moon's nodes. The angle which the moon's orbit makes with the plane of the ecliptic is 5 degrees. 18 minutes; fo that, when the moon is in the northmost point of her orbit, she is 5 degrees, 18 minutes north of the ecliptic; and as far fouth of it when he is in the fouthmost point of her orbit. Hence it is plain, that the moon can never be in the ecliptic but when she is in one or other of her nodes.

When the moon is any more than 18 degrees from either of her nodes at the time of her change, she does not pass between the fun and any part of the earth; but goes either above or below the fun, according as fhe is then north or fouth of the ecliptic; and therefore the cannot then hide any part of the fun from any part of the earth.

But when the changeth within 18 degrees of either node, fhe will hide the whole or part of the fun from fome part of the earth. And if the be in either of her nodes at the time of change, the fun will be centrally eclipfed to that point of the earth's furface which is then in a trait line between the fun's center and the earth's. At all other places which the center of the moon's fhadow goes over, the fun will likewife be centrally eclipfed.

When the moon is any more than 12 degrees from either of her nodes at the time of full, the paffeth clear of the earth's fhadow; and therefore the cannot be eclipfed at that time. But when the is within 12 degrees of either node at the time of her being full, the is eclipfed. And when he is full in either of her nodes, fhe goes through the middle of the earth's fhadow, and is totally eclipfed with the longest continuance, which may be above an hour and an half.

OF THE PERIOD OF ECLIPSES.

The ecliptic is divided into twelve equal parts, VOL. IV.

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called signs, and each fign into 30 equal parts called degrees. If the moon's nodes had no motion through the figns of the ecliptic, there would be juft half a year between the times of the fun's conjunctions with the nodes; and then, in whatever figns the fun and moon were eclipfed in any given year, they would be eclipfed every year after. But the eclipfes fall fo much fooner every fucceeding year than they did on the year before, as to prove that the nodes move backward, or contrary to the motion of the moon, 19 degrees every year, from the confequent toward the antecedent figns. And therefore, they go backward through all the figns and degrees of the ecliptic in 18 years and 225 days.

If in that time there were any exact number of courses of the moon from change to change, without any fraction, there would be an exact period or reftitution of eclipfes in the fame time. But during this revolution of the nodes, there are 230 courfes of the moon, and a quarter of a courfe more: fo that there can be no exact period of eclipfes in any complete revolution of the nodes.

But in 18 years, 11 days, 7 hours, and 43 minutes, in which time there are juft 223 courfes of the moon from change to change, there is a conjunction of the fun and moon with the fame node as before; and confequently, a period or reftitution of all the eclipfes of the fun and moon. And therefore, if to the mean time of any eclipfe, either of the fun or moon, you add 18 years, 11 days, 7 hours, 43 minutes, you will have the mean time of the return of that eclipfe. Only note, that when the last day of February, in leapyears, comes but four times into this period, you are to add the above number of days, hours, and minutes: but when it comes five times in, as it will fometimes do, you must add one whole day lefs.

And.

And thus, any one, who has a fet of almanacks for 19 years, in which all the eclipfes are noted for that time, may very easily calculate the time of any future eclipfe. This is called the Chaldean Saros, or period of eclipfes.

As the nodes go backwards at the rate of 19 degrees every year, which, for the fake of round numbers, we may call 19 degrees; thefe 19 degrees are nearly equal to 19 days of the fun's motion, and the half of 19 is 91; fubtract 9 days from 1824 days, which make half a year, and there will remain 173 days for the time between the fun's being in conjunction with either of the nodes. till the time of his being fo with the other.

Now, as the fun can never be eclipsed when he is more than 18 degrees from either node, nor the moon when fhe is more than 12, (as already mentioned,) it is plain there must be an eclipfe of the fun at the time of every new moon that falls within 18 days before or after the time of his being in conjunction with either of the nodes; and that the moon must be eclipfed at every time of her being full within 12 days before or after the time of the fun's being in conjunction with either of the nodes. And confequently, if we can tell on what days of the year thefe conjunctions fall, we can easily tell at what new and full moons there must be eclipfes; feeing the days of new and full moons are fo generally known.

In fome years there are fix eclipfes, four of which are of the fun, and two of the moon: in other years there are only two, and when that happens, they are both of the fun; but the inoft common number is four; namely, two of the fun, and two of the moon.

THE DARKNESS AT OUR SAVIOUR'S CRUCIFIXION SUPERNATURAL.

From the account I have given you of ecliples it plainly appears, that the fun can never be eclipfed, in a natural way, but at the time of new moon, nor the moon but when she is full; and that, when the fun is totally eclipfed, the darknefs can never continue above five minutes at any place of the earth.

But the three evangelifts, St. Matthew, St. Mark, and St. Luke, mention a darknefs that continued three hours, at the time of our SAVIOUR'S Crucifixion. If their account of that darkness had been false, it would have been contradicted by many who were then prefent; efpecially as they were great enemies both to Chrift and his few difciples, as well as to the doctrine he taught. But as none of the Jews have contradicted the evangelifts' account of this moft extraordinary phenomenon, it is plain that their account of it is true. Befides, the evangelifts must have known full well, that it could not be their intereft to palm fuch a lie upon mankind; which, when detected, muft have gone a great way toward deftroying the credibility of all the rest of the account they gave of the life, actions, and doctrine of their master: and inftead of forwarding the belief of chriftianity, it would have been a blow at the very root thereof. We do not find that they have beftowed any panegyric on the life and actions of CHRIST, or thrown out an invective against his cruel perfecutors; but, in the most plain, fimple, and artlefs manner, have told us what their fenfes convinced them were matters of fact: fo that we have as good reafon to believe that there was fuch, darkness, as we have to believe that Chrift was then upon earth: and

that

that he was, has never been contradicted, even by the Jews themselves.

But there are other accounts of Chrift, befides those which the evangelifts have left us. It is ex-. prefsly affirmed, by the two Roman hiftorians, Tacitus and Suetonius, that there was a general expectation spread all over the eastern nations, that out of Judea fhould arife a perfon who fhould be Governor of the world. That there lived in Judea, at the time which the gofpel relates, fuch a perfon as Jefus of Nazareth, is acknowledged by all authors, both Jewish and Pagan, who have written. fince that time. The ftar that appeared at: his birth, and the journey of the Chaldean wife men, is mentioned by Chalcidius the Platonist.. Herod's caufing the children in Bethlehem to be flain, and a reflection upon him on that occafion by the emperor Auguftus, is related by Macrobius. Many of the miracles that Jefus wrought, particularly his healing the lame, and curing the blind, and cafting out devils, are owned by thefe inveterate and implacable enemies of chriftianity, Celfus and Julian, and the authors of the Jewith Talmud. That the power of the heathen gods, ceafed, after the coming of Chrift, is acknowledged by Porphyry, who attributed it to their being angry. at the fetting up of the chriftian religion, which he calls impious and profane. The crucifixion of Chrift under Pontius Pilate is related by Tacitus, and the earthquake and miraculous darknefs attending it were recorded in the public Roman registers, commonly appealed to by the first chrif tian writers, as what could not be denied by the adverfaries themfelves; and are in a particular manner attefted by Phlegon, the freed man of

Adrian.

Some people have faid, that the above-mentioned darkness might have been occafioned by a

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