thousand four hundred and forty pounds in one day! "At each pulsation, this quantum of blood is propelled eight inches, which amounts to fifty feet in a minute! The quantity of blood in a buman body is, on an average, about thirty pounds, and passes through the heart about twenty-three times in the space of one hour. "A weight of fifty pounds, hung to the foot, the leg laid across the opposite knee, was raised by the action of the popliteal artery. Allowing for the distance from the centre of motion, this proves that the heart must possess a power of at least 400lbs! "The blood circulates by pressure from behind, occasioned by the action of the heart; which pressure, having propelled it, according to the laws of gravity, to the extremities, reconducts it, contrary to those laws, back to the heart. How is this effected? It has been supposed, that the ARTERIES contribute much to the circulation of the blood; were it even so, it would be comparatively useless, as they cease where such an auxiliary power is most wanting, at the extremities, where their anastomosis with the veins takes place; and the veins are not supposed to possess any such propelling power. But that the arteries possess no such power, Bichat has proved by the following experiment. He took the arm of a dead man, placed it in warm water, inserted one end of a tube in the brachial artery, and the other end in the carotid artery of a living dog: the blood circulated in the dead arm, the pulse of which beat regularly by the action of the heart of the living animal. Is there not a wondrous and especial providence of God, by which this is effected? "Others have attributed the pulsation of the heart itself to the stimulating nature of the blood. Bichat has disproved this by the following experiments: 66 1. Expose the heart of an animal, and empty it; apply a stimulus to its muscles, and it will dilate, and contract, as if it were full. "2. Puncture all the large vessels connected with the heart, so as to empty it entirely; and the alternate contractions and dilations will continue for some time, notwithstanding the total absence of the blood. "3. Remove two hearts of equal bulk from two living animals; place the fingers in the ventricles of the one, and grasp the other in the opposite hand, and it will be found that the effort of the latter in its dilation, is as forcible as the other in its contraction. "Incessant action of the heart.Its unweariedness.-What exhausts all other muscles, appears to increase its action and its force! Can any person conceive how it is possible that a muscle can be in incessant action for threescore, fourscore, or a hundred years, without any kind of weariness? There is nothing in nature that can well explain this. Over its motion the mind has no power. This is wisely ordered; as many, in momentary fits of caprice, despair, and passion, would suspend the circulation, and thus put an end to their lives. "Providence; or the oeconomical government of GOD, in the provision for men and animals.-Never too much; never too little: the produce of the earth being ever in proportion to the consumers; and the consumers to that produce. "Redemption.-1. As all things are intimately known to God; He must know wherein their happiness consists; and may, from His goodness, be expected to make every provision for that happiness. "2. Every sentient creature is capable of happiness or misery. "3. No creature can choose a state of misery for itself, because no creature can desire to be unhappy. "4. If any being could choose that state for another, he must be led to it by some motive which may make it eligible or desirable; and this must spring from his envy, jealousy, fear, or a conviction that the wretchedness of the other will contribute to his own happiness. None of these can exist in God, the Creator; consequently, He must be supposed to have made man for happiness. His counsels never change; and, therefore, when man had fallen, He provided him a Saviour: this might be naturally expected from His infinite benevolence. "The moral changes made in sinners, proofs of the being, agency, goodness, and presence, of God. "Man's existence is a proof of the Being of God: he feels himself to be the effect of a Cause, and that Cause reason, but militates against the inclinations of men. Resting on a few sublime truths, addressed to the understanding and conscience, affording few distinct images to the fancy, and no indulgencies to the passions, it can only be planted and preserved by a continual efflux from its divine Author, of whose spirituality and elevation it so largely partakes. Its character in India.-In a country like India, where it has been established for ages, its ramifications are so extensive, as to come into contact (Extracted from the Writings of the Rev. R. with every mode, and every incident, Hall, of Leicester.) IDOLATRY is not to be looked upon as a mere speculative error, respecting the object of worship, of little or no practical efficacy. Its hold upon the mind of a fallen creature is most tenacious, its operation most extensive. It is a corrupt practical institution, involving a whole system of sentiments and manners, which perfectly moulds and transforms its votaries. It modifies human nature in every aspect under which it can be contemplated, being intimately blended and incorporated with all its perceptions of good and evil, with all its infirmities, passions, and fears. That the true religion should degenerate into idolatry, is easily to be accounted for, from the known principles of human nature, because such deterioration is aided by its corruptions, flatters its strongest propensities, and artfully adapts itself to whatever is feeble, sensitive, and voluptuous in the character of the species. As it is easy to descend from an elevation which it is difficult to climb, to fall from the adoration of the Supreme Being, to the worship of idols, demands no effort. Idolatry is strongly intrenched in the corruptions, and fortified by the weakness, of human nature. Hence, we find all nations have sunk into it in succession, frequently in opposition to the strongest remonstrances of inspired prophets; while we have no example in the history of the world, of a single city, family, or individual, who has renounced it through the mere operation of unassisted reason: such is the fatal propensity of mankind to that enormity. It is the veil of the covering, cast over all flesh, which nothing but the effulgence of revelation has pierced. The true religion satisfies and enlarges the of life. Scarcely a day or an hour passes with an Hindoo, in which, by the abstinencies it enjoins, and the ceremonies it prescribes, he is not reminded of his religion; it meets him at every turn, presses like the atmosphere on all sides, and holds him by a thousand invisible chains. By incessantly admonishing him of something which he must do, or something which he must forbear, it becomes the strongest of his active habits; while the multiplicity of objects of worship, distinguished by an infinite variety in their character and exploits, is sufficient to fill the whole sphere of his imagination. In the indolent repose, which his constitution and climate incline him to indulge, he suffers his fancy to wander without limit, amidst scenes of voluptuous enjoyment, or objects of terror and dismay; while revolving the history of his gods, he conceives himself involved in holy contemplations.There is not a vicious passion he can be disposed to cherish, nor a crime he can be tempted to commit, for which he may not find a sanction and an example in the legends of his gods, Though the system of polytheism, established in India, considered in an argumentative light, is beneath contempt, being destitute of the least shadow of proof, as well as all coher ence in its principles; yet viewed as an instrument of establishing a des potic empire over the mind; nothing, it must be acknowledged, was ever more artfully contrived; not to mention the distinction of casts, which is obviously adapted to fix and perpetuate every other institution. [Whatever may be said to the contrary by speculative Philosophers, the universal spread of idolatry proves that man instinctively acknowledges a power superior to his own.] A CALENDAR OF THE PRODUCTIONS, WEATHER, &c. OF THE HOLY LAND, WITH AN ACCOUNT OF THE FESTIVALS, FASTS, &c. OF THE HEBREWS. IT would be utterly useless to enter into an enumeration of the benefits to be derived from a calendar of this nature. It must be obvious to every one, at all interested in such studies, that a regular account of the various times and seasons, and remarkable natural events, of the year; the prevailing nature of the climate, the changes of the weather, and the peculiar fruits and productions of each season, are absolutely necessary in order to give a right concep tion of the habits and employments, and particular duties, of the inhabitants of any country; of their expectations as to the seasons which they consider likely to occur; and of those numerous occupations which depend entirely upon the various vicissitudes of seed-time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter. Such an account cannot fail to be interesting, whatever country is the subject of it. But the mind is in the highest degree delighted with every circumstance connected with that land, which as Christians we must venerate, and regard as having been the scene of events the most noble and important, the most interesting and advantageous to the whole human race, in all ages and in all countries of the world; that land, "Over whose acres walk'd those blessed feet, Which eighteen hundred years ago were nail'd, It might be difficult, perhaps impossible, to give a general account of the seasons and weather, with the particular productions of each month, here in England. But in Palestine the case is different, as the changes of the year are there much more stated and regular than with us. It is not, however, to be expected that the climate should be uniform in all parts of the country. Being diversified with mountains and valleys, parched plains and well-watered lands, a variation is necessarily caused in ‹ke degree of cold or heat, of fecundity or sterility. "From Tripoli to Sidon, the country is much colder than the rest of the coast further to the north, and to the south, and its seasons are less regular. The same remark applies to the mountainous parts of Judæa, where the vegetable productions are much later than on the sea coast, or in the vicinity of Gaza. From its lofty situation, the air of Saphet, in Galilee, is so fresh and cool, that the heats are scarcely felt there during the summer; though in the neighbouring countries, particularly at the foot of mount Tabor, and in the plain of Jericho, the heat is intense. Generally speaking, however, the atmosphere is mild; the summers are commonly dry, and intensely hot: intensely hot days, however, are frequently succeeded by intensely cold nights; and it is to these sudden vicissitudes, and their consequent effects on the human frame, that Jacob refers, when he says, that in the day the drought consumed him, and the frost by night. Gen. xxxi. 40.”* The most convenient form for communicating such information, appears to be by tabular arrangement; since by this means the eye takes in the whole at one view. As, however the necessary limits of such a method preclude the possibility of giving a full account of various circumstances which may probably be unknown to many readers, I have adopted the present plan, subjoining an account of what required explanation or illustration. The first hint of this calendar was given by that in Mr. Bickersteth's excellent "Scripture Help.” By inserting in one column the contents of three of his columns, I have been enabled to give a much fuller account of the weather, &c. than I have seen in any other calendar. When this was nearly finished, I met with a similar one in the "Investigator" for July, but as I already had inserted all the articles that it contains in my own calendar, the only use I could make of that was, in abridging a few of the articles. The materials are drawn chiefly from Buhle's Account, affixed to Calmet's Dictionary, and the list of the feasts, &c. in the same work, together with some of the works referred to in the former. "Horne's Introd. to the Crit. Study of the Scriptures, vol. iii. p. 28. TIZRI, the 1st civil month, 7th sacred ditto, has 30 days, and answers to the moon of SEPTEMBER. FEASTS, FASTS, ETC. 1. Feast of trumpets. Lev. xxiii. 34. Numb. xxix. 1, 2. 3. Fast for Gedaliah's death. 2 Kings xxv. 25. Jer. xli. 2. Also the abolition of the use of written contracts. 7. Fast for the golden calf, and God's sentence against Israel. Ex. xxxii. 6, 7, 8, 34. 10. Day of atonement, or fast of Ashura. Lev. xvi. 29-31; xxiii. 27-32. . 15. Feast of tabernacles, or of in-gathering. First-fruits of wine and oil offered. Lev. xxiii. 34-43. 23. Rejoicing for the delivery of the law: Also the dedication of Solomon's temple. 1 Kings viii. 65, 66. WEATHER, PRODUCTIONS, ETC. In September the days are very hot, the nights very cold. Rain towards the end of the month. The mercury is the same as at the latter end of August, 850 or 86°, except that it rises higher in the afternoon. In rainy weather it falls 30 or 40, till it gets down to 65°; but one day's variation does not exceed 30 or 49; and when it rains 10 or 20. Ploughing and sowing begin. Ripe dates, pomegranates, citrons, oranges, pears, plums, and grapes. The charnubi yields ripe pods, and the sebestus fruit, like nuts or acorns, from whence glue is obtained. Cotton is gathered ripe. Simoom sometimes blows in Nubia. MARCHESVAN, the 2d civil month, 8th sacred ditto, has 29 days, and answers to the moon of OCTOBER. 6. A fast for the patting out of Zedekiah's eyes, by Nebuchadnezzar, after he had slain his children in his presence. 2 Kings xxv. 7. Jer. lii. 10. 19. Fast on Monday and Tuesday, and the Monday following, to expiate faults committed on occasion of the feast of tabernacles. In this month the Jews prayed for the rain, which they call jore, or the autumnal rains, which was very seasonable for the seed. CISLEU, the 3d civil month, 9th sacred ditto, has 3. A feast in memory of the destruction of the idols, which the Gentiles had placed in the courts, but which the Asmoneans overthrew. 6. A fast in memory of the book of Jeremiah, torn and burnt by Jehoiakim. Jer. xxxvi. 23. 7. A fast in memory of the death of Herod 21. The feast of mount Gerizim. TEBETH, the 4th civil month, 10th sacred ditto, Seed time commences at the beginning of October. Heat abated, but still great in the day-time. The mercury in the morning stands generally, before the rain, at 720. It does not rise in the afternoon above 50 or 60. After the rains it descends gradually to 60°. The variation of one day seldom, on rainy days never, exceeds 30 or 40. Sometimes the rainy season begins, (the early or former rains, Deut. xi, 10. Hosea vi. 3. Joel ii. 23. James v.7.) Wheat and barley, cicer sativum, common lentil, purple flowering garden spurge, small smoothpodded vetch, sesamum, green-rinded melon, anguria, small cucumber, fennel, fenugreek, and bastard saffron, are sown. The pistachio, (a tree peculiar to Palestine, Syria, and Egypt,) bears fruit not unlike pineapples. Charnubi presents its pods. Olives and pomegranates are ripe. Jericho rose blows. The latter grapes, cotton, lettuces, endives, cresses, wild chervil, spinage, beet, and garden and wild artichoke, are gathered. Simoom sometimes blows in Nubia. 30 days, and answers to the moon of NOVEMBER. If the rains are not yet fallen, they certainly fall in November. Heat abated, but still very violent in the day-time, but nights are very cold. Winds blow chiefly from the N. but seldom with violence. The mercury, as the month advances, gradually falls from 60° to 50°. The variation of one day is not more than from 20 to 50. November is the month for the general sowing of corn. Dates are gathered this month. The trees retain their leaves till the middle of November. At Aleppo the vintage lasts till the 15th of November. Simoom sometimes blows in Nubia. has 29 days, and answers to the moon of DECEMBER, Winter commences at the beginning of December. From December 12 to January 20 is the coldest part of the year. Rain is more common than snow. Winds seldom violent, blow from E. or N. When east winds blow, the weather is dry, though they sometimes bring mist and hoar frost, and are accompanied with storms. The mercury usually stands all the month at 460. It frequently gets up 30 in the afternoon, if there be no rain. Corn and pulse are sown. Sugar-canes ripen, and are cut down this month at Cyprus. The grass and herbs springing up after the rains, the Arabs drive their flocks from the mountains into the plains. SHEBETH, the 5th civilmonth, 11th sacred ditto, has 30 days, and answers to the moon of JANUARY. FEASTS, FASTS, ETC. 2. Rejoicing for the death of king Alexander Janudus, a great enemy to the Pharisees. 4, or 5. Fast for the death of the elders, who succeeded Joshua. Judges ii. 10. 15. The beginning of the year of trees. 22. Feast for the death of Niskalenus. 23. Fast for the war of the ten tribes that of Benjamin. Judges xx. 29. Memorial of Antiochas Epiphanes' death. 1 Macc. vi. 1. against WEATHER, PRODUCTIONS, ETC. The cold in January is sometimes extreme. Snow falls (if at all) about the middle of the month. Rain, in heavy showers, at night. Winds gentle, and chiefly from N. or E. "In the morning the mercury is generally between 400 and 46°, and does not rise above 30 or 40 in the afternoon, and on rainy days not above 10 or 20, and sometimes remains the same all day. Towards the latter end of the meath, when the sky is clear, the heat is oppressive. All kinds of corn sown. Beans blossom. Hasselquist says, the trees are in leaf at the beginning of January. Russell says, not till the latter end of February. The almond tree blossoms earliest, sometimes before it is in leaf. If the winter be mild, the winter fig is found. Misletoe, the cotton tree, cauliflower, hyacinth, violet, tulip, wormwood, anemonies, ranunculuses, and colchicas appear this month. ADAR, the 6th civil month, 12th sacred ditto, has 29 days, and answers to the moon of FEBRUARY. 7. Fast for the death of Moses. 13. Esther's fast: probably in memory of that in Esther iv. 16: also, feast for the death of Nicanor. 1 Mac. vii. 44. 2 Mao. xv, 30. 14,15. The feast of Purim, or Lots. Esth. ix. 21. 15. The half shekel is paid in cities on 15th, in the Temple on 25th Adar. Ex. xxx. 13. 23. Dedication of Zerubbabel's temple. Ezra vi. 16. Cold season commences at the beginning of February. All that has been said of the winter holds good for this month too, except that towards the latter end, at least in the S. parts, the snows and colds are observed to cease. Chiefly remarkable for rain. For the first If days the mercury is usually between 42o and 470. In the afternoon it does not rise above 1o, 2o, or 30; afterwards it rises gradually to 50°. Latter crops appear above ground. Barley is sometimes sown till the middle of Feb. Beans acquire a husk, and may be gathered all spring. Chick-pease blossom about the end of the month. Peach-trees and apple-trees in blossom. Cauliflowers, water-parsnip, geranium, or crane's bill, early Aleppo daisy, meadow saffron, flower-de-lis, meadow daffodil, snowdrop, ox-eye, purple stinking archangel, fumitory, muscari, spring crocus, and ranunculuses, are found this month. When the year consists of 13 lunar months, they place here, by way of intercalation, the 2d Adar, or, Ve-Adar. NIZAN or ABIB, the 7th civil month, the 1st sacred ditto, has 30 days, and answers to the moon of MARCH. 1. Fast for the death of the children of Aaron, 10. Fast for Miriam's death, (Numb. xx. 1.) 15. The Passover: first day of unleavened 16. Sheaf of barley, gathered on the 14th, after sunset, is offered as the first-fruits of the harvest. 21. End of Passover, and feast of unleavened 26. Fast for Joshua's death. Rain, with thunder and bail. Heat excessive. In the middle of March, the mercury stands at 520, towards the latter end, between 560 and 58°. In the beginning of the month, it does not rise above 50 in the afternoon, and towards the end, 8° or 9o. Rivers swell from the rain and thawed snow. Earthquakes sometimes felt. Very little wheat in the ear. Barley, beans, chick-pease, lentils, and gervanses ripen. Rice, Indian wheat, and corn of Damascus, are sown in Lower Egypt. The figtree, palm, apple-tree, and pear-tree blossom. Jericho plum-tree produces its fruit. Vine produces its first clusters. Anguria, pistachio, yellow poley, anemonies, tulips, garden and wild madder, polyphyllous' dragon, flax, wild clary, stock gillyflower, charlock, mustard, asphodel, and broom, flourish this mouth. The simoom sometimes blows in Nubia. JIAR, or JYAR, the 8th civil month, 2d sacred ditto, has 29 days, and answers to the moon of APRIL. 6. Fast on the Monday, Thursday, and Monday following, for excesses during the Passover. 7. Consecration of the Temple by the Asmo neans. 10. Fast for Eli's death, and the capture of the ark, by the Philistines. 14. The second Passover, for those who could not celebrate the first. 27. A feast for the expulsion of the Galileans. 28. A fast for Samuel's death. Harvest commences at the beginning of April. Frequent rains; wet ceases towards the end of the month. Excessive heat near Jeriche; in other parts, the weather is most delightful. The mercury rises gradually from 60° to 66°. In the afternoon, when the sky is clear, it dees not rise above 80 or 100. Snows on the mountains thaw. The harvest depends on the duration of the rainy season. Wheat, zea or spelt, barley, almonds, and oranges, are ripe. The turpentine tree and charaubs in blossom. Sugar-canes planted. Asphodel, ranunculuses, anemonies, lysimachias, yellow leaved by slope. dragon's wort, hermolanuses, phalangias, and tulips, are in flower. Grass is very high. |