says that Phaeton succeeded tolerably well in driving up the ascent of the morning, till the sun reached his noonday station. But when it became necessary to commence the descent by which the sun might go down, the horses became restive, unmanageable, and all Phaeton's efforts were wholly unavailing. The sun strangely remained in the heavens, and refused to go down; and the heathen poet, after enumerating many disasters that ensued, uses almost the very language of the book of Joshua, that "there was no day like that day."

Now, strip off the drapery which the poet's imagination has thrown around this matter, and come to the facts of the case. What ever put it into the head of a heathen sage to get up a story like this? Evidently the fact, that there was one extraordinary day in which the sun strangely refused to go down, as on other days. And heathen sages, attempting to account for the singular phenomenon according to their philosophy and their mythology, very naturally came to the conclusion, that the right driver was not engaged on that day, and that the reins, and the management of the chariot of the sun, had been intrusted to inexperienced and incompetent hands. This heathen tradition is a marked and strong confirmation of the miracle, as recorded in the book of Joshua. Had no such interruption of the sun's course ever taken place, we should never have heard this tradition.

3. This command of Joshua is in perfect unison with the elevated and sublime spirit of Bible religion. "Hallowed be thy name!" is the first petition in our Lord's prayer. The most important end that any created object can answer, is to honor and glorify God.

The song of the church in heaven is, "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, and honor, and power; for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." The song of the church on earth is, "Praise ye the Lord. Praise ye the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights. Praise ye him, all his angels; praise ye him, all his hosts. Praise ye him, sun and moon; praise him, all ye stars of light. Let them praise the name of the Lord; for he commanded, and they were created." Of this religion the soul of Joshua was full to overflowing. He

had beheld the wonders of God in Egypt; he had witnessed that great transaction at the Red Sea. The river of Egypt had honored God, and blushed itself to blood when smitten by his rod. The Red Sea had honored God when it made a way for his people. The clouds of heaven had honored God when they sent down the manna. Mount Sinai had honored God with her smoke and her flame when the Lord descended

upon it in fire. The earth had honored God when she opened her mouth at his command, and swallowed up Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. Jordan had honored God when it rolled back its tide, and stood in a heap at the approach of the ark of his covenant. Joshua had seen all this, and rejoiced that unconscious Nature honored her God. And now, when the heathen army approached, bearing on their banners profane devices of the sun and moon which they have idolized, the soul of Joshua was roused, and he calls again upon unconscious nature to honor the great God. We are reminded of the language of Christ, when the Pharisees called on him to rebuke the disciples who were speaking his praise, "He answered and said unto

them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out." The same spirit was in the prophet when he said, "The stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam from the timber shall answer it."

The appeal of Joshua may be paraphrased thus: "O Sun! O Moon! Can you bear to have your Maker dishonored and blasphemed? Can you bear to look on and see stupid, rebellious man change the glory of the incorruptible God into a lie, and worship and serve the creature more than the Creator? Remonstrate! remonstrate against such awful profanation! Stand still, in the midst of heaven! Shine to your Maker's praise! Witness to all these deluded nations, that you are upheld and controlled by a hand that is divine." The sublime religion which animated the heart of Joshua taught him that the glory of God is the highest good of the universe, and that the best use that can be made of earth or ocean, sun or moon, is to have them proclaim the wisdom, the power, the grandeur, the supremacy of the great, eternal God. And hence, when Joshua gave this notable command, he was acting in perfect harmony with this elevated and divine religion. I close with two remarks.

1. We are not surprised that "Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that overlived Joshua." The very companions of such a man would shed a wholesome influence around thein as long as they lived.

2. Joshua witnessed more of God's wonderful works than any mere man who ever lived. He saw most, or all, of the miracles performed by Moses. He beheld the works of Israel's God in Egypt, at the Red Sea,

at Mount Sinai, and throughout the wilderness. And then, when Moses was dead, he led the tribes into Canaan, and saw God's wonders there. He nobly sustained his part in life, through a long series of years, and well deserves an honorable rank among "the great men of the Bible."

At this point the stage passengers separated, as earthly travellers must. What effect was produced on the mind of the senator, the writer has not had opportunity to learn. The substance of the conversation is inserted here, with the hope that it may aid others to understand this notable passage in the Bible.

THE SKELETON PREACHER, AND THE CONGREGATION OF DRY BONES.

EXTRACT FROM AN ANCIENT JEWISH RECORD.

THE valley was wide, long, and very capacious, but the reign of desolation was there. The green grass had spread no carpet over the ground; neither plant nor flowering shrub was to be seen; nor did the tall forest tree, lifting up its majestic form toward heaven, there wave its beautiful branches in the breeze, or cast its refreshing shade around. The naked earth had long been baked and scorched by the rays of a torrid sun. No living form was seen in that deserted and desolate field. Every beast of the forest kept aloof. Nor was it approached by one of "the cattle upon a thousand hills." Even the birds of the air shunned it, as they are said to have shunned the lake of Sodom, and the very winds of heaven appeared paralyzed and powerless when they came to the confines of this kingdom of the dead.

The valley was "full of bones; and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and lo, they were very dry." (Ez. xxxvii. 1, 2.) While I gazed on the sad scene before me, my ear was caught by a strange, unearthly voice. "I am the pastor of this congregation," said the voice; "this day is the seventieth anniversary