Solar System. 47 



done much in vain ; and as absurd, as to 

 imagine that he has created a little sun 

 and a planetary system within the shell 

 of our earth, and intended them for our 

 use. These considerations amount to 

 little less than a positive proof, that all 

 the planets are inhabited ; for if they are 

 not, why all this care in furnishing them 

 with so many moons, to supply those 

 with light which are at the greater dis- 

 tances from the sun ? Do we not see, 

 that the farther a planet is from the sun, 

 the greater apparatus it has for that pur- 

 pose ? save only Mars, which being but 

 a small planet, may have moons too small 

 to be seen by us. We know that the 

 earth goes round the sun, and turns 

 round its own axis, to produce the vicis- 

 situdes of summer and winter by the 

 former, and of day and night by the latter 

 motion, for the benefit of its inhabitants. 

 IVIay we not then fairly conclude, by pa- 

 rity of reason, that the end and design of 

 all the other planets is the same ? and is 

 not this agreeable to the beautiful harmo- 

 ny which exists throughout th^ universe? 

 Surely it is ; and raises in us the most 

 magnificent ideas of the Supreme Being, 



