THE EARTH. 3 



sun, all obedient to one law, and impelled by one 

 common influence. 



Modern philosophy has taught us to believe, 

 that when the great Author of nature began the 

 work of creation, he chose to operate by second 

 causes ; and that, suspending the constant exer- 

 tion of his power, he endued matter with a qua- 

 lity by which the universal economy of nature 

 might be continued without his immediate assist- 

 ance. This quality is called attraction; a sort 

 of approximating influence, which all bodies, 

 whether terrestrial or celestial, are found to pos- 

 sess ; and which in all increases as the quantity 

 of matter in each increases. The sun, by far the 

 greatest body in our system, is, of consequence, 

 possessed of much the greatest share of this at- 

 tracting power ; and all the planets, of which our 

 earth is one, are, of course, entirely subject to its 

 superior influence. Were this power, therefore, 

 left uncontrolled by any other, the sun must 

 quickly have attracted all the bodies of our celes- 

 tial system to itself; but it is equably counter- 

 acted by another power of equal efficacy ; name- 

 ly, a progressive force, which each planet receiv- 

 ed when it was impelled forward by the divine 

 Architect upon its first formation. The heaven- 

 ly bodies of our system being thus acted upon by 

 two opposing powers ; namely, by that of attrac- 

 tion, which draws them towards the sun ; and 

 that of impulsion, which drives them straight for- 

 ward into the great void of space ; they pursue a 

 track between these contrary directions, and each, 

 like a stone whirled about in a sling, obeying 



