and was ftrongly impregnated with Particles of the Minerals, as Sulphur, Nitre, &c. which were lodged in those Fiffures; which Particles it burried upwards along with it in its Paffage. I am still more confirmed in my Opinion, when I reflect upon those frequent and violent Eruptions of Vapours in Greenland even in the Midft of the feverest Winter. The Danish Miffionaries, who have been Eye-witnesses of this Phenomenon, affure us, that these Vapours arife out of the Sea with an Explosion equal to the Noife of Thunder; tear vaft Rifts in folid Bodies of Ice of an incredible Thickness, and appear in the Form of a thick Mift above the Surface, and are fo hot as to finge the Eye-brows, and Beards, and even fcorch the Faces of the Inhabitants, who are fo unfortunate asto be furpriz'd and envelop'd in them at the Time of their Eruption. Now, as the Sun is at that Time at, or near its Summer Solstice in the Southern Hemisphere, and, confequently, at its greatest Distance from that Part of the Globe; it is not possible that it can have any Share in the Production of this odd Phenomenon. That the Air or Ether, and Light, including Fire, are the Principal Agents employ'd on thefe Occafions under the immediate Direction of the Ruabh, will, I hope, appear very evidently in my other Letters, when I fhall defcend to particulars. And in Reality, are we Judges of the most immense compreffive Power of the Ethers, "in "which is the Strength of God," as it is moft emphatically I emphatically exprefs'd in Scripture? Can we eftimate the amazing Force and Velocity which can be exerted by Light including Fire? We may indeed form fome Idea of it from the dreadful and almost inftantaneous Effects of Lightning, and alfo (though in a much inferior Degree) from the Effects of Rays of the Sun collected and concenter'd by a Concave Speculum. You will obferve, Sir, that in this long Letter, I have only thrown out Hints relative to the Principles of the Mofaic Philofophy, and that till we have a diftinct and circumftantial Detail of the Particulars of these various Phenomena founded upon proper, authentic Evidence, it would be Time thrown away to attempt their Solution. For the Accounts we have receiv'd at prefent are fo vague and imperfect, and fometimes fo contradictory, that they feem rather calculated to amufe or aftonish, than to inform us. I muft beg Leave, however, to conclude with a Remark which I had omitted; because I think it extremely appofite to the prefent State of our own Nation.The Prophet Ezekiel tells us in the 16th chap. 49th ver." that the Iniquity of Sodom was Pride, "Fullness of Bread and Abundance of Idle"nefs."-The word Sheket in Hebrew, here tranf lated Idleness, conveys a very exterftve Idea, and means that Kind of voluptuous Indolence, which arifes from the Security of Peace, and the Affluence of all the various Means of Luxury; and is, ftrictly speaking, the Idleness of the Mind; and 8 is is to be diftinguished from the Hebrew word Gnatfelab, which fignifies the Lazinefs, or the Idlenefs of the Body as to manual Labour. The Idleness of the Mind most certainly includes the Idea of the Idleness of the Body; and as the former was the great Source of Vice in Persons of the higher Rank in Life; fo the latter was very probably the Bane of the lowest Class of People, and might give rife to Thefts, Robberies, and fuch rapacious Acts of Violence, as we our felves too fatally experience at this very Time, and from the very fame Caufe. The Idlenefs of Sodom therefore confifted in what we now exprefs by the fashionable Term of killing Time; that is, in wickedly throwing away that Time which should have been spent in the Discharge of their Duty towards God and Man, not only in the Commiffion of the most atrocious Crimes, fuch as that infernal Vice to which that City gave Name; but in all the other Confequences of Luxury arifing from Wealth and Plenty, fuch as Drefs, Diverfions, &c.-Should we now bring the present State of the Manners of our own Country to this Teft, I fear the Refemblance would be too ftriking. If Idolatry confifted in transferring the Allegiance due only to the Creator and paying it to His Creatures; Infidelity, a Crime which fpreads fo greatly in our Nation, is an actual Renunciation of all Allegiance to God, and faying, "We will not have Thee to rule over us." Both are cvert Acts of flat Rebellion and Treafon againft [60] againft our Almighty Sovereign, and both are e qually doom'd to the fame Punishment. I believe too, that the almost total Corruption of Manners, and the infatiable Rage, as I may juftly term it, for Diverfions, fuch as Cards, the Publick Gardens, Theatrical Entertainments, &c. which pre vail fo immoderately in this Country, nay, even at this moft alarming Juncture, too nearly refemble the Idlenefs of Sodom. To draw a perfect Portrait of the present State of this Nation, would be a Tafk too invidious: I must therefore refer you to that ftrong Picture of the Manners of the Britons when they were totally over-run by the Saxons, as drawn by Gildas *, and as you find the Resemblance more or lefs fimilar, fo you may judge of what may, or may not be expected at this Juncture.--In the mean Time I know but one Way to deprecate the Divine Vengeance, and ftop the up-lifted Thunder bolt; which is, by having Recourfe to thofe Means which God himfelf. has appointed for that End in the facred Writings.-Would but each of us endeavour to be a Good Man, then Si Fractus illabatur Orbis *See Gildas de Excid. Britan. I am, SIR, HOR. Yours, &c. |