DIVERSITY OF SCENERY IN THE HEAVENS. 



across the field of his telescope, and it has been 

 calculated, that within the range of such an in 

 strument, applied to all the different portions of 

 the firmament, more than eighty millions of stars 

 would be rendered visible. 



Here, then, within the limits of that circle 

 which human vision has explored, the mind per 

 ceives, not merely eighty millions of worlds, but, 

 at least thirty times that number ; for every star, 

 considered as a sun, may be conceived to be 

 .surrounded by at least thi- v planetary globes ;* 

 so that the visible system of the universe rnay be 

 stated, at the lowest computation, as compre 

 hending within its vast circumference, 2,400,- 

 000,000 of worlds ! This celestial scene pre 

 sents an idea so august and overwhelming, that 

 the mind is confounded, and shrinks back at the 

 attempt of forming any definite conception of a 

 multitude and a magnitude so far beyond the 

 limits of its ordinary excursions. If we can 

 form no adequate idea of the magnitude, the va 

 riety, and economy of one world, how can we 

 form a just conception of thousands ? If a sin 

 gle million of objects of any description presents 

 an image too vast and complex to be taken in at 

 one grasp, how shall we ever attempt to compre 

 hend an object so vast as two thousand four hun 

 dred millions of worlds ! None but that Eter 

 nal Mind which counts the number of the stars, 

 which called them from nothing into existence, 

 and arranged them in the respective stations 

 they occupy, and whose eyes run to and fro 

 through the unlimited extent of creation can 

 form a clear and comprehensive conception of 

 the number, the order, and the economy of this 

 vast portion of the system of nature. 



But here, even the very feebleness and obscu 

 rity of our conceptions tend to throw a radiance 

 on the subject we are attempting to illustrate. 

 The magnitude and incomprehensibility of the 

 object, show us, how many diversified views of 

 the divine glory remain to be displayed ; what 

 an infinite variety of sublime scenes may be af 

 forded for the mind to expatiate upon ; and what 

 rapturous trains of thought, ever various, and 

 ever new, may succeed each other without in 

 terruption, throughout an unlimited duration. 



Let us now endeavour to analyze some of the 

 objects presented to our mental sight, in this 

 vast assemblage of systems and worlds, which 

 lie within the sphere of human vision. 



The first idea that suggests itself, is, that they 

 are all material structures in the formation of 

 which, infinite wisdom and goodness have been 

 emplojed; and consequently, they must exhibit 



* The solar system consists of eleven primary and 

 eighteen secondary planets ; in all twenty-nine 

 besides more than a hundred comets; and it is pro 

 bable that several planetary bodies exist within the 

 limits of our system which have not yet been disco 

 vered. Other systems may probalily contain a more 

 numerous retinue of worlds, and perhaps ofc larger 

 size than those belonging to the system f the sun. 



scenes of sublimity and of exquisite contrivance 

 worthy of the contemplation of every rational 

 being. If this earth, which is an abode of apos 

 tate men, and a scene of moral depravity, and 

 which, here and there, has the appearance of 

 being the ruins of a former world presents the 

 variegated prospect of lofty mountains, romantic 

 dells, and fertile plains ; meandering rivers, 

 transparent lakes, and spacious oceans ; ver 

 dant landscapes, adorned with fruits and flowers, 

 and a rich variety of the finest colours, and a 

 thousand other beauties and sublimities that 

 are strewed over the face of nature how grand 

 and magnificent a scenery may we suppose, 

 must be presented to the view, in those worlds 

 where moral evil has never entered to derange 

 the harmony of the Creator s works where love 

 to the Supreme, and to one another, fires the 

 bosoms of all their inhabitants, and produces a 

 rapturous exultation, and an incessant adoration 

 of the Source of happiness ! In such worlds, 

 we may justly conceive, that the sensitive en 

 joyments, and the objects of beauty and gran 

 deur which are displayed to their view, as far 

 exceed the scenery and enjoyments of this world, 

 as their moral and intellectual qualities excel 

 those of the sons of men. 



In the next place, it is highly reasonable to be 

 lieve, that an infinite diversity of scenery exists 

 throughout all the worlds which compose the 

 universe ; that no one of all the millions of sys 

 tems to which I have now adverted, exactly re 

 sembles another in its construction, motions, 

 order, and decorations. There appear, indeed, 

 to be certain laws and phenomena which are 

 .common to all the systems which exist within 

 the limits of human vision. It is highly proba 

 ble that the laws of gravitation extend their 

 influence through every region of space occupied 

 by material substances ; and, it is beyond a 

 doubt, that the phenomena of vision, and the 

 laws by which light is reflected and refracted, 

 exist in the remotest regions which the telescope 

 has explored. For the light which radiates from 

 the most distant stars (as formerly stated) is 

 found to be of the same nature, to move with the 

 same velocity, to be refracted by the same laws, 

 and to exhibit the same colours as the light which 

 proceeds from the sun, and is reflected from sur 

 rounding objects. The medium of vision must, 

 therefore, be acted upon, and the organs of sight 

 perform their functions, in those distant regions, 

 in the same manner as takes place in the system 

 of which we form a part, or, at least, in a man 

 ner somewhat analogous to it. And this cir 

 cumstance shows, that the Creator evidently 

 ^tended we should form some faint ideas, al 

 least, of the general procedure of nature in dis 

 tant worlds, in order to direct our conceptions of 

 the sublime scenery of the universe, even while 

 we remain in this obscure corner of creation. 

 But, although the visible systems of the universe 



