Are the Planets Inhabited?
By M. E. Cornell
THINGS invisible may be understood, to some extent, by things which do appear. See Rom. i, 20. We read that God "made the worlds." Heb. i, 2. If our world is one of the "worlds," and it was made to be inhabited, may we not conclude that others are inhabited also? If not made to be inhabited, are they not made in vain. Of one of these worlds it is said, "He created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited." Isa. xlv, 18. From this passage we infer that if the earth had not been formed to be inhabited it would have been created in vain. Astronomy teaches that there are many worlds, and that they are provided with suns and moons, to give them light. But why has the Creator made this provision if they are not inhabited? That there is, at least one world besides ours, inhabited by intelligent beings, is absolutely certain; for some of those heavenly beings have visited this world on errands of mercy, and have demonstrated their existence by walking, and talking, and even eating with men. The idea that God is dependent on this little speck in the universe for the glory due to himself, is altogether too contracted. Some have spoken proudly, and have limited, "The high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity." The following from Jacobus' Notes in regard to the immense distance of the fixed stars, may help to give us some idea of the infinity of space. "In 1837, Prof. Bessel of Germany, commenced a series of astronomical measures for getting the exact distance of the fixed stars, a thing that had never been70done. The instrument which he used in connection with a powerful telescope, in his experiments, was called the great Konigsberg heliometer. After three years' hard labor, he was so fortunate as to obtain a parallax, but so minute, that he could hardly trust his reputation upon it. But after repeated trials and working out the result, he was fully satisfied that he could give the true distance to sixty-one cygni. But who can comprehend this immense space? We can only convey an idea to the mind, of this distance, by the fact that light which travels twelve millions of miles in a minute, requires not less than ten years to reach us! Just let any one try to take in the idea. One hour would give 720,000,000 of miles; one year, then—8,760 hours—this gives 6,307,200,000,000, and this multiplied by ten, gives 63,072,000,000,000. This, according to Bessel, is the distance of the nearest fixed star to the sun. All astronomers confirm the correctness of Prof. Bessel's calculations. But this distance, great as it is, is nothing to be compared to the distance of the Milky Way. Sir William Herschel says that the stars, or suns, that compose the Milky Way, are so very remote, that it requires light, going at the rate of 12,000,000 of miles in a minute, 120,000 years to reach the earth. And he says there are stars, or rather nebulae, five hundred times more remote! Now make your calculation; 120,000 years reduced to minutes, and then multiply that sum by 12,000,000, and the product by 5,000. What an overwhelming idea! The mind sinks under such a thought; we cannot realize it; it is too vast even for comprehension. David says (Psa. ciii, 19) "The Lord hath prepared his throne in the Heavens, and his kingdom (or government) ruleth over all." M. E. CORNELL.