Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-11-22

| dear end ~ all its lnmensify-ean sweep the
outer boundaries of such creation, or liz itself
npff the majesty Of that great and Invisible arm
/ On Hhieh all is suspended.".s
/ Still ehs auesti0n recnrs. " hat are these dis
tent biects of so much interest and attraction
| certainiy they must Be bodies Of immense mag.
ntuds OF they e0uld not be seen at sue b an iua-
1 lnease distance Of place they oeenPy from orr
! heulisphere And for the same reason the light
| they communicate to Us. like that Of our sun.
| mast belOnR exclusively 10 themselves, because
1 q reflected light without any inheFent energy in
fhrouFF theuaists ana Sicissitudes Of such N ex-
! cursioR. But the dominions OF the Alnighty
1 Cannot be subjected to thee Of mortals, We
are Sest a these distant points o. oossrvs.on ~
4 of feeblonees and imbeciiity inherent in our
visions themselves But shall we feel author
ized by our ineaPaeity to take in the e INFINITE to
| plored and 90 rs tmpenstrable regions that lie
beyond our observation; that at the point OF
| our exhaustion, the creative energies Of Jeno-
| Certainly the Infinite nature of God must have
1 3 boHRdless home 10 dwell in; and II we should
| wing cur way beyond the boundaries o. tue
| ihroagh dark, and silent. and uneccupied
regions In the boundessnes of that space
which his boandiess nature must for ever occupy,
but which our visions have failed TO penetrate,
has Jehovah left no traces of his presence and
bis poWeF, as he has done everywhere else
within the ranges Of our Obsefyatienl When
me h1s approaches nSt rss0, 20 nRs' tbat WSat
diseoverabie and pslpabie may, in the contrast.
be bus the small dust Of the balance to the i'm
msasar4bls unseen And though some inseTu-
table power should sweep away all that Is visi-
bic, and all that the liveiest fancy can grasp.
may there not lie under the eye Of God other
helds OF creation, over which the DIVINITY may
preside, and which he may have dotted with
countless worlds even more grand and Tondrous
than any our little eyes have yet been able 10
take in ?" Were all that is observable OF his
workmanship utterly obliterated. and no traces
Of his creative energies left behind. and all the
places that are now teeming with life and Hetlv-
ity be thrown into one vast solitude, yet to the
infinite mind, y mind that constantly compTe-
hends the whole system of nature, might TINS
solitude appear rs nothing or al most but as
small unoccupied spot in the midst OF that
boundless iLnmensity which surrounds 1t, and
which he may have garnshed with the spiendors
of his omnipoteuce. Were the pent-up fires
that now subsist upon the bowels of our earth TO
put forth their iiaming tongue and utterly lick
il up were the knell ofits annihilatiOn sounded;
were yon outstretched sky rolled together as a
scroll. and the wonderful glory wherewith the
Creator has adorned il eXtinguished for ever,
certainly we should be appalled,. and trembling
would take hold upon our manhood. and other
observing worlds might be filled with fearful
apprehensi0ns for the safety of their founda-
tion. as 80 many suns would be quenched, and
so many varied scenes of life and of population
would rush into forgetfulness; yet what would
all this be, in the high scale on which the Gre
atOr would demonstrate his being and his
majesty Above and beyond all this annihila-
tion. there are other creations, aud the effulg-
ence OF other. suns irradiates them' and the
ornaments which oVerhang them are bedecked
with other stars"
If we can thereby intensity the idea of Gods
| absolute majesty, is it too much for human Gre
| dence, is 1t too visionary, presumptuous, and
fanatica to assert, that over these boundless and
uneKplored regions he asserts his moral and
| spiritual government? that upon them are the
| footprints of an intelligent and busy people?
| that the charities of home and of nelghborho0d
| flourish there that his constant and effulgent
! presence, and that his boundless and constantly
experienced goodness are matters of high praise.
| and subjects Of intense rejoicing? that q di
| vine enlightenment and piety have there their
erected affairs, their offerings and their worship?
| And that there the demonstrated and divine
peTfections are ever felt, admired ana adored By
intelligent and deveut wor5hipers2
If we shall allow the law of analogy to solve
these questions it will bring its abundantly con-
yincing evidence to show us that the Creator has
done precisely for the accommodation of the
| planets what he has done for the men and the
| beasts and the birds and the insects that dwell
| on the face Of our earth. The wisest phiioso-
pliers tell US that they not only perform their
yearly revolution round the sun, but they have,
too, the same suceeSsiOn OF day and night, the
| vicissitudes ofseasons, and that some of them
| have moons to rule their night and alleviate the
| darkness OF it; that it may be seen OF one that
its surface rises into inequalities, that 1t swells
| into mountains and stretches into valleys of
| another that tits surrounded by an atmosphere
| which may support the respiration of sentient
beings; OF third, that clouds are formed and
| suspended over ii which may minister to it all
| the bloom and luxuTiance Of vegetation; and
they go SO far as TO tell us Of another that
1 spotless mantis spreads over ITS northern re-
gions as its winter advances and that on the Ap-
! pToach of summer this Whiteness is dissipateds
giving room to suppose that the element OF water
sbounds in it, that it rises BY evaporation into
its atmosphere. that IT freezes upon the applica-
ton OF cold, that il il preciptated in the form
| of snow that it covers the ground with heecy
mantle which melts away from the heat Of a
| more vertical sun, and that other worlds bear
| resemblance TO our own in the same yearly round
of benifcent and interesting ehanges."
And then, above and beyond all these and at
| point to which human vision never penetrates,
and whittier human conception never wings its
| way, we know. on the sure testimony of the Gre
atOT, that there is world all 'resnlendent with
| the glory OF his presence, in which is the tree
| and the river of life. and Whsrsin dwell thpRs-
ands upon thousands. and ten times thousands
| Of thousands, and TO which are being gathered
| thousands upon thousands, and ten times thou
| sands OF otthousands more, as the generations Of
| the saints of the Most High quit their earthly
tenements. and that all these worship at the
same altar. sing the saue songs, bask ~ the same
light, and share the same inefable glory.
And after all this, though it be mighty and
| difficult conception, yet who can question itf
Aud il therefore in the panic and dismay that
seized upon the confederate kings and their
hosts when they looked upon Jerusalem and OBJ
| served her bulWarka and counted her towers,
they pTeeipitately fed hetore these Hplltted
signs of the Divine majesty and protection
| which the inspired singer so eloquently and
touchhgig celsbrqtes, when, IN the words OF my
text, he exclaims. y Great is the Lord, and
greatly to be praised" how does not the high
| Thought magnify upon our conception when we
| contemplate Jehovah in the yastness of che
| works we have been viewing, and by which be
| would ILLUSTRATE his being, his wisdom, power,
| and goodness2 For the more we are enabled TO
| apprehend of the proportions OF nature. the
loftier must be our conceptions OF Him who
sits in high authority over the concerns OF so
wide universe. 80, -
mInds To full apprehension Of the mysterious
and almighty agency that, constantly presldes
over preserves directs, ana dsPoses o. all ~ t9as
| own glory. Yet such is the incomprehensibie
| fact that the Infinite One, hose eye is abroad
over the whole universe, gives vegetation to
| every blade of grass and vitality TO every drop
| of blood which cireulates through the veins of
Che isinHtest snimal; that though his mind
| takes into It's comprehensive grasp lmmen-
| sity and all its wonders am as much kaQ4n 10
| him as if / were the single object OF his atten-
tion; that be marks ell my thoughts; that he
| gives birth to every feeling and every move
| r1ent within me and that with an exercise OF
| poyer which can neither describe nor eompre-
bend the same God who sits in the highest
| mament il at my right hand, to give me every
breath which draw ane eFer1 ee4ioFi Fhieh !
enjoy. 49, -
bensibie in his nature and so wonderful in all
the demonstrations Of his wisdom and power,
and at the same time so dear 10 the hearts OF
all sinIess beings, is clothed with terror. and
armed Eith vengeance in the eyes cf creatures
such as We 0Hr Tece have been seduced from
their allegiance to the Infinite One by the
"'plottins sagacity Of one who siandsfpre-enF
nent AGAINST God amidst the hosts of univeT-
saI and terrible rebellion" The crown has fallen
from our heads: the pail Of death lies upon our
beauty and there is q universal conviction that
| he strength of the Infinite Majesty is en-
barked agaipst us; fear and trembling have
seized upoz, ss whilst a widespread and uni-
yersai catastrophe has overtsken our pTesump-
ton madness, and guilt
Where shall an adequate restitution be
| found How shall the breach which sin
has driven between the Creator and the
creatures be closed, and man DC re-
stored to the favor Of his Maker and Judge
-the most important question IN the universe TO
be answered and at the same time the most
| d;eicult If offences lie between men. the judge
NAV adiudicate the case; but II q man an against
jehovah, who shall become his intercessor
Between the majesty Of Heaven AID nan N ms
| Guilt no finite inteligeuces eouid successfully
interpose. Even the hishest orders Of an gene
beings must be poweTless In case hSe tnls, ne-
| cause es subordinate beings, they could nos 40
| more than accomplish their own obedience.
These grave questions lie exclusively between
the offended and the offender; aad yer diincui-
tiee which would seem wholly insurmounfasle
attend the solution Of them ny ether parry, pg,
The only coneeigsble restitution that man could
rrate must come in the form Of EEPFNTAScE,
| cooD WORKS or VOLUNTARY sCFFRRlSGss iness
| sxbonsf OH human ideas OF restitution IN such
| rere. ard vet neither these nor all OF them
1nsef RE eIpergenc;es Of cur race The bitter
- nenitsnoa for sip can never repair ITS
| breacbes nor the bIoodiest tesEs wash sWay rs
sfe;ns Becalse. IN the Language of another
| - xrzaibta far mast repentance