buttheearthhasscarcelybeenhabitablesincethesunwaslastinitspresentpositioninitsorbitaroundCosmos。Thecurvethatoursystemfollowsisofsuchradiusthatitwouldrequirethemostpreciseobservationsforcenturiestoshowthatitwasnotastraightline。
\"Wecallthistheuniversebecauseitisallthattheclearesteyesortelescopeshavebeenabletosee,butitisonlyasubdivision——infact,butasystemonavasterscalethanthatofthesunorofSirius。Farbeyondthisvisibleuniverse,myintuitiontellsme,areothersystemsmoregiganticthanthis,andentirelydifferentinmanyrespects。Eventheeffectsofgravitationaremodifiedbythechangedcondition;forthesesystemsarespreadoutflat,liketheringsofthisplanet,andtheetherofspaceisluminousinsteadofblack,ashere。Thesesystemsarebutinalaterstageofdevelopmentthanours;andinthecourseofevolutionourvisibleuniversewillbechangedinthesameway,asIcanexplain。
\"Inincalculableages,theforwardmotionoftheplanetsandtheirsatelliteswillbecheckedbytheresistanceoftheetherofspaceandthemeteoritesandsolidmattertheyencounter。
Meteoritesalsoovertakethem,and,bystrikingthemasitwereintherear,propelthem,butmoreareencounteredinfront——anillustrationofwhichyoucanhavebywalkingrapidlyorridingonhorsebackonarainyday,inwhichcasemoredropswillstrikeyourchestthanyourback。Thesameruleappliestobodiesinspace,whilethemeteoritesencounteredhavemoreeffectthanthosefollowing,sinceinonecaseitisthespeedofthemeteorminusthatoftheplanet,andintheotherthesumofthetwovelocities。Withthischeckingoftheforwardmotion,thecentrifugalforcedecreases,andtheattractionofthecentralbodyhasmoreeffect。Whenthistakesplacetheplanetorsatellitefallsslightlytowardsthebodyaroundwhichitrevolves,therebyincreasingitsspeedtillthecentrifugalforceagainbalancesthecentripetal。Thiswouldseemtomakeitdescendbyfitsandstarts,butinrealitytheapproachisnearlyconstant,sothattheorbitsareinfactslightlyspiral。WhatistrueoftheplanetsandsatellitesisalsotrueofthestarswithreferencetoCosmos;thoughmanyevenofthesehavesubordinatemotionsintheirgreatjourney。Thoughthesatellitesofthemoonsrevolveabouttheprimariesinorbitsinclinedatallkindsofanglestotheplanesoftheecliptics,andeventhemoonsvaryintheirpathsabouttheplanets,theplanetsthemselvesrevolveaboutthestars,likethoseofthissystemaboutthesun,insubstantiallythesameplane;andwhatistrueoftheplanetsisevenmoretrueofthestarsintheirorbitsaboutCosmos,sothatwhen,afterincalculableages,theydofall,theystrikethismonstersunatornearitsequator,andnotfallingperpendicularly,butinalinevaryingbutslightlyfromatangent,andatterrificspeed,theycausethecolossustorotatemoreandmorerapidlyonitsownaxis,tillitmustbecomegreatlyflattenedatthepoles,astheearthisslightly,andasJupiterandSaturnareagooddeal。EventhoughnotallthestarsareexactlyintheplaneofCosmos\'sequator,asyoucanseetheyarenotthereareasmanyaboveasbelowit,sothatthegeneralaveragewillbethere;andasallaremovinginthesamedirection,itisnotnecessaryforalltostrikethesameline,thosestrikingnearerthepoles,wherethecirclesaresmaller,andwherethesurfaceisnotbeingcarriedforwardsofastbythegiant\'srotation,willhaveevenmoreeffectinincreasingitsspeed,sinceitwillbelikeattachingthedriving—rodsofalocomotiveneartheaxleinsteadofnearthecircumference,andwithenoughpowerwillproduceevengreaterresults。AsCosmoswaxesgreaterfromtheresultofthesecontinualaccretions,itsattractionforthestarswillincrease,untilthosecomingfromtheouterregionsofitsuniversewillmoveatsuchterrificspeedintheirspiralorbitsthatbeforecomingincontacttheywillbealmostinvisible,havingalreadyabsorbedallsolidmatterrevolvingaboutthemselves。Theseaccessionsofmovingmatter,continuallyreceivedatandnearitsequator,willcauseCosmostospreadoutlikeSaturn\'sringstillitbecomesflat,thoughthebalanceofforceswillbesoperfectthatitisdoubtfulwhetherananimaloramanplacedtherewouldfeelmuchchange。
\"Buttheseuniverses——or,moreaccurately,divisionsoftheuniverse——alreadyplanes,thoughthevastsurfacesarenotsoflatastoprecludebeautifulandgentlyrollingslopes,arespirit—lands,andwillbeinhabitedonlybyspirits。Thentherearegreatphosphorescentareas,andthecolourofthesurfacechangeswitheveryhouroftheday,fromthemostbrilliantcrimsontothesoftestshadeofblue,radiantwithmanycoloursthatyoureyescannotnowsee。Therearealsomyriadsofscentedstreams,consistingofhundredsofdifferentandmulti—colouredliquids,eachwithaperfumesweeterthanthemostdelicateflower,andpouringforththemostheavenlymusicastheygoontheirway。Butbenotsurprisedatthemagnitudeofthechange,forisitnotwritteninRevelation,\'Isawanewheavenandanewearth;forthefirstheavenandthefirstearthwerepassedaway\'？Norcanwebesurprisedatvastness,sublimity,andbeautysuchasneverwasconceivedof,fordowenotfindthisinHisword,\'Eyehathnotseen,norearheard,neitherhaveenteredintotheheartofman,thethingswhichGodhathpreparedforthemthatloveHim\'？Inthisblissfulstate,thosethatfearedGodandobeyedtheirconscienceswillliveonforever;buttheirrestcanneverbecomestagnation,forevolutionisoneofthemostconstantlaws,andneverceases,andtheymustalwaysgoonwardandupward,unspeakablyblessedbytheconsciencestheymadetheirruleinlife,tillinpurityandpowertheyshallequalorexceedtheangelsoftheirLordinheaven。