APPENDIX. 



157 



An interesting report has lately been published 

 of a series of experiments, made with a new 

 steam engine, invented by an American machi 

 nist, called the capillary steam engine. Three 

 great objects are said to be accomplished by this 

 invention, lightness, safety, and economy of fuel. 

 In an engine calculated for a four horse power, 

 tne generator is formed of a copper tube i inch 

 in diameter, and 100 feet long, which weighs 

 aoout 161bs. It is arranged in coils, one above 

 another, m the form of a sugar loaf, 30 inches 

 high ; the bottom coil being 18 inches in diame 

 ter, and the top one considerably less. The 

 wood is prepared as is usual for a stove, and put 

 within the coils. The steam cylinder is formed 

 of sheet copper, three inches in diameter, 27 

 inches in stroke, and, with all its appendages, 

 weighs about 251bs. It has been ascertained, 

 that the generator and main cylinder, with their 

 contents and appendages, exclusive of fuel, need 

 not weigh more than 201bs. to the horse power. 

 JVo harm can be done by the bursting of boilers 

 even a safety-valve is considered as useless. 

 In the course of the experiments, the experi 

 menters several times burst the tube ; but, so far 

 from doing any injury, it could not. always be 

 perceived oy the spectators. To ascertain what 

 may be done towards aerial navigation, by steam, 

 experiments were made on the power of wings 

 in the air, and on the power necessary to work 

 them. The result is, that it requires a horse 

 power to carry SOIbs. in the air ; so that a flying 

 engine, to be worked by charcoal, would weigh 

 about SOIbs. to the horse power, wings, conden 

 ser and fuel included. It was also ascertained 

 by experiments and calculations, that a balloon 

 could be made to carry a man with an engine, 

 which would push it at the rate of 15 miles an 

 hour in the air. A more particular detail of 

 these experiments may be seen in the &quot; London 

 Mechanics Magazine,&quot; No. 60, for 16th Octo 

 ber, 1824. 



No. X. p. 146. Strictures on a certain sentiment 

 respecting the work of Human Redemption. 



The sentiment referred to in this paragraph, 

 &quot; That there never was, nor ever will be, through 

 all the ages of eternity, so wonderful a display 

 of the divine glory, as in the cross of Christ,&quot; 

 has been reiterated a thousand times, in sermons 

 and in systems of divinity, and is still repeat 

 ed by certain preachers, as if it were an in 

 controvertible axiom, which ought never to be 

 called in question ; and is, no doubt, intended to 

 magnify the divine attributes, and the work of 

 redemption.* But it is nothing more than a 



It is not important to determine how often the 

 sentiment here expressed has been &quot; reiterated in 

 iermons and systems r.f divinity.&quot; We cannot, how 

 ever, believe that it has been repeated with the same 

 frequency as the author s language seems to imply. 

 That there ate instances, in which it was designed 



presumptuous assumption, which has a tendency 

 to limit the perfections of Deity, and to present 

 a partial and distorted view of the economy of 

 human redemption. For, in the first place, it 

 has no foundation in Scripture. There is not a 

 single passage from which it can be legitimately 

 deduced. The onus probandi, on this point, 

 rests with those who make the assertion. A 

 gentleman, when lately conversing on this sub 

 ject, brought forward the following interrogation, 

 as a demonstrative argument in proof of the po 

 sition in question: &quot; Is not redemption declared 

 in Scripture to be the chief of all the work? of 

 God ?&quot; but he was not a little surprised, when 

 he was informed that the passage, which he had 

 partly misquoted, is applied to the behemoth or 

 the elephant, as stated in Job xl. 19. 2dly, the 

 assertion is as presumptuous as it is unfounded. 

 It takes for granted, that we know all the events 

 which have already happened, and which are now 

 taking place throughout the whole range of God s 

 universal empire. This empire appears un 

 bounded ; and that portion of it which we can 

 minutely explore, is but as a point in comparison 



to express all the meaning here attributed to it, can- 

 not be denied. But why may it not have been some 

 times used to distinguish the work of mediation from 

 all the other favours which God has conferred on 

 our race ? In his History of Redemption, p. 342, Pre 

 sident Edwards says, &quot; From what has been said, one 

 may argue, that the work of redemption is the great 

 est of all God s works, of which we have any notice, 

 and it is the end of all his other works.&quot; This view 

 of the subject accords with the scriptures. Though 

 it cannot be asserted, that in a single instance they 

 directly affirm the work of redemption to be the 

 greatest of all the works of God, yet they give it 

 such an importance and prominency, as arc conced 

 ed to no other of His dispensations. In this light the 

 apostles seem to have regarded it. Paul counted all 

 the distinctions and honours and advantages which 

 he had acquired among the Jews, as loss in coin 

 parison with the glory of the gospel. He went even 

 farther. He declared that he counted all things but 

 loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ 

 Jesus his Lord. In this view of the subject there is 

 no presumption and no limitation of the &quot; divine 

 perfections and operations.&quot; It has no tendency 

 either to damp the hopes, or obscure the prospects 

 of immortal beings. 



On the other hand, who, that is not presumptuous 

 beyond endurance, will suppose, that he now under 

 stands the full extent of the love of Christ, and its 

 bearings on all the other divine operations ? Who 

 will dare to assert, that this theme will not be suffi 

 cient for ever to employ the meditations and the 

 songs of the redeemed ? Has any one ascertained, 

 that it is so limited, as to be soon exhausted ? On 

 these topics the author is happily silent; or rather 

 he &quot;pronounces nothing decisively;&quot; but affirms, 

 that were he &quot;to hazard a conjecture.&quot; he should 

 sav that the converse of the proposition&quot; undei 

 consideration &quot;is true.&quot; But for ourselves &quot;wa 

 feel chained down to an obscure corner ot (jocl i 

 domains,&quot; and possess no light except that which 

 he has given us. In our present condition we dare 

 not launch with the author into the ocean of con- 

 iecture Guided by the revelation which God has 

 made we are compelled to regard the work of re- 

 demptlon as the greatest of all the divine works ol 

 which we have any knowledge ; and we are satisfied, 

 that the development of the relations and bearings 

 and effects of this stupendous work will be sufficient 

 to employ all our powers of comprehension, and 

 ever to minister to us new and constant &amp;lt;Might.- 

 Am. Editor 



