St. Landry democrat., 1883-05-19
God, and In nnlOrtaiity.

evening to very crowded house, on
"Glimpses Of Glory" The speakers
aim was to show the existence OF a
Creator, by the evidence OF design IN
the working and order of our own solar
system and the innumerable other solar
systems of the universe. Beginning
with Mercury, the planet of our system
nearest the sun, he enumerated them all
in their order-Venus, Earth, Mars,
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Nep-
tune, the farthest from the
the asteroids and
the satellites; he gave their sizes
and distances from the sun and each 9TH
er, the times of their revolutions on
their axes, and OF their revolutions
round the sun; he showed what an in
conceivable length OF time it would
take to travel from the planets to the
Sun, or to make the circuit OF their or
bits round the sun, by the most rapid
means of travel known to human life.
Though our Earth turns over on its own
axis at the rate of one thousand miles an
hour, and moves in its orbit round the
Sun the rate Of sixty EIGHT thousand
miles an hour, there are other planets in
our system that move much faster. Not
withstanding the immense aggregate
mass of all these planets and satellites,
the sun is much greater than them all
combined. Our solar system is complex
and vast, but the working OF its compo-
nent parts is like clockwork, and itnev-
er gets out Of order. Our solar system,
though so vast, when compared with all
the solar systems that fill space, is not
as mnch as drop of water compared
with what all the oceans contain. Our
Sun, though the center OF our system,
is simply planet that revolves around
some other far away greater sun, and
carries our planets along as satellites.
The fixed stars also are suns, the centers
Of solar systems, that have greater suns
still further off in the universe. And
Tins the universe is filled with lesser
and greater solar systems, that work
like wheels within wheels, and are held
in place by the power OF tho Infinite
whose throne is at the centerof them all,
il we can conceive that the universe has
any center.
The lecture lasted about an hour and
half, and was attentively listened to.
The speaker had difficult task. Some
knowledge Of astronomy was necessary
to enable the congregation to apprecl-
ate the lecture. The speaker was COM
PEELED to treat the subject as he wonld
in lecturing class in astronomy. This
would naturally tire those who were
tolerably familiar with the subject, and
not enlighten much those totally lgno-
rant of it. His appropriate selection OF
words, without surplusage; his clear
and distinct enunciation that was never
too loud nor too low, and his direct
ness and vigor in treating the subject,
made the lecture entertaining both to
those to whom the subject was trite and
to those who knew little or nothing
about it. AS there was no one present
nrobably who was not settled in belief
as to the existence of a Supreme Being,
the province of the lecture was
merely entertainment; but tomorrow
morniug at eleven o'clock, at the same
Mace. the same speaker will preach a
sermon or deliver an address on the
"Immortality of the Soul" We sup
| pose this will include the question as
| to whether man has soul to be immor-
tai. as distinguished from the lower an
imals. Between the highest and lowest
types Of mankind, the difference is
greater than between the lowest Of men
and the highest of apes. Is the mind
of man different from that of other
animals in kind or only in degree
Is there necessity for man to have
an immortal soul or spirit Has man
proved by his conduct here that he is
worthy Of Immortality Is there any
thing in nature to show that he is I'M
mortal? If man is immortal, and it is
the will Of his Creator that he should
know it, there should be as satisfactory
evidence in nature of. the fact, as there
is of a Creator. From the nature of the
subject and the ability of the speaker
t),is sermon or address on Immortality
will certainly be exceedingly interest
ing and we fear the house will not be
large enough for all who attend.
| The street commissioners have beer
| doing a good work in the north end Of
| hu opanino nuf streets buildino