in the idea of some of its rays of glory having reached the eyes of our astronomers like a faint glimpse of light.

"The scriptures," says Mr. Dick, "frequently refer to a particular place, circumstance, or manifestation, termed the throne of God; as in the following passages: Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool.'— The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens.' 'A glorious high throne from the beginning is the place of thy sanctuary.' 'Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple.' These, and similar expressions, must be considered, either as merely metaphorical, or as referring to some particular region of the universe, where the Divine glory is reflected, in some peculiarly magnificent manner, from material objects; and where the manifestations of the Divine character are most illustriously displayed. If there be a reference to the splendour and magnitude of a particular portion of creation, there is an astronomical idea, which may help us to form some conception of this glorious high throne,' which is the peculiar residence of the Eternal. It is now considered by astronomers, as highly probable, if not certain,—from late observations, from the nature of gravitation, and other circumstances, that all the systems of the universe revolve round one common centre,—and that this centre may bear as great a proportion, in point of magnitude to the universal assemblage of systems as the sun does to his surrounding planets. And since our sun is 500 times larger than the earth and all the other planets and their satellites taken together, on the same scale such a central body would be 500 times larger than all the systems and worlds in the universe. Here then may be a vast universe of itself an example of material creation, exceeding all the rest in magnificence and splendour, and in which are blended the glories of every other system. If this be really the case, it may with the most emphatic propriety, be termed the throne of God."-" Within the limits of the last 150 years, it has been found, that the principal fixed stars have a certain apparent motion, which is nearly uniform and re

gular, and is quite perceptible in the course of 30 or 40 years."—"The motion seems to indicate, that the earth, and all the other bodies of the solar system, are moving in a direction from the stars in the southern part of the sky, towards those of the northern."*

Were the idea of a central heaven really founded on such astronomical facts as would seem to indicate its existence, the idea might be called, (in the words of Mr. Dick,) "the most sublime and magnificent that can possibly enter into the mind of man," if indeed it could so enter in any definite manner; but no astronomer, accustomed to consider the magnitude of the countless orbs of the sky, and their unknown distances from the earth and from each other, could have the slightest comprehension of so vast a body as would be 500 times larger than all the rest taken together; if, too, he should assume such a centre, he could scarcely avoid connecting it also with a circumference to the universe, but both ideas are equally beyond all human conception.

The observations of Herschel and Laland, from which this centre has been inferred, were too limited and partial to form so general a conclusion as that the whole of the visible universe, or even our solar system is progressively advancing through absolute space, or in a vast circle, and the belief of these great astronomers on this point has not been borne out by the result of later observations, though there is certainly a motion clearly ascertained to be constantly taking place among those bodies usually called the fixed stars, yet it is more of the nature of a seemingly slow vibratory onean advancing and returning-and with respect only to particular stars, or groupes of stars, than including all of them in one general forward movement. Indeed, were all the stars to move together thus regularly, we could not be sensible of it, because they would in a great measure preserve their relative positions to each other. The alteration of place in our solar system in particular, or towards the constellation Hercules, which Dr. Herschel fancied he had dis

*Phil. of a Future State.

covered, and which is also noticed by Dr. Brewster, has not been supported by more recent observations made with a view to ascertain this very point.

In short, then, with regard to the universe, our present knowledge only leads us to conceive, that it is without limits, centre, or circumference, -studded with worlds, many of which may be happy residences for sinless beings, -all noble instances of Almighty power, and swiftly moving in their appointed paths without confusion or irregularity, a result which could only have been produced by the most amazing forethought, skill, and creative energy. We believe that eternity had no beginning, as it is to have no ending, without understanding how this can be,-so let us consider the universe boundless as the power of God.

CHAPTER XIV.

An Inquiry founded on Revelation, how far the predicted destruction at the last day shall involve the visible works of Creation.

“As a vesture shalt Thou change them, and they shall be changed."

Ps. cii. 26.

THERE are many who think that, because the conflagration which is denounced against this world for the sin of man, is to plunge it in destruction as it now exists, it will also be totally annihilated as if it had never been; and they have no difficulty in believing that all the millions of globes of which the universe seems to consist,* will be equally involved in this dreadful catastrophe, heaven itself only escaping. Those, however, who have studied to obtain a just idea of the immense extent of creation, and of the distance at which lie many thousands of worlds far larger than ours, will endeavour to examine more into the denunciations in Holy Writ, which describe the last day of the earth (as it now is); in order, if possible, to discover if the fate of those great and distant bodies is there clearly said to be involved in that of our world, or our fate with theirs ;-as such a coincidence between bodies so far asunder, and with all of which (except those of our own system) we have no apparent connexion, is exceedingly improbable. It will be found, not only that this is scarcely credible when judged of by the

"The night is also a religious concern, and even more so, when I viewed the moon and stars through Herschel's telescope, and saw that they were worlds."--LORD BYRON. Moore's Life of Byron. VI. p. 259.