Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1855-03-28


nebulas have been discovered, and Il each
of them contains as nsany stars as the Mil
ky-way, several huhdfeds of millions Of
stars must exist within the heavens which
lies open to our observation.
/ q o what confnence OF etherial fires s..ss=e.s
From urns unnumbena down the steep of heaven
Streams to point, ana Enters on MP sight"
Great as this number.of suns and worlds
| may appear to be, they may bear no great
er proportion to what lies beyond our yis-
ion, than drop Of watcr to the Ocean. or
a single leaf to the lfaliage of q forest. 1t.
is believed that If ak Intelligent being was
endned with power Il dy athwart the uni-
/ verse, with the speed of light, he might
continue this rapid ,sIt for thousands Of
millions of 7ealg ere,sktbe end Of this vast
ttonr ne wnthd I'D aalls iiass, reacheSs
the surburbs of Creation, and all the
systems and worlds that he had surveyed,
would bear no more proportion to the en-
pire of Omnipotence, than single grain Of
sand would to ten million worlds.
We should, therefore, learn not to look
on the earth as the universe of God, but as
a single and insignificant atom-only part
of one magnificent and resplendent whole
tits only one of the many splendid mansions
which the Supreme Being has created for
the accommodation of his worshippers
And no doubt but that some mighty voice,
which spoke this world into existence, is
still going on and speaking new worlds in
to being, in regions far beyond the scope
, of Geometrical calculations, displaying his
goodness, and spreading over all the visi-
tations of his care, and Fatherly protection.
Wisdom is displayed in the arrangement
of the heavenly bodies, particularly in ref.
erence to the globes that compose our solar
!, system, in placing near the centre the i'm
. mense luminary, the Sun, from which both
= light and heat are distributed, in due pro-
portion, to all the Planets that roll around
it F.; in nicely proportinning their motions
:, and distances, both primary and secondary;
: in uniting them in one harmonious system,
" by one grand law which prevents them from
flying off in wild CONSERVATION through in.
finite space in the constancy and regulari
ty of their motions, not one interfering with
another, or deviating from its course !; in
the exactness of their annual revolutions
finishing their revolutions with so much
exactness as not to vary the hundredth par
n of second in thousand years, and in the
spherical figures of their orbits, and thei
daily revolution on their axes, by which
due proportion Of light and heat are enjoy
e ed. When we consider the number o
20 worlds that exist, the myriads of being
ot that must inhabit them, and the harmon,
y with which they move; We are struck will
to a sense of the wisdfp of the Eternal Mind
e, But to ascertain the links il this might
N maze of brilliant wonders, we must exam
I'd inc the more particular facts with whicI
- we are acquainted. For what purpose d
te the various planets, in common with ou
- earth, reyolve around the central sun ?
ho Were they created merely to balance an
m sustain our own, O. are they the abodes {
ll sentient and intelligent beings? 1t is onl
Tor by supposing them inhabited that we ca
w, perceive the various contrivances, capab
* of ministering to the comfort and happ
nd ness of their inhabitants.
1t has been supposed by some that
m planet so remote from the sun as j.
po piter, Saturn, Herschel, or Levirrier, is il
we capable of maintaining animal or vegetab
III life, IN consequence of deficiency of ligI
ns' and heat But when we remember til
all, Herschel at distance of 1923 millions
as miles from the sun, receives 1868 parts
ht' much light as we do, and that this is equ
IN to 800 of our full Moons, (see Burrit
and also that it is attended with six Satte
me lites, it will be perceived that it will I
OF quire but little more acuteness of vision
enable its Inhabitants to attend to the me
and intricate business. And as to heat, it l
ra quires no stretch of the imagination to su
ma pose that the inhabitants may possess &C
'les stitutions adapted to more frigid regio
ood than any found on our earth. But it mt
lat be remembered that heat depends not
US much upon the body from which it en-
1ar mates as it does upon the nature of the boz
the to which it is transmitted. J. NJ. H.
all TO BE Continued
the