CELESTIALMAGNITUDES^119'Ithasbeenconsideredprobable,fromreconditein-
vestigations,thattheaveragedistanceofastarofthe
firstmagnitude from the earthis ninehundredand
eighty-sixthousandradiiofourannualorbit, ornine
hundred and eighty-six thousand times ninety-two
million miles, a distance which light would require
fifteenandahalfyearstotraverse;andfurther,that
theaveragedistanceofthesixthmagnitude(thesmall-
est distinctly seenwithouta telescope) is sevenmil-
lion six hundred thousand times the same unit, to
traverse which, light, with its prodigious velocity,
would occupy more than one hundred and twenty
years. If, then, thedistancesofthemajorityofthe
starsvisibletothenakedeyearesoenormouslygreat,
howareweto estimateourdistance fromthosemi-
nutepoints oflightdiscernible onlyinthepowerful
telescopes?"
—Hind's ''Astronomy," quoted in "The
InternationalCyclopedia."
Thusdothestarrysystemsaboutusseemtobebut
suburbsof avastcreation. Whicheverwaywemay
turnoureyes,andnomatterhowpowerfulwemake
our sight,there is always something shiningbeyond
our farthest reaches into the unending universe of
God. Jobwasright;andwithhimwecry,"Lo,these
arebuttheextremitiesofthelinesofHisworks;and
howlittle awhisper dowe hear of Him! Butthe
thunderofHispowerwhocanunderstand?"
"Godcalledupfromdreamsamanintothevestibule
of heaven, saying, 'Come thou hither, and see the
gloryofMyhouse.' Andtotheservantsthatstood
aroundHisthrone Hesaid, 'Takehim, and undress