The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1873-05-17
Light Wanted.

NR- EDrroR 1T is a peculiarly A~nglo-Saxon Gus
tom. which | perceive has been transplanted 90 these
latitgdes, that when one gets ~perplexcd and in want
Of light upon almost any question of general inter
est. he applies promptly 10 some member o. your
profession for Information. Filters are supposed.
whether justly or not. TO be well-infOrmed upon any
and every topic Of discussion or enquiry that may
arise, and therefore | shall not further apologize for
the present application for light.
Last Sunday evening l was one Of n large assem-
blage In the Fort Street Church, and listened with
much interest aud edihcation TO a discourse by the
pastor on the life and character Of Joshua. the great
warrior-priest who succeeded Moses in the govern
ment Of the lsraelites in their wars for the possss-
sion of Canaan. l say | was edited, in many par
ticnlars but upon one point. I went AWAY by 40
means satisfied, or clear. That one point was the
supernatural occurrence mentioned in Scripture OF
the sun and moon standing still at the command Of
Joshua. I would hnve been better content had the
preacher passed the subject by with the simple re-
mark that the statement OF Holy Writ was. like some
other things TO be found therein, beyond human
comprehension but as | understood, IL was limited
that the whole might be considered as a poetical
fight Of the sScred writer or perhaps the phenome-
non might eventually be explainable by some Of the
yet undiscovered laws Of light at all events. we
were cautioned against entertaining an Z" assrono-
mical q~uisble,'' as has been done by Colcnso.
have not had On opportunity to read the African
bishop ON this point but 1 must confess that the
explanation of last Sunday evening wa TO me no
explanation at oil. | went directly 10 my Bible on
getting home, and read the passage in question.
which is as follows, from the 10th Chapter OF the
Book Of Joshua
"l2. Then spake Joshua TO tho Lord in the day
when the Lord delivered up the AInorites before the
children of Israel, and he said in the sight Of Israel.
Sun. stand thou still upon Gideon, and thou Moon.
in the valley Of Avalon.
"l3. And the sun stood still, and the moon
stayed, until the people bad avenged themselves up
on their enemies. IL not this written in the book Of
Jasheri So the sun stood still in the midst Of hea-
ven, and hasted not to 60 down about a whole day.
"14. And there was no day like that before IL on
after it, that the Lord hearkened unto the voice Of y
man ; for the Lord fought for Israel"
I can sec no trace of a. poetical license" in this
on the contrary, it appears to be a plain, straight
forward narrative Of an event And the writer, as
if conscious that the stupendous fact might be ques-
toned. refers TO his authority, the Book OF
Jasher,' - and adds that the like was never known
before or since, when the Almighty directly inter-
rupted the course Of nature at the insknce Of q
man. If this is " poetry" how are we 20 distin-
guish what are the 90 prose " portions Of tho Diblef
| trust Mr.. Editor, that you will not consider me
as evincing a carping or ~quibbling spirit, but give
me credit for being an honest seeker after more
light. Q.
I'VE cheerfully give place TO the above, but must
decline, with our present lights, from attempting TO
answer the queries or relieve the perplcxities Of our
correspondent. For ourselves, we believe with a GER
tain divine we once read of, that there is q plenty OF
good meat in the Sacred Writings without breaking
our teeth over the bones.-ED. p. c. Al