Imagens da página
PDF
ePub
[merged small][merged small][merged small][subsumed][merged small][merged small][merged small][graphic][merged small]

MYSTERIOUS and inscrutable are many of the dispensations of Divine Providence. Nevertheless, as the Psalmist declares of our glorious Creator, though “ clouds and darkness are round about him, justice and judgment are the habitation of his throne."

Records of those dispensations are given throughout the historical parts of the Holy Scriptures, and their monumental exhibitions are found in various parts of the globe, londly proclaiming and fearfully illustrating the absolute sovereignty and the righteous administration of the Lord God Almighty!

Infinite wisdom and goodness united with awful justice may be discovered in many of the works of God: but it is lamentably common, for not a few

VOL. V.

even of those who boast of their cultivated reason, to regard them with brutish insensibility.

66

Man," says the pious Rollin, "lives in the midst of a world of which he is the sovereign, as a stranger who looks with indifference upon all that passes in it, and as if it was not his concern. The universe, in all its parts, declares and points out its Author ; but, for the most part, to the deaf and blind, who have neither ears to hear, nor eyes to see. One of the greatest services that philosophy can do for us, is to awaken us from this drowsiness, and rouse us from this lethargy, which is a dishonour to humanity, and in a manner reduces us below the beasts, whose stupidity is the consequence of their nature, and not the effect of neglect or indifference. It awakens our curiosity, it excites our attention, and

RR

leads us, as it were by the hand, through all the parts of nature, to induce us to study and search out the wonderful works of it."

VESUVIUS and the instructive phenomena of that prodigious monument of the works of God, recently engaged the contemplation of the readers of the Christian's Penny Magazine; but they are now presented with a subject for meditation still more mysterious-the existence and formation of Volcanic Islands.

That fires to an enormous extent, and produced by various causes, do exist at different depths beneath the surface of the earth, is manifest from the history and present state of Mount Vesuvius. Earthquakes and volcanoes are among the most wonderful phenomena of our globe, and are, in all probability, modifications of one common cause. Volcanoes are found in almost all parts of the world, but most commonly in the neighbourhood of the sea; and especially in small islands for instance in Italy, Sicily, Iceland, Japan, the Caribbees, the Cape de Verd islands, the Canaries, the Lipari islands, and the Azores.

Illustrations of the formation of volcanic islands might be taken from several parts of the world, and from different periods of its history. Among the writers of antiquity who have transmitted accounts of islands which have thus started up to the astonished spectator, Seneca asserts, that, in his time, the island of Theresea, in the Egean sea, was seen to rise in this manner, by some mariners who were sailing near the point of ascent. Pliny gives a yet more wonderful account: for he says, that in the Mediterranean thirteen islands at once emerged from the sea, the cause of which he ascribes rather to the retiring of the waters, than to any subterranean energy; but he speaks of the island of Hiera, near to that of Theresea, as formed by subterraneous explosions, and enumerates several others as derived from a similar origin.

One illustration, however, must suffice for our present purpose, and this shall be of a modern date, and relating to the Azores. These islands are believed to be all of volcanic origin: they are nine in number, St. Michael, St. Maria, Tercera, St. George, Gracioso, Fayal, Pico, Flores, and Corvo. They are situated in the Atlantic ocean; and though nearly equidistant from Europe, Africa, and America, they are considered as belonging to Africa, yet are somewhat nearer to Europe, and they belong to Portugal. St. Michael is the largest, being upwards of sixty miles in circumference, and contains about 80,000 inhabitants.

Captain Tillard of the royal navy gave the following account, in a communication to the Royal Society :

Approaching," says he, "the island of St. Michael's, on Sunday, June 12, 1811, in his majesty's sloop Sabrina under my command, we occasionally observed, rising in the horizon, two or three columns of smoke, such as would have been occasioned by an action between two ships, to which cause we universally attributed its origin. This opinion was, however, in a very short time changed, from the smoke increasing and ascending in much larger bodies than could possibly have been produced by such an event; and having heard an account, prior to our sailing from Lisbon, that in the preceding January or February a volcano had burst out within the sea near St. Michael's, we immediately concluded that the smoke we saw proceeded from that cause, and on our anchoring next morning in the road of Ponta del Gada, we found this conjecture correct as to the cause, but not to the time; the eruption of January having totally subsided, and the present one having

only burst forth two days prior to our approach, and about three miles distant from the one before alluded to.

"Desirous of examining as minutely as possible a contention so extraordinary between two such powerful elements, I set off from the city of Ponta del Gada on the morning of the 14th, in company with Mr Read, the consul general of the Azores, and two other gentlemen. After riding about twenty miles across the NW. end of the island of St. Michael's, we came to the edge of a cliff from whence the volcano burst suddenly upon our view in the most terrific and awful grandeur. It was only a short mile from the base of the cliff, which was nearly perpendicular, and formed the margin of the sea: this cliff being as nearly as I could judge from three to four hundred feet high. To give you an adequate idea of the scene by description is far beyond my powers; but for your satisfaction I shall attempt it.

[ocr errors]

Imagine an immense body of smoke rising from the sea, the surface of which was marked by the silvery rippling of the waves, occasioned by the light and steady breezes incidental to those climates in summer. In a quiescent state, it had the appearance of a circular cloud revolving on the water like an horizontal wheel, in various and irregular involutions, expanding itself gradually on the lee side, when suddenly a column of the blackest cinders, ashes, and stones would shoot up in form of a spire at an angle of from ten to twenty degrees from a perpendicular line, the angle of inclination being universally to windward: this was rapidly succeeded by a second, third, and fourth, each acquiring greater velocity, and overtopping the other till they had attained an altitude as much above the level of our eye, as the sea was below it.

"As the impetus with which the columns were severally propelled, diminished, and their ascending motion had nearly ceased, they broke into various branches resembling a group of pines, these again forming themselves into festoons of white feathery smoke in the most fanciful manner imaginable, intermixed with the finest particles of falling ashes, which at one time assumed the appearance of innumerable plumes of black and white ostrich feathers surmounting each other; at another, that of the light wavy branches of a weeping willow.

[ocr errors]

During these bursts, the most vivid flashes of lightning continually issued from the densest part of the volcano; and the cloud of smoke now ascending to an altitude much above the highest point to which the ashes were projected, rolled off in large masses of fleecy clouds, gradually expanding themselves before the wind in a direction nearly horizontal, and drawing-up to them a quantity of water-spouts, which formed a most beautiful and striking addition to the general appearance of the scene.

"That part of the sea where the volcano was situated, was upwards of thirty fathoms deep, and at the time of our viewing it the volcano was only four days old. Soon after our arrival on the cliff, a peasant observed he could discern a peak above the water: we looked, but could not see it; however, in less than half an hour it was plainly visible, and before we quitted the place, which was about three hours from the time of our arrival, a complete crater was formed above the water, not less than twenty feet high on the side where the greatest quantity of ashes feel; the diameter of the crater being apparently about four or five hundred feet.

"The great eruptions were generally attended with a noise like the continued firing of cannon and musquetry intermixed, as also with slight shocks of earthquakes, several of which having been felt by

my companions, but none by myself, I had become half sceptical, and thought their opinion rose merely from the force of imagination; but while we were sitting within five or six yards of the edge of the cliff, partaking of a slight repast which had been brought with us, and were all busily engaged, one of the most magnificent bursts took place which we had yet witnessed, accompanied by a very severe shock of an earthquake. The instantaneous and involuntary movement of each was to spring upon his feet, and I said, 'This admits of no doubt.' The words had scarce passed my lips, before we observed a large portion of the face of the cliff, about fifty yards on our left, falling, which it did with a violent crash. So soon as our first consternation had a little subsided, we removed about ten or a dozen yards further from the edge of the cliff, and finished our dinner.

"On the succeeding day, June 15th, having the consul and some other friends on board, I weighed, and proceeded with the ship towards the volcano, with the intention of witnessing a night view; but in this expectation we were greatly disappointed, from the wind freshening and the weather becoming thick and hazy, and also from the volcano itself being clearly more quiescent than it was the preceding day. It seldom emitted any lightning, but occasionally as much flame as may be seen to issue from the top of a glass-house or foundry chimney.

"On passing directly under the great cloud of smoke, about three or four miles distant from the volcano, the decks of the ship were covered with fine black ashes, which fell intermixt with small rain. We returned the next morning, and late on the evening of the same day I took my leave of St. Michael's to complete my cruise.

"On opening the volcano clear of the NW. part of the island, after dark on the 16th, we witnessed one or two eruptions that, had the ship been near enough, would have been awfully grand. It appeared one continued blaze of lightning; but the distance which it was at from the ship, upwards of twenty miles, prevented our seeing it with effect.

[ocr errors]

Returning again towards St. Michael's on the 4th of July, I was obliged, by the state of the wind, to pass with the ship very close to the island, which was now completely formed by the volcano, being nearly the height of Matlock High Tor, about eighty yards above the sea. At this time it was perfectly tranquil; which circumstance determined me to land, and explore it more narrowly.

"I left the ship in one of the boats, accompanied by some of the officers. As we approached, we perceived that it was still smoking in many parts, and upon our reaching the island found the surf on the beach very high. Rowing round to the lee side, with some little difficulty, by the aid of an oar, as a pole, I jumped on shore, and was followed by the other officers. We found a narrow beach of black ashes, from which the side of the island rose in general too steep to admit of our ascending; and where we could have clambered up, the mass of matter was much too hot to allow our proceeding more than a few yards in the ascent.

"The declivity below the surface of the sea was equally steep, having seven fathoms water scarce the boat's length from the shore, and at the distance of twenty or thirty yards we sounded twenty-five fathoms.

"From walking round it in about twelve minutes, I should judge that it was something less than a mile in circumference, but the most extraordinary part was the crater, the mouth of which, on the side facing St. Michael's, was nearly level with the sea.

It was filled with water, at that time boiling, and was emptying itself into the sea by a small stream about six yards over, and by which I should suppose it was continually filled again at high water. This stream, close to the edge of the sea, was so hot, as only to admit the finger to be dipped suddenly in, and taken out again immediately.

"It appeared evident, by the formation of this part of the island, that the sea had, during the eruptions, broke into the crater in two places, as the east side of the small stream was bounded by a precipice, a cliff between twenty and thirty feet high forming a peninsula of about the same dimensions in width, and from fifty to sixty feet long, connected with the other part of the island by a narrow ridge of cinders and lava, as an isthmus of from forty to fifty feet in length, from which the crater rose in the form of an amphitheatre.

66

This cliff, at two or three miles distance from the island, had the appearance of a work of art resembling a small fort or block-house. The top of this we were determined, if possible, to attain; but the difficulty we had to encounter in doing so was considerable; the only way to attempt it was up the side of the isthmus, which was so steep that the only mode by which we could effect it, was by fixing the end of an oar at the base, with the assistance of which we forced ourselves up in nearly a backward direction.

"Having reached the summit of the isthmus, we found another difficulty, for it was impossible to walk upon it, as the descent on the other side was immediate, and as steep as the one we had ascended; but by throwing our legs across it, as would be done on the ridge of a house, and moving ourselves forward by our hands, we at length reached that part of it where it gradually widened itself and formed the summit of the cliff, which we found to have a perfectly flat surface, of the dimensions before stated. Judging this to be the most conspicuous situation, we here planted the Union, and left a bottle sealed up containing a small account of the origin of the island, and of our having landed upon it, and naming it Sabrina island.

66

"Within the crater I found the complete skeleton of a guard fish, the bones of which being perfectly burnt, fell to pieces upon attempting to take them up; and by the account of the inhabitants on the coast of St. Michael's, great numbers of fish had been destroyed during the early part of the eruption, as large quantities, probably suffocated or poisoned, were occasionally found drifted into the small inlets or bays.

"The island, like other volcanic productions, is composed principally of porous substances, and generally burnt to complete cinders, with occasional masses of a stone, which I should suppose to be a mixture of iron and lime-stone."

FUNERALS OF THE ANCIENT HEBREWS. THE ancients in general took great care about their funerals, and looked upon it as a terrible misfortune that their bodies, or those of their friends, should lie exposed to be torn by wild beasts and birds, or to putrefy above ground, and infect the living. It was a consolation to rest in the sepulchre of their fathers. Instead of burning the bodies, as the Greeks did to preserve the ashes, the Hebrews buried the common sort of people, and embalmed persons of distinction to lay them in sepulchres. They also sometimes burnt perfumes over the corpse. At the funeral of Asa, king of Judah, it is said (2 Chron, xvi. 14),

[ocr errors]

they laid him on a bed which was filled with sweet odours, and divers kind of spices prepared by the apothecaries' art, and they made a very great burning for him;" and that this was customary appears from other passages. They embalmed almost in the same manner as the Egyptians, wrapping the corpse in a great quantity of drying spices; after this they laid it in the sepulchre, which was a little cavity or closet, cut in the rock so artfully that some had doors to shut, which turned upon hinges, and a table to lay the body upon, all cut of the same stone. There are still many of them to be seen. They that attended the funeral were in mourning, and wept aloud, as they did at the burial of Abner (2 Sam. iii. 31). There were women that made a trade of crying upon these occasions, and joined the mournful sound of flutes with their voices. In fine, they composed songs instead of funeral orations for illustrious persons that came to an unfortunate end. Such were those that David made upon the death of Saul, and Jeremiah the prophet upon that of Josiah. Though burying the dead was a duty of piety, yet there was no religious ceremony used at it: on the contrary it was a profane action, and rendered all those unclean that were concerned in it, till they were purified; because all dead bodies are either actually corrupted or in a state that tends to it. Thus priests were so far from being necessary at burials, that they were absolutely forbidden to assist at any except of their very near relations (Lev. xxi. 1, 2, 3). When Josiah designed to root out idolatry, he caused the bones of the false prophets to be burnt upon altars of the idols, to inspire his people with a greater abhorrence of them.-Fleury.

MY SCRAP BOOK.

LEAF XCIV.

"The Bee that wanders, and sips from every flower, disposes what she has gathered into her cells."-SENECA. EXTRACTS FROM THE ANCIENT RECORDS OF THE BAPTIST CHURCH IN BROADMEAD, BRISTOL.

(Continued from page 188.) [Mr. Isaac James's MS. p. 33.] This afternoon, [viz. 18th July 1675] Mr. Robert Colston, soap boiler, came up, (and some not suspecting him as a spy, being no known informer) stood as a hearer among the people. When notice was given that the known informers were coming, the person who attended the curtain, drew it a little too soon, before he that was speaking sat down. He saw Br Terrill speaking and then went down out of the meeting. After which, when the serjeants came up, they said to Br Terrill, as for your part, there is information gone to the mayor, that you preached. And the next morning Colston went to the Tolzey, before the mayor and aldermen, and gave in his information upon oath, that the day before, he had heard Edward Terrill preach, and when he had done, he saw him step down and lay down his book. This he declared as his information before the justices, and signed it. Whereupon, Br Terrill being upon the Tolzey (not knowing what was done in the council house) the mayor sent serjeants for him. But Br Bodenham being accidentally in the council house, and hearing the order to send for Br Terrill, came forth before the serjeants, and told Br Terrill who walked off the Tolzey, and so by the Lord's preservation escaped them. Wherefore, the mayor grants a warrant to take him, which they could not do that week, though

the constables were straightly charged to bring him to the quarter sessions, which were that week, who returned, they could not meet with him. Then the mayor in open court said, They would meet with him next Lord's day at the Meeting.

Which when come, Hellier with the mayor's serjeants and constables came to the meeting in the morning, being the 25th of July, the Fair day, and searched for Br Terrill to carry him away, who though he was at the meeting, was so concealed, and conveyed into another room under, that they found him not, which was not a little trouble to them; and several times the next week he narrowly escaped them, through the good hand of the Lord that still hid him.

This 25th of July, the Fair day, being Lord's day, Hellier let us alone in the afternoon, by reason when he came in the morning, he saw there a stranger, a gentleman and his wife from Coventry, that was a client of his, and the day before had invited him to dinner. But the gentleman knew not that Hellier was such a man, till that day he found him to be about such work. Yet notwithstanding, the gentleman went to his house to dinner, and would have reasoned with him about his evil work, but he would not discourse of that.

But in the afternoon Hellier much troubled Mr. Weekes's Meeting, and after it was over, he burned their chairs and stools as fast as he could, having kindled a fire in the chimney and made a great flame, untill the landlord of the house heard of it, and came and caused the fire to be quenched, lest the house should be burnt.

Lord's day August 1st we were very quiet, Hellier being out of town at Wells assizes to prepare his counsell, and Judge North, against his trial, to be the 6th day of this month; for some friends presented him for his perjury, and other irregular things. Accordingly he was tried before the Judge of this circuit, and many notorious crimes laid against him. Yet such are the corruptions of the times, and judgment perverted, that the Judge cleared him of all his wickedness, barratry, forgery, and perjury; so that we saw by experience, the Judge, as well as the justices, were resolved to tread us down, because we would not conform to their worship. That as christians we should have no peaceable enjoyment, and as men we should have no justice. So that our persons and estates lay at their wills and pleasure. For if they acted towards us contrary to law, when we sought to relieve ourselves thereby we should have no benefit. For we spent above 500l. to defend ourselves as Englishmen, but most in vain. Behold O Lord, the wicked justified!

Upon the 2d of this month, Mr. Hardcastle and Mr. Weekes, their six months imprisonment being expired, are at liberty. Mr. Hardcastle the next Lord's day goes to his congregation at their public place, and preacheth. Hellier comes up and sees him, then departs and fetches constables and serjeants. And after Mr. Hardcastle had reasoned with them, he would not come down till he had ended his sermon and concluded with prayer, although they charge and threaten him very sore. Then they carry him away to the mayor, and convict him for preaching in the corporation, upon the five mile act; but let him depart for that time, because they could not imprison him for the first offence till one day after.

The next Lord's day August 15th Mr. Hardcastle goes again to the Meeting place and preacheth. Again Hellier comes betimes, and finding him preaching, departs and brings alderm. Lawford, with serjeants and the bishop's secretary and others of his

servants. Near twenty in all came, make great disturbance, and at last carry Mr. Hardcastle away before the mayor, who sends him to prison. In the afternoon we were quiet, having just done before Hellier came, and so had Mr. Weekes's and Mr. Gifford's people. Then Hellier's crew the bishop's men and officers (being disappointed in these three meetings in James's parish) went in a rage to the meeting in the castle, where they were singing, but they could not find the person that preached. But Mr. Jeremy Holwey concluded in prayer. Therefore him they carried away before the mayor, who obliged him to appear when sent for; and so that day's trouble ended.

First Lord's day after our pastor's second imprisonment for six months, being the 22d of August [1675] the mayor, Ralph Ollive, with his serjeants and some constables, and the Bishop with divers of his crew and men, came to our meeting door. The mayor sends up two of his serjeants to command us to depart, and one of them makes proclamation by, O yes, three times; then commands us in the name of the king, and the mayor his deputy lieutenant, to depart. But when we understood they were coming, the brother which preached ceased, and all the people began to sing a psalm; so that when the serjeants came up they were singing and took little notice of what they said, and did not depart. Then the mayor himself with his attendants came up, and commanded the people to depart, but they all kept singing, and kept stops one with another, and lift up their voices together, which the mayor perceiving knew not what to do more, and went down again. The Bishop staid below at the door. He was coming up, but finding the first pair of stairs somewhat dark, he drew back. So the mayor and bishop departed to brother Gifford's meeting, who came forth of prison a few days before, and finding him in exercise, the mayor and bishop commanded him to be pulled down and carried away to prison. In the afternoon we were quiet.

The next day it was said by one of the Times, or True Hearts, so called, that the bishop and witnesses with him, were rode away to the Lord Herbert's, who was the Lord Lieutenant of this county, to get a troop of horse to suppress the meetings. Who coming home, and his expectation as some think not answered, went away again the same week privately for London to the king's court to endeavour to get some aid, or authority to suppress us.

The second Lord's day, being the 29th, we had peace, the bishop being forth of town, and it was very strange that Hellier was so quiet; but the week following he said, he was troubled in his conscience for being then quiet.

[MS. p. 35.] The 7th Lord's day, being the 3d of the 8th month [1675] the first Lord's day of the new mayor, Sir Robt Cann, and Mr. Charles William, and Mr. George Lane, sheriffs, being in office; whom we trust the Lord in mercy to his poor people, did strangely order to be elected, and settled in the seal of government in answer to his people's prayer for moderate men, who when chosen were not a little trouble to the persecutors, yet they would give us trouble. The bishop's secretary goes to the new mayor, and complains of our meeting, and prevails with him to send some of his serjeants, who with several of the bishop's men, and some new informers, as the son of the steward Robinson, and one George Hellyar, brother-in-law to Hellyar (but he himself it was said was gone forth out of town with one Quarles, a wicked country informer, it was doubted to trouble some friends out of town). These with others about seven or eight came, after some had before been, and saw we were assembled. They all came up between

10 and 11 in the morning, and commanded us by order from the mayor to depart; but seeing we did not, one of the serjeants makes proclamation by O yes, three times, and then in the king's name we are commanded to depart; but not moving, the steward's son and Hellyar's brother-in-law take the names of such of us they and the officers knew, and departed. After which we leave off singing and conclude with prayer.

In the afternoon we were quiet, and our pastor now having favour from the sheriffs to be a prisoner in his own house, though he dared not to get to the public meeting house, yet we having been now about eight months deprived of the celebration of the Lord's supper, by reason our pastor was kept in prison, this evening after the public meeting was ended, we dispersed and came to brother Ellis's house, whereto our pastor had before conveyed himself, and there the members of the church hear him preach about an hour, and after that brake bread very comfortably. Praise be to the Lord for his good ordinance and this opportunity. S. J. B

GUIDE TO THE BIBLE CLASS.

BY THE AUTHOR OF THE "COMPANION TO THE BIBLE." Continued from page 302.

CHAPTER IV.-Original Languages of the Bible. Teacher. Our last conversation closed, as you will recollect, with my remark, that "in the time of the apostles there was no such language as the English:" ours, therefore, could not be the language in which the sacred penmen wrote the Scriptures.

Scholar. I remember your remark: but what language did our forefathers speak, if not English?

Teacher. Our forefathers, in the age of the apostles, were an extremely rude and barbarous people; and they used a language which we do not understand: the ancient Britons are supposed to have spoken a language, if not the same, yet very similar to that of the present Welsh.

Scholar. From what people then did our forefathers get the English language?

Teacher. Before you can fully understand the origin of our language, you must be better acquainted with the history of England. From that you will learn that the ancient Britons were conquered by the Romans, afterwards by the Saxons, then by the Danes, and at last by the Normans.

Scholar. But what had these different people to do with the English language?

Teacher. Those nations had much connexion with the English language, which is formed principally of the Saxon, with many words taken from the Roman or Latin, from the French, and from some other languages, even the Greek and Hebrew.

Scholar. All this is surprising, and what I did not know before.

Teacher. You will do well to keep in mind that the English language has been made out of words from the Saxon, Latin, French, Greek and Hebrew.

Scholar. Will the knowledge of the history of the English language help me in understanding the language of the Bible?

Teacher. It will: and my object in telling you this is, that you may be the better prepared to understand the Bible. You can recollect, I suppose, in how many languages, Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, wrote the title of our Saviour to put on his cross. Read what John records. :

Scholar. "And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on

« AnteriorContinuar »