*O ATMOSPHERE. [LeSWH XVf. 



reflections on the atmosphere will tend more 

 clearly to convince us that we continually stand 

 in need of the superintendance of our allwisc 

 CREATOR. 



Besides other innumerable conveniences which 

 we receive from the atmosphere, one great advan- 

 tage is, that while the Sun shines, it makes the 

 face of the heavens appear lucid and bright: but, 

 on> the contrary, if there were no atmosphere 

 surrounding the Earth, only that part of the sky 

 would appear light in which the Sun was placed: 

 if a person should turn his back to the Sun, he 

 would directly perceive it as dark as night, and the 

 least stars would be seen to shine, as in th 

 clearest night. For in that case there would be no 

 substance to reflect the rays of the sun to our eyes ; 

 and of course, those which did not fall upon the 

 Earth would be thrown out into infinite space, and 

 would never be reflected back to us. But since 

 there is an atmosphere covering the Earth, which 

 is strongly illuminated by the Sun, it, by its 

 power of reflection, turns the light towards us, 

 and makes the whole heavens to shine with such 

 splendour as to render the light of the stars invisi- 

 ble in ttie day-time. 

 * 



By means of the atmosphere it happens, thai 

 though after the Sun has set, we receive no direct 

 Kcrht from the Sun, yet we enjoy its reflected and 

 refracted light for some time; so that the dark- 

 ness of the night docs not come on suddenly (as 

 it would otherwise do) but by degrees. For, after 

 the Earth "by revolving on its axis has withdrawn 



us 



