the laws of motion, by which the planetary worlds are governed, may in principle be similar to those of animals, and may be so contrived by the great Architect, that (like animal bodies) one department may for a time cease to perform its proper functions, whilst in the other departments the balance of nature may not be destroyed; for I can see no more difficulty in the Almighty causing one portion of the solar system to have its laws of motion for a season suspended, whilst the other departments are performing their proper motions, than it is for a man to have a portion of his body paralyzed, while the rest of his body is performing the functions of life. And the same remarks may serve for

THE SUN GOING BACK TEN DEGREES ON THE DIAL OF AHAZ.

Isaiah xxxviii. 8. "Behold, I will bring again the shadow of the degrees, which is gone down in the sun-dial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward. So the sun returned ten degrees, by which degrees it was gone down."

In this quotation, likewise, the word w shemesh is used, referring to the rays of the solar orb, or the light of the sun; but here likewise a miracle was performed, as in the case of Joshua, only with this variation, that in Joshua's case the light stood still, while in that of Hezekiah it went back; to which I give a short answer—that it was as easy for God to make the earth, which he had ordained to revolve upon its own axis from west to east, to traverse ten degrees back westward, as it is for a watchmaker, who has designed the hands of a watch, to traverse the dial from left to

right, to make the minute-hand go ten hours back to the left, without injury to the harmony of the whole; and some watches are so curiously constructed, that even the winding of them up does not in the least obstruct their motion.

SAMSON'S STRENGTH.

I now come to consider Samson's extraordinary strength-a subject much ridiculed by infidels. But if men persist in rejecting miracles, because they are beyond their comprehension, they may as well deny their own existence. But, respecting Samson's extraordinary strength, I, without hesitation, assert, that it was not contrary to the laws of nature, but the laws of nature extended beyond their ordinary limits-a circumstance which has occurred thousands of times since, though more circumscribed as to its degree. I have before observed, that spirit alone is the only principle of intelligence and power; therefore, as God is a spirit, and the only omnipotent spirit, the very fountain of strength, it follows, that man, whom he created in his own image, was in his perfect state constituted capable of being filled with that power to a degree far beyond what we, in our present fallen, weak, degraded condition, can imagine. Who can measure the limits of spiritual power? who can understand the mystery of spiritual agency, by which the spirit of a man, confined within the limits of his earthly frame, can be so inflamed as to heat his frenzied reason into madness, when he, with strength supernatural, will with ease burst the treble cords or chains by which he is bound, though perhaps it might have taken seven men

as strong as he, when in health, to have accomplished the feat? Then, if a man, under Satanic agency, can manifest such supernatural strength, how much more mighty must a man be, when filled with the Spirit or power of God? And the first quickning of nature is ascribed to the Spirit of God, and all knowledge and power is ascribed to the same who is the Spirit of wisdom, Exod. xxviii. 3; Spirit of understanding, Isa. xi. 2; Spirit of truth, John xiv. 17; Spirit of promise, Ephes. i. 13; Spirit of prophecy, Rev. xix. 10; Spirit of grace, Zech. xii. 10; Spirit of glory, 1 Pet. iv. 14; Spirit of counsel and might, Isa. xi. 2; Spirit of adoption, Rom. viii. 15. And, as in the kingdom of grace, the Holy Spirit is declared to be the active principle of life, so, in the natural creation, (which is a type of the spiritual,) it is most evident, that spirit alone is its vital, active principle of life, the perfect fluid light, which, in a greater or less degree, is infused throughout the same-a mysterious agent, by concentration of which, a power of expansion may be obtained almost, or, for aught I know, absolutely infinite. Therefore, if the Almighty Creator has infused into nature such an infinite principle of power, that man cannot ascertain its limits, why should any man doubt the possibility of the omnipotent power of God being communicated to man,

who was created in his own likeness.

But the true likeness of God man hath lost, and of himself can only manifest that weakness which the curse of sin hath brought him to; and, notwithstanding all his pretensions to moral rectitude, he by nature is but a vile impotent creature, with a disposition to prostitute all he hath

to the service of Satan: and the truth of these observations every believer in Christ can confirm from what he feels within, when he perceives that he has a "law in his members, warring against the law of his mind," constantly striving to bring him under the law of sin and death; and, although a new principle of life, the love of Christ, be implanted in his heart, yet does he find, that the world, the flesh, and the Devil, are such foes, that, like as David was afraid that he should one day fall by the hand of Saul, so he often with sorrow exclaims, "I shall one day fall by the hands of these uncircumcised Philistines." And such has been the condition of the church of Christ in all ages, of whom Samson was a lively type; concerning which I will make a few remarks, therefore shall refer to Judges xiii. 2. "And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and bare not. And the angel of the Lord appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son," &c. Ver. 5. “For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head : for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines." Thus was he to be set apart from the world, to execute the particular work of God. Just so, the church of Christ is called to "come out from the world, and be separate, and touch not the unclean thing.' And, as we read of Samson, in the 25th verse, that the Spirit of the Lord began to move him at times in the camp of Dan," so the church of

Christ, in the penticostial times, manifested the power of the Spirit in a most wonderful manner, when she, like Samson, was in her Nazarite state-when, like the flowing locks of Samson, her purity of love and good works flourished most abundantly; and, as long as Samson arrayed himself against the enemies of Israel, so long was the strength of God with him. Just so was it the case with the primitive church; as long as she earnestly arrayed herself against the world, so long was she mighty in word and deed; but, like as Samson, by lying and slumbering in the lap of his harlot Delilah, was at last shorn of his locks, deprived of his eye-sight, and made the sport of his enemies, so likewise the church of Christ, when she began to repose at ease in the lap of worldly pleasure, and was taken with the lust of worldly pomp, so soon did she come into a state of weakness and blindness, setting up the carnal ordinances of men in the stead of the word of God, until she became the sport and ridicule of the profane world; even as Samson was the sport of the Philistines, when they had put out his eyes. But when his hair began to grow, ch. 16, ver. 22, the lords of the Philistines began to give all the praise to Dagon their idol god. Verse 24. "Our god," said they, "hath delivered into our hands our enemy, and the destroyer of our country, which slew many of us." When, after they had forced him to grind in the prison-house, they brought him forth therefrom into the house of Dagon their idol, to make them sport. Ver. 25. “And he made them sport: and they set him between the pillars. And Samson said unto the lad that held him by the hand, Suffer me that I may feel