The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1870-12-27 00:00:00

THOUGHTS ON THE ECLIPSE OF THE

SUN,
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By the Rev. A. E. hiouts.

The eclipse of the sun, which was observed on
Thursday last, Dec. as, though not to us in England
a total eclipse, is yet an event of so much intercit as
not to be pused over in silence.
The effects produced by such phenomena are very
different on different minds; but there are, generally
speaking, three kinds of impression. Ara, the
ignorant though not unnatural awe of the mass of the
people, and the dread of impending calamities which
in all ages has accompanied eclipses, reconciling on
one occasion two hostile hosts in the very clash of
battle. Secersdly—the ignorant and unnatural, falsely-
named philosophy, which concludes from the grand
order and regularity of the heavenly bodies that they
are ruled by law and not by God. Thirdly—the
reasonable and most just adoration and praise of the
Maker and Itukr of all, which the contemplation of
such sights is naturally 'calculated to call forth.
On the &it of these impressions I shall not say
much. I will merely notice that though the con-
necting eclipses with dynastic changes and other
calamities is certainly erroneous, yet we cannot but
imagine that the coming of our Lonl and the end of
the world will be pre-heralded by signs in the sun
and moon and stars in a literal sense.
I say not therefore, and I think not, that the eclipse
was a sign of the near approach of our Lord; but
the sight of that phenomenon might well lead us to
think of the day when &darker and more threatening
token shall proclaim that He is at the very doors.
lint let me now address myself more particularly
to the rationalistic and infidel view of such pheno-
mena. It is no unnecessary duty, unfortunately, to
notice such objections at the present day.
Now these infidel reasonings are in brief as follows:
The researches of scientific men and the laboriously
minute watching of nature from month to month and I
year to year, tend more and more to convince the I
thoughtful that Nature is uniform and undeviating in
her courses; that in feet there is no fickleness nor
blind chance about her; but that law governs all her
, movements, even those which, as the paths of some
comets for instance, seem at first sight erratic and in-
constant. Eclipses have been noted in Chinese
annals for hundreds of years back; one indeed dating
4000 years ago; essay of these have been calculated
back by astronomers, and the year has been verified,
proving that in the remote past, Nature was just as
much under law and rule as now. And then follows
the most inconclusive and unphilosophical conclusion
of these philosophers—Nature has been constant so
long; therefore she has ever been so, and has had no
beginning. Nature is constant to day, and the calcu-
lated eclipse is sure to take place; therefore
. she will ever continue. In the words of Dr. Chalmers .
--" They deify Nature, and make her immutability
stand in the place of God. They seem imprest with
the imagination that had the supreme Cause been a
bring who thinks, wills,and acts as a man does on the
impulse it a kit Auk present main, awe Would be