least misrepresentation. Most "Memorandum.-Though siscertainly, his attachment to what ter Dechamps was so lame and dishe considered as Christian truth abled as to be carried down into was insuperable, and had led him the water, she went up out of it, to make very considerable world- without the least help, rejoicing ly sacrifices. He lived beloved as Captain Langdon did at Plyand esteemed. by a respectable mouth. Mrs. Dechamps had circle of worthy friends, and his been long disabled from walking memory is still preserved, with alone by a rheumatic gout; but, reverential affection, by the re- some time after, the Lord was maining few who enjoyed his ac- pleased to call her by his grace. quaintance. Surely Mr. Jones She told the writer of this, she did not know him. Surely, if I was convinced that baptism, by may be forgiven for the remark, immersion, was both her duty Mr. Jones has not taken Luke as and privilege. He endeavoured a model, in writing biography. to dissuade her from it, as not Luke, relating the dissension of absolutely necessary to salvation; Paul and Barnabas, says, that but, not being satisfied with his "the contention was so sharp arguments, she, after some time, between them, that they departed solemnly demanded it of him, as asunder, one from the other." a minister of Christ! Upon this He indeed mentions one circum- the church was consulted; and, stance which influenced the con- after solemn seeking the Lord, it duct of Paul; but he modestly was agreed, if she persisted in refrains from interposing his own the demand, it should be comjudgment; and is far from assert-plied with. With this the pastor, ing, that the arguments produced by the one, "shrunk into contempt under the hand" of the 1 other. A WONDERFUL APPEARANCE .OF PROVIDENCE AT BAPTISM. The following remarkable Account, which I copied from the Records of the church in Eaglestreet, is printed for the purpose of encouraging persons to follow the dictates of conscience and the path of duty. J. IVIMEY. "JUNE 19, 1748, Mrs. Dechamps made a confession of faith; and her conversion was attested by brother and sister Dent, VOL. X. A. G. was forced to comply, though with great reluctance, fear, and trembling, lest it should be attended with any ill consequences. To this she said, "Do not you be afraid, I am persuaded God will prevent any scandal or reflection." Accordingly, the ordinance was administered; when, though she was carried down lame, she went up out of the water well: rejoicing and triumphing in the Lord Jesus. Blessed be his name! "Witness, A. GIFFORD, who baptized her." See a like miraculous appearance of the Dr. Gifford has subjoined, in a note, Lord's owning his own ordinance in the healing of Captain Langdon, as related minister at Plymouth. See the account by the Rev. Abraham Cheer, Baptist of it in MS. among the collection of Miraculous Cures." 2 L 258 Juvenile Department, PHILOSOPHICAL No. XVIII. to them. Thus Pliny, Seneca, &c. as the olive, the fig-trec, and the laurel, are less frequently affected by lightning than trees more replete with aqueous juices, concluded that they were exempted from its stroke; THE ELECTRIC FLUID AND and, ultimately, the superstitious LIGHTNING. "What is that light that darts across my eyes? And whence that awful noise that fills my ears? The ancients tell they 're marks of wrath that flash, [crash: And fearful signs from heaven, in peals that Kind when she thunders, as when zephyrs play. So awful, and yet so beautiful an appearance as lightning, could not fail to arrest the attention of the beholder, in every age of the world. To the uninformed, it has ever been a source of wonder and terror; and to the philosopher, it has long been an object of reverential enquiry, and serious admiration. employed them as preservatives from the effects of the storm. The lower orders, in France, have long been accustomed to procure branches of olive, which, being blessed by their clergy, they keep in their houses, place them on the tops of steeples, and burn them during thunderstorms; that they may escape the direful effects of lightning, by sharing in the supposed privileges of this tree. The identity of lightning, and the electric fluid, is among the discoveries of modern philosophy, for which we are indebted to Dr. Franklin. The origin and progress of the sciences among us are very interesting subjects of consideration; and, with regard to several, seem to have been connected with the apparently accidental observance of certain facts; which, however long they may have existed and operated, were either altogether unknown, or but very partially known to us. This appears to have been the case, with regard to electricity and galvanism. The term electricity, the classical youth is aware, was derived from the word nλEKTρov, amber; the electric property of which was known to Thales 600 years before our æra. Yet, all that the ancients knew was, that amber and jet would, after rubbing, attract light substances. Electricity may therefore be considered The Greeks and Romans beheld it as sacred, and, as sent to execute some work of divine vengeance; hence, persons who fell by its stroke were thought obnoxious to their divinities, and were either interred apart from others, lest their ashes should pollute contiguous bodies, or were left to rot on the spot where they died; when no one, for fear of pollution, chose to approach them. Those places that were struck with lightning were fenced in; either as sacred to the supreme divinity, or as spots distinguished by the marks of his displeasure. Where the advan-a modern science, particularly tages of revelation are not enjoyed, brought to notice by Gilbert, in there is no end to the errors of the 1600. From that period, to the human mind: the imagination be- present, successive philosophers comes the ruling faculty in religious have appeared, who, giving the subconcerns, and one extravagance ject great attention, have progressucceeds another, according as strik-sively afforded us our present inforing circumstances occur to give rise mation. Although we are now so familiar | them to divide bodies into two with the effects of the electric fluid, it is manifest that but little is known of its nature, from the various opinions of philosophers concerning it. It is considered, however, to pervade the earth, and all bodies with which we are acquainted. While these bodies contain only their natural quantity, no signs even of its existence are perceivable; which readily accounts for its having remained so long undiscovered. Accidental excitations, in the first place, betrayed its existence; and, the bold and curious mind of man detecting the secret, at length eagerly set about the examination; and now, by friction, commands all its known appearances and effects at pleasure. Friction, then, is the method employed to interrupt the tranquillity of the fluid; by which means, the body rubbed takes from the adja- | cent substance a part of its natural quantity; and, on contact, imparts the same to some other matter. Thus, a glass tube, rubbed quickly by a hand which is dry and warm, will alternately attract and repel small pieces of paper, thread, gold leaf, &c. And if the knuckle be applied to the glass so rubbed, a sensation, like the pricking of a pin, will be felt, accompanied by the instantaneous motion of the electric matter, which then passed from the tube to the hand. If this experiment be made in the dark, not only will the touch and hearing be affected, but the passage of the fluid will be evident to the sight. And here we may remark, that it may be made discernible to all the senses; for, when electrical experiments are performing, it is strongly smelt by those about the machine; and if a stream of the fluid be permitted to touch the tongue, a peculiar taste is at once perceivable. classes: electrics or non-conductors, and non-electrics or conductors. Or, in other words, those substances that, when rubbed, will exhibit the electric matter, but non-conduct it ; and those which, however rubbed, produce no such effects, yet readily permit the fluid to pass through them in regaining its natural state. Of the first class are glass, silk, cotton, amber, resin, sulphur, precious stones, feathers, oils, &c.; of the second, metals, charcoal, water, especially salt water, earthy substances, the fluids of the animal body, &c. From an observation of these facts, electrical machines were invented; which are mere convenient applications of electrics and nonelectrics; and those are necessarily the best, that will enable us to collect the largest quantity of the fluid with the greatest readiness and ease, These machines are now either composed of a large cylinder, or plate of glass; which, in revolving on their axes, press against rubbers placed for the purpose; and this powerful friction excites the fluid which is collected in a metal receiver; which being mounted on legs of glass, retains the fluid for experimental purposes. The most amusing and informing experiments are thus easily practised, which our limits will not allow us even to name. The very appearance of electrical sparks, as drawn from the prime conductor of a good machine, resembles that of lightning; and the effects of the fluid, in setting fire to spirits of wine and gunpowder, in perforating paper and glass, fusing goldleaf and forcing it into the pores of glass, the shock with a single Leyden phial, and the powerful effects by batteries, (which may be made to destroy animal life,*) all attest the identity of the fluid and lightning: the one is on a minute, the other on the grand scale of nature. Nor is this an idle discovery, but has led to the most beneficial results; particularly to the contrivance of conductors, But although we have said, generally, that friction excites the electric | fluid, it is not to be understood, that the rubbing of any kinds of matter together, promiscuously, will produce these effects,-far otherwise: infinite wisdom has not left the opera- This was unhappily proved by the tions of so powerful a fluid to such death of professor Richmann, of Petersaccidental circumstances. The ex-burgh, which happened by a stroke from perience of philosophers has led his large battery." spondent to the zodiacal lights. This phenomenon appeared in this coun try, in great perfection, in Oct. 1804; when, for several hours, the atmos phere was finely illuminated, as in strong twilight. which are now so common on maga Falling stars, the aurora borealis, zines, steeples, and valuable build- and the ignus fatuus, have also, by ings, as scarcely to need description. many, been progressively considered When the analogy between this as electrical phenomena. It is prinfluid and lightning was imagined, it cìpally in fine weather that these was very natural for electricians to are seen; for the atmospheric elec- . conclude that, as when a pointed tricity not being then very powersubstance is presented to the con- | ful, becomes thus pleasingly visible ductor of a machine, the fluid is con- in its passage, according to the va❤ veyed to the earth without those rious conducting substances that ocsnapping sparks that accompany the cur. That the aurora borealis is an presentation of the knuckle, or an electrical appearance has been conobtuse substance; so, if it could be sidered more evident from the readi proved that lightning was of the same ness with which it is imitated by nature, pointed rods, presented to means of a flash, nearly exhausted thunder clouds, might convey the of air; which being presented to the alarming fluid to the earth, and pre-electrical apparatus, the most beau÷ vent those dire effects often witness-tiful corruscations are seen, corre ed, when the lightning strikes the lofty summits of buildings; and, meeting with obstructions to its free passage, escapes by shattering the steeple, or throwing down the obstacle. The method employed by Dr. Franklin to identify these fluids, though hardly safe for the most experienced electricians to try, is most convincing. He elevated a kite, having tied to the end of the string that held it a silken cord, which being a non-conductor, insulated the kite; and,at the junction of these strings,he attached a key as a conductor, from The ignus fatuus is also easily which he might, if his supposition imitated by chymists; and it ap should be verified, obtain the elec- pears, that as the phenomenon octric spark. One thunder-cloud passed curs about bogs and marshy places, without effect; but he soon perceiv- the inflammable air emitted is ined that the small loose threads of the flamed by the electric spark. Waterhempen string were in motion, as spouts,have been considered bymany they would have been affected by as electrical phenomena; and the cirthe common electrical apparatus.cumstance of seamen having sucHe then applied his knuckle to the key, and received a spark; and when the rain had wetted the string, he obtained the fluid copiously. The air is a very bad conductor, but replete with the electric fluid, which its perpetual motion, and varying density, cannot but affect. This fluid is occasionally accumulated in different parts of the atmosphere, and conveyed by thunderclouds from one part to another; intended, it has been supposed, by consummate wisdom, to restore the equilibrium between such places as have too much, and others that have too little of the fluid; which takes place when the lightnings dart. "Silent from the north Thomson: ceeded in dispersing them, by brandishing their swords at their commencement, has strengthened the opinion the swords being viewed in the light of conductors. The subject is well worthy the attention of the enquiring youth, and he will obtain much information from Dr. Franklin's letters, and Dr. Priestley's history of electricity; but, above all, let him devoutly pray, that every accession of knowledge may lead him to a more ardent love of the great Creator, and a consequent devotedness of every talent, and advantage to the promotion of his glory. N. N. Obituary. MR. GEORGE BEAN, Many Years a Deacon of the Baptist Church in Shrewsbury. respecting his son and sister; he concluded that his son should be taken away by death, but that his sister should recover. His thoughts were shortly confirmed, for his son died, but his sister recovered. Under the powerful impression of the above words, he went into the fields; but such was their force on his mind, that he actually turned to look be hind him, thinking that they were uttered in an articulate voice. These death of his son, made a lasting impression upon his heart, which was never erased. He was led to reflect upon his own state; and by the light which shone into his soul, he imme MR. BEAN terminated his mortal career on the 8th of April, 1818, in the 79th year of his age. He was extensively known, and much respected, as a man and as a Christian, for his liberality, piety, and firm adherence to the cause of the Re-important words, together with the deemer. He had, many years since, selected a passage for a funeral sermon, if it should be thought proper to say any thing of him after his decease: the passage was, Hosea, xiii. 9," O Israel, thou hast destroy-diately perceived that he had hitherto ed thyself, but in me is thine help." These words were verified in his experience, and exhibited to his view what he was by nature, and the hope of salvation by the grace of God. The manner he became acquainted with himself is rather singular. Mr. Bean was born at Knighton, Radnorshire, in the year 1739, of pious parents, who gave their son a religious education. At the age of 14, he was put out as an apprentice; he served his time to the great satisfaction of his master; at the age of twenty-two he married, and some time afterwards had a son; in the year 1765, this beloved son was taken ill of the small-pox. At this time he had a sister living with him, who had been ill for many years: he was more concerned about his sister than about his son, because he thought the Lord would recover his son, but take his sister to himself. One day he read the third chapter of the Lamentations of Jeremiah, the thirty-seventh verse struck him with peculiar force, where it is asked, "Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not?" These words produced an immediate change in his sentiments lived a stranger to experimental religion, though he had been strictly moral. He saw the insufficiency of his own righteousness, and his need of an union with Christ; he cried for mercy and salvation, God heard him, and gave him an experience of his pardoning love. He lived at this time in Bishop's Castle; but there, to his great sorrow, he had no religious friends with whom he could associate. So full was his heart of the love of God, and so much did he long for the society of his saints on earth, that he removed from the former place to Shrewsbury, entirely for the sake of enjoying the means of grace and religious society. On Feb. 3, 1769, he was baptized, upon a profession of faith in Christ, by a Mr. Pyne, and continued an honourable member of the Baptist church there, until the day of his death. Some time after he became a member he was chosen deacon, which office he discharged with judgment, faithfulness, and punctuality. He had many afflictions by the loss of near and dear relatives. Death often cut asunder the most tender ties; he had many trials from a deceitful world, and pretended |