Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Observations On The Destruction Of Sennacherib's Army.
OBSERVATIONS ON THE DESTRUCTION OF SENNACHERIB ' S ARMY .
A T a time when infidelity is so peculiarly prevalent , particularly ; ¦ * - *• among young persons , some occasional observations , tending to clear away the obscurities of the scriptural narrations , and to reconcile those apparent contradictions which stagger . the faith of unlearned readers of the sacred volume , cannot but be profitable and acceptable . We shall , therefore , occasionally notice this subject ; Mr . Boswellin his Life of Dr . Johnson , informs usthat it was a
, , subject of conversation between them , in what manner so great a number of Sennacherib ' s army was destroyed . ' ¦ We are not to suppose , ' says the doctor , in reply , . that the angel went about with a sword in his hand , stabbing them one by one , but that some powerful natural agent was employed ; most probably the Samyel . ' Whether the Doctor had noticed some picture in which the angel was thus employed
, is uncertain ; but it should seem that this idea is current ; and even , Dr . Doddridge appears to have conceived of the angel , as of a person employed in slaughter ; for he says , on the passage where our Lord mentions his Father could furnish him with twelve legions , of angels , ' How dreadfully and irresistible would such an army of angels have beenwhen one of those celestial spirits was able to destroy one
hun-, dred and eighty-five thousand Assyrians at one stroke !' Without attempting to investigate the power of celestial spirits , we shall endeavour to present the history of the destruction of Sennache- ? rib ' s army , according to what we conceive was the real fact , offering , first , the account of Mr . Bruce , respecting this wonderful natural
phenomenon , the Samiel : only premising , that the Simyel , Sumiel , Sumoon , Simoom , are different names for the same meteor . ' Idris , ' the guide said , ' what he feared most was that extreme redness in the air , which was a sure sign of the coming of the Simoom . ' I Pegged and infreated Idris that he would not say one word of that in the hearing of the people , for they had already felt it , and were already distracted at the apprehension of finding it here . ' Bruce ' s
Travels , vol . iv . p . 555 . ' We had this day , as it were , enjoyed a holiday , free from the terrors of the sand , or the dreadful influence of the Simoom . This poisonous wind had made several attempts to prevail this day , but was always overpowered by a cool breeze at north . ' Ibid , p . 565 . ' We had no sooner got into the plains than we felt great symptoms
of the Simoom , and about a quarter before twelve , our prisoner first , and then Idris , cried out , the Simoom ! the Simoom ! My curiosity would not suffer me to fall down without looking behind me ; about due fouth , a little to the east , I saw the coloured haze as before . It seemed now to be rather less compressed , and to have with it a shade of bine . The edges of it were not defined as those of the former
, but like a very thin smoke , with about a yard in the middle tinged with , those colours . We all fell upon our faces , and the Simoom passed with a gentle ruffling wind . It continued to blow in this manner till near three o ' clock , so we were all taken ill that night , and scarcely
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Observations On The Destruction Of Sennacherib's Army.
OBSERVATIONS ON THE DESTRUCTION OF SENNACHERIB ' S ARMY .
A T a time when infidelity is so peculiarly prevalent , particularly ; ¦ * - *• among young persons , some occasional observations , tending to clear away the obscurities of the scriptural narrations , and to reconcile those apparent contradictions which stagger . the faith of unlearned readers of the sacred volume , cannot but be profitable and acceptable . We shall , therefore , occasionally notice this subject ; Mr . Boswellin his Life of Dr . Johnson , informs usthat it was a
, , subject of conversation between them , in what manner so great a number of Sennacherib ' s army was destroyed . ' ¦ We are not to suppose , ' says the doctor , in reply , . that the angel went about with a sword in his hand , stabbing them one by one , but that some powerful natural agent was employed ; most probably the Samyel . ' Whether the Doctor had noticed some picture in which the angel was thus employed
, is uncertain ; but it should seem that this idea is current ; and even , Dr . Doddridge appears to have conceived of the angel , as of a person employed in slaughter ; for he says , on the passage where our Lord mentions his Father could furnish him with twelve legions , of angels , ' How dreadfully and irresistible would such an army of angels have beenwhen one of those celestial spirits was able to destroy one
hun-, dred and eighty-five thousand Assyrians at one stroke !' Without attempting to investigate the power of celestial spirits , we shall endeavour to present the history of the destruction of Sennache- ? rib ' s army , according to what we conceive was the real fact , offering , first , the account of Mr . Bruce , respecting this wonderful natural
phenomenon , the Samiel : only premising , that the Simyel , Sumiel , Sumoon , Simoom , are different names for the same meteor . ' Idris , ' the guide said , ' what he feared most was that extreme redness in the air , which was a sure sign of the coming of the Simoom . ' I Pegged and infreated Idris that he would not say one word of that in the hearing of the people , for they had already felt it , and were already distracted at the apprehension of finding it here . ' Bruce ' s
Travels , vol . iv . p . 555 . ' We had this day , as it were , enjoyed a holiday , free from the terrors of the sand , or the dreadful influence of the Simoom . This poisonous wind had made several attempts to prevail this day , but was always overpowered by a cool breeze at north . ' Ibid , p . 565 . ' We had no sooner got into the plains than we felt great symptoms
of the Simoom , and about a quarter before twelve , our prisoner first , and then Idris , cried out , the Simoom ! the Simoom ! My curiosity would not suffer me to fall down without looking behind me ; about due fouth , a little to the east , I saw the coloured haze as before . It seemed now to be rather less compressed , and to have with it a shade of bine . The edges of it were not defined as those of the former
, but like a very thin smoke , with about a yard in the middle tinged with , those colours . We all fell upon our faces , and the Simoom passed with a gentle ruffling wind . It continued to blow in this manner till near three o ' clock , so we were all taken ill that night , and scarcely