Изображения страниц
PDF
EPUB

it observed, which could render these life-sustaining pr perties available for the purpose iv There seems to be no possible reason, except that of Creative Intelligence, why the illuminating body should not be one of the planets; and, if that had been the case, how irregular, and how totally inefficient would have been the operation. "This proof of contrivance, which is strikingly and convincingly illustrated by Whewell, attracted the attention of Sir Isaac Newton himself. In his correspondence with Bentley, he concedes that the sun and fixed stars might be formed by the mere force of attraction, and might exhibit their present appearances, provided the matter were of a lucid nature. But," adds he, how the matter should divide itself into two sorts, and that part of it which is fit to compose a shining body, should fall down into one mass, and make a sun, and the rest, which is fit to compose an opake body, should coalesce, not into one great body, like the shining matter, but into many little ones, or, if the sun were at first an opake body, like the anets, or the planets lucid bodies, like the sun, how he alone should be changed into a shining body, whilst all they continue opake; or all they be changed into onako opake ones, whilst he continued unchanged, I do not think explicable by mere natural causes, but am forced to ascribe it to the counsel and contrivance of a

[ocr errors]

Voluntary Agent."
PETIB Toto todt Juseng et rot gui

It seems impossible that any unbiassed mind "should hesitate to acquiesce in the conclusion of this great man; and thus, from the very existence of a sun in the centre of our system, a a satisfactory proof is drawn of the being of a God. od 18. bluod podolg rollsm- odi of nois 4. Isitmozes oz 291115qorq-meilusaq seolt d'iw bowobne WOH FOURTH WEEK THURSDAY, Y!9 ods

106 of emolod zobod 501 To Is Tedi di somos AY. THE STARRY HEAVENS, THE SUN AS THE SOURCE OF LIGHT 19gorg done dii w bAND HEAT, blued to gluo ̧9291fi

IN considering the advantages derived from that obviously intentional and most wise arrangement, by which

the sun has been made the centre of our system, reference was necessarily made to that body, as the source of light and heat. A cursory view of some circumstances connected with these properties, seems, therefore, to sug gest itself as an appropriate subject for this day's consideration. for dish to dra 't of lay

[ocr errors]

The sun is a body of such immense magnitude, that it fills a space nearly twice as large as is comprehended within the orbit of the moon in its motion round the earth, being in diameter no less than 882,000 miles, and in bulk considerably more than a million of times larger than the earth. From this amazing orb, light and heat are in some manner communicated to our planet, and to all the other planetary bodies, with a velocity which surpasses conception, the influence, whatever it is, travelling at the rate of 12,000,000 of miles inca minute, and reaching our globe in something less than eight minutes. It was supposed by Sir Isaac Newton, and has, till lately, been assumed as a fact, that the properties in question were transmitted from the sun by emanation ↳ that is, that he was continually throwing off from his surface, a material substance, of extreme tenuity, possessing these properties. Late discoveries, however, of certain peculiarities in the nature of light, have given currency and probability to another opinion, namely, that the sun is no more than the spring which communicates activity to qualities or substances residing in our own atmosphere, from which the phenomena of light and heat are derived. This is called the theory of vibra tions; and it has been aptly illustrated by the manner in which sound is caused and propagated. It supposes an ethereal fluid diffused through the universe, of incon ceivable rarity and elasticity, to which the luminiferous vibrations are communicated, and through which they are transmitted,ilbud,moc to slider or [oldovean gode

It is not the province of this work to enter into any discussion on this curious subject; and it is enough for our present purpose to know, that the Creator has caused

the most salutary effects to depends on the presence and influence of this central body. Whether by vibration or by emanation, the properties of heat and light, indispensable to the existence of organized beings, in all their different grades, are, by means of the sun, adequately conveyed to the earth, otherwise dark and dead. We shall by-and-by have occasion to notice some of the qualities of heat, the partial absence of which, in our climate, at this season of the year, indicates how necessary this subtle agent is to life and enjoyment. Let us, at present, look at the kindred element of light, and we shall see that its operation is scarcely less indispensable in a world constituted as ours.

It is necessary to vegetable life. Without light, indeed, vegetables might grow. Some of the most important powers of vegetation are carried on under ground and in darkness, and the energies residing in the roots are sufficient to cause the plant to shoot forth its stem, and even to expand its leaves; but then, light is essential to the health, and, as it would seem, to the productive powers of plants, so that, without this genial influence, they could not survive beyond one generation. Colour, and to a considerable extent, strength of fibre also, are bestowed on vegetables by the influence of light, a circumstance which is familiar to gardeners, who blanche their celery, and other productions, by causing them to grow in the dark; and which is known to every one who has observed the colourless and feeble shoots of potatoes, for example, which happen to grow in a cellar or a pit, and the wonderful instinct which leads these shoots eagerly to extend in the direction of the slightest chink through which light is introduced. The manner in which light operates in bestowing a wholesome state on plants, appears to be by a chemical action, by which they are enabled to imbibe carbon, and disengage oxygen. In the absence of light, this action is reversed; and it is worthy of remark, that the operation of this agent, in the process of vegetation, is not only healthful to the

[ocr errors]

plant but also usefuloto animal life, in freeing the atmosphere from some noxious qualities, and restoring it to salubrious condition. It seems unnecessary to remark that there is here the unequivocal impress of designing Intelligencezibod vrstenslq edt to enoitoa 911 -Isltvis further obvious, that the influence of light on vegetables, is extended likewise to animal life, which derives its support from these productions. But this is nhttall: for, oh diving creatures, its more direct effects are not less needssary. This agent is essential to sight, anfaculty of such paramount importance; and the eye, antorgan of most curious and peculiar construction, is, beyond all doubt framed for the express purpose of reIceiving its impressions.. Nothing can be more worthy of dbservation than the manner in which the instrument of visionais adapted to the properties of the agent. Light is reflected in all directions, from every object on which aiti fallstand,eby the construction of a camera obscura most skilfully contrived, these reflected rays convey Iforum, colour, light, and shade, a perfect representation, in short, of external objects,into the interior, of the theads thus by a mysterious connexion between mind sand matter, giving risey in living beings, to the faculty sofi sight with all its well known properties and advantagessco Whos can doubt that there is here a proof of skill handdadaptation, that light was made for the eye, and athe eye for lightt? bas;atimil worTMsa nidtiw obam ed -qozo et dtiw atonclq edt to 900 719 bem meed siv esibod vesɗt to tellsma eft to get to vino noit -mwɔtɔ tiluɔFOURTH WEEK FRIDAYŰL VIII9M. -qs ylison tidro ne mi evom rot tawoɔɔs yom 2ɔɔnota

0

9:

lqTHE STARRY HEAVENS, MOTIONS OF THE PLANETT dtasstridt edt yd „əlɔrio tosxe ms mort 29tsivəb ylno -9b Ast the fountain of light and cheat is placed, by the -great Creator! for obviously wise reasons, in the centre eaffour planetary system, it is natural to expect, that all yther arrangements connected with this appointment, should be found so contrived, as to correspond with the

beneficent intentionlandthe mofeldeeply we inquite into the subject, the more distinctly do we observe such an expectation realizedɔ2 The object of the presént pas per1will be to illustrate this position, with referencesto the motions of the planetary bodies.9gillatal gaiagiz 10 And first, with regard to their orbits:19 Methavelalready stateds that a planet, in its path round the sun, may, according to the laws of motion, describe either an <oval or a perfect circle291I have nowto observe, that the oval might either be very longlor very short, there being, - 80 far as appears, nothing in the mechanical law tending to restrict the elliptical form. But it is obvious that, if the circuit should prove very bccentric, the greatest inlconveniences would take place, ainoaaworldi constituted like ours1j and, indeed, a total destruction of animal-life would be the necessary consequences; qbecause, atv the point of the orbit nearest the sum, the fervour of his rays would be destructive;ound; atrits greatest distance, his apparent size and his illuminating and warming power, would diminish together, till the land and the sea would yield equally to the ungenial influence, and be convertbed into one frozen and lifeless mass Among the almost numberless forms, thereforeļi which the gorbits of the planets might assume, the production and maintenance of organized existences, stich, at least, as those with which we are familiar, required that a selection should be made within narrow limits; and that selection has been made. Every one of the planets, with the exception only of three of the smallest of these bodies, viz. Mercury, Juno, and Pallas, which their peculiar circumstances may account for, move in an orbit nearly approaching to a circle.roThe earth's orbit, for example, only deviates from an exact circle, by the thirteenth part of its distance from the centre; and, though the deeviation of all the other planetsj velocept Venus, is someIlwhats more than this, that deviation is so small, unless Jin the instances already alluded to, that it need scarcely be mentioned as a source of inconvenience! 96 (Taking

[ocr errors]

H

H

« ПредыдущаяПродолжить »