]0 EXCURSIONS ROUND LONDON. 



at the rate of nearly two hundred thousand 

 miles in a single second of time. 



According to the universally-received 

 opinion, the sun is the centre of our planet- 

 ary system. The laws of attraction and gra- 

 vitation maintain each of the planets in its 

 orbit; and the most perfect harmonv reigns 

 among those immense bodies. 



But you must not mistake me, my young 

 friends. The sun does not maintain its 

 place in the centre of the planets on account 

 of its brilliancy, but from the mass of mat- 

 ter of which it is composed j and it would 

 remain in the same relative position to the 

 other planets, even were it not the focus 

 or cause of light. This consideration alone 

 affords a sufficient proof that the operations 

 of nature are directed by a supreme intel- 

 ligence, and are neither the result of mere 

 mechanism, nor produced by blind chance. 

 This consideration ought also to teach us, 

 that light is a gratuitous gift, bestowed on 

 man by the benevolence of the Deity, since 



it 



