"vided the heat be the same. I did not happen to mark the heat of "the ground, when I made the fore-mentioned experiments. The

86

two following, are more circumstantial: the ground had been "wetted, the day before I made them, by a thunder-shower; "the heat of the earth, at the time of making them, estimated "by a thermometer laid upon the grass, was ninety-six degrees: one experiment gave 1973 gallons from an acre in twelve "hours; the other gave 1905.-Another experiment, made when "there had been no rain for a week, and the heat of the earth was

one hundred and ten degrees, gave after the rate of 2800 gallons "from an acre in twelve hours. The earth was hotter than the air, as it was exposed to the reflection of the sun's rays from a brick "wall."

Watson's Chemical Essays, vol. 3, p. 52–56. This quotation bears reference to page 124, of the preceding Lec

ture.

LECTURE IV.

THE DESTRUCTION OF BABEL, THE CONFUSION OF LANGUAGE, THE DISPERSION OF THE PEOPLE, AND THE ORIGIN OF NATIONS.

GEN. XI. 1-9.

And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for mortar. And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. And

the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. So the LORD scattered them

abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.

OBADIAH, 3 & 4. .

The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground? Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy rest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the LORD.

WE left Noah floating, with his family, upon the bosom of an overwhelming deluge, which had exhausted the fountains of the deep,

to wash away the stains of guilt from the surface of the earth. We are now to accompany this favoured family, from the ark that preserved them, to the wasted, deserted plains, once more visible. What an interesting picture, does the sacred historian present, to the eye of the imagination! Behold, an altar erected

a family surrounding it-the rainbow extending it's sublime arch across the face of heavenand the Eternal himself appealing to it, as the seal of a gracious covenant, and a pledge of security to the human race! On the one hand, may be seen the ark on the elevation of Mount Ararath on the other, strewed thick and sad, the mournful remains of those who had perished by the waters. All is silent-while the patriarch adores his omnipotent Preserver; and presents his sacrifice, with the mingled emotions of pity, of gratitude, and of faith.

-Of PITY. Could he view the scene of desolation around him, without suffering one tear of compassion to fall? Impossible! And well might a patriarch's bosom entertain this divine and generous principle, when she takes up her residence, a welcome guest, in heaven! She throws her softest tints over those blissful regions, without impairing either their beauty or their tranquillity; and sheds her sweetest balm upon their inhabitants, without destroy

ing either their happiness or their repose. Her lily is interwoven with the roses which form celestial garlands; and her drops of compassion mingle with the tears of exquisite delight, which She takes up her

glitter in immortal eyes. lasting abode in the bosom of the Son of God. She conducted the Saviour through every try. ing scene which he witnessed, in his passage through this valley of tears. "He wept with "those that wept;" and "in all our afflictions "he was afflicted." She accompanied him every step of his journey; and placed her chaplet of cypress upon his conquering head, when he expired on Calvery. In proportion as we possess the spirit of Jesus, we shall become the companions of pity. She will teach us to bind up the broken heart: to wipe away the tear from the eye of sorrow; and to pour the oil and the wine of sympathy, into the wounded bošom. O Religion! how have thy adversaries slandered thee, when they represent thee, as hardening the heart! Christianity instructs us to "love

our enemies:" teaches those to weep, who never wept before; softens the obdurate spirit; melts down the ferocious disposition; controuls the furious passions; quickens the sensibilities of nature; transforms the instruments of cruelty, into implements of husbandry; becomes the strongest, and most permanent, bond of