motion is retarded. The motion of the Earth is fully proved to be quicker in the winter than in the summer, because the Earth is nearer the Sun in the former than in the latter time of the year. Indeed, all the motions of the heavenly bodies, connected with the solar system, fully prove that the Sun is the great attractive power to all the planets and comets; and that it is his influence which retains them in their respective orbits.

Mercury is the nearest planet to the Sun, and revolves round him in 87 days, 23 hours, 15 minutes, 44 seconds, at the rate of 109,400 miles an hour. The diameter of this planet is 3130 miles. Its rotation on its axis is performed in 24 hours, 5 minutes, 28 seconds. Its distance from the Sun is 37,000,000 of miles.

Mercury moves in an orbit within the orbits of Venus and the Earth; and changes his phases, like the Moon, according to his positions with regard to the Earth and the Sun. This small planet is seldom seen, being generally hid from our sight in the solar rays.

We are not to suppose that the heat of this planet is in proportion to its short distance from the Sun, when compared with our Earth; for the quantity of heat received by a planet depends entirely on the state of its atmosphere. Some parts of our Earth are covered with perpetual snow and ice, though exposed to the rays of a vertical sun; which fully proves that the light and heat which a planet derives from the sun depends more on the density or rarity of its atmosphere than