The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1879-03-20
NATURE AND MAN.

R,racts from recent Sermon by Prof.
David Swing.]
Assuming, therefore, as the more log
n and more useful theory, that our
Universe proceeded from Mind, it must
falOw that it proceeded for the good of
Nsd, for its use and pleasure. The
aea.ed must exist for the Creator. That
infnite Soul which we call Deity must
las produced this immense material
saem, not for the SYSTEMS sake, but
tr His own sake, just as the artist
xves out beautiful statue, not at the
uquest Of the dumb statue, but by re-
mest Of himself. The Psalmist was log
III in singing forth the words:
The heavens declare the glory of God,
a having been formed by powerful
End they must indeed set forth the
hOueht and emotion of that intellectual
Power which ordered them to exist.
he Creator is the reason of the created.
Enust follow then that the Being whom
mcall God, is being who can draw
hPpiness from an external world that
b scattered stars, the vast circle in
which they move, the vast bulk of
many Of them, their varieties of light
md heat, all these countless details are
spsrpetual joy to the Intelligence who
sgoked forth this wonderful variety.
Such . theory is perfect answer to
nose who ask US to mark that the earth
Y beautiful where no man dwells, and
nat the glories of the midnight sky 90
% esen while man is sunk to sleep.
Anmay be absent from island or con-
nent or he may be lost in slumbers,
Mifthe universe was made in the first
lnstance for the Maker, then there is no
an Of the sublimity or beauty which
IN vain, and there sis no flower that
born to blush unseen and waste its
meetness on desert air." In order to
epaln all that greatness and beauty
agond the sense of man it is necessary
aiy 70 remember that God is Soul,
~ having made the creation for Him.
~, must certainly have possessed the
power OF enjoying the great production.
Asepoor little mortals, building a lit.
Y home for ourselves, enjoy deeply its
Ongnt fire on the hearth and in the
Pnngtime the sunshine on its door-sill
= ialling around upon its upspringing
sS and opening buds, so He that
salls 4. shat sublime residence which we
4 Tempt TO see with our telescopes must,
~ us mortals, love the home He has
sls and feel a divine joy in the planets
M suns which bestud His fields, and
ne foliage and flowers which bedeck
ae .e perfume millions of worlds. The
~ rrsaalIlon OF Deity which represents
~. aa Is an Essence self-sufficient, inca
s.sls o. being made more happy, is a
~ sdnlaen BORN out of our ignorance,
~ one which leaves no reason to be
.N Iano Why God should have made an
slslnai cosmos. Better far that we re-
Apar definition and make God a
~ sss. q happiness that comes from
a~ ssnOul' and that therefore there is no
sa,hnslc without Soul that loves
Is. & auu no rose that bushes unseen, and
rssl ~ no sparrow sings unloved, nor, as
4 ss teaches US so delicately, falls to
M vund n without breathing out it's
ss.s.l ~ ,,le IN the plying hand Of the All
a. y. y iAe chief reason for discussing
- :. aeme ! shall find in some of the
H. s.:ncee to be deduced from it rather
! ~ ~, Y the theme direct. 1t would seem
~ Suow that the universe having been
s.;ss 49, largely for the pleasure of such a
~. g God, there must pervade it
ss.ss s aolsy which, to complete itself,
mo.s draw into its method
nrs worlds than our little
a; 3 saa;, That is. our small planet must
4. wy V Leaf from a vast forest, and
n M ! ys'sSm ySsosmos in itself. 1t is only a note
49, ~ alalge piece Of world-music. As
lss Ss = proceeds in its analysis of light
-. - s and in its estimates of the
/ eSs s : of the steller bodies, it finds our
IL y pe only one of millions in some
Fam s i essential elements of nature, and
Il = ssss sasse facts of science, and from
/ n s,asral u,sa'a law ,, Of unity, we may infer
sopn5 Poa On millions OF planets revolving
otuer suns there is to-dav q mar.