an the
wonderful species of which we are individuals. We are imperfect; they
are imperfect. We fell; it is reasonable to suppose that they have
fallen also. It became necessary for the second person in the trinity to
take upon him our nature, and by suffering for our sins to appease
the wrath of his father. I am unwilling to believe that he has less
commiseration for the inhabitants of other planets. But in that case it
may be supposed that since the creation he has been making a circuit of
the planets, and dying on the cross for the sins of rational creatures
in uninterrupted succession." The lady was wiser than I, admonished me
of the danger of being over-inquisitive, and said we should act more
discreetly in leaving those questions to the judgment of the Almighty.

But thus far we have reasoned only on one side of the question. Our
pious sentiments have led us to magnify the Lord in all his works, and,
however imperfect the analogy, and however obscure the conception we
can form of the myriads of rational creatures, all of them no doubt
infinitely varied in their nature, their structure and faculties, yet to
view the whole scheme with an undoubting persuasion of its truth. It is
however somewhat in opposition to the ideas of piety formed by our less
adventurous ancestors, that we should usurp the throne of God,

Snatch from his hand the balance and the rod,

and, by means of our telescopes and our calculations, penetrate into
mysteries not originally intended for us. According to the received
Mosaic chronology we are now in the five thousand eight hundred and
thirty-fifth year from the creation: the Samaritan version adds to
this date. It is therefore scarcely in the spirit of a Christian, that
Herschel talks to us of a light, which must have been two millions of
years in reaching the earth.

Moses describes the operations of the Almighty, in one of the six
days devoted to the work of creation, as being to place "lights in the
firmament of heaven, to divide the day from the night, to be for signs
and for seasons, and for days and years, and to give light upon the
earth; two great lights, the greater to rule the day, and the lesser the
night; and the stars also." And Christ, prophesying what is to happen
in the latter days, says, "The sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall
not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven." Whatever
therefore be the piety of the persons, who talk to us of "ten thousa