King Square, London, Oct. 29, 1828. WE have a special and copious note respecting that beautiful and splendid phenomenon, the Rainbow, in the sacred volume, immediately upon the establishment of the new world, which arose out of the ruins of the old world, from beneath the waters of the general deluge: this note I subjoin, from the ninth chapter of the book of Genesis. "And GoD spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying, And I, behold I, establish My covenant with you, and with your seed after you, and with every living creature that is with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you; from all that go out of the ark to every beast of the earth. And I will establish My covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth. And GOD said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I do set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between Me and the earth. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: and I will remember My covenant which is 58 between Me and you, and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between GoD and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant, which I have established be. tween Me and all flesh that is upon the earth." This solemn compact, spontaneously entered into by Jehovah with man, and thus circumstantially detailed, has especial reference to certain things, then brought into existence; which things were, by the gracious providence of the Infinite, to be continued in existence to the end of time, without the interference of mankind, although these things should continue to exist throughout all his generations.What these things are, is well worth the inquiry. This question has occupied the pens of almost all commentators upon the Bible, and many first-rate writers have also exercised their skill thereon, without exhausting the subject: something yet remains to be said, and something will remain after this essay is published. Drops of rain are spherical; and, according to Sir Isaac Newton, when the rays of light from the sun strike a drop of rain, some of them enter it, are refracted on entering the first surface, reflected from the second, again refracted on leaving the last surface, and on passing out of this aqueous sphere, these rays descend to the eye of a spectator who stands in a certain angle between the sun and the rain, and there cause to him the appearance denominated the primary rainbow. The pri mary rainbow never exceeds a semicircle, because the centre of the bow is always opposite to the sun; and no rainbow can appear before the sun rises, or after the sun sets; viz. when the sun is below the horiBut the primary rainbow is less than a semicircle, in proportion as the sun is elevated above the horizon; and, therefore, at noon it forms the mere segment of a circle. zon. If rain descended in detached showers upon the antediluvian earth, then the rainbow was visible in the old world, in a manner similar to its appearance in the new world, and therefore was no new phenomenon to Noah and his family: this, however, is an undecided question. We find a note. in the account of creation which the sacred volume contains, to this effect: "The Lord GOD had not caused it to rain upon the earth: but there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground." If the antediluvian world enjoyed perpetual spring, without change of seasons, or alternations of heat and cold, rain and drought, and man thereby, in the order of divine Providence, attained nearly his thousandth year, ere he sunk by decay of nature, into death, as some suppose; then, at the moment of the general deluge, the finger of the Lord induced rain, for the first time, upon the earth; first to drown its impious inhabitants, and, secondly, on the cessation of the general deluge, by adverse extremes of cold and heat, moist and dry, to break down the constitution of man, and reduce the term of his natural life from a thousand years to threescore years and ten; then the rainbow was new to Noah and his family, altogether. Which of these positions is true, who can inform us? There is no voice-none to answer; and, therefore, as we found these questions, so must they be left to a future day. The rainbow could not appear during the rain which produced the general deluge; because that rain was universal-there were no chasms in the circumambient vapours which then shed their waters upon the earth. A circular halo might have appeared during this universal rain, to those who had ascended the mountains, if any of the antediluvian mountains were higher than the clouds which produced the rains of the general deluge; but they could not have observed a rainbow: a circular appearance, or halo, of this description being sometimes visible to this day in mountainous regions, where the eye looks down upon descending rain. But the rainbow would appear when this universal rain had subsided, and a shower descended upon the earth, because a shower descends from a detached cloud, viz. a cloud which has terminations. A cloud may be one mile or a hundred miles long, or even a thousand, and its breadth may be in proportion, no matter how large or how small, but it must have dimensions, and thus be detached from other clouds; otherwise, as has been already noted, the rain descending therefrom cannot produce a rainbow; but if it is thus detached from the universal mass of vapour, it must, on producing rain, produce a rainbow. A breach in the mass of vapours, permits the rays from the sun to enter and strike the descending drops of rain, on their passage to the earth; and these rays, when re 60 fracted and reflected by these minute aqueous spheres, form a rainbow, visible to the eyes of man upon the plains below. The earth itself, in the manner of a plain, prevents the entire image of the sun's face from being depicted on the cloud, and terminates it in a semicircle; the two ends of which, like two feet, seeming to rest upon the earth. The rainbow, therefore, on appearing to Noah and his family immediately on the subsiding of that universal rain which produced the general deluge, must have been peculiarly consolatory. It lulled their fears on the approach of rain, excited their hopes, and confirmed their faith in God; who, having promised to maintain this bow in the clouds throughout their generations, had also promised to look upon it, and, remembering the covenant, never again permit an univessal rain to blot out the broad seal of His covenant from the face of heaven, and deluge the earth, to the destruction of mankind. The rainbow is, therefore, an appropriate sign of Jehovah's covenant with man, that the earth shall no more be destroyed by a flood; because, while it is maintained in the clouds, no universal rain can take place, and produce another general deluge; for, an universal rain would exclude the rainbow in toto, and no general deluge can take place without universal rain. The rainbow points out, whenever it appears, even to the remotest posterity of Noah, that the covenant of Jehovah with him stands firm, and will stand firm, unaltered and unalterable, throughout every age of time. Not a day, perhaps not an hour, has passed, from the moment the general deluge subsided, to the present hour, when a rainbow was not visible to the eye of the Infinite in some portion of the atmosphere of this globe; for, scarcely can a shower of rain descend, where it is day, but a rainbow must be formed. Since the general deluge, no instance of universal rain has occurred; for in some countries it never rains; Egypt, for instance, as well as others; therefore, every rain since that period, except showers during night, must have produced a rainbow, visible at some one point upon or near our sphere; and, from the best calculations, it results, that rain, on some one portion of our earth, falls every hour. The bow of the covenant of God with man is thus perpetually in the clouds of heaven -the broad seal thereof, seen by angels and by men, adorns the sphere it is destined to save, not only in one, but frequently in 61 Astronomical Occurrences for January 1829. numerous parts at the same moment. As He promised, so does Jehovah look upon the bow; and, remembering His covenant, restrains the extended and extending showers, and these never become universal rain, and blot out the seal of His covenant from above the earth. How admirable does the providence of Jehovah appear amidst the destruction of the old world: He deals out judgment, but with what caution! His wrath is calm deliberate wisdom; how unlike the wrath of man, how diametrically opposite to the ferocity of Satan! Jehovah destroyed the old world by water; fire would have destroyed all; but Noah, his family, pairs of unclean, and seven of clean beasts and birds, are providentially saved in an ark, while the fishes, being in their own element, are unharmed. Thus no new creation becomes necessary; the providence of the Infinite suffices to renew the whole. That great poet and philosopher, Milton, in his inimitable poem, Paradise Lost, has the following passage. "Some say He bid his angels turn askance 62 but would be new to Noah and his family in the new world, and hailed by them as a glorious seal, then and there affixed to the new covenant formed between Jehovah and man. Certain it is, that, "At that tasted fruit," when judgment was passed by Jehovah upon the rebel man, the earth was cursed for his sake; and when the iniquity of the first race of men was filled up, a second judgment, pronounced by the same Judge, consummated this curse, and swept away at once the world defiled, and the whole race which had defiled it; reserving only eight persons, to repeople the new world: and if, during the awful catastrophe of the general deluge, the original balance of this sphere was lost, the state of things which now exists might, in the order of divine providence, arise therefrom; and this will continue until the end of time. See Gen. viii. 22. ASTRONOMICAL OCCURRENCES FOR THE planet on which we are destined to These changes in the heavens, though slow, pro- The situation of Mars is a little to the west duced Like change on sea and land, sideral blast, And Thrascias rend the woods, and seas up-turn, of 20 Pisces, a star of the fifth magnitude, which he is approaching; he sets at 32 minutes past ten in the evening. Saturn rises at 36 minutes past 5 in the evening, and is observed to the south of n Cancri, forming an isosceles triangle with the third and fourth of this constellation, y Cancri being the summit; he is receding from these stars. At 7 minutes past four on the following morning, the lunar orb appears above the horizon, situated in the constellation Libra, and directing her course to the beautiful planets Jupiter and Venus, which rise about an hour later, and are noticed above Antares; the Moon will evidently pass them before her next appearance, the conjunc tion taking place with Jupiter at 10 minutes past nine in the evening of the 2d, and with Venus at 20 minutes past four in the morning of the 3d. On the 5th, at 30 minutes past six in the morning, the Moon comes to a conjunction with the planet Mercury, and at 52 minutes past three in the afternoon she is new in the 14th degree of Capricorn, her latitude being 5 degrees north: she is in perigee on the 16th. On this day Venus has ten digits illuminated on her eastern limb, her apparent diameter being 12 seconds; she has considerably receded from Jupiter. On the evening of the 7th the crescent of the Moon is observable in the western part of the heavens; she is directing her course to the planet Mars, which now appears considerably to the east of 20 Pisces, and is observed approaching a line drawn through a Andromeda and Algenib. The Moon is noticed to have approached nearer this planet on the evening of the 8th, and is observed gradually approaching Aquarii, which she is very near at 1 minute 47 seconds past six, this star is hid behind her dark limb, the point of contact being 17 degrees from the vertex: the emersion takes place at 59 minutes 1 second past six, at 123 degrees from the vertex on the right. There is also an immersion of p Aquarii on the same evening, at 39 minutes 47 seconds past seven, at 94 degrees from the vertex on the left; at 7 minutes 52 seconds past eight, the star emerges at 151 degrees on the left. On the 11th, the Moon crosses the ecliptic in her descending node, having passed the planet Mars on the preceding afternoon. At 18 minutes past seven in the morning of the 12th, she enters her first quarter in the 22d degree of Aries, and is observed in the evening approaching the constellation of the Ram. On the 14th, at 15 minutes past seven in the morning, the Sun and Mercury are in conjunction, the former being between the Earth and Mercury, which is termed a superior conjunction; after this day the planet becomes an evening star, setting after the Sun. The fair empress of the skies is observed to increase in magnitude and splendour, and nightly to approach the planet Saturn. On the 11th, at 50 minutes 21 seconds past eight in the evening, she will occult the star Geminorum; the observer will notice its disappearance at 167 degrees from the vertex on the left; the reappearance takes place at 51 minutes 21 seconds past nine, at 104 degrees from the vertex on the right. On the 19th, at 17 minutespast 12 at night, the Moon attains her maximum of splendour; her situation at 64 this time is in the 30th degree of Cancer, with upwards of 4 degrees south latitude. She is now observed considerably to the south of Saturn, and passes him at three the next morning. At 44 minutes past five the Earth arrives at the 30th degree of Cancer, when the Sun appears to enter the sign Aquarius.*. On the morning of the 21st, at 45 minutes past two, the Sun and Saturn are in opposition, the Earth being situated between them; the telescopic observers of this wonderful planet will notice the major to the minor axis of his ring, as 1006 to 368, and will also have a good opportunity of observing the moons which revolve around him. On the 22d, at 15 minutes past one in the afternoon, the Sun is in conjunction with the Georgium Sidus. The Moon is also in apogee, and crosses the ecliptic in her ascending node on the 25th. On the 28th, at 21 minutes past five in the morning, the Moon enters her last quarter, in the 8th degree of Scorpio. At 12 minutes 23 seconds past six in the morning of the 29th, the first satellite of Jupiter disappears in his shadow; the Moon passes him, on the 30th, at four in the afternoon. POETRY. (For the Imperial Magazine.) THE NATIVITY. The eastern sages sped their way, And at his feet rich presents laid. May heaven-born faith's directing star, To Christ, who bruised the serpent's head, And gratitude's sweet incense given ! CHORUS. Loud anthems raise to God on high, From glory brought to sons of earth! 65 Poetry. 66 THE REIGN OF WINTER. AGAIN the brumal potentate, He comes with storms attended. His bead 's with glittering hoar-frost crown'd, In snow-wrought mantle wrapt around, The forest's sons, a sturdy race, Declare his visitation; And, in his torpid, cold embrace, The feather'd choirs now cease to sing, Terrific grandeur marks his mien- Behold the Power that bids him reign, So quickly do life's seasons pass, Then mowing death the mortal grass, But man shall like the spring arise,t MUTABLE AND IMMUTABLE SCENES. THE sun ascends the orient sky, And with the radiance of his eye, But ere a quarter of his race The glorious king has sped, How often is his smiling face By gloomy clouds o'erspread! When zephyrs bland have breath'd around, But, suddenly, a storm has frown'd, We've oft admired the rose's charms, The sun, the sea, the rose, combine, And point us to the "Power Divine," Vicissitude on things terrene Is legibly imprest; Misfortunes cloud man's brightest scene, But for the Christian there remains Yes! there the sun for ever pours ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE YEAR 1829. A REVIEW. On the first of the month, which I welcome and bail, I'll balance accounts, and review my life's tale; I'll think of the past with a sorrowing soul, The past it is gone, and the future to me, Life's volume I'll read with compunction and grief, The sins of my youth, the first link in the chain, I have lost the sweet time of my fruit-budding bloom, The morning of boyhood, the spring of perfume; Though silvery age has besprinkled my head, How rosy the pathway in youth I design'd! But not so the thorns, they are lasting and real. I wove me a chaplet of myrtle and flowers, And sunk to soft slumbers in pleasure's gay bowers: But woke on the brink of destruction and death, Perdition around me, for mercy I cried; And a voice whisper'd softly, "Soul, this is the way!' I gazed on the symbol of mercy and grace, I touch'd it, and quickly its virtue perceived, And thus I still travel life's valley along, * Janus, from whom the month of January takes its name, was a native of Thessaly, and the son of Apollo. He is represented as bifrons, having two faces, because he was acquainted with the past and with the future. He holds the number 300 in one hand, and 65 in the other, to shew that he presides over the year. He presides over all gates, and shuts the old year and opens the His temple, which was always open in times of war, was shut only three times during 700 years under Numa; 235 B. c.; and under Augustus, when the Redeemer of mankind was born.. new. The Author's age. F |