, 1880-08-30
Our Earth as a Planet.

Even now, in this age OF steam, We
think it O great journey to travel around
il. As we come to the consideration Of
cur world as "a planet in space, and
COMPARE this speck of earth with what
there is in space beyond. we are over
vhelmed with the immensity of the
work. When we think of eighteen
miles per second, which is the velocity
of our earth in its orbit around the
sun, which gives US our year, with its
ever varying seasons, it is fact that
strikes the mind of one not versed in
the mathematics of the spheres, as in
comprehensive; and when We think
of the three hundred and sixty five
days of this revolution, that the earth
revOlves upon its axis every twenty four
hours. giving us day and night; and
farther, that the equatorial circumfer-
ence of the earth is twenty-five thou
sand miles, and the consequent equato-
rial velocity of its surface is over one
thousand four hundred miles per hour,
we can but exclaim that truly the power
that upholds such immensely is AL
mighty.
But to the observer who glaDces over
a portion Of it's surface it might seem q
stable world. He sees a rich and fer
tile plain, watered by rivers and water
courses which have during long series
of years pursued the same uniform ard
tranquil course. A traveller in China,
he contemplates the walls and mOnu-
ments of great cities. which, he is told
have history so far back in time as to
1,, t1o nf J,
his own eyes he sees the work of un-
counted centuries.
As q naturalist. be examines q noun
tain or other geological formation. and
finds them all, as he finds the hills, val
leys and streams, just as described by
history or tradition. No one making
snch observations would at first sus-
pect that any serious change had ever
occurred to disturb those scenes or
change the surface of the surrounding
country. Nevertheless, those places
have not always presented the aspect OF
to-day. In common with every place
on earth, they have had their convul-
sions of nature; in reality, entire phys
cal revolutions. We read almost every
day of fierce tornadoes, devastating
foods, or terrible earthquakes that con-
vert the beautiful plains into marshes,
destroy towns or change the entire to-
Biography of the section. Smaller
changes also have many times a great
effect, as the fall of an avalanche may
block up river and cause it to over
flow the surrounding country, and cover
the fertile soil with stones and gravel,
or bury it in several feet of mud.
The Bible tells us, and no one doubts
that as reliable history, that two thou.
sand four hundred years ago, Ninevah
hourished in all its grandeur, yet it is
now buried in oblivion, and its site
overwhelmed with sand. Old Tyre
two thousand four hundred and fifty
years ago was the queen of cities and
mistress of the sea. Its site is now O
bare rock in the sea, where fishermen
spread their nets.
Two thousand years ago, according
to history and tradition, Greenland was
fertile country, and Iceland was Gov
cred with a dense forest of birch and
fir; but the gulf stream, by filing the
bottom Of the ocean with minute parti
eles of sand brought from southern
seas has turned the great current ol
warm water eastward, leaving Green
and and Iceland in the frozen waters
the north, and almost uninhabitable
From these facts we become cogni.
zant of continuous change-it settles
down into our minds that very far bach
in time there was very different con
dition of things, and that far down the
vista of the future there may be, IN
fact will be, vast changes; and from
what we know let rs, in the language
Of the psalmist, Sect wisdom, get I'M.
derstanding, and forget it not"
After all this it may be thought ia
be . great step from what We know oi
God, and the changes produced by His
laws, to try to follow out His steps in