Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1840-01-24

more rapidly, beng drawn towards the
centre
1t viii appear perhaps remarkable that n
body SO lght and loose rs we have de.
scr,bed this comet to be, should revolvc
about the sun by laws rs fixed aud certain
as those which regulate the motions OF
hose great aud solid masses, the Earth
and JnpIter. 1t is however certain from
observation. that the comet is acted uppn
by exactly the same force of solar attrac
tlon as the other bodies ct the syateiu; and
not only SO. bnt that u also experiences
he same kind OF disturbing force from the
acton Of the other planets, which they
exercise upon each oiher.'
* x X * Il y X
Thus Encke's comet, according To the
results of The observations already made.
Wi lose IN ten revolutions, or thirty three
years, less han one tbnu-sndlh OF It's We
locnv and if this law were to continue,
the velocity would not be reduced to one
half its present value in less than seven
thousand revonilonS or twenty three thou
sand yeats. II Jupiter were to lose one
nlihonth OF its velocity IN million of years,
which, as has been seen, Is Tar more than
would REQUIRE seventy millions of years to
'osc one ihousanlh OF the velocity aud
period seven hundred times as long to re-
duce he velocity to one half. These ure
periods Of time which quite overwheIM the
imagination /; and 1t Is not pretended that
the calculations are made with any pre,en.
-lons to accu -acy. Bu, at the same time
1t Is beyond doubt that though the intervals
of tine thus assigned to these changes
are highly vague aud uncertain, the chan
ges themselves must sooner or later take
place IN consequence of the existence Of
the resisting medium. Since there is such
relardlng tOrce perpetuaily acting, how
ever slight II be, 1t must ~ the end destroy
all the celestial motions. 1t may be mill
IONS of millions of years before he earth's
retarda'lon may perceptbly affect the APP.
parent motion OF the sun; but still he day
| will come, It the same Creator which form.
| ed tins system should permit IT. to continue
| SD long, when this cause will entirely
| change the length of our year and the
course Of our seasons and finally stop the
| ear'h's motion round the sun altogether.
| The s'nalness of the resistance, however
small we choose to suppose it, does not
| allow Us to escape this certainty There
Is a resisting medium; aud therefore The
movements of the solar system cannot
| 90 on forever. The moment such flu,d
is ascerla'ned to exist. the eternity Of
| the movements q: the planets becomes "a
| impossible a perpe uaI motion on the
| ,he earth.
| 4 * * Il * X Il
Toe contempiatve person may well be
be a.ton,-hed by this universe law Of Gre
II iOa. The forest Tree endures for lis
cen urle$, aud then decays the mountains
crun,bIe aud change, and perhaps subs de
| N some cOnvulsIOnS OF nature; the sea
retlres and the shore ceases TO resonnd
| the "everlastIng" voice of the ocean such
reflections have already crowded the mind
of the geologlst ; and 1t now appears that
| the courses of the heavens themselves are
not exempt from this universal law of de
decay; that not only The rocks and The
mountains. but The sun and the moon have
he sentence ITO he cUd" stamped upon
them They enoy no privilege beyond
man except longer respite. The ephem
eron perlshes IN an hour: man endur.S for
hi, three score years and ten an empire,
Il nation, numbers Us centuries, II may be
is thousands Of years; the continents aud
islands have perhap, their date, as those
which preceded them have had and the
very revolutions Of our sphere bv Which
lurles are numbered, will at last Ian
gu'sh and stand still.
To dwell on The moral and religious
reflections suggested by this train of ,ho't
is not to our present purpose; hut we may
observe that ii introduces Il homogeneiiy
80 to speak, into the government OF the
universe. Perpetual change, prrpelua
progression, increase and dlmUu'ion. ap
pear to be the rules OF the material world
and to prevail without exception"
II may appear to some that tins acknow.
Judgement OF The tendency Of the system
to arrangement through The action of t
resisting medium Is Inconsistent with III,
} Arguments which we have drawn ~ pre-
, v,ons chapter from the PROVISIONS of NJ
stability. 10 reality, however, the I'VE
views are in perfect agreement, SO far a
our present purpose is concerned.
But It may be objected the effect Of 'h'
medium must be Ultimately to affect ih
duration Of the carih's revolution roun'
= the sun, and hus to derange those adapla
, | tons which depend on the length of III,
r year. And without question, II we PERM
r ourselves to look forward to that neon
+, celveably distant period, at which he effec
Of the medium will become sensible, hi
must be allowed to be true, as has beel
already stated Millions, and proba bl,
: millions Of millions ofyears, express made
qualely The distance oflme at which thi
cause would produce a serious effect
! That the machine Of the universe is s.
o constructed that it my answer its purpo
e ses for such period Is sufficient proof Il
the skill Of It's workmanship, and of tn
!" reality OF its purpose: and those persons
8 probably who are best convinced that it !
G the work ola wise and good Creator. wi
be least disposed to consider the system u
' Imperfect. because in its present condition
II is not fitted for eternity.
#. The doctrine of a resisting medium lead