proper

ings, that often exist among those, whom we have reason to esteem as the disciples of Jesus. Feelings it may be, which at first were occasioned by the most trivial things, and which probably had no relation to church discipline; andwhich, when mentioned in the church, only serve to show our own weakness, and to demonstrate the unhappy influence by which our minds have been governed. But the greatest cause for lamentation is, that these trivial concerns between individuals have been introduced into churches, and frequently have proved fruitful sources of sorrow to the brethren. If the person, however, whose conduct is to be inspected, be governed by the spirit now referred to, he will pass over such trifling offences, and bury in oblivion what would otherwise have been the cause of a settled prejudice against his fellow member in society. A willingness to forgive will be sufficiently evident from his lovely deportment towards his brother, and from a regard to his Christian profession, and to Christ, the king in Zion. He will be desirous," as the elect of God, to put on bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering, forbearing, and forgiving." Col. iii. 12, 13, and Eph. iv. 32.-Once more, we remark,

5. That the person who is the object of censure, should be deeply impressed with a sense of the universal knowledge of a

VOL. VIII.

an extenuation of his guilt, or, from a wish to render himself more excusable, by referring to the circumstances, or occasion, by which he was overcome. It is not impossible, but a good man may be under the temptation of mentioning the peculiar circumstances in which the snare presented itself, as a pal liation of his crime; but wo be unto us, if we reason after this mauner! For whatever may be our temptations, or situation in life, God is a God "that taketh no pleasure in iniquity, neither shall evil dwell with him." A deep sense of God's universal discernment will prepare our mind to admit our guilt in its full extent. Our thoughts will not be employed in contriving ways to avoid cen→ sure, but in reflecting, "how shall I stand before the judg ment seat of Christ, if on earth my conduct is incapable of bearing the examination of my brethren." Let the words of divine inspiration be impressed upon our hearts: "Thou God seest me. He knoweth the way that I take.-The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.-The eyes of the Lord preserve know ledge, and he overthroweth the words of the transgressor." Gen. xvi. 13. Job, xxiii. 10. Prov. xxii. 12.

"O may these thoughts possess my breast, Where'er 1 rove, where'er I rest! Nor let my weaker passions dare. Consent to sin, for God is there,"

3 N

NOSKCAJ.

CALENDAR

FOR

OCTOBER, 1816.

I. Its Name.-This month was called Domitianus in the time of Domitian; but, after his death, by the decree of the senate, it took the name of October, every one hating, the name and memory of so detestable a tyrant. It was called wyn-monat, or wine-month, by the Saxons. (See Time's Telescope for 1816.)

II. Fasts and festivals.-Oct.1. Saint Remigius, bishop of Rheims, in France. This prelate having instructed Clovis, the first Christian king of the Franks, baptized him at Rheims, by trine immer. sion. It is said by the epitomizer of the history of the Franks, that" Remigius having preached to Clovis, and those who had been baptized with him, a sermon on the passion of our Saviour, the king could not forbear crying out, "If I had been there with my Franks, it should not have happened.' The conversion of Clo- |

vis occasioned the titles of Most Christian King, and Eldest Son of the Church, which have so long been attributed to the kings of France.

7 Oct. 6. Saint Faith.-This virgin martyr suffered death under Dacianus, about the year 290. Oct. 9. Saint Denys, or Dionysius the Areopagite. See Acts. xvii. The French say that he was the first that preached the gospel among them; and, for that reason, consider him their tutelar saint. But for this supposition there is no ground, as Christianity

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To

Fresh strewings allow
To my sepulchre now,
make my lodging the sweeter

A staff or a wand

Put then in my hand, With a penny to pay Saint Peter:

Who has not a cross Must sit with the loss,. And no whit further must ventureSince the porter he

Will paid have his fee, Or else not one there must enter.

A

Who at a dead lift
Can't send for a gift,

pig to the priest for a roaster,
Shall hear his clerk say,
By yea and by nay,
No penny, no pater-noster.

III. Astronomical Occurrences: The sun enters Scorpio on the 23d, at eleven minutes before one in the morning.-The moon is full on the 6th; enters her last quarter on the 14th; her change is on the 20th; and she enters her first quarter on the 27th. She passes Saturn on the 1st, the Georgian planet on the 23d, and Saturn again on the 29th.-The planets Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and the Georgium Sidus, are in

the neighbourhood of the sun; and, for that reason, cannot be expected to be seen during the whole of the month.-Saturn, therefore, is the only conspicuous planet till the next month. He sets on the 1st, at half an hour after one in the morning; and, on the 31st, about half past eleven at night; and he is situated in the tail of the goat, (Capricornus). At the beginning of this month, a large fixed star may be seen in the south, near the horizon, at a quarter after ten in the evening; and, at the end of the month, the same star will come to the south, at 25 minutes after eight. The star's name is Fomalhaut, and it is of the first magnitude. | When this star is in the south, two other fixed stars may also be seen in the meridian, between Fomalhaut and the zenith. The name of the lower star is Alpha Pegasi, and that of the higher, Beta Pegasi. To the left of Beta Pegasi, is Alpha Andromeda, and to the left of Alpha Pegasi, is Gamma Pegasi. These four stars, therefore, are in the form of a square, the western side of which is in the meridian with Fomalhaut; and each of the four stars in square is of the second magnitude. It may also be observed, that the first point of Aries lies in the direction of the eastern side of the square, about as far below Gamma Pegasi, as that star is below Alpha Andromeda.

IV. Naturalist's Diary.-The wild flowers are now divested of their beauty; and, in general, cease to attract our attention. But there is one of our British shrubs that is now in its highest perfection, having reserved its Blowers for the present month. The common ivy, (hedera helix,) blossoms in October, and the

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flowers are succeeded by the berries, which attain their perfection about the end of the year. This well-known evergreen has five stamina, and one pointal; and is, consequently, of the class pentandria, and of the order monogynia. Its flowers have five petals, and its berries have each four or five cells.

V. Remarkable Events.-Oct. 5, 1793. The new French Calendar was presented to the Con-` vention.

Oct. 7, 1748. The peace of Aix-la-Chapelle concluded.

Oct. 11, 1797. Admiral Duncan defeated the Dutch fleet at Camperdown, south of the Texel, Holland.

Oct. 19, 1769. A dreadful eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Oct. 23, 1685. The edict of Nantz was revoked.

Henry V.

Oct. 28, 900.

Died Alfred

the Great, a native of Wantage, in Berkshire.

Oct. 28, 1467. Erasmus born at Rotterdam, in Holland.

Oct. 31, 1765. The duke of Cumberland died suddenly of an apoplexy.

VII. Remarks. The dates and names of persons and places in this paper only, are connected with an infinite multitude of circumstances, which may be found in the details of history. We acknowledge that the curiosity of the youthful mind may be excited, but cannot be much gratified by mere hints: but we refer the young reader to his parents and teachers, for more complete information. And they will take care (if they be wise and prudent) not to give too much assistance, which is as bad as too little: they will find occasion to say, as the mother of Sir William Jones often said to him when a child, "Read, and you will know."

Let our juvenile readers reflect, that the countless multitude of circumstances referred to in this Calendar, belong to a few spots only of the globe we inhabit; and that the globe itself is but an atom of the immensity of creation. How great, then, must that all-presiding mind be, which comprehends, guides, and governs the whole! In his favour is life. The good will of him that dwelt in the bush, must be sought by humble and fervent prayer, in the name of Jesus the great mediator; and that good-will includes all our salvation, and all our desire.

PHILOSOPHICAL REFLECTIONS.

No. VII.

LIGHT.

So important is this fluid, that on the first day of creation, is

there be light, and there was light." He spoke, and it was done. So interesting is this subject, that there seems something delightful even in the mention of this word in any of its acceptations.

It has necessarily engaged the attention of philosophers in various periods of time, though very little was known of its nature and properties, until it pleased the Creator to favour the world with the talents of that Christian philosopher, Sir Isaac Newton, whose researches may be said not only to have elucidated the subject, but to have established a theory that enlarges our ideas, and exalts our conceptions of the infinite wisdom, power, and goodness, of the Supreme Being, Our reflections will be founded on this theory.

Let us, then, consider light as consisting of extremely small particles, that issue from luminous bodies, proceeding with immense velocity. The motion, uninfluenced and unobstructed, is in straight lines, for we cannot see through curved tubes, and being in all directions, it is in the form of radii. That its motion describes right lines, is farther evident from the shadows which opaque bodies cast; for it is only the side, or part of the body that is towards the light, that will be illuminated, and there could be no shadow, if this was not the direction of its motion.

It was long thought that this motion was instantaneous, seeing that its amazing velocity eluded all calculation. Romer's observations on the eclipses of Jupiter's satellites, at length led to the discovery of a rule for determining this motion, and its velocity was found to be more than four million leagues in a minute; and, consequently, that it takes but