Nevertheless, an objection to the above interpretation may be made, (exclusive of the general sweeping one, that the whole is an idle reverie,) and it is sufficiently specious if it can only be maintained by sound argument. It may be said that this westerly variation of the magnetic needle in modern times, though so wide of the north and south poles of the earth, which are supposed to be fallen from conformity to the sun, and consequently erroneous, is not therefore certainly false; neither was the former easterly declination certainly so; but on the contrary both may be true, if the poles are false, according to times and circumstances; and nearly conformable to supposed original uprightness, according to the hypothesis assumed by the author. For, if we suppose the ecliptic to pass through the plane of the sun's equator, (which this writer is not from positive facts prepared to deny,) then this variation on either

evident that whichsover of the above interpretations, we adopt, or anticipate, still in every such case, such an event in the soul of an individual, or of a nation, or of a world, must produce great moral and political storms and earthquakes; and the writer knows this to be true by his own personal experience. Therefore, the great natural and moral storms and revolutions, which have accompanied, and followed the stop, and retrogradation of the natural magnet, were not unexpected by this analogical adventurer. Let us still hope and pray for a prosperous final issue to this alarming crisis! so near at hand, perhaps.

side, as far as 23° 30' will eventually bring the poles of the earth to be parallel to the axis of the sun, which is the universal standard of truth, to the whole system. Thus in summer our axis and north pole is inclined 23° 30' to the sun's axis, while at the same time the axis and pole of the southern hemisphere is so many degrees averted from him, which position gives them winter; and therefore a westerly declination of typical infidelity of so many degrees to us in the north, is an easterly variation of superstition to them in the south; and is in fact a true vertical and parallel position of the magnetic needle. Hence, both the EAST variation of what I call SUPERSTITION, and the WEST variation of what I call INFIDELITY, may be close approximations to truth, instead of aberrations from it, as supposed by the commentary.

The short reply to the above seems to be simply this. The general axis and poles must first be rectified, both in spirit and in form, before any true remedy can be invented; and that rectification is the true and only remedy; not by the works of the law, (figuratively speaking,) or a formal rectification of poles, as in the natural case; but by the grace and free spirit of the gospel in the spiritual scale. A vertical axis, and a direct position, with respect to the natural sun, would probably now (as formerly observed) be intolerable to us,

Analogies between

ral earth, and wa

and destructive to the present order of things, as much as in the spiritual parallel; for St. John says, that when the sun of righteousness shall come in his true position for judgment, "all the tribes of the earth shall wail because of HIM." Because like a vertical sun of nature HE will consume them in His fierce fire of indignation!

I propose now to endeavour to trace (yet in the natu- a cursory and very superficial manner, corresponding with the very narrow limits of my produc knowledge) a few of the innumerable analogitions, ve- cal parallels in the climes, soils, waters, sea

ters and

getable

mal, and

and ani- sons, vegetable and animal productions of the their pa- torrid, temperate, and frigid zones of our earth, the moral in comparison with the manners, dispositions,

rallels in

system.

Hills and mountains.

and temperaments, together with the concomitant physiognomonical characteristics of their respective human inhabitants. But here I must from necessity be very brief, and rather offer a few hints to the consideration of my readers, to excite their inquiries, than attempt to develope and minutely display, such an immense mass of curious and inductive testimony.

The hills and mountains with which the surface of our globe is beautified and diversified appear to be true symbols of those parts of human nature, which tower above the rest, on account of an innate combination of ardent spirits, in their animal and moral soil, which

has more affinity with the centrifugal, or expansive or social, or vain, aspiring, and ambitious, (both plus and minus, good and bad,) than with the centripetal, or selfish, or humble, lowly, retiring, unobtrusive principles of human nature, whether true or false, plus or minus. They have respectively certain common and general resemblances, which at first sight are ambiguous, and equiapplicable to truth and to error; but a closer and more minute examination brings to our view other, and more retired and less obvious properties and qualities, which immediately discriminate between them, and point out clearly whether they belong to the scale of positives or negatives in a moral sense, as well as in male and in female expression, in the active and in the passive voice. Thus, for instance, weight is a general symbol of moral gravity; and this may be humility or meanness, the first being a virtue, and the latter a vice. But the first has also purity, simplicity, and docility, and is typified, in part, by gold and silver. * The latter has filthiness of all moral description, such as cunning, fraud, avarice, sordidness of

* The weight of gold and silver typifies gravity or humility, which is not an empty appearance, but is full of important matter, viz. Truth. "The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD." Haggai 1st chap. Again, "the words of the Lord are pure words; as SILVER tried in a furnace of EARTII, purified seven times."

spirit, and is typified by lead. Hence (possibly) lead is the basis of eye-salves and washes, and of anti-phlogistic external medicines; or in moral language, humility is the antidote against the inflammations of pride; or, it is the basis of our self-knowledge; or, our intellectual sight is clear and true, when we are mean and vile in our own eyes. Our Lord says, in the 3rd chapter of Revelations. "Anoint thine eyes

eye salve that thou mayest see.'

with

All great geniuses may be considered as hills, or elevations, viz. of knowledge, invention, science, policy, legislation, literature, &c. &c. False heroes and tyrants, whether military, political or religious, may be justly compared to burning mountains, or volcanoes, which destroy whole cities and provinces with their torrents of moral lava; that is to say of sulphurous,1 or covetous,1 or in general terms concupiscible;1 of nirous, or worldly-wise and selfish ;2 of ferruginous, or carnally rational, principles, systems, plans, manifestoes to cover their proud, selfish, interested, ambitious, and unjust schemes of dominion and conquest. These strong but evil motives and principles are innate in their moral volcanic temperaments or soils, and are ne

2

3

3

* Is it not analogous to this subject, that the best tellescopes are such as have been improved by the addition of a small quantity of lead to the composition of the glass, or figuratively speaking, a little consciousness of unworthiness?