Astronomy and the Bible;

CHAPTERXI

TheInfinitudeofSpace

IT

is impossible forthe human mind to putany
limittospace. Werunoutintotheunfathomable
abyss as far as imagination will carry us, and
whenwehave reachedtheutmostlimit,andimagina-
tioncarriesusnofarther,wecannotsaytoourselves,
"Hereis theend;" forimmediatelytheonlybarrier
wecanconceiveis somethinglikea hugewall, and
beyond this exists still untraced and immeasurable
space. Wecanimagineasmuchbeyondourlimitas
existsthis,sideofthatlimit;andwecancallthisdis-
tanceaunit, and multiply itby any factorthat we
arepleasedtochoose,—athousand,amillion,orabil-
lion,—andstillwecanthinkofasmuchspacebeyond
asthatwhichwehavecoveredbyourmultiplication.
Mathematicallythe humanmind canfind nolimit
tospace. From thisfact ofmind, manyargue that
there can beno limitto space,—thatit extends out
beyond forever,likeeternity. Butwhenwe cometo
this decision,themindis struck withtheawful dis-
closure,—spacewithoutanylimitationwhatever! The

122