Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1843-03-31
THE COMET OR ZODIACAL LIGHT.

Which is it! We first incline to one opin.
ion, then the other. If the latter, it is less cal.
culated to impress-if the former; if it be in re-
atty Comet, no more impressive sign in the
Heavens has been exhibited from the earliest
records Of history to abase our feelings of pride
and to elevate our conceptions of the First, and
the Eternal Great Cause. Comets from the
infancy of the world have struck the immense
majority of mankind with supersttious tcrrors.
Their fiery tails streaming through the Heav.
ems, have overcome the reasoning Of common
good sense, and religious faith added. 1t has
been universally supposed by the vulgar, that
they were portentions of change, and that they
carried in their fiery tails, "War, Pestilence and
Famine" The Philosopher and the Christian
know all this to be mere superstition, and sit,
and will sit, as quietly under the visitations of
Comet, as if the Sun, and the Moon, shed only
their accustomed, and not less wonderous light.
His Mathematics, who calculated all things be.
fore the beginning Of time, are as little liable to
err respecting Comet, as respecting the more
regular members Of the Solar system.-FIE can
make no mistake, and if Comet cross the
Earh's orbit in its transit, we may be assured
that the Earth will then be, as she was at the
death of Julius Cesar, in 1850, and in 1911, at
the opposite extremity Of her track round the
Sun. Still they are extremely impressive, and
no doubt were intended to be so-among innu.
merable other reasons,to convince man of his de.
pendent and helpless state, and to satisfy him of
the existence of some supernatural power which,
in the unimaginable depths of uncreated exs.
tence, ruled creation. Thus far they fall in
with the scheme Of Providence, and are salutary,
as one Of his appointed means to make men won.
der. acknowledge and adore. But fear or awe
beyond this, is superstitous, unintellectual, bru
tai and base. We are called upon to see and
admire, that we may render to Supreme Power
its just tribute of adoring praise but we are not
called upon to be afraid, to tremble, to be in
bodily fear. any more than We are every day, at
seeing the sun rise in his accustomed place, and
all nature turning herself to the order, and i'm.
plicitly obeying it, which God, the Creator, pre-
scribed at first. We cannot better conclude our
article than in giving some remarks on the in
fuence Of comets, from the pen Of Professor
Dick.
"In all the works Of the Deity we mus. admit that
his goodness is displayed, although we may not be
able to trace the mode OF It's communication; for we
may lay down as an axiom, that whatever wisdom
and omnipotence are exhibited throughout the Divine
economy there is also display of benefcenee, which
appears to be one prominent design Of all the works
Of God Comets have long been considered oil ects
of terror and as omens of impending caamities but
there can be question that they are as Intimately
connected with system of benevolence, as are the
solar radations and their benign influence our globe
and on the other planets. 1t has leen conjecured
that comets may probably supply moisture to the 9TH
er planets, and nvgorate the vital principle Of our at
mosphere; that they may recruit the sun with fresh
fuel and repair the consumption of his light or that
they may be the agents for dispensing the electric fluid
through the planetary regions; and although there is
little probability that such coneclures are accordant
with fact, yet it may be admitted that comets may
produce physical influence of a beneficial nature
throughout the solar system
But what conceive TO be one of the main designs
Of the Creator in the formation of such vast number
Of splendid bodies is, that they may serve as habiia
tons for myriads Of nellectua beings, TO whom the
Almighty displays his PROJECTIONS in peculiar man
cence. Whatever may be the intention OF these com.
cts which destitute of nucleus, this in probable
ty is the chief design Of those which are large aud
which are invested with a solid neuclcus and the
same arguments which we formely brought forward
TO prove that the planets inhabited might be nd
duced in proof Of the nhabitabilty of comets II this
position be admitted then we ought 10 contemplate
the approach OF comet not as an object Of terror or
harbnser Of evil but rs splendid world of DIFF
ierent construction from ours, conveying millions Of
happy beings to survey q new region of the Divine
empire TO contemplate new scenes OF creating power
and to celebration in loftier strains the wonders OF
Omnporence. Viewing the comets in this light, what
m immense population must be contained within the
limits of The solar system, which gives room for the
excursions OF such vast number Of these bodies and
what an incalculabs number Of beings Of all rsnks
must people the wide extended universsr'