The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-08-24

what restraints them that they burst not
forth, and envelop the world in fames2
But they exert Just force enough to raise
the average surface of the land few
hundred feet above the water, and there
they leave it. What is it that prevents an
upheaval of the floor of the ocean, and the
inundation of the habitations of men
knowing, as we do, that the earth has
been repeatedly swept by water? "Who
shut up the sea with doors, when it brake
forth, as if it had issued out of the womb
When 1 made the cloud the garment
thereof, and thick darkness swaddling-
band for it. And brake up for it my
decreed place, and set bars and doors.
And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but
no further; and here shall thy proud
waves be stayed?"
The air was once freighted with car
bonic acid. No animal could breathe in
such poisoned atmosphere. Just a
small infusion of this gas Zone twenty
fifth of one per cent? is required to temper
the air. more or less were fatal
We find oxygen and nitrogen chemi-
cally combined in various forms, all fatal
to man; and yet our atmosphere is COM
posed of oxygen and nitrogen Fortu-
nately for Prof. Haeckel and Prof. Hulk
ley they are not chemically combined
they are merely mixed. If they should
form nitric acid or some other compound
(Which they constantly do form) univer
sal death would ensue: Prof Haeckel
and Prof Huxley would die. Or sup
pose they should, as Prof. Barbour re-
marks, in his article on Cosmaic Vapor, in
the July number of the Southern Pres6y-
terrain Revieo, liquefy or solidify; it
would be equally disastrous. If the nj
trogen should just let the oxygen which
it holds in its embrace, loose, there would
be a universal confagration.
A man on our earth weighs about $50
lbs. Suppose with the same size) r.
had weighed 500 lbs; his strength wou
not have been equal to supporting his
body. But if our earth were as heavy as
the sun, man would weigh 1920 lbs. !;
and horse some $4,000 lbs. There has
been an adymstnaent-an adaptation.
Or, to take another illustration from
Prof Barbour's article: Suppose that the
same surface of the earth were always
turned to the sun? 1t might have been
so; for the moon always offers the same
face to the earth. Or suppose we had a
lay of ten hours like Jupiter, or enc Of
six months? How came it that we have
our spring and our fall ? our summer and
our winter? Simply by the fitting
little of the axis of the earth, so as to in
cline it to the plane of its orbit.
To revert to our figure of the trains ;
when they are SC many running in the
heavens, how does it happen that they
never run into each other? Why do the
comets never strike us? How do we hold
the moon SO effectively to the regular
discharge of her duties? Did Chance
give us the loveliness of a moon-illumi-
mated heavens?
The moon shines bright In such night as
this,
When the sweet wind did gently kiss the trees,
And they did make no noise in such night,
Troilus, methinks, mounted the Trojan walls,
And sigh'd his soul toward the Grecian tents,
Where Cressid lay that night.
In such night,
Did Thisbe fearfully o'ertrip the dew;
And saw the lions shadow ere himself,
And ran dismayd away.
In such night,
Stood Dido with willow in her hand
Upon the wild sea-banks, and wav d her love
To come again to Carthage.
In such night,
Medea gather'd the enchanted herbs
That did renew old Eson"
Glow sweet the moonlight sleeps upon this bank
Here will we sit, and let the sounds of music
Creep in our ears soft stiffness, and the night,
Become the touches Of sweet harmony.
Sit Jessica Look how the floor of heaven
Is thick inlaid with patines of pure gold;
There's not the smallest orb which thou beholdest
But in his motion like an angel sings
Still curing to the young-ey'd cherubims;
Such harmony is in immortal souls
But, whilst this muddy vesture of decay
Doth grossly close it in, we cannot hear it,"
In THE Illustrated Christian WeekL/