90 



THE PnrLOSOPHY OF A Fb 1 UHE STATE. 



appear to be connected by certain general prin- 

 cioles and laws which operate throughout the 

 whole, yet the indefinite modifications which 

 these laws may receive in each particular system, 

 may produce an almost infinite diversity of phe 

 nomena in different worlds, so that no one de 

 partment of the material universe may resemble 

 another. Nor is it difficult to conceive how 

 such a diversity of scenery may be produced. 

 With regard to the terraqueous globe, were its 

 axis to be shifted, so as to point to a different 

 quarter of the heavens, or were the angle which 

 it forms with the ecliptic to be greater or less 

 than it now is, the general appearance of the 

 firmament would be changed, the apparent mo 

 tions of the sun and stars, the days and nights, 

 the seasons of the year, and an immense variety 

 of phenomena in the earth and heavens would 

 assume a very different aspect from what they 

 now wear. Were the component parts of the 

 atmosphere materially altered, were its refrac 

 tive power much increased, or were a greater 

 portion of caloric or of electricity introduced into 

 its constitution, the objects which diversify the 

 landscape of the earth, and the luminaries of 

 heaven, would assume such a variety of new and 

 uncommon appearances, as would warrant the 

 application of the Scripture expression, &quot; a new 

 heaven and a new earth.&quot; It is, therefore, easy 

 to conceive, that, when infinite power and wis 

 dom are exerted for this purpose, every globe in 

 the universe, with its appendages, may be con 

 structed and arranged in such a manner as to 

 present a variety of beauties and sublimities pe 

 culiar to itself. 



That the Creator has actually produced this 

 effect, is rendered in the highest degree proba 

 ble, from the infinite variety presented to our 

 view in those departments of nature which lie 

 open to our particular investigation. In the ani 

 mal kingdom we find more than a hundred thou 

 sand different species of living creatures, and 

 about the same variety in the productions of ve 

 getable nature ; the mineral kingdom presents to 

 us an immense variety of earths, stones, rocks, 

 metals, fossils, gems, and precious stories, which 

 are strewed in rich profusion along the surface, 

 and throughout the interior parts of the globe. 

 Of the individuals which compose every distinct 

 species of animated beings, there is no one 

 which bears an exact resemblance to another. 

 Although the eight hundred millions of men that 

 now people the globe, and all the other millions 

 that have existed since the world began, were to 

 he compared, no two individuals would be found 

 to present exactly the same aspect in every point 

 of view in which they might be contemplated. 

 In like manner, no two horses, cows, dogs, lions, 

 elephants, or other terrestrial animals will be 

 Sound bearing a perfect resemblance. The same 

 observation will apply to the scenery of lakes, 

 - virs, grottos, and mountains, and to all the di 



versified landscapes which tho surface of fho 

 earth and waters presents to the traveller, anu 

 the student of nature. 



If, from the earth, we direct our views to the 

 other bodies which compose our planetary sys 

 tem, we shall find a similar diversity, so far as our 

 observations extend. From the surface of one of 

 the planets, the sun will appear seven times larger, 

 and from the surface of another, three hundred 

 and sixty times smaller than he does to us. One 

 of those bodies is destitute of a moon ; but from 

 its ruddy aspect, either its surface or its atmo 

 sphere appears to be endowed with a phospho 

 rescent qua .ity, to supply it with light in the 

 absence of the sun. Another is surrounded by 

 four resplendent moons, much larger than ours 

 a third is supplied with six, and a fourth, with 

 seven moons, and two magnificent rings to re 

 flect the light of the sun, and diversify the scene 

 ry of its sky. One of these globes revolves 

 round its axis in ten, and another in twenty-three 

 hours and a half. One of them revolves round 

 the sun in eighty-eight, another in two hundred 

 and twenty-four days ; a third in twelve years, 

 a fourth in thirty, and a fifth in eighty-two years. 

 From all which, and many other circumstances 

 that have been observed, an admirable variety of 

 phenomena is produced, of which each planetary 

 globe has its own peculiarity. Even our moon, 

 which is among the smallest of the celestial bo 

 dies, which is the nearest to us, and which accom 

 panies the earth during its revolution round the 

 sun, exhibits a curious variety of aspect, different 

 from what is found on the terraqueous globe. 

 The altitude of its mountains, the depths of its 

 vales, the conical form of its insulated rocks, 

 the circular ridges of hills which encompass its 

 plains, and the celestial phenomena which are 

 displayed in its firmament present a scenery 

 which though in some points resembling oar own, 

 is yet remarkably different, on the whole, from 

 the general aspect of nature in our terrestrial 

 habitation. 



If, therefore, the Author of nature act on the 

 same general principles, in other systems, as he 

 has done in ours which there is every reason 

 to believe, when we consider his infinite wisdom 

 and intelligence we may rest assured, that ev 

 ery one of the two thousand four hundred mil 

 lions of worlds which are comprehended within 

 the range of human vision, has a magnificence 

 and glory peculiar to itself, by which it is dis 

 tinguished from all the surrounding provinces of 

 Jehovah s empire. In this view, we may con 

 sider the language of the Apostle Paul as ex 

 pressing not only an apparent, but a real fact. 

 &quot; There is one glory of the sun, and another 

 glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars . 

 &quot;/or one star differeth from another star in glory.&quot; 

 To suppose that the Almighty has exhausted his 

 omnipotent energies, and exhibited all the mani 

 festations of nis glory which his perfections can 



