Astronomy and the Bible;

CELESTIALMAGNITUDES 111

gionsofimmensity, theremaybea sensibleparallax
tosome of thefixed stars;yetas to the Father of
lights,viewHim fromwhateverpoint... wemay,
Heiswithoutparallaxorshadowofchange."
Thusdoesinspiration anticipate thediscoveries of
science,byseizingupontheverywordsofscienceand
giving thema meaningthatwill evergrowgrander
andmoresublimeasourknowledgeadvancestoward
the trueconception. Whatamagnificentpicture of
theimmutabilityofGod! Itwillrequirealleternity
tofathomthemeaningofthisonepassage (Jamesi

:

17), foralltheuniverseis employedtoillustrate its
significance. Thus does God pack an eternity of
meaningintoHis words, and loada wholeuniverse
of science into the infinitetruths ofthe Scriptures.
Therein hasHe revealed Hiseternal purpose. This
is atextbookthatcannevergrowold,asciencethat
canneverbeexhausted.
Buthowmuchofanideahaveweevennowofthe
immensityoftheuniverse? Alloureffortstounder-
stand thetremendous distancesonlyconfuse andas-
tonishthemind. Butthoughthisisso,letusmakeone
moreattempttogetaviewofspace. Letustakean
imaginaryjourneytosomeofthevisiblestars.
"Ifitwerepossible,to-night,towingour flightto
any oneof thebright stars which blaze around us,
sweepingawayfromourownsystemuntilplanetafter
planetfadesinthedistance,andfinallythesun itself
shrinksintoamerestar,wemightalightonastrange
worldthatcirclesaroundanewandmagnificentsun,
whichhasgrown andexpandedinour sightuntil it