THE PHILOSOPHY OF A FUTURE STATE. 



These objects present an immense field for the 

 contemplation of every class of moral intelli 

 gences, and a bright mirror in which they will 

 behold the reflection of the divine attributes. 

 Of this vast universe, how small a portion has 

 yet been unveiled to our view ! With respect 

 to the bodies which compose our planetary sys 

 tem, we know only a few general facts and rela 

 tions. In regard to the fixed stars, we have 

 acquired little more than a few rude conceptions 

 of their immense distance and magnitudes. In 

 relation to the comets, we only know that they 

 move in long eccentric orbits, that they are im 

 pelled in their courses with immense velocity, 

 and appear and disappear in uncertain periods 

 of time. Of the numerous systems into which 

 the stars are arranged, of the motions peculiar 

 to each system, of the relations which these mo 

 tions have to the whole universe as one vast 

 machine, of the nature and arrangement of the 

 numerous nebulas which are scattered through 

 out the distant regions of space ; of the worlds 

 xvhich are connected with the starry orbs ; of 

 the various orders of beings which people them ; 

 of the changes and revolutions which are taking 

 place in different parts of the universe, of the 

 new creations which are starting into existence, 

 of the number of opaque globes which may exist 

 in every region of space, of the distance to which 

 the material world extends, and of the various 

 dispensations of the Almighty towards the di 

 versified orders of intelligences which people his 

 vast empire we remain in almost profound ig 

 norance, and must continue in this ignorance, so 

 long as we are chained down to this obscure 

 corner of creation. There will, therefore, be 

 ample scope in the future world for further re 

 searches into this subject, and for enlarging our 

 knowledge of those glorious scenes which are at 

 present so far removed beyond the limits of 

 natural vision, and the sphere of human investi 

 gation. 



The heavens constitute the principal part of the 

 divine empire compared with which our earth is 

 but as an atom, and &quot; all nations are as nothing, 

 and are accounted to Jehovah as less than no 

 thing and vanity.&quot; Vast, as this world may 

 appear to the frail beings that inhabit it, it pro 

 bably ranks among the smallest globes in the 

 universe ; but although it were twenty thousand 

 times more spacious than it is, it would be only 

 as a grain of sand when compared with the 

 immensity of creation, and all the events that 

 have passed over its inhabitants as only a few of 

 those ephemeral transactions which crowd the 

 annals of eternity. It is throughout the bound 

 less regions of the firmament that God is chiefly 

 seen, and his glory contemplated by unnumbered 

 intelligences. It is there that the moral gran 

 deur of his dispensations, and the magnificence 

 of his works are displayed in all their variety 

 and lustre to countless orders of his rational off 



spring, over which he will continue eternally to 

 preside. Hence the numerous allusions to * the 

 heavens,&quot; by the inspired writers, when the 

 majesty of God and the glory of his dominions 

 are intended to be illustrated. &quot; All the gods of 

 the nations are idols ; but Jehovah made the hea 

 tens.&quot; &quot; The Lord hath prepared his throne in 

 the heavens, and his kingdom ruleth over all. 

 &quot; By his Spirit he hath garnished the heavens.&quot; 

 &quot; The heavens declare the glory of Jehovah.&quot; 

 &quot; When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy 

 fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast 

 ordained what is man, that thou art mindful 

 of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest 

 him?&quot; &quot;The heavens, even the heaven of 

 heavens, cannot contain thee.&quot; &quot; By the word 

 of Jehovah were the heavens made, and all the 

 host of them by the spirit of his mouth.&quot; &quot; The 

 heavens shall declare his righteousness.&quot; &quot; Our 

 God is in the heavens, he hath done whatso 

 ever he hath pleased.&quot; &quot; The heavens shall de 

 clare thy wonders, O Lord .&quot; &quot; I lift up mine 

 eyes to thee, O thou that dwellestin the heavens.&quot; 

 &quot; Thus saith God the Lord, he that created the 

 heavens and stretched them out.&quot; &quot; The hea 

 vens for height are unsearchable.&quot; &quot; As the 

 heaven is high above the earth, so great is his 

 mercy toward them that fear him.&quot; He is 

 l ~ the God of heaven, he rideth on the heaven 

 of heavens which he founded of old : heaven is 

 his throne, and the earth his footstool.&quot; When 

 the folly of idolaters is exposed, when the coming 

 of Messiah is announced, and when motives are 

 presented to invigorate the faith and hope of the 

 saints, Jehovah is represented as that omnipo 

 tent Being who &quot; meteth out the heavens with a 

 span, who spreadeth them out as a curtain, and 

 bringeth forth their hosts by the greatness of his 

 might.&quot; &quot; Thus saith God the Lord, he that 

 created the heavens and stretched them out I 

 will give thee for a covenant of the people, for a 

 light of the Gentiles.&quot;* &quot; Thus saith the Lord 

 that created the heavens I said not to the seed 

 of Jacob, seek ye me in vain,&quot; &c.| These, 

 and hundreds of similar passages, evidently im 

 ply, that we ought to contemplate the attributes 

 of God chiefly in relation to the display which is 

 given of them in the firmament of his power 

 that the heavens are by far the most extensive 

 portion of his dominions and that the power 

 and intelligence displayed in the formation and 

 arrangement of the hosts of heaven, lay a sure 

 foundation for the hope and joy, and the future 

 prospects of the people of God. 



In order to form just conceptions of the beauty 

 and grandeur of the heavens, and of the intelli 

 gence of Him who arranged their numerous hosts 

 some of the fundamental facts and principles ot 

 astronomy require to be understood and recog 

 nised. The order of the bodies which compose 



Isa. xliv 5 6 



tea. xlv. 18, 19. 



