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E. WALTER MAUNDER, F.R.A.S., OX 



Discussion. 



Rev. J. J. B. Coles, after remarking how glad they always were 

 to see Mr. Maunder's name on the list of Lecturers, pointed out that 

 the view he had put before them as to the restricted and local range 

 of the miracle of Joshua's Long Day was shared by many Christian 

 students, including the late Canon A. R. Faussett. 



Bearing in mind the inconceivable vastness of the solar system 

 and still more of the stellar universe, with its light years as measur- 

 ing units, the explanation of a local range of the miracle of Joshua x 

 is perhaps more generally acceptable, but, on the other hand, the 

 going back of the sun on the sundial of Ahaz (Isa. xxxviii, 8), and 

 the words in Hab. iii, 11, *' the sun and the moon stood still in their 

 habitation," and the allusion to " the wonder that was wrought in 

 the land," in 2 Chron. xxxii, 31, and also the Lord's words as to the 

 signs in the heavens which will coincide with His action as the true 

 Joshua in the future crisis of Israel and the nations, seem to support 

 the view held by many others, that a stupendous miracle was wrought, 

 and more in accordance with the actual words of Holy Scripture 

 than the explanation suggested by the Lecturer. 



Mr. Sidney Collett said he was sure that those who attended 

 these meetings were always interested at anything which fell from 

 Mr. Maunder's lips, especially on the subject of astronomy. 



On this occasion, however, he was quite unable to follow the 

 Lecturer in his conclusion that what the narrative taught was, not 

 that the day was lengthened in response to Joshua's prayer, but 

 that the sun's heat was tempered by the intervening clouds of a 

 hailstorm. 



Now this theory — for I submit it is only a theory — seems to me 

 impossible for the following reasons : — 



(1) If this incident had simply consisted in the Lord sending a 

 storm in answer to Joshua's prayer, it would not be true 

 to say There was no day like that before it or after it " 

 (verse 14) ; for a similar thing did happen in answer 

 to Elijah's prayer, when the Heaven became black 

 with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain " 

 (1 Kings xviii, 45), and in James v, 16-18, we are enjoined 

 to expect similar answers to our prayers. Indeed, many 



