Astronomy and the Bible;

168 ASTRONOMYANDTHEBIBLE

spacemoreswiftlythanafast-flyingcannonball,they
yeteach feelthepresenceoftheirfellows;theyobey
thisinstincttokeeptogether.
Thenconsiderthetremendous workthatproduced
this wonder—the constant power that forever im-
pressesthesestarssothattheyfailnottoobey. As
we contemplate this marvelous spectacle, God asks.
Couldyoudosuchathing? "Canstthoubindintoa
cluster, byasweet influence, a chain, thePleiades?"
Eachoneofusknowshimselftobeabsolutelyinade-
quate forsuchagigantic task. OnlyGod could do
it. OnlyGodhasdoneit. AndHewhothusupholds
this starrycluster, this vastportionof theuniverse,
willdoasmuchforthegreatfamilyofhumanbeings
that arealsomoving, movingdownthecorridors of
time,andwhoshouldalsobeboundtogetherbysweet
influences,bya chainthatwouldmakethemhelpful
toone another. Inthechurch ofChrist, wefindas
greatanassociation,orevenagreater,wherethebond
issoclosethatifonemembersuffers,theotherssuffer
withhim. The God that made the seven stars and
Orion,caresforus.
"Canst thou... loose the bands of Orion"

—

mightystarswhirlingthroughspace? Thedistances
betweenthemaresogreatastoappallthemind;still
acrossthat distancethere is a great band of God's
own creation, invisible, yet indissoluble. Can you
looseit? Canyoubreakasunderthepowerthatholds
thesevastsunstogether? Canyoudispelthesestars
thatthroughtheagesaremovinguntiringly,heldto-
getherbyonecommon, unexplainedsympathy?