30 ASTRONOMYANDTHEBIBLE
thingsunderhisfeet.' Sucharetheteachingsofthe
Word,andsucharethelessonsoftheworksofGod."
"Liftupyoureyes onhigh,and beholdwho hath
created these things." These are the divine words
thatarechiseleduponamarbletabletinthewallof
the astronomical observatory at Williams College.
Nomoreappropriatewordsforsuchabuildingcould
bechosen. Theyaretheprophet'scalltotheskeptics
ofhistime,and theyareas forcefulto-dayas they
werethen. WhenaFrenchinfidelsaidtoaVendean
peasant, ''Wewill pulldownyour churches, destroy
yourpictures,and demolish everythingthatreminds
youofGod,"thepeasantrepHed^"Butyouwillleave
usthestars."
Yes,thestarsspeaktousofGod. TheFrenchof-
ficerscoulddisputeanddenytheexistenceofaCrea-
tor as they sailed down the Mediterranean beneath
thesplendors oftheeveningskies; butwhen Napo-
leon,wearied oftheirbabble,pointed upwardto the
myriad stars above them, and said, "All very well,
gentlemen;butwhomadethese?"theyweresilent,as
all atheistsmustbe.
"Liftup youreyes on high, andbehold"—thisis
thestudyofastronomy. Andhereinwefindourfield
ofobservation;namely,thatoftheunmeasureduni-
verse, with its glories of shining suns and rolling
worlds. "Whohathcreated these things?"—this is
thequestion thestudyshould arouse. And thuswe
findthepurposeofastronomy;namely,torevealthe
greatnessandgoodnessofGod.