Year: 1863

The following Is an instructive ard interest
ing extract from lecture Of Rev. W Lei,ch,
d. D., of Queens College, Canada


Almost all the mechanical power on the face
Of the earth is traced to the sun. The force
may change its form. bat its amount is always
the same. The principle is known by the
name of correlation of physical force When
the river leaps over the Niagara Falls and
reaches the level beneath. its mechanical force
is lost as to form, bat it is Transmitted into
heat The water at the bottom OF the fall is
increased in temperature and were this heat
collected il would be converted into mechani,
cal power, exactly adequate TO raise the wafer
to It's former level The heat Of explosion is
converted into mechanical power, When the
ball is imperei from gun.


The mechanical power is recouverted into
heat when the ball is suddenly arrested in its
flight The ball will be found to be hot ex-
actIy in proportion to its velocity when arrest.
ed Now this IS the case with the suns heat.
All the mechanical power employed by man
can be traced to the sun. The water wheel is
turned by the sun. The heat raises the water
from the ocean and deposits it in the form of
rain on the mountains side. The river col
lects the rain, fills the buckets of the water
wheel, and by this process the sun indirectly
works the machinery Of the mill.


The steam engine is not an exception. lis
power is derived from the heat of the furnace,
but the furnace depends for its power on fuel.
But how should fae possess this power? 1t
has derived it from the sun.


The fuel as growing wood stored up the
power dispensed by the sun. The tree is the
concentrated power of many summers heat,
and, though it may lie for thousands Of years
as coal in the bowels of the EARTH it retains
the power till it is evolved by burning. But
you will say that animal power is surely diiie-
rent. Such is not the case. Every exercise
of animal power costs some waste of tissue;
matter, and the vegetable matter owes its
power to the rays of the sun. Volition cannot
create mechanical power it can only direct
and apply it. The only power not derived
from the sun is that of the rise and fall OF the
tide, as far as this is due to the moon The
trade winds may also be regarded as excep-
ton. This power is derived from the rotation
of the earth. though the heat of the sun IS
necessary to develop the power.


But the suns fuel is limited and the com
bustion must at last cease. The researches Of
the German chemist lead to the conclusion thai
the photosphere is fluid not gaseous. 1t e&u-
not be conceived continuous solid.


1t is also probable that the region Of the
incandescent metals in the state of vapor is the
rose -colored stratum seen in total eclipses.-
Science has distinctly traced the doom written
on the solar system. 1t is destined to pass
away. The machine is running down. The
central fire will at last be exhausted The
planets aud satellites in their spiral courses
will come to a standstill. But are we TO arrive
at the conclusion that Gods glory shall no
longer be manifested in the heavens or that
this system is to rush into annihilation No,
there is no ground in science for the belief that
single particle of matter will ever be annlbi-
lated, but there is every ground for the belief
that the passing away of the solar system
is only one phase of some grander revolu
ton, and that from the ashes of the present
system more glorious worlds ard system may
arise. All this is in perfect, almost literal.
accordance with the Scriptures, which repre-
sent the heavens passing away as a scroll
. They shall wax old as garment; as a YES
| ture shalt thou change them as they shall be
changed Itrepresents the phenominal world
as ever changing-in a state of unceasing fuc-
tuaton-while the great absolute l AM re
mains over the same.


The TRAINING OF THE HoRsE.-Durng my
long career among the Arab tribes ! have
seen and watched the breeding of more than
ten thousand colts. and I am certain that all
these whose education did not commence very