98 ASTRONOMYANDTHEBIBLE
Scientistsmay welladmirethepowerthatthesun
exerts; but they should not forget this other great
fact,—that the earthis endowed with the abilityto
respond to the sun's influence. We should have a
justconceptionofthesun asamotive power inthe
earth; but itneednothidefrom ourmindsthe fact
thattheearthhasitsparttodoinmakingtheproper
response.
The sun must touch the earthand wakeit to its
work,energizeitinits labors. Withoutthesun,the
earthwouldremainpassive,dead. Itislikethelump
of passiveclay: ifitdoes notreceive the stamp of
theseal,therewillbenoimage. Iftheearth isnot
touched bythesun, it,likethe clay,must remaina
barrenvoid.
Theresponse ofthe clayhas its part in forming
theimageoftheseal. Anditistheresponseofthe
earthtothesunlightthatmakesallterrestrialactivity
possible. Thesunmustimpress,buttheearth must
respond. Letustakeafewexamples.
Supposetherewerenoairontheglobe. Thequan-
tity ofvapor wouldalmostinstantly adjust itselfto
anyvariationoftemperature. Themaximumamount
possible would thus always be present at a given
place.
"Anelevationoftemperaturewouldbeattendedby
rapidevaporation,andtheamountofwaterrequired
tofillthespacewouldsuddenlyflashintovapor;while,
ontheotherhand,acorrespondingdepressionintem-
peraturewouldbeaccompaniedwithanequallysudden
precipitation of the excess of water which the air