h from 1 0e feifirar^ of (pxofmox TWfiatn (gtiffer tfferfon, ©.©., &fe.©. (£reeenfee 61? (gtre. tyaxton to f 0e fetfirare of (pxincd on £0eofogtcaf £$eminarj> BL 240 .C5 1872 Child, G. Chaplin The great architect. Benedicite QL^e dSreat 3rcl)ttcct BENEDICITE; ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE POWER, WISDOM, ANT) GOODNESS OF GOD, AS MANIFESTED IN HIS WORKS. V By G CHAPLIN CHILD, M. D. TWO VOLUMES IN ONE. NEW YORK: G. P. PUTNAM AND SONS. Association Building, 4™ Avenue and 23P Street 187-'. (Reprinted from the London edition of John Murray, issned December, 1866.] " Every advance in our knowledge of the natural world will, if rightly directed by the spirit of true humility, and with a prayer for God's blessing, advance us in our knowl- edge of Himself, and will prepare us to receive His revela- tions of His Will with profounder reverence " — Sir Robert H. Inglis, British Association, 1 847. INTRODUCTORY NOTE. BY HENRY G. WESTON, D. D. HE work here offered to the American public, it is confidently believed, will be found worthy *^1 of a wide circulation. The author is an intel- ligent physician, at home in the various departments of natural science, who has in the treatment of his theme most happily avoided on the one hand the habit of many scientists of depreciating Revelation, and on the other the forced and strained arguments employed by some true but injudicious friends of Religion. Written in an easy and flowing style, abounding in illustrations and incidents, unincumbered by abstruse and scientific terms, the book cannot fail to interest as well as instruct. Science and Religion, Knowledge and Piety, walk together in these pages in unalloyed friendship ; while the charm thrown around the train of thought continues unbroken to the close. An occasional allusion to England and to the Estab- lished Church of that country will be noticed by the careful reader. This edition being an exact and literal reprint, these allusions are of course left untouched ; they are but few in number, do not at all affect the ar- gument, and are never offensively obtruded. A warm 2 Introductory Note, heart as well as a clear head is demanded for the pro- duction of a work like this, and such a heart must have a country and a church to love. Americans can under- stand and appreciate the feelings which find such almost involuntary utterance, and can respect in others what they cherish in themselves, — that patriotism which does not depreciate other lands while it regards with fondest affec- tion its own God-given home. New York, March, 1867. p^ TV CONTENTS. — *__ PAOH Introduction. Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar and the Burning Fiery Furnace. The Song of the Three Children . 7 The Heavens 20 The Sun and the Moon. The Planets .... 27 The Stars of Heaven 51 Winter and Summer ........ 7 2 Nights and Days 85 Light and Darkness , . 88 Waters above the Firmament , 100 Lightning and Clouds 106 Showers and Dew 1 . in Wells * 22 Seas and Floods *34 The Winds of God. . 158 Fire and Heat 1 7 l Frost and Cold. — Ice and Snow 182 Powers of the Lord l 9% Mountains and Hills 22 ° The Earth 2 2>° Green Things upon the Earth 2 5 r Beasts and Cattle 2 86 Fowls of the Air 3°° Whales, and All that move in the Waters . . 338 Concluding Reflections 3 62 GOD MAGNIFIED IN HIS WORKS, GOD MAGNIFIED IN HIS WORKS. Babylon — the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees' 1 ex- cellency! — Isaiah xiii. 19. Her cities are a desolation, a dry land, and a ^wilderness, a land ivherein no man dnvelleth. — Jeremiah li. 43. ^|N an outlying province of the Turkish empire, where sultan and firman are often superseded by the lawless will of sheik or pacha, two famous rivers — the Tigris and Euphrates — gradually converge, and, after mingling their waters together, glide gently on- ward to the Persian Gulf. In the fork thus formed be- tween them stretches a vast plain, made known to us in early Scripture History as Shinar, Chaldaea, and Babylon, as well as by other less familiar names, but to which the term Mesopotamia has been more usually applied, as it aptly designates a district " lying between rivers." The general aspect of this plain is one of desolation. Fertile strips here and there border the Euphrates' banks, and willows are still seen flourishing where the sorrowing Israelites once hung up their harps ; but away from those green fringes the eye wanders over wild, dreary wastes from which the last traces of cultivation are slowly dying out. Vast tracts lie soaked in permanent swamps, while much of the remaining land is, at one period of the year, flooded by the unheeded inundations of the neighboring rivers, and, at another, baked into an arid desert by the burning rays of the sun. It need scarcely be said that population has almost disappeared from those melancholy plains ; for the wandering Arab is little tempted to pitch 8 God magnified in his Works. his tent or to pasture his flocks on so sterile a soil. The doom that was so clearly foretold by the prophets has fallen upon it, and Babylon now " lies desolate in the sight of all that pass by." It has become the "habitation of the beasts of the desert." As the traveler plods onward over its unfrequented tracts, the startled wild-fowl rises with quick splash from the reedy pool, or a few scared gazelles may perhaps be descried bounding over the dis- tant plain. The " owl " and the " bittern," the jackal and the hyena add their testimony to the exactness with which the words of Scripture have been fulfilled. More rarely a solitary lion may be seen skulking among the strange, mysterious mounds and " heaps " of stones that loom here and there above the plain. Mournful and dreary though this land now be, it is and ever will remain one of the most interesting spots on earth. It was not always "desolate." No other place, perhaps, claims with a better title to be regarded as the scene where our first parents walked together in paradise. Such, at least, has been the common tradition ; and in a well-known edition of the Bible, published in 1599, may be found a map of the Garden of Eden, of which the site of Babylon forms the centre. But, be that as it may, there can be no doubt of its former greatness and fertility, for the record is plainly written all over the soil. Everywhere it is furrowed by ruined canals, of which some tell us of departed commerce and wealth, others of skillful irrigation and abundant crops. Heaps of rubbish are to be met with in which lie hidden fragments of pottery which bear witness to the former presence of a highly cultivated peo- ple ; and uncouth mounds rise strangely above the plain, in which the last relics of palaces and cities are buried to- gether. For centuries History appeared to have lost her hold upon those great places of the past, and it is only within the last few years that some of them have been rescued from the oblivion that was slowly creeping over God magnified in his Works. 9 them. Questioned by the light of modern knowledge those mysterious stones of the plains open up to us the first page in the history of nations — transport us back almost to the dawn where antiquity begins, and bring within our sight those to whom the deluge was a recent event. They impart a substance to scenes we have often tried in vain to realize. In imagination we see Nimrod the Mighty Hunter, busy with the foundations of the city of Babel on the neighboring Euphrates' bank, and piling up the " tower that was to reach to heaven." Then it was that the patriarchal dignity of early Bible records expanded into royalty, and Babylon became the starting point in the long pedigree of kingdoms. •Babylon touched the zenith of its grandeur two thou- sand four hundred and fifty years ago, when Nebuchad- nezzar sat upon the throne. He was the great warrior of that age. After overrunning Egypt he had returned to his capital laden with its spoil ; he had chastised his rebel- lious subjects and treacherous allies, and he had utterly crushed the power of the Kings of Judah. The wicked and faithless Jehoiakim, blind to the warnings he received, had brought a terrible doom upon his country ; for Nebu- chadnezzar, not content with plundering the treasures of the temple at Jerusalem, carried the king himself a pris- oner to Babylon. Among the captives on this occasion were included Daniel the Prophet and his three friends, — Ananias, Azarias, and Misael, who in the land of their exile received the Chaldean names of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Nebuchadnezzar was no less great in the arts of peace than in those of war. He, therefore, encouraged learned men to make his capital their resort, and he also promoted the national prosperity by favoring agriculture and com- merce. He dug canals in all directions to fertilize the land by irrigation. His merchants traded along the rich shores of the Mediterranean, and penetrated even to re- io God magnified in his Works, mote China. He provided for the security of Babylon by building or strengthening its walls, and he made it beauti- ful by adorning it with palaces. Its " hanging-gardens " were acknowledged throughout ancient times to be one of the wonders of the world, and their fame has endured up to this very hour. At the court of such a monarch, Daniel's learning was sure to procure for him distinction, and he soon became a member of the college of Magi or wise men. His subse- quent success in interpreting Nebuchadnezzar's dream, after all others had failed, raised him to the first rank in the tyrant's favor, and we are told that " he sat in the gate of the king." Nor in his prosperity did he forget his three Jewish friends, — Shadrach, Meshach, and Ab«d- nego, — who through his influence were promoted to be Governors in the province of Babylon. The history of Nebuchadnezzar and the burning, fiery furnace — so illustrative on the one hand of perfect trust in God, and, on the other, of God's power to deliver his servants from the assaults of their enemies — is endeared to all as one of the interesting Scripture narratives by which those who watched over us in the days of childhood endeavored to attract us onward to the knowledge of our Bible. In the book of Daniel it is related how Nebu- chadnezzar, after having been brought by the miraculous interpretation of his dream to acknowledge the " God of Gods and Lord of Kings," subsequently relapsed into idol- atry through the corrupting influence of worldly prosperity. In the full swell of his pride he set up a golden image, and commanded that all his subjects should fall down and worship it. The Babylonian nobles were jealous of the favor shown to the three captives ; and they, therefore, en- couraged this wicked fancy of the king, because it seemed to open out the means of effecting their ruin. They rightly calculated that the Hebrew Governors would never forsake the God of their Fathers, nor worship the image God magnified in Jus Works. 1 1 which the king had set up. And we know that when the hour of trial did come, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed- nego remained true to their faith ; and were forthwith bound and cast into the burning, fiery furnace, as a pun- ishment for their disobedience to the tyrant's will. From the torments and dangers of this ordeal the Three Hebrews were miraculously preserved. Daniel tells us that Nebuchadnezzar himself saw them " loose and walk- ing in the midst of the fire." " Not a hair of their heads was singed, neither were their coats changed, nor had the smell of fire passed on them." Elsewhere, in the Song of the Three Children, we are told that " they walked in the midst of the fire, praising God, and blessing the Lord." After so signal a deliverance, it is easy to con- ceive the fervor with which their Hymn of gratitude was poured forth. The deepest consciousness of the merciful Power of God welled up in their hearts and burst from their lips, and the whole universe was ransacked for illus- trations to typify and express it. In whatever direction they turned, they beheld Nature crowded with emblems of His Greatness and Mercy, and they eagerly seized upon them as aids to bring their thoughts up to the fervor of their adoration. Shall not we also do wisely to profit by their example ? Our daily obligations to God may not be so miraculous, in the ordinary meaning of the term, but they are, nevertheless, great and countless beyond our power to conceive. Let us then, in humble consciousness of the poverty and imperfection of our thanksgivings, gladly make this suggestive hymn our own ; and let us on this, as on all occasions, accept with joy every aid that helps us to "bless, praise, and magnify the Lord." 12 God magnified in his Works, Benedicite, omnia opera. O all ye Works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever. O ye Angels of the Lord, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever. O ye Heavens, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and mag- nify him for ever. O ye Waters that be above the Firmament, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever. O all ye Powers of the Lord, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever. O ye Sun and Moon, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever. O ye Stars of Heaven, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever. O ye Showers and Dew, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever. O ye Winds of God, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever. O ye Fire and Heat, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever. O ye Winter and Summer, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever. , O ye Dews and Frosts, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever. O ye Frost and Cold, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever. O ye Ice and Snow, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever. O ye Nights and Days, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever. O ye Light and Darkness, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever. O ye Lightnings and Clouds, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever. God magnified in his Works. 13 O let the Earth bless the Lord : yea, let it praise him, and magnify him for ever. O ye Mountains and Hills, bless ye the Lord : praise him and magnify him for ever. O all ye Green Things upon the Earth, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever. O ye Wells, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and mag- nify him for ever. O ye Seas and Floods, bless ye the Lord : praise hinu and magnify him for ever. O ye Whales, and all that move in the Waters, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever. O all ye Fowls of the Air, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever. O all ye Beasts and Cattle, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever. O ye Children of Men, bles ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever. O let Israel bless the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever. O ye Priests of the Lord, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever. O ye Servants of the Lord, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever. O ye Spirits and Souls of the Righteous, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever. O ye holy and humble Men of heart, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever. O Ananias, Azarias, and Misael, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost ; As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be ; world without end. Amen. The " Benedicite " forms a part of The Song of The 14 God magnified in his Works, Three Children, with whom tradition has identified Sha* drach, Meshach, and Abednego. But, whether tradition be right or wrong in this instance, the Canticle has an intrinsic interest of its own, both because it has been in- corporated with the Service of the Episcopal Church, and because it is one of the most suggestive and soul-stirring hymns in existence. In accordance with an injunction in King Edward the Sixth's First Book, it is customary to sing the " Benedicite " during Lent, and in some churches, we regret to think, it is never heard at any other time, while in a few it seems to be banished from the Service altogether. It is also true that Books of Common Prayer have been published in which this hymn finds no place. It is impossible, indeed, not to perceive that there is a " shyness " or even a repugnance with some in regard to it, which causes it to be sung at the times prescribed rather in obedience to custom or ecclesiastical authority, than from any feeling of its fitness for devotional use. And yet, as it cannot be denied that many find in it a valued help to adoration, the conviction rises strongly in the mind that it is equally fitted to become an aid to all. Whence comes, let us ask, this difference in the effect produced by the same thing — whence this absence of appreciation which spoils and renders distasteful to some a hymn from which others derive such heart-felt benefit ? May not the cause lie either in a too literal acceptance of the words themselves, or in the want of those few grains of knowledge which alone were needed to bring home to us the force of the hymn as an exposition of the Power and Mercy of God. When sculptors and painters repre- sent animals bellowing forth their praise from gaping mouths, they embody the literal meaning of the words, and give currency to that ewoneous conception of their import which, with more or less distinctness, has found an entrance into the minds of many. It seems almost need- less to remark tha* such a gross realization of the hymn God magnified in his Works. \ 5 misses its purpose altogether. The " beasts that perish " have no knowledge of their Creator, and are not suscep- tible of those emotions which constitute adoration ; while man is even less nobly distinguished from them by his form than he is by his moral nature, and his privilege of enjoying the perception of God and singing His praise. A literal interpretation given to the " Benedicite " clothes it with inconsistency, suggests an ^Esopian fable rather than a Christian hymn, and tends to check rather than promote devotion. Every shade of such a meaning must be banished from the mind, and exchanged for another more true and elevating. It is only by the thoughts sug- gested by the wonderful perfections of animals that they can serve as aids to adoration ; and it is in the same sense only that dead things — such as stars, the sea, or the wind — can be properly associated with living things as pro- moting with equal fitness the same end. If this interpre- tation be not admitted the words degenerate into extrava- gance, and are stripped of all their beautiful significance in the minds of thoughtful men. Invested with the same indirect meaning, the names of Ananias, Azarias, and Misael are most fitly introduced among the invocations of the hymn. They have, it is true, long passed from the scene of their trials ; but, though no voice of praise may rise from the grave, their memories remain to us as sym- bols of God's mercy and power. In thinking of them we recall the example of men who trusted in the Lord and were not forsaken — who were ready to brave the most cruel death rather than deny their faith — and whom no tyrant could either terrify or hurt, because they were up- held by God's protection. Is there no aid to devotion in such examples, or in the thoughts that rise up in asso- ciation with such names ? On the contrary, no invoca- tion in the hymn is more profitable or suggestive. Thus, by their trusting faith when living, they continue, even though dead, to praise and magnify " the power of the Lord for ever." 1 6 God magnified in J lis Works. Though all are ready with the general admission that every thing in Nature exhibits the Power and Goodness of God, it will not be denied that a little knowledge of the way in which these are displayed would give additional distinctness to the feeling. Such knowledge, indeed, will often serve to change what is merely a tame and pas- sive acquiescence into a fervent sentiment of adoration founded on conviction and experience. Now, if there be any truth in this remark, it is surely well worth while to turn our attention to such subjects. Physical Science and Natural History liberally reward their votaries, for every onward step is fraught with pleasure, and brings an im- mediate reward in the interest with which it invests the common things around us. Many of their most elevating secrets are to be learnt without that preliminary drudgery which besets the portals of some other sciences : and an amount of knowledge, so moderate as to be within the reach of every body, is all that is required to open out to us a clear view of those proofs of Power and Goodness which cluster round the verses of the " Benedicite." It need scarcely be remarked, however, that knowledge of this kind is not to be acquired in church, but by pre- vious preparation at home and in our walks. The ofter-^ ing up of praise within the sanctuary exacts our whole mind and our whole heart, and our thoughts at such mo- ments must not be encouraged to wander away in search of illustrations of the truths we are uttering. Experience will soon bring to us the welcome proof that the thought- ful consideration of God's works which is based upon a knowledge of their nature and of the Power and Good- ness they display, creates a condition of mind so impressi- ble that every solemn allusion to them instantly and with- out conscious effort raises feelings of adoration in unison with the subject. The details of the wonderful perfec- tions by which these feelings were originally developed may be absent, or even forgotten, but the deep devotional God magnified in his Works. 17 impress with which they once imbued the understanding never fades away. They who have acquired this sensibil- ity to those hymns of praise which are ever ascending from all God's works around, have found an aid to adora- tion, the value of which is known and thankfully acknowl- edged by themselves, but which must sometimes appear like extravagance or affectation to others who have never taken any pains to cherish it. It is only by such means that our sentiments can be brought into full harmony with the spirit of the hymn. But when the words of the " Benedicite " fall upon ears thus prepared by the under- standing and the heart, they speak the clearest language, and stand forth as the emblems of Power, Wisdom, and Goodness. All Thy works praise Thee, Lord. — Ps. cxlv. Of the fitness of the natural objects around us to awaken feelings of devotion there can be no doubt. All things are wonderfully made and wonderfully adjusted to each other ; and we alone, among created beings, have been endowed with faculties enabling us to recognize the perfections they exhibit, on purpose that we might praise God by the feelings they rouse within us. The Psalms of David are filled with beautiful illustrations to show how natural objects serve as aids to adoration, and it may be safely asserted that a Book of Praise was never yet writ- ten in which they were not thus used. If there be any skeptic who believes not in this power, let him make trial. Experience will soon convert him, and draw an answer of thankful consciousness from his own heart. The object of this book is to offer a series of illustra- tions of the Beneficence and Greatness of God, as they are sup-oested to our minds by the words of the " Benedi- cite." A few of the verses, it will be noticed, are omitted, not because they are inapplicable to devotion,, but be- cause they do not come within range of that kind of illus- 1 8 God magnified in his Works. tration to which I have thought it proper to confine my- self. But, within this limitation, enough and more than enough remains for the work on hand. It may, indeed, be truly said that he who undertakes to select from the many fields of Nature the most striking examples of God's Providence will find his chief difficulty to arise from the " embarrassment of riches." He is like a man wander- ing in a gallery where all is truth and perfection, and who has rashly engaged to single out that only which is pre- eminently the best. A feeling of this kind weighs on me now, for, while illustrations abound on every side, I fear lest I should select some examples where others ought to have been preferred, — not because they were more won- derful or more perfect, but because they were better adapted for the purpose here intended. Let me hasten to disclaim all pretension to instruct the learned or the sci- entific. It becomes me here rather to acknowledge with gratitude my own obligations to them. It would, indeed, be difficult to treat satisfactorily of the various matters contained in this book without seeking to profit by the labors of the Herschels, Whewell, Mauiy, Guillemin, Lardner, Owen, Darwin, and many others whose names are well known as the authors of standard works. I know beforehand that the subject, for its own sake, will be re- ceived with sympathy by those whose delight it is ever to be on the outlook for the suggestion of trains of thought which lead them to magnify God in His Works ; but it would be even more gratifying to me if I should succeed in awakening an interest in the " Benedicite " in some who, perhaps, may not have hitherto considered the ob- jects therein invoked under the aspect here given to them. Soon will they make the precious discovery that they cannot add a line to their knowledge of the natural objects around them without at the same time adding to the distinctness of the feeling with which they join in the words of the hymn. God magnified in his Works. 19 While endeavoring to illustrate the effect of a little knowledge in developing that sensitiveness to the divine Power and Mercy which, while it softens the heart, beck- ons us onward to that worship which springs from the contemplation of natural objects, I wish carefully to guard against every appearance of desiring to elevate this means above its proper place. We are here dealing with the things that belong to the kingdom of nature, and not with those pertaining to the kingdom of grace ; and, if need be, it must often be recalled that how praiseworthy soever this meditative worship may be, it can never supersede, and must always be subordinate to, those higher motives for worship which are unfolded in the doctrines of Chris- tianity. The one is essential and must be done ; while all that can be said of the other is that it is both fitting and profitable, and ought not to be left undone. God has graciously endowed us with faculties to comprehend His Works, and with every new appreciation of His design we seem to be taken more and more into His confidence. Shall we then neglect or throw away this inestimable privi- lege, or can we ever hope to employ our talents in a no- bler or more elevating purpose? Experience will prove that God blesses our efforts to trace out the perfection of His Works with an immediate reward, for the pursuit is replete with rational pleasure no less than with moral im- provement. praise the Lord with me, let us magnify His name together. -- Ps. xxxiv. THE HEAVENS. O ye Heavens, bless ye the Lord : praise Him, and magnify Him for ever. MONG all the sights the eye can look upon noth- ing is comparable to the Heavens for the senti- ment with which they charm the mind. The lan- guage they speak comes to us from remote, mysterious worlds • but, though it may be imperfectly understood, it is at least universally felt. The great and the little — the civilized man and the savage, the philosopher and the rustic all feel their influence, and are from time to time irresistibly drawn toward them by mingled emotions of admiration, gratitude, and awe, such as none of the other features of Nature can excite in an equal degree. No wonder, therefore, that the Three Children, intent on call- ing up every image by which God's Goodness to men and their dependence on Him could be depicted, should first of all turn toward the Heaverfs. Again and again the grand features of the firmament are passed in review, and invoked with fervor. In the eager intensity of their feel- ings order and method are but little regarded, and they pour forth their thoughts in song as these come welling up in their minds. So may it happily sometimes be with ourselves ; and in those moments when we too are drawn with desire to " bless, praise, and magnify the Lord " for the visible works of Creation, we shall surely find that the Heavens suggest to our conception the grandest symbols of His power and goodness. So strongly, however, is the idea of the " incompre- The Heavens. 21 hensible " associated by many with the mysteries of the firmament, that they are habitually prone to regard the teachings of astronomers as little else than scientific guess-work. Nevertheless, the best intellects in all coun- tries assure us, and demonstrate before our eyes, that, within certain limits, Astronomy is the most exact and per- fect of sciences, and that, even when it deals with dis- tances and magnitudes which are practically inconceivable, its conclusions, though often claiming to be approximative only, have yet no affinity whatever with guess-work. Let such skeptics think of the certainty with which sidereal events are predicted beforehand. Let them reflect on the evidence of the most exact knowledge of the heavenly bodies involved in the calculation of eclipses, in fixing the very moment when the moon's dark outline shall begin to creep over the sun's bright disk, or in predicting the in- stant when a planet's light shall be extinguished behind our satellite. How wonderful the tracking of a comet's wanderings — millions of miles beyond the far-off region of Uranus, and foretelling the time of its return after long years of absence ! Do not these, and a thousand other equally wonderful feats, attest both the soundness of the principles on which the astronomer works, and the reason- ableness of receiving his assurances with trust, even though it may be impossible for more than a few gifted minds to follow the calculations on which they are based ? Did any of our readers ever happen to bestow a glance upon the " Nautical Almanac " ? It is published by the British Government at a very cheap rate, in order to facil- itate its entrance into the cabin of every sea-going ship. Ostensibly it is a voluminous collection of dry figures and curious signs running on interminably page after page \ but, in reality, it is a yearly record of the soundness of the teachings of Astronomy, and of the blessings they bring to man. Fxlipses of the sun and moon, of Jupiter's satel- lites, sidereal positions and distances, and a multitude of 22 The Heavens. other heavenly events and matters of the last importance to navigation, are there foretold with the most rigid exact- ness. Every single figure and every single sign represents an important sidereal fact, and is charged with a message from the skies for our guidance. On the trackless ocean this book is the mariner's trusted friend and counsellor, and daily and nightly its revelations bring safety to ships in all parts of the world. The acquisition of such rare and precious knowledge — this mapping out beforehand, almost to a hair-breadth, the exact order and track in which the heavenly bodies will run their course through space, and the precise relative position they will occupy at any given moment when they can be seen in any part of the world — is a fact which, if applicable to the current year only, might well fill us with astonishment. But it becomes infinitely more marvelous when we reflect that the " Nautical Almanac " is regularly published three or four years in advance, in order that the mariner, during the most distant voyages which commerce can exact, may never be without his faithful monitor. It is truly some- thing more than a mere book — it is an emblem of the Power and Order of the Creator in the government of the Heavens, and a monument of the extent to which His creatures are privileged to unravel the laws of the Uni- verse ! The year 1846 will ever be memorable for having wit- nessed one of the most striking illustrations of the truth of Astronomy. Few can have forgotten the astonishment with which the discovery of the planet Neptune was then received, or the fact that it was due not to a lucky or ac- cidental pointing of the telescope toward a particular quarter of the Heavens, but to positive calculations worked out in the closet; thus proving that, before the planet was seen by the eye, it had been already grasped by the mind. The history of its finding was a triumph of human intel- lect. The distant Uranus — a planet hitherto orderly Hie Heavens. 23 and correct — begins to show unusual movements in its orbit. It is, somehow, not exactly in the spot where ac- cording to the best calculations it ought to have been, and the whole astronomical world is thrown into perplexity. Two mathematicians, as yet but little known to fame, liv- ing far apart in different countries and acting independ- ently of each other, concentrate the force of their pene- trating intellects to find out the cause. The most obvious way of accounting for the event was to have inferred that some error in previous computations had occurred ; and, in a matter so difficult, so abstruse, and so far off, what could have been more probable or more pardonable ? But these astronomers knew that the laws of gravity were fixed and sure, and that figures truly based on them could not deceive. By profound calculations each arrives at the conclusion that nothing can account for the " pertur- bation " except the disturbing influence of some hitherto unknown mass of matter exerting its attraction in a cer- tain quarter of the Heavens. So implicit, so undoubting is the faith of Leverrier in the truth of his deductions, that he requests a brother astronomer in Berlin to look out for this mass at a special point in space on a particu- lar night ; and there, sure enough, the disturber immedi- ately discloses himself, and soon shows his title to be admitted into the steady and orderly rank of his fellow- planets. The coincidence of two astronomers, Leverrier and our countryman Adams,* arriving at this discovery through the agency of figures based on physical observa- tion, precludes every idea of guess-work ; while such was the agreement between their final deductions that the point of the Heavens fixed upon by both as the spot where the disturber lay was almost identical. " Such a discovery," says Arago, " is one of the most brilliant manifestations of the exactitude of the system of modem astronomers." * Of Cambridge, England. 24 The Heavens. As the Heavens have irresistibly attracted the atten- tion of mankind in all ages, Astronomy naturally came to be the Father of sciences, and it was from remotest times cultivated with considerable success by the Chaldeans on the plains of Mesopotamia. Doubtless the Three He- brews at Nebuchadnezzar's court were well versed in the science of their day, but, whatever the amount of that knowledge might have been, it must have been extremely imperfect when measured by modern standards. Com- paratively speaking they knew but little of the grandeur of the Heavens ; and yet that little amply sufficed to point with its imagery the fervor of their worship. Since then, by God's blessing, the range of Astronomy has been widened, its views soar higher and probe deeper, its truths are better comprehended, its marvelous adjust- ments have been analyzed and traced more clearly upon the understanding. Shall we, then, with our better knowl- edge, find less aid in it to rouse our adoration than did the Three Children of old, and shall the more perfect view of the Heavens now vouchsafed to us fall cold and resultless upon our hearts ? If this, indeed, be the case, are we not treating with neglect an aid to adoration which God himself has spread out before our eyes, and are we not in some degree frustrating that purpose of praise and glorification for which both they»and we were created ? Astronomy is without question the grandest of sciences. It deals with masses, distances, and velocities which in their immensity belong specially to itself alone, and of which the mere conception transcends the utmost stretch of our finite faculties. In no other branch of science is the limited grasp of our intellect more forcibly brought home to us. Yet, though baffled in the effort to rise to the level of its requirements, our strivings are by no means profitless. Is it not truly a precious privilege to be able to trace, imperfectly though it may be, the hand of the All-mighty Architect in these his grandest works, The Heavens. 25 and to obtain by this means a broader consciousness of his Omnipotence ? In raising our wonder and admiration other sciences need the help of details and expositions, but in Astronomy the mere enunciation of a few measure- ments suffices to elevate our ideas of His Power to the highest point to which man's finite faculties can carry them. The expense of suitable instruments, the preliminary study, the persevering patience, and the long night vigils that are necessary will probably always prevent the higher walks of scientific Astronomy from becoming a popular pursuit \ nevertheless, we earnestly recommend all who can to seize every opportunity that may fall in their way of having a thoughtful look at the Heavens through a good telescope. Their reward will be immediate. Even were they to take their peep with feelings not more ele- vated than those with which folks at a fair look at a rare show, the glance would bring some profit ; but, if they be prepared beforehand with their " few grains of knowl- edge," how useful and improving the survey becomes. The first look at the Heavens through a good telescope forms an epoch in our life. Our faith in the realities of Astronomy passes with sudden bound from theory into practice ; planets and stars become henceforth distinct and solid existences in our minds ; our doubts vanish, and our belief settles into conviction. We behold the myste- rious Moon of our childhood mapped into brilliant moun- tain-peaks, and dark precipices, and softly lighted plains ; we see Jupiter shining like another fair Luna, with attend- ant satellites moving round him in their well-known paths ; or we turn with admiration to Saturn encircled by his famous ring, with outlines as distinct as if that glorious creation lay but a few miles off. Perhaps we may behold the beauteous Venus shining with resplendent circular disk, or curiously passing through her many phases in mimic rivalry of the Moon. Or, leaving these near neigh- 26 The Heavens. bors far behind, we may penetrate more deeply into space, and mark how the brightest flashing stars are re- duced to a small, round, unmagnifiable point. A few evening explorations in propitious weather will suffice to grave all these objects and many other precious recollec- tions in our minds for ever. Then is realized, better than at any previous moment of our existence, the power of the Lord of Creation. While Astronomy, beyond all other sciences, thus lifts up man's conception of God's glory as displayed in His works, it is no less calculated to bring home to him the " littleness " of his own world amid the great creations of the Universe. The stupendous truths at which the finger of Astronomy is ever pointing ought to keep uppermost in his heart the wholesome lesson of humility. Well may the oft-told interjection rise to his lips, Lord, what is man that Thou art mindful of him ! Such thoughts, indeed, bring with them both humility and exultation. Man's habitation is in very truth a mere speck in the Universe, dwarfed, and thrown into the shade by nearly all the worlds around it, and he himself is a mere atom creeping through his brief existence upon its surface. His high place in Creation is won by the loftiness of his moral nature, and, above all, by the destiny that awaits him. Apart from this revelation, m*an and his earth are but a grain of dust among the myriads of worlds that people the infinity of space. Therefore shall every good man sing of Thy praise without ceasing. — Ps. XXX. SUN AND MOON Oye Sun and Moon, bless ye the Lord ; praise Him, and magnify Him for eeen substan- tially confirmed. The difficulty of the feat becomes at once obvious when we consider the small sum of the stellar displacement ob- tained, which, even in the case where it was greatest, did not quite amount to one second of a degree. But the conclusion that was to be drawn even from so inconsider able a parallax was astounding ; for, when the necessary allowances had been made, it was proved that the distance of the nearest of those stars from the Earth was nearly 20 billions of miles. How can we get into our minds some idea of so great a distance ? The standard of miles seems utterly vague and profitless. Do we succeed better when we are assured that it is equal to 206,000 times the space separating our planet from the Sun ; or 211,330 radii of the Earth's orbit ; or that a ray of light darted from its surface could not reach our eye under three years and seven months, though it traveled with its usual speed of 192,600 miles a second ? " Such then," says Sir John Herschel, " is the length of the sounding-line with which we first touch bottom in the attempt to fathom the great abyss of the sidereal Heavens." " First touch bottom ! " Let us pause, and take breath. Let us try soberly to realize the fact that this flight, 6o The Stars of Heaven. through which our imagination has carried us on the wings of a ray of light, has landed us only at the threshold of the starry universe. So far as is yet known this famous star of the Centaur is our nearest neighbor. Of the thou- ands of others whose parallax astronomers have tried to measure, there are not more than a dozen where it has been detected, and all of them lie at various distances be- yond. The well-known Sinus — the very star whose per- turbations, as we have seen, have already been calculated and accounted for by visible demonstration — which from being the brightest among stars was conjectured to be also the nearest, has been proved by parallax measurement to be at least six times the distance of a Centauri ; from which it follows, that every ray of that dazzling orb that now meets our eye set out on its journey toward us some twenty-two years ago. One of the most distant stars that has as yet been gauged is the beauteous Capella. In ex- pressing its enormous distance we may discard all other standards of measurement save that which light supplies ; and even a ray of light, with its speed of 192,000 miles each second, would take 72 years to reach our Earth. As for stars placed at greater distances the base line of the Earth's orbit, seconded by the most perfect modern instru- ments of measurement, fails as yet to demonstrate with reliable accuracy any sensible amount of parallax. In relation to those distant orbs, a base line of 190,600,000 miles shrinks into a mere point. The belt of measurable parallax, therefore, proves to be but a comparatively shallow layer of the firmament. All "the Hosts of the stars" lie farther off in regions which no parallax can reach. A longer base line than 200 mill- ions of miles would be needed to continue the survey, and unfortunately the resources of Astronomy do not as yet supply any that are available. We say " as yet," for it is not impossible that a longer base may at some dis* tant future day be found, if, as is almost certain, our Sun The Stars of Heaven. 6 1 itself is moving in an immense orbit round something in space, and carrying along with it the whole solar system. The diameter of the Sun's orbit may then afford a base line of immensity sufficient to conquer the difficulties of distant stellar parallax. Of the interval which would necessarily elapse between the observations made on such a base no one can now imagine the duration. At that depth in the firmament, therefore, where Ca- pella lies — representing a space to pass through which light would require 72 years — we come to the limit of parallax. With it ends the means which enable star- measurements to be placed on a reliable basis, and all beyond is subject to the greatest uncertainty. Are, then, our estimates of the distances of stars sunk farther away in space than Capella to be absolute guess-work ? By no means, thought the illustrious Sir W. Herschel, for when parallax can plumb no longer, light still affords a line which measures immensity with at least a rough approx- imation. It is true that this method sets out with the hardy assumption that the size and illumination of the different stars are the same ; whereas we know with cer- tainty that both are subject, like the planets, to much variation. Nevertheless it may, perhaps, be assumed with considerable probability, that in the multitude of stars examined there must at least be some to which such a method will apply, and which therefore may serve, in the absence of all other means, as a rough measure of the depths of space beyond Capella to which the eye of man can penetrate. All are familiar with the fact that light diminishes as we recede from it, in proportion as the square of the distance increases. If, for example, one luminous body be twice as far removed as another* equally luminous body, it will give four times less light ; if it be ten times as far off, it will give a hundred times less light, and so on in proportion. Now it has just been shown that the distance of a Centauri, an average star of the 62 The Stars of Heaven. ist magnitude, is in round numbers 20 billions of miles, while it shines with an amount of brightness which, by means of an instrument called a photometer, can be measured, and adopted as a standard from which to set out. A star of the 6th magnitude, just visible to the naked eye, is found to have a light 100 times less bright than a Centauri ; and, therefore, it must be ten times more distant, supposing the luminous surface to be the same in both. We have now got a second standard of measurement, according to which it may be assumed that a star having a brightness which we can just discern is 200 billions of miles distant. Here we are, for a moment, necessarily brought to a stop, for our unaided sight is unable to force its way farther into space ; and here, therefore, our survey must have come to an end but for that wonderful " tube," by means of which the regions lying beyond have been fathomed to an extent that almost overwhelms. It fortunately happens that astronomers can " scale " a telescope, according to what is termed its " space-penetrating " power. When, therefore, it is said to have a space-penetrating power of 50, it means that we can see with it 50 times farther than with the naked eye — ■ 50 times as far, therefore, as the distance lying between us and the star of the 6th magnitude which has just been measured. Sir W. Herschel, whose name will ever be remembered in connection with this subject, penetrated into space 75 times farther than the distance which sep- arates us from a star of the 6th magnitude, by which he brought stars thus deeply sunk in space to shine with a brightness equal to stars of that class. Now, what was the stupendous import thereby implied ? A star of the 6th magnitude is at least 10 times more distant than a Centauri, its distance, therefore, is 200 billions of miles ; and the star 75 times more distant than the star of the 6th magnitude must have a distance of not less than 15,000 billions of miles ! How is this distance to be ex- The Stars of Heaven. 63 pressed by an intelligible standard? It is equal to 170 million times the distance of the Sun from the Earth — the unit being 92 millions of miles. Told off by terres- trial standards these figures sound vaguely and seem to stupefy the ear, nor indeed can any other measure than light rise to the level of such distances. It is astounding to think that the few straggling rays of light which at length found rest in HerschePs eye might h^ve left their native sun 2656 years ago, although they had been travel- ing at the rate of 192,000 miles a second ever since. The messenger arrives only now, but he speaks of an old event. " It is within the scope of physical possibility," says Dr Lardner, " that those stars may have changed their conditions of existence, and consequently of appear- ance, or even have ceased to exist altogether more than 2000 years ago, although we actually see them at this mo- ment." But even those distances, stupendous though they be, do not represent the full depth of that fathoming of space which has possibly been effected by modern instruments. What shall we say of the Nebulae — those " wisps " of cloudy light that faintly gleam down upon us through the telescope from the remotest corners of the Universe to which we can force our vision ? As the more perfect in- struments of recent days conquered their secret, one after another, and resolved the hazy cloudlets into clusters of bright stars, the conclusion naturally arose that, with every new increase of penetrating power, we should only behold a repetition of the process. There do, however, appear to be some Nebulae which cannot be so resolved, and which show no indications of condensing into stars ; and " spectrum analysis " — that potent discovery of yesterday, which is able to extract from a ray of light its history by passing it through a prism — comes to the support of the telescope by declaring that such distant glimmers are due to vast volumes of luminous gaseous matter. But, mak- 64 The Stars of Heaven. ing allowance for these, there still remain many Nebulae of true stars — suns like the rest, heat-giving, and light giving, and animated as our little Earth is by the same universal principle of gravitation. A certain cluster of stars was estimated by Sir W. Herschel to be 700 times the distance of a star of the 1st magnitude — therefore, at least 700 times 19 billions of miles ! But, observes Guillemin, " if this cluster were removed to five times its actual distance, that is to say to 3500 times the distance of Sirius, the large Herschelian telescope of 40-feet focus would still show it, but only as an irresolvable Nebula. It is, then, extremely probable that, among the many Nebu- lae indecomposable into stars, beyond the Milky Way, in the depths of the heavens, many are as distant as that of which we speak. Doubtless many are more so. Now to reach us, light-rays must have left stars situated at such a distance more than 700,000 years ago ! " On such a subject I prefer to transcribe words recently written by an astronomer, and they at least claim our at- tention as the latest conjectural opinions of science. That such calculations are but the roughest of wide approxima- tions — that they are liable to error of a magnitude which in any other branch of physics except universe-measure- ment would make them utterly valueless, is a point ad- mitted by none more readily than by astronomers them- selves. Still, after every deduction for probable error has been made, more than enough of solid truth remains to leave our highest conceptions hopelessly stranded behind, and it would even mock our power of belief did not rea- son tell us that such conclusions are in perfect accordance with the attributes of Omnipotence. When we have touched the verge of this uttermost range, Infinity, bound- less as ever, still lies beyond. The idea of God extin- guishes in our mind every suspicion that there can be any limit to space, magnitude, or power, in relation to His works. The mighty universe we have been considering The Stars of Heaven. 65 is but the stepping-stone to what is farther on ; and al- though our imagination fails to grasp it, our reason assures us that it must be so. There is no such thing as taking from or adding to The Illimitable. The distance of the stars is likewise impressively brought home to us by the impossibility of magnifying them. It is easy to magnify terrestrial objects, and even when the tel- escope is pointed at the planets, as Venus or Jupiter, they can be made to look bigger than the full Moon. But with regard to the stars the telescope fails to increase their size, for they are absolutely " unmagnifiable." Viewed by the highest powers they still remain mere specks of light ; and, although their comparative brightness is increased, no one star is really made larger than another. When, therefore, the " magnitude " of a star is mentioned it refers to its brightness, and not to the size of its nucleus. As the tele- scope cuts off the external rays, its effect, indeed, is rather to diminish than enlarge, and Herschel used to affirm that the more he magnified the more the nucleus appeared to shrink to a point. But as the faithful telescope, by virtue of its construction, cannot help magnifying the image of the star presented to it, and yet fails to give it any appre- ciable size, we are driven to infer that even the nearest stars are so remote that their apparent magnitude is too minute to be perceived by the eye, though magnified, as was done by Sir W. Herschel, six thousand times. This result appears all the more astonishing when we consider the vast magnitude which the stars must really possess. As they do not form any distinguishable disk, it is of course impossible to calculate their size from their known distance and apparent diameter, as may be done in the case of the Moon ; but astronomers possess other means by which their magnitude may be at least roughly estimated. It has been already mentioned that, as we recede from a luminous surface, the quantity of light re- ceived from it diminishes as the square of the distance in- 5 66 The Stars of Heaven. creases. By applying this principle, the Sun furnishes us with a means of measuring the magnitude of stars, always assuming, as may be done when the trial is extended over a great number, that the average intensity of the luminous suiface is nearly the same in both. We know that the Sun, being of a known size and at a known distance, gives a certain amount of light as determined by the photome- ter. Supposing that the Sun were to be moved away from us in the direction of a Centauri, his light would diminish in the proportion in which the square of the distance in- creased ; and, accordingly, before he had got much more than half way, he would have dwindled to the size of a Centauri. If the Sun were to be farther removed, his brightness would go on diminishing until at the distance of a Centauri — 19 billions of miles — he would shine as a star of the 2d magnitude, or like the Pole-star. Thus it appears, that in order to enable the Sun to shine with a light equal to that of a Centauri at the same distance as that star, he would require to be twice his actual size ; and, therefore, the magnitude of a Centauri may be roughly estimated as double that of our Sun. In contemplating " the Stars of Heaven " by the aids which Astronomy holds out to us, our thoughts are carried away from the small things of this Earth, and, borne on- ward by the faculties bestowed on us by God, we reach our highest practical perceptions of His Power as Creator and Ruler of the Universe. We cannot, it is true, com- prehend The Infinite, but Astronomy stations us nearer to its frontier than any other science, and we are only stopped in our conceptions by that barrier which subdues all human intellect, and beyond which it is not intended that we should pass. Not less marvelous are the stars in their velocities. We speak of them as the " fixed " stars, and so they are to us for all practical purposes ; yet some, if not all, have a movement through space. Binary stars, as we have The Stars of Heaven. 67 seen, circulate in orbits round each other, or round a com- mon centre, with a regularity and speed which in some in- stances has been calculated. The star 61 Cygni — the same whose parallax has been measured — rushes through space with the enormous velocity of 177,000 miles an hour ; while Mercury, the swiftest of our planets, does not exceed 100,000 miles in the same time. A star in the con- stellation of Ophiuchus, and another in the Scorpion, are moving on so rapidly as to leave neighboring stars behind them. There is a triple star in Cassiopeia journeying through the heavens at the rate of 125,000 miles an hour. Arcturus is the most rapid star-traveler yet discovered, moving onward at a pace equal to 54 miles per second, or three times faster than our Earth in its orbit. Thus every thing connected with the stars — distance, magnitude, and motion — is equally gigantic and marvelous in its scale. Having glanced at the distances, magnitudes, and veloc- ities of stars, let us pause for a moment to consider their number and the vast space they must necessarily occupy in the domain of creation. In an area of the Milky Way not exceeding one tenth part of the moon's disk Herschel computed that there were at least 20,000 stars, and by the most moderate estimate the number of stars that can be counted in the firmament by telescopic aid does not fall short of 100 millions! Clusters and Nebulae that have not yet been resolved lie beyond. There is little doubt that most of those twinkling points are suns dispensing light and heat to earths or planets like our own ; and, in- deed, no bodies shining by reflected light would be visible at such enormous distances. From the superior magni- tude of those stars that have been measured, as compared to our Sun, it may be assumed that the average diameter of their solar systems must exceed our own ; but, taking it as nearly equal, it would give a breadth of at least 6000 millions of miles as the field in space occupied by each. Every star or sun-system is, moreover, probably begirt 68 The Stars of Heaven. with a gulf or void like that encircling our own, in which the antagonistic or disturbing attractions of surrounding suns waste themselves out and are extinguished ; hence, the distance of each star from its nearest neighbor is probably not less than that which intervenes between our Sun and the nearest star. Now this distance, as we have seen, cannot be less than 19 billions of miles. How in- conceivably vast, therefore, must be the space required to give room for so many and such stupendous solar sys- tems. The mind absolutely reels under the load of con- ceptions so mighty, Yet Infinity still lies beyond ! Among those great Hosts of heaven where is the home of our Earth and Solar system ? A probability lying nearer to certainty than conjecture suggests that our Sun, with its planetary system, forms a unit in a cluster of stars, similar to other clusters which we see gathered together in the far-off regions of the firmament. The space occupied by our cluster may in shape be compared to a millstone, of which the Milky Way forms the outer rim ; while nearly in the centre of this gigantic assemblage of stars, and about half-way between the two sides of " the mill- stone " rests our Sun and its planets — " an atom in the luminous sand " of the firmament. Still, we must not say rests, for there is absolutely noth- ing on Earth or in the firmament which is without move- ment. That our Sun — like all his fellow-stars — is trav- eling through space with a speed which though not yet determined is certainly immense, is a point on which as- tronomers are agreed. The most recent calculations as- sign to it a rate of four miles per second. Whither are we hurrying, round what are we moving ? These are problems of which the solution is left to future observers, yet even now calculations tend to indicate that we are hastening on with rapid strides in the direction of the constellation Hercules. Who has not looked on clear nights at the twinkling Pleiades, and tried, perhaps, to The Stars of Heaven. 69 count their sparkles as they glitter like diamonds on a field of black. Their name recalls to us a heathen fable, but they have an interest far more lasting and reasonable if it be true, as astronomers conjecture, that among them is fixed the pivot which is central to the centre, and round which our Sun with its system careers in an orbit whose length it is as impossible for us to conceive as the distance of the stars themselves. If Astronomy were altogether silent on the subject, it would still be a hard matter for a reflecting mind to be- lieve that the masses which fill up space, the aggregate sum of which dwarfs our Earth into less than an atom or a speck, can have been created for no other purpose than to shed a glimmer of star-light on our dark evenings. " For what purpose," says Sir John Herschel, " are we to suppose such magnificent bodies scattered through the abyss of space ? Surely not to illumine our nights, which an additional moon of the thousandth part of the size of our own would do much better — not to sparkle as a pageant void of meaning and reality, and to bewilder us among vain conjectures. Useful, it is true, they are to man, as .points of exact and permanent reference ; but he must have studied Astronomy to little purpose, who can sup- pose man to be the only object of his Creator's care, or who does not see, in the vast and wonderful apparatus around us, provision for other races of animated beings." Though placed at such inconceivable distances from our Earth, stars are yet near enough to contribute to the happiness and safety of mankind. During the Sun's . ab- sence they bestow an illumination which, though feeble, is highly useful. When the Moon has forsaken the long polar night they cast a dim twilight over the snow. In the deserts of the East, stars have served to guide the traveler since those ancient days when Astronomy began to be cultivated on the plains of Chaldea. The pilots of antiquity learnt to steer by the stars before the loadstone 7