Astronomy and the Bible;

CHAPTERXVII

TheGospelofDespair

THERE is one idea advanced by astronomers,
which,triedbytheWordofGod,isutterlyer-
roneous. I feelinclinedtocallittheeverlast-
inggospelofdespair. Itistheideathatthesunand
allthestarsmustonedaygrowcoldanddie. True,
accordingtothespeculationsof thesescientists, that
dayisverydistant;buttheysayitisneverthelessquite
certain. Somedayintheremotefuture,thesunand
thestarswillrolloninspace,coldasicicles,anddead
ascinders.
"If nothing intervenes to reverse the course of
things, the sun mustat lastsolidify, and become a
dark, rigidglobe, frozenand lifelessamongits life-
lessfamilyofplanets. Atleast, thisisthenecessary
consequenceofwhatnowseems tosciencetobe the
trueaccountof itspresent activity and thestory of
its life."
"One lesson seems to stand outclearly,—thatthe
presentsystem ofstarsand worlds isnotaneternal
one."—Young's"GeneralAstronomy"page524.
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