DAY. The Day is distinguish’d four several ways; there is the natural, astronomical, civil, and artificial Day1. The natural or solar Day, is the duration of four and twenty hours. The astronomical Day, is the duration of the intire revolution of the Æquator, and of that portion besides of the same Æquator through which the sun passes with its own proper motion in one natural Day. The civil Day is that, the beginning and end whereof is determined by the common custom of any nation. The Hebrews began their civil and ecclesiastical Day from one Evening to another. From Even unto Even shall ye celebrate your Sabbath. The Lev. xxiii. 32.Roman Catholick Church still does the same in the ecclesiastical Office, but not with regard to that rest from labour, which it appoints to be observed on festivals. The Babylonians reckoned their Days from one sun-rising to another; which is the practice of the inhabitants of Nuremburg at this day: the Italians from one sun-set to another; the astronomers from noon to noon; the Roman Catholicks from midnight to midnight. Lastly, the artificial Day is the time of the sun’s continuance above the horizon, which is unequal according to different times and seasons, by reason of the obliquity of the sphere. The sacred writers generally divide the Day and Night into twelve unequal hours. The sixth hour is always answerable to noon-day in all seasons of the year; and the twelfth hour to the last hour of the Day. But in summer-time, the twelfth hour, as well as all the rest, were longer than the winter hours. See the Article HOURS.
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Footnotes
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Translators’ note. There is another distinction of the Day, which may be term’d Prophetical; the Prophets being the only Persons who call Years, Days; whereof there is an Example in the Explanation which is given of Daniel’s seventy Weeks. ↩