Astronomy and the Bible;

CHAPTERX

CelestialMagnitudes

44

L

O,these arebuttheoutlyingbordersof His
works;andhowsmallawhisperdowehear
ofHim! ButthethunderofHispowerwho
canunderstand?"

—

Job.
"The planetarysystem occupiesaportionofspace
nearlysix thousandmillionsofmilesacross, yetthis
immensedistanceseemstobebutamerespeckinim-
mensity. Comparedwith thenebulaof Orionalone,
whichisonlyaspotintheheavens,itisamerepoint

;

andoutsideoftheplanetarysystemareamultitudeof
shiningorbs,someradiantwithsplendor,somefaintly
glimmeringwithbeauty. Thesmallesttelescopicaid
suffices to increasetheirnumber inanincredible de-
gree,while withthefull powerofthegrandinstru-
mentsnowinuse,thescenes presentedinthe starry
heavensbecomeactuallysomagnificentastostunthe
imagination andoverwhelmthe reason. Worldsand
systems and schemesand clusters and universes rise
insublimeperspective,fadingawayintheunfathom-
able regionsofspace, until eventhought itself fails

105