"As all the circumstances of the phenomenon were similar, on the same day, and during the same hours, in 1832, and as extraordinary flights of shooting stars were seen at many places, both in Europe and America, on 13th November 1834, tending also from a fixed point in the constellation Leo, it has been conjectured, with much apparent probability, that this group of bodies performs its revolution round the sun in a period of about 182 days, in an elliptical orbit, whose major axis is 119,000,000 of miles; and that its aphelion distance, where it comes in contact with the earth's atmosphere, is about 95,000,000 of miles, or nearly the same with the mean distance of the earth from the sun.”

This account, and these views, given by this talented lady, correspond with those of the most celebrated living astronomers. M. Arago, from the facts mentioned, concludes that " a new planetary world is about to be revealed to us;" and at all events, there does seem to be a stream of innumerable bodies, comparatively small, but of various dimensions, moving constantly round the sun, whose orbit cuts that of our earth, at the point which it occupies, on the 12th or 13th of November every year. For any thing that we can tell, indeed, there may be vast numbers of bodies circling round the sun, and even round the earth itself, which, on account of their minuteness and opacity, escape human observation. Such a supposition serves to explain the meteoric appearances which are constantly occurring in the clear nights of winter, and which would probably be not less common in summer, were the operations in the upper regions equally visible at that season.

Falling stars would seem to be nothing else than bodies of this description, rendered visible from being ignited by the rapidity of their passage through our atmosphere, or by some chemical cause; and meteoric stones, the fall of which is much more frequent than is commonly supposed, may be accounted for in the same way. Some of * Mrs Somerville on the Physical Sciences, pp. 404-5.

the latter are of great magnitude, exceeding in certain instances seventy miles in diameter. Mrs Somerville mentions one which passed within twenty-five miles of us, and was estimated to weigh about 600,000 tons, and to move with a velocity of about twenty miles in a second. This huge mass was providentially prevented from striking the earth, a detached fragment of it alone having yielded to the force of our planet's gravitation. It is remarkable that the chemical composition of these meteoric stones, while it materially differs from that of the ordinary strata of our globe, is uniform and almost identical as regards themselves.

What part these mysterious bodies act in the system of the universe, we cannot tell,-perhaps we may never be able even to conjecture; but we may well learn from the analogy of objects with which we are acquainted, that even they are not useless appendages of our solar system; and at all events, we are bound confidently to believe that such bodies are as much under the control of the Creator, as every other part of the creation, and can never, independent of the divine fiat, disturb the equilibrium of our planet, or interfere with the happiness of its inhabitants. It is the delightful result of religious belief to be assured, that however threatening may be the aspect assumed by scientific discoveries, there is not an object in nature left to the reckless sway of chance;-that all things are adjusted with unerring wisdom, managed by infinite power, and overruled for good with paternal care.

52

THIRD WEEK-SUNDAY.

THE OMNIPRESENCE OF GOD.

THAT the Creator of the universe is every where present throughout His immeasurable creation, and that, if there be any region of infinite space where He has not exerted His creative power, He is there also, seems to be a doctrine involved in the very idea of an eternal, selfexistent being; and this doctrine receives a more distinct and definite character, from the discoveries of astronomy. The idea of infinity, indeed, is too vast to be fully comprehended, as any one will be forced to confess who makes the attempt. We can conceive a vast extent, but it is an extent circumscribed by some boundary, however distant; and, if we only attend to what passes in our own minds, when we endeavour to extend our conceptions so as to arrive at the idea of infinite space, we shall find that we do this by figuring to ourselves, first, one immense extent, and then, beyond that another, and another still, in a constant and indefinite series. This shows the limited nature of our mental powers, which cannot form conceptions, but by the aid of things that are the objects of the senses; and it serves at the same time, to exhibit the importance of astronomical studies, in assisting the mind to form more exalted views of the Divine attributes.

Even though deprived of the discoveries of astronomy, indeed, we could still speak of infinity; but our conceptions of that divine attribute would necessarily be far less vivid and definite. It is by the help of this most interesting and astonishing science, that we raise our comprehension from the contracted bounds of our own planet, to the vast extent of the planetary system with which we are connected, and thence to the amazing distances of the fixed stars, and thence again to those little spaces in the heavens called nebulæ, full of thousands

and tens of thousands of worlds, in new systems, at distances beyond the power of numbers to compute. Thus, step by step, we extend our views; and, although, long before we have reached the nearest star, we find our mental powers begin to flag, and, in tracing these discoveries to their farthest limit, are forced to confess that even imagination is bewildered and lost, yet in such an exercise we certainly do gain much to aid our conceptions of unbounded space.

The practical conclusion to which we come is, that if nature be so unspeakably and inconceivably immense, the God of Nature must be absolutely infinite; and, although, after all, we can form no distinct idea of this attribute, we comprehend enough to affect the mind with highly exalted and salutary impressions.

Infinity implies omnipresence. The Almighty is an infinitely extended Mind. Wherever He exists, He is conscious. His knowledge is, therefore, as infinite as His existence. The universe lies open to His inspection. The earth, with all its productions, animate and inanimate, the rocks and minerals in its bowels,-the plants, so varied in their form and qualities, from the microscopic parasite to the mighty oak of the forest, which are spread profusely over its surface, the insects, the reptiles, the birds and beasts with which it teems,—and man, the lord of them all, every one of them, individually, is continually in His view. He pervades every atom of matter, and surveys every movement of the living principle, and of the mental powers, with which He has respectively endowed the various orders of organic beings. Let this view be extended to other worlds. Whatever exists, either of matter, of vegetable and animal life, or of rational powers, in the sun and in the planets, and, beyond their wide orbit, in the suns, and systems, and interminable groups of suns and systems of which the universe is composed, is penetrated, beheld, recognized, and individually distinguished, by the Allpervading Mind.

How beautifully and feelingly does the psalmist express the sentiment to which this view of the Divine Being gives rise in the devout heart:- "Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there; if I make my bed in hell, behold thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me." This sense of the Divine presence, if deeply and habitually cherished, must produce a salutary effect on the character. When we know and feel that the eye of the holy God is upon us, our mind is struck with solemn awe; and should unhallowed thoughts intrude, we are sensible that they are unworthy of the presence in which we stand, and inconsistent with those aspirations after the Divine favour, which our relation to him inspires. Should the temptation become, notwithstanding, so strong, as to incline us to some action of moral turpitude, the half-formed design is checked, by the conviction, that the All-seeing eye is upon us, and with just indignation we cast the thought away from us, inwardly exclaiming, "How can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God.”

This salutary effect of a belief in the Divine omnipresence, is but too seldom realized in actual practice. It is held, almost universally, as a speculative doctrine; but how few really adopt it as a rule of life. Melancholy experience assures us, that the heart does not often receive very deep impressions from abstract views, and is not easily awakened and animated by the speculations of the closet. It will be our wisdom to make use of the various means, which Providence has bestowed on us, for counteracting this unhappy propensity to separate speculation from practice; and among these there is none probably so effectual as frequent and fervent prayer. An apostle exhorts us to “ pray without ceas