beacon lights of history-iii-2-第68节

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pulsation　of　the　blood；　will　not　reach　us　from　some　of　those　remote

worlds　in　one　hundred　thousand　years。　　So　marvellous　shall　be　the

victories　of　science；　that　the　perturbations　of　the　planets　in

their　courses　shall　reveal　the　existence　of　a　new　one　more　distant

than　Uranus；　and　Leverrier　shall　tell　at　what　part　of　the　heavens

that　star　shall　first　be　seen。



So　far　as　we　have　discovered；　the　universe　which　we　have　observed

with　telescopic　instruments　has　no　limits　that　mortals　can　define；

and　in　comparison　with　its　magnitude　our　earth　is　less　than　a　grain

of　sand；　and　is　so　old　that　no　genius　can　calculate　and　no

imagination　can　conceive　when　it　had　a　beginning。　　All　that　we　know

is；　that　suns　exist　at　distances　we　cannot　define。　　But　around　what

centre　do　they　revolve？　　Of　what　are　they　composed？　　Are　they

inhabited　by　intelligent　and　immortal　beings？　　Do　we　know　that　they

are　not　eternal；　except　from　the　divine　declaration　that　there　WAS

a　time　when　the　Almighty　fiat　went　forth　for　this　grand　creation？

Creation　involves　a　creator；　and　can　the　order　and　harmony　seen　in

Nature's　laws　exist　without　Supreme　intelligence　and　power？　　Who；

then；　and　what；　is　God？　　〃Canst　thou　by　searching　find　out　Him？

Knowest　thou　the　ordinances　of　Heaven？　　Canst　thou　bind　the　sweet

influences　of　the　Pleiades；　or　loose　the　bands　of　Orion？〃　　What　an

atom　is　this　world　in　the　light　of　science！　　Yet　what　dignity　has

man　by　the　light　of　revelation！　　What　majesty　and　power　and　glory

has　God！　　What　goodness；　benevolence；　and　love；　that　even　a　sparrow

cannot　fall　to　the　ground　without　His　notice；that　we　are　the

special　objects　of　His　providence　and　care！　　Is　there　an

imagination　so　lofty　that　will　not　be　oppressed　with　the

discoveries　that　even　the　telescope　has　made？



Ah；　to　what　exalted　heights　reason　may　soar　when　allied　with　faith！

How　truly　it　should　elevate　us　above　the　evils　of　this　brief　and

busy　existence　to　the　conditions　of　that　other　life；





　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃When　the　soul；

　　　　　Advancing　ever　to　the　Source　of　light

　　　　　And　all　perfection；　lives；　adores；　and　reigns

　　　　　In　cloudless　knowledge；　purity；　and　bliss！〃





AUTHORITIES。



Delambre；　Histoire　de　l'Astronomie；　Arago；　Histoire　de

l'Astronomie；　Life　of　Galileo；　in　Cabinet　Library；　Life　of　Galileo；

by　Brewster；　Lives　of　Galileo；　by　Italian　and　Spanish　Literary　Men；

Whewell's　History　of　Inductive　Sciences；　Plurality　of　Worlds；

Humboldt's　Cosmos；　Nichols'　Architecture　of　the　Heavens；　Chalmers'

Astronomical　Discourses；　Life　of　Kepler；　Library　of　Useful

Knowledge；　Brewster's　Life　of　Tycho　Brahe；　of　Kepler；　and　of　Sir

Isaac　Newton；　Mitchell's　Stellar　and　Planetary　Worlds；　Bradley's

Correspondence；　Airy's　Reports；　Voiron's　History　of　Astronomy；

Philosophical　Transactions；　Everett's　Oration　on　Galileo；　Life　of

Copernicus；　Bayly's　Astronomy；　Encyclopaedia　Britannica；　Art。

Astronomy；　Proctor's　Lectures。









End