WILLIAMSON ON COMETS. 199 



astonishing works of the divine architect. There are about three thou- 

 sand fixed stars visible by the naked eye. Every one of those stars is 

 doubtless a sun, and each of those suns affords light and heat to another 

 system of worlds. Let us only suppose that each of those suns illu- 

 minates as many orbs as belongs to our system. We shall state the 

 number at two hundred, though it is believed that twice this number of 

 comets, beside the planets, have already been discovered. This would 

 give three hundred thousand worlds. But three thousand is a small 

 number when compared with the whole number of stars that have been 

 discovered. The relative places of fifty thousand stars have been 

 determined by the help of telescopes. Fifty thousand solar systems, 

 each containing at least one hundred worlds. Five millions of worlds 

 all inhabited by rational beings. How do we seem to dwindle into 

 littleness. How small, how few, are the ephemerons of this little globe, 

 when compared with the countless myriads who inhabit five millions of 

 worlds ? All those worlds, and every one of their inhabitants, are under 

 the constant care of the Divine Being. Not one of them is neglected. 

 " Great and marvellous" are his works. How terrible his power! 



