Astronomy and the Bible;

THEFASTNESSOFHISPOWER 205

selvessurroundedbyamultitudeofshiningorbs,some
radiant with splendor, others faintly gleaming with
beauty. Thesmallesttelescopicaidsufficestoincrease
theirnumberinanincredibledegree;while withthe
fullpowerofthegrandinstrumentsnowinuse,the
scenespresented in thestarry heavensbecome actu-
ally so magnificentas to stun the imagination and
overwhelm the reason. Worlds and systems, and
schemes and clusters, and universes, rise in sublime
perspective,fadingawayintheunfathomable regions
ofspace, until eventhoughtitself fails initsefforts
toplungeacrossthegulfbywhichweareseparated
fromthesewonderfulobjects."—0.M.Mitchel,"The
OrbsofHeaven/'pagesi6p,i/o.
But all thisvast display of starsand worlds and
clustersanduniversesbutspellsoutthemagic story
ofGod'sunmeasuredpower. The One who didall
thiscandoanything. Heis,indeed,omnipotent;for
all that we see from this earth, by the eye or the
camera,are butthesuburbs of God'sboundless do-
minions.
Think,too,oftheirmotionsthroughtheoceansof
space. Ontheearth,windsmovingahundred miles
anhourarecalledtornadoes. Theysweepeverything
cleanintheirpath. Butinthesun,therearetornadoes
thattravelmorethanathousandmilesanhour. How
canwemeasuresuchenergies?
Ontheearth,trainsmayrunatthegreatspeedof
amileaminute; butthesunandothersofthestars
traveltwelve milesa second, or sevenhundred and
twentymiles a minute. Hardly any of themtravel