14 THE CHRISTIAN NATURALIST. 



at the thought, that each of these sparkling points to 

 which we give the name of fixed stars, are in reality 

 suns, glorious, vast, and, no doubt, beneficial as our 

 own. 



* It is one of the wonders of creation that any 

 phenomena of bodies at such an immense distance from 

 us should be perceptible to human sight ; but it has 

 clearly been a part of the Divine Maker's plan, that 

 although they do not act physically upon us, they 

 should be so far objects of our consciousness, as to 

 expand our ideas of the vastness of the universe, and 

 of the stupendous extent and operations of Omnipo- 

 tence. By them we are enabled to ascertain that 

 existing space expands around and beyond us for 

 millions and millions of our earthly miles ; and that 

 his creations accompany and abound in all this 

 marvellous extent, which displaying no boundary, no 

 terminating ends, may be justly called infinite. It is 

 an ocular reality, which gives us a sensible idea of 

 actual infinitude. These lofty mansions of being also 

 indicate to us that they have the same Creator as 

 ourselves, and are but so many other magnificent 

 scenes of his sovereignty and care.* * When we 



• Sharon Turner's Sacred History of the World, Vol. 1. p. 41. 



