JET. XII. FIRMAMENT OF THE FIXED STARS.

in some parts of their journey through theheavens, they approach so near the sun, as to bealmost vitrified by his heat; and then go offagain into the regions of infinite space, to suchimmense distances, as to be totally deprived ofthe light and heat, which the rest of the planetsreceive from that luminary.

What a magnificent idea of the Creator andhis works is here presented to the imagination!The sun, a stupendous body of fire, is placedin the center of the system, round whose orb,the planets, satellites, and comets, perform theirrevolutions, with an order and regularity thatmust fill our minds with the most exalted con-ceptions- of their divine Original. Who cancontemplate the magnitudes and distances ofthese vast bodies, and the beautiful harmony oftheir motions, and not be struck with the gran-deur of the scene, and the power of omnipo-tence ! But what must be our astonishment whenwe are told, that this glorious system, with all,its superb furniture, is only a small part of theuniverse ; and if it could be wholly annihilated,would be no more miffed, by an eye that couldtake in the whole creation, than a grain of sandfrom the sea-shore.

To form a proper idea or the extent of theuniverse, and the more glorious works of crea-tion, we must turn onr attention to the starryfirmament; and visit those numerous and splen-did