order to gain the sun, whose beams the eyes of this creature cannot bear; but if they are near the shore they row into creeks where they cannot be pursued. The excrement, or spawn, of this animal which floats upon the surface, like a viscid slime, is so corrosive, that if it should touch the hands of the fishermen they will be instantly blistered and inflamed. The particulars related of this animal would be incredible, were they not attested upon oath, and confirmed by many witnesses.

Egede informs us, that it had been seen by many hundreds of persons, mariners, fishermen, and others. In the year 1746, Captain Lawrence de Ferry, of Bergen, shot at a sea-snake, which immediately disappeared; and when the boat was rowed near the place, the water appeared tinged with blood. The head of this animal, which it held at least two feet above the surface of the water, was of a greyish colour, and resembled the head of a horse. The mouth was very large and black, the eyes were of the same colour, and a long white mane hung down from its neck, and floated on the sea. Besides the head, they saw seven or eight coils of this snake, about the distance of a fathom one from another.

In 1756, it is upon record, that another was shot at and wounded also, which is described as being of an enormous length from one hundred to two hundred yards, by the different beholders.

This Sea Serpent does not seem to be a creature prepared for carnage and devastation, and whether it may possess venom of any kind, probably was not examined by those who discovered it. We rather think it to be slow, languid, and quiet, like the whale, which it also resembles in its power of ejecting waters throngh its blow-holes.

THE SCORPION.

[From Calmet.]

THERE seems to be no doubt that the Hebrew word okrab. means a scorpion. The figure of this insect is submitted to inspection above ;* but the history of it should be known, in order to understand justly the force of passages where it is mentioned. The reader will observe particularly its articulated tail, at the en of which is its sting; and its pincers, or claws, in front, like those of a lobster. "In the tropical climates it is a foot in length. No animal in the creation seems endued with such an

* There was in the original, from which this was extracted, a plate of the scorpion, to which this remark alludes

irrascible nature. When taken, they exert their utmost rage against the glass which contains them: will attempt to sting a stick, when put near them; will sting animals confined with them, without provocation; are the cruellest enemies to each other. Maupertius put 100 together in the same glass; instantly they vented their rage in mutual destruction, universal carnage! in a few days only 14 remained, which had killed and devoured all the others. It is even asserted, that when in extremity or dispair, the scorpion will destroy itself. It is said to be a common experiment in Gibraltar, [and Goldsmith says he had been assured of such a fact, by many eye witnesses, ] to take a scorpion newly caught, and surrounding him with burning charcoal, when he perceives the impossibility of escaping, he stings himself on the back of the head, and instantly expires." Surely Moses very properly mentions scorpions among the dangers of the wilderness? Deut. viii. 15. And what shall we think of the hazardous situation of Ezekiel, who is said to dwell among scorpions; chap. ii 6. people as irrascible as this venomous insect. Could a fitter contrast be selected by our Lord, “will a father give a scorpion to his child instead of an egg?" Luke xi. 12.

But the passage most descriptive of the scorpion is Rev. ix. 3. 4. 5. 10. which mentions, locusts, having power as scorpions; not to kill men, but to torment them, during five months, with the torment of a scorpion, when he strikes a man: they had tails like scorpions, and stings in their tails. Contrary to the nature of locusts, they were not to destroy vegetation, but to infest men.

:

These particulars deserve our notice : 1st, These scorpions have the power of flying. The ancients certainly ranged an insect of some kind, as a flying scorpion. Lucian says, in the Dipsades, "There are two kinds of scorpions, one residing on the ground, large, having claws, and many articulations at the tail the other flies in the air, and has inferior wings, like locusts, beetles, and bats." Strabo, lib. xvi. reports" that in Mauritania, are found many flying scorpions; others without wings." Scheuzer mentions other testimonies. It is probable, therefore, that the ancients called that a "flying scorpion," which the moderns know under another name. 2dly, They did not kill men but only torment them. It is not every scorpion whose sting is fatal. In Europe they are seldom deadly, though always dangerous. "In some of the towns in Italy, and in the south of France, it is one of the greatest pests that torments mankind, yet its malignancy in Europe is trifling, compared to its powers in Africa and the East." Maupertius caused a dog to be stung; it died: another dog did not die, though more severely stung, in appearance: and it seems to be generally true, that

the stings of the old ones are the most dangerous, and during the heat of summer which agree with, 3dly, The five months of the apocalypse, that this was known to the ancients we have the evidence of Tertullian, who says, " The ordinary time of danger is during the heats; the winds of south and southwest, excite its fury:" and Macrobius says, sat. lib. i. cap. 21. "The scorpion slumbers during winter ; but when winter is over, its sting resumes its vigour, of which winter had not deprived it. 4thly, As to the torment of a scorpion when he strikes a man, Diocorides thus describes it, lib. vii. cap. 7. "When the scorpion has stung, the place becomes inflamed, and hardened; it reddens by tention, and is painful by intervals, being now chilly, now burning. The pain soon rises high, and rages, sometimes more, sometimes less. A sweating succeeds, attended by a shivering, and trembling; the extremities of the body become cold, the groin swells; the bowels expel their wad, the hair stands on end; the members become pale, and the skin feels throughout it the sensation of a perpetual pricking as if by needles :" such are the torments of a scorpion when he strikes a man! 5thly, As to the formation of the tail, and the sting at its point, the reader is referred to the figure. It remains only to be observed, that the ancients had remarked this particularity. So Julian Epig. on the heavenly signs.

Libra subit, caudaque animal quod dirigit ictum

So speaks Hilasius :

Libraque lancé pari, et violentus acumine caudae.

And to these we may add Eusthenius,

Momemtumque sequens, caudaque timendas adunca.

Upon the whole, we observe, that however metaphorical is the description of this depredator, by the apocalyptic writer, yet that the foundation of his description may readily be discovered. in nature.

OF APPARITIONS.

Of apparitions in dreams, and how they are or are not real apparitions, with several curious relations.

THERE may be dreams without apparitions, as there may be apparitions without dreams; but apparition in dream may be as really an apparition as if the person who saw it was awake:

The difference may be here, that the apparition in a dream is visible to the soul only, for the soul never sleeps; and an apparition to the eye-sight is visible in common perspective.

How is it then that we see in our dreams the very faces and dress of the person we dream of; nay, hear their voices, and receive due impressions from what they say, and oftentimes speak to them with our own voices articulately and audibly, although we are fast asleep. What secret power of the imagination is able to represent the image of any person to itself, if there was not some appearance, something placed in the soul's view, by a secret but invisible hand, and in an imperceptible manner? which something is, in all respects, and to all purposes, as completely an apparition, as if it was placed in open sight when the person was really awake.-Deacon and Walker's Dialogical Disquisitions on Spirits. 4to. 1611.

The Scripture confirms this opinion by many expressions directly to the purpose, and particularly this of appearing, or apparition in dream. Gen. xx. 3. "God came to Abimelech in a dream;" had it been said, that Abimelech dreamed that God came to him, there might have been some exception to the parallel; but God actually came to him; and although Abimelech was asleep, and in a dream, it was not the less an apparition, for God came to him, and spoke, and said to him and in the 4th verse, Abimelech spoke to the apparition. Whatever the shape was, that the text does not mention; but Abimelech knew whom he talked with too, that's evident, for the text mentions it fully: "And he said, Lord, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation?" And so he goes on, verse the fifth, to expostulate and plead for himself and his people, "said he not unto me, she is my sister?" so that he knew he was speaking to the Lord. The text is very remarkable; it is plain that there was an apparition, but the man was asleep, and in a dream.

Again, in the case of Laban pursuing Jacob, Gen. xxxi. 24. "God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said unto him." Here again is an apparition, and a speaking apparition too; God came to him, and God spoke to him; and Laban owns, not that he dreamed of God's appearing, but that God really spoke to him, ver. 29. "The God of your father spake to me yesternight, saying."

Certainly dreams in those days were another kind of thing than they are now. God spoke to them, and they answered; and when they were awake, they knew that it was God that spoke, and gave heed to the vision or apparition of God to them.

There are many more instances of the like in the sacred history; as, first, in the remarkable case of king Solomon, 1 Kings,

iii. 5. "The Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, ask what I shall give thee."

This is called in the scripture, a dream, ver. 15. "And Solomon awoke, and behold it was a dream ;" and yet it is all confirmed; and the petition that Solomon made, though in his sleep, or dream is accepted and answered as his real act and deed, as if he had been awake.

That passage of Solomon is very remarkable to the case in hand. If my readers please to believe that there was such a man as Solomon, and that he had such a dream; they must allow also that it was a real apparition, God appeared to him in a dream.

To bring it down a step lower; as God has thus personally appeared to men in dreams, so have inferior spirits, and we have examples of this too in the scripture; Matt. i. 20. "While he thought on these things, behold the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream." And again, Matt. ii. 13. Behold the angel of the Lord appeared unto Joseph in a dream saying :" And a third time it is repeated: "The angel came again to him in Egypt," ver. 19 of the same chapter: When Herod was dead," Behold an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt."

I will for once suppose, that no man need desire any farther evidence than these, for the relation of the thing itself; we may bring it down from hence, by just parallels, to matters within our own reach; experience will furnish us with particular passages sufficient; and some account I shall give you within the compass of our own times, such as come within the verge of my Own knowledge, or of the knowledge of such as I have good reason to give credit to. I believe a variety will be acceptable, and much more useful than a bare repeati: g of what others have said. If I find it needful to quote what others have published, you shall have it justly marked as a quotation, that you may search for the truth in its original.

Before I come to quotation, or to collection of story, 'tis needful to observe, that as it has pleased God to appear in this manner, and to cause angels to appear also in the same manner, and upon special occasions, so I make no question but the devil often appears in dreams too; and I might give but too many examples of it, as particularly one in the scripture.

It is apparent that God gave Satan a kind of general license to afflict Job, only not to kill him: with such a terrible commission, it might be expected that the devil would fall upon him with the utmost fury he was capable of, or allowed to take; he ruined his fortunes, reduced him to misery, murdered his children, tormented him with boils and sores; in short, left him nothing but