Light is one of the most astonishing productions of the creative skill and power of God. God therefore created this universal agent on the first day, because without It no operation of nature could be carried on or perfected. Friction in general produces both fire and light. The existence of this caloric - latent or primitive light, may be ascertained in various other bodies it can be produced by the flint and steel, by rubbing two hard sticks together, by hammering cold iron, which in a short time becomes red hot, and by the strong and sudden compression of atmospheric air in a tube. The light or caloric thus disengaged does not operate in the same powerful manner as the heat or fire which is produced by striking with flint and steel, or that produced by electric friction. That there is latent light, which is probably the same with latent heat, may be easily demonstrated: take two pieces of smooth rock crystal, agate, cornelian or flint, and rub them together briskly in the dark, and the latent light or matter of caloric will be immediately produced and become visible. I therefore conclude, that as God has diffused the matter of caloric or latent heat through every part of nature, without which there could be neither vegetation nor animal life, that it is caloric or latent heat which is principally intended by the original word. He burneth part thereof in the fire (במו אש bemo esh:) yea, he warmeth himself, and saith, Aha! I have seen the fire, ראיתי אור raithi ur, which a modern philosopher who understood the language would not scruple to translate, I have received caloric, or an additional portion of the matter of heat. And it is worthy of remark that It is used in Isaiah 44:16, for the heat, derived from (אש esh, the fire. And for the electric fluid or LIGHTNING, Job 37:3. Many have asked, "How could light be produced on the first day, and the sun, the fountain of it, not created till the fourth day?" With the various and often unphilosophical answers which have been given to this question I will not meddle, but shall observe that the original word אור signifies not only light but fire, see Isaiah 31:9 Ezekiel 5:2. LET THERE BE EARTH! and there was earth." - Longinus, sect. ΓΕΝΕΣΘΩ ΓΗ· και εγενετο." So likewise the Jewish lawgiver (who was no ordinary man) having conceived a just idea of the Divine power, he expressed it in a dignified manner for at the beginning of his laws he thus speaks: GOD SAID - What? LET THERE BE LIGHT! and there was light. It argues at once uncontrollable authority, and omnific power and in human language it is scarcely possible to conceive that God can speak more like himself. Nothing can be conceived more dignified than this form of expression. And God said, Let there be light - הי אור ויהי אור YEHI OR, vaihi or.
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