IMMENSITY OF OBJECTS IN CREATION. 



101 



which may hereafter be disclosed. The planet 

 Mars, in several respects, bears a striking re 

 semblance to our earth. Its rotation round its 

 axis is accomplished in nearly the same time as 

 the earth, namely, in 24 hours and 40 minutes. 

 The inclination of its axis to the plane of its 

 orbit is 28 decrees and 42 minutes, that of the 

 earth being 23 degrees 28 minutes. Conse 

 quently, it experiences a diversity of seasons, and 

 different lengths of days and nights, as we do in 

 our sublunary sphere. Hence Sir William 

 Herschel informs us, that he observed a lumi 

 nous zone about the poles of this planet, which 

 is subject to periodical changes, and is of opi 

 nion, that this phenomenon is produced by the 

 reflection of the sun s light upon its polar re 

 gions, and that the variation in the magnitude 

 and appearance of this zone is owing to the 

 melting of these masses of polar ice. Its at 

 mosphere is likewise found to be very dense and 

 obscure ; which is the cause of that ruddy 

 appearance which this orb uniformly exhibits. 

 These circumstances indicate a striking simi 

 larity, in its physical constitution, to that of the 

 earth. Whether the moral state of its inhabi 

 tants bears any resemblance to the present con 

 dition of mankind, is a question which naturally 

 suggests itself, and which may possibly be solved 

 in the future state to which we are destined. 

 Frost and snow, the accumulation and melting 

 of vast masses of polar ice, long nights, and 

 wintry storms, scenes of darkness and desolation, 

 stormy clouds, and a dense hazy Atmosphere 

 surcharged with wintry exhalations, do not ap 

 pear to be the characteristics of a world where 

 perfect happiness is enjoyed. The Sun which 

 is the centre of our system, and which enlight 

 ens surrounding worlds with his beams, is five 

 hundred times larger than all the planets and 

 moons taken together. And, since we perceive 

 frequent changes taking place in his surface and 

 luminous atmosphere, there is doubtless a variety 

 of astonishing processes and transformations go 

 ing on, both in the exterior and interior parts 

 of this immense luminary, on a scale of magni 

 tude and grandeur, which it would be highly 

 gratifying to behold and investigate, and which 

 would raise to the highest pitch, our conceptions 

 of the magnificence and glory of Him &quot; who 

 dwells in light unapproachable.&quot; 



If, then, the planetary system, which occu 

 pies no larger a portion of space than one of the 

 smallest stars that twinkle in our sky, would 

 afford such a vast multiplicity of objects for the 

 contemplation of intelligent &quot;beings, during a 

 lapse of ages, what an immense assemblage of 

 august objects and astonishing events is present 

 ed before us in the physical arangements, and 

 the moral history of the myriads of systems and 

 worlds to which I have alluded, and what an im 

 mense duration would be requisite for finite 

 cuiuds to survey the wondrous scene ! This 



consideration suggests an idea of duration, which 

 to limited intellects such as ours, seems to ap 

 proximate to the idea of eternity itself. Even 

 although it could be shown, that creation extend 

 ed no farther than the utmost bounds which the 

 ingenuity of man has enabled him to penetrate, 

 still, the vast assemblage of glorious objects 

 contained within the range of our assisted vi 

 sion, shows what an infinite variety of mental 

 gratification the Creator may bestow on his in 

 telligent offspring ; and we are assured, that 

 &quot; no good thing will he withhold from them that 

 walk uprightly.&quot; 



But, would it be reasonable to admit, that the 

 dominions of the universal Sovereign terminate 

 at the boundaries of human vision? Can we 

 believe, that puny man, who occupies so diminu 

 tive a speck among the works of God, has pe 

 netrated to the utmost limits of the empire of Him 

 who fills the immensity of space with his presence? 

 As soon might we suppose, that a snail could 

 penetrate to the utmost extremity of the ocean, 

 and, with one glance, survey its deepest caverns 

 or, that a microscopic animalcula, which is con 

 fined to a drop of water, in the crevice of a small 

 stone, could explore at one comprehensive view, 

 the regions of Europe, Asia, Africa, and America. 

 Shall we consider the visible system of nature, 

 magnificent and extensive as it is, a palace suf 

 ficient for the habitation of the Deity ? No : this 

 would be, to circumscribe the Almighty within 

 the limits of our imperfect vision, and within 

 the sphere of our comprehension. &quot; Behold, the 

 heavens, and the heaven of heavens, cannot con 

 tain him !&quot; This declaration implies, that, be 

 yond all that the inhabitants rf this world can 

 explore in the visible firmament, there is a 

 &quot; heaven of heavens&quot; a region which contains 

 unnumbered firmaments, as gloru us and extensive 

 as that which we behold, throughout the vast 

 extent of which, the Deity is eternally and essen 

 tially present. With regard to all that is visible 

 by the unassisted eye, or by the telescope, in 

 the vault of heaven, we may say with the poet : 



&quot; Vast concave ! ample dome ! wast thou design d 

 A meet apartment for the Deity? 

 Not so : that thought alone thy state impairs, 

 Thy lofty sinks, and shallows thy profound, 

 And straitens thy diffusive; dwarfs the whole, 

 And makes an universe an orrery.&quot; 



Beyond the wide circumference of that sphere 

 which terminates the view of mortals, a boundless 

 region exists, which no human eye can penetrate, 

 and which no finite intelligence can explore. To 

 suppose that the infinitely extended region which 

 surrounds all that is visible in creation, is a mere 

 void, would be as unreasonable, as to have affirm 

 ed, prior to the invention of the telescope, that 

 no stars existed beyond those ,\vhich are visible 

 to the naked eye. When we consider the limited 

 faculties of man, and the infinite attributes of the 

 Eternal Mind, we have the highest reason to 



