74: THE GENESIS OF WORLDS. 



The sura however of the attracting power belonging to the 

 world of matter is as fixed as the quantity of matter itself. And 

 I think it is in the highest degree probable that there is in the 

 universe precisely enough repulsive force or heat to overcome all 

 this inherent power of attraction. When all motion of the masses 

 and of the atoms is resolved into repulsive energy, and brought 

 to bear on the elements of matter, I imagine that they must com- 

 pletely fill the bounds or the infinity of space. Then if there 

 were perfect equilibrium or rest, no further changes or effects 

 could ever be manifested. Such a condition however could 

 probably never result from natural causes, for the time necessary 

 to the perfect balance of the forces must be as infinite as the 

 space through which they extend, and to " set bounds to space " 

 has puzzled philosophy from a very ancient date. If on the 

 other hand the universe of matter was created in a state of abso- 

 lute rest, we have the further and necessary provision that the 

 Spirit of God moved on the face of his creation, and thus un- 

 balanced the forces. But the equilibrium once broken, in what- 

 ever manner, from that moment evolution must inevitably pro- 

 ceed. For let there be an overbalancing of the aggregating 

 force in ever so little or much, an equivalent of the opposing 

 force must thereafter find some other work to do, and the field is 

 effectually given up to the mighty agency that combines and 

 constructs and brings order out of chaos. 



So long and in proportion as the forming worlds continue to 

 contract their dimensions, the rotations and revolutions increase 

 in their velocity. Thus in the rapid and ever-speeding move- 

 ments of the heavenly bodies there is stored up the ever-increas- 

 ing reserve of heat that is liberated from the great contest with 

 gravit}^. But in the progress of concentration there comes a 

 time when the atoms of matter have approached each other 

 sufficiently near for other forces of attraction, equally correlative 

 of heat, to come into play chemical affinity between molecules 

 of unlike nature, and cohesion between those of like kind. 

 Under the latter term are included all the changes of state which 

 are the result of cooling, as liquefaction and solidifying. By 

 these attractions heat is set free in such abundance and under 



