48 Solar System. 



who is everywhere, and at all times pre- 

 sent ; displaying his power, wisdom and 

 goodness among all his creatures ! and 

 distributing happiness to innumerable 

 ranks of various beings ! 



Of Comets. Of all the celestial bodies, 

 comets have given rise to the greatest 

 number of speculations and conjectures. 

 Their strange appearance has in all ages 

 been a matter of terror to the uninform- 

 ed, who have generally looked upon them 

 to be evil omens, and forerunners of war, 

 pestilence, &c. 



The existence of an universal connec- 

 tion between all parts of the siderial hea- 

 vens is now generally admitted. Comets 

 undoubtedly form a part of this great 

 chain ; but of the part they occupy, and 

 of the uses for which they exist, we are 

 in a great measure ignorant. It is a por- 

 tion of science whose perfection is reser- 

 ved for some distant day, when these bo- 

 dies, and their vast orbits, may, by long 

 and accurate observation, be added to the 

 known parts of the solar system ; when 

 astronomy will appear with new lights, 

 after all our discoveries, great as we at 



