Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1839-10-02

TOl
In the armament that the sun, which
presents itself 10 the eye under so diminu
tive form. is really globe. exceeding
by many thousands of times, the dimen.
slons of the earth which we inhabit; that
the moon itself has the magnitude of a
world and that even few ofthose stars.
which appear like so many lucid points to
the unassisted eye of the observer, expand
INTO large circles upon the application Of
the telescope, and are some of them much
larger than the ball which we tread upon,
and to which we proudly apply the de-
nomination of the universe.
Now, what is the fair and obvious pre-
sumption? The world in which we live,
is round ball of determined ma gnitude
ana occupies It's own place in the firma-
ment But when we explore the unIimit-
ed tracts OF that space, which is every
where around US, we meet with other
pals OF equal or superior magnitude, and
from which our earth would either be in
visible, or appear as small as any Of hose
twinkllng stars which are seen On the
canopy OF heaven. Why then suppose
that this little spot, little at least in the i'm
menslty which surrounds it. should be the
exclusive abode of life and of intelligence ?
What reason to think that those mightier
globes which roll in other parts of crea-
ton, and which we have discovered 10 be
worlds IN magnitude, are not also worlds
IN use and in dignity2 Why should we
think that the great Architect of nature,
supreme in wisdom as he is in power,
would call these stately mansions into ex.
lstenee, and leave them unoccuoied q
when we cast our eye over the broad sea,
ana look at the country on the other side,
we see nothing but the blue land stretch
Ing obscurelY over the distant horizon
We are too far away 20 perceive the rich
ness OF Its scenery, or to hear the sound of
its population. Why not extend this prin.
clple to the still more distant parts OF the
universe? What though, from this re-
mote point of observation, we can see
nothing but the naked roundness of Won
planetary orbs? Are we therefore to saw,
that they are so many vast and unpeopled
solltudes; that desolation reigns in every
part Of the universe but ours; that the
whole energy of the divine attributes is
expended on one insigni6c7n corner of
these mighty works; and that to this
earth alone belongs the bloom of vegeta-
ton, or the biessedness of life, or the dig
nifty of rational and immortal existence?
But this is not all. We have some.
thing more than the mere magnitude of
the planets to allege, in favor of the idea
that they are inhabited. We know that
this earth turns round upon itself; and
we observe that all those celestial bodies,
which ale accessible to such an observa-
ton, have the same movement. We
know that the earth performs yearly
revolution round the sun; and we can de-
tect in all the planets which compose our
system, revolution of the same kind, and
under the same circumstances. They
have the same succession of day and night.
They have the same agreeable vicissitude
of the seasons. To them, light and dark
ness succeed each other; and the gaiety
of summer is followed by the dreariness
of winter. To each of them the heavens
present as varied and magnificent spec
tacle; and this earth the encompassing of
which would require the labor of years
from one of its puny inhabitants, is but
one of the lesser lights which sparkle in
their armament. TO them, as we'll as to
US, has God divided the light from the
darkness, and he has called the light day,
and the darkness he has called night
He has said let there be lights in the fir
mament of their heaven, to divide the day
from the night; and let them be for signs,
and for seasons, and for DAYS, and for
years !; and let them be for lights in the
armament OF heaven, to give light upon
the earth; and it was so. And God has
also made TO them great lights. To all
of them he has given the sun TO rule the
day and to many of them has he given
moons to rule the night. To them he
has made the stars also. And God has
set them in the armament of heaven, to
give light unto their earth; and to rule
over the day, and over the night, and to
divide the light from the darkness; and
God has seen thatit was good.
In all these greater arrangements of d.
vine wisdom, we can see that God has
done the same things for the accommoda-
ton of the planets that he has done for the
earth which we inhabit And shall we
say, that the resemblance stops here, be-
cause we are not in situation 10 observe
it2 Shall we say, that this scene of mag
nifcence has been called into being, mere.
" for the amusement of few astrono-
mers2 Shall we measure the counsels
of heaven by the narrow importance OF
the human faculties? or conceive, that ST.
lencc and solitude reign throughout the
mighty empire of nature; that the greater
part of creation is an empty parade and
that not worshipper OF the Divinity is
to be found through The wide extent Of