Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-10-31
GODS GLORY IN THE HEAVENS.

Wherever we look, however fondly
We penetrate the depths of space, we
find, go far as we can see, m power,
one law, n reasonable intelligence
~pervading and controlling all; an intel
ligence which we a recognize as har-
monizing with our own wherever we
can follow it. We find distant worlds
moving just as they would move it the
same law of gravitation prevailed with
them as it does with us; and terrestrial
mathematics, mechanics and optics APP
ply to them as well as to the earth.
Meteors fall, and bring us from inter-
planetary space only familiar elements.
In the luminous music of the rays of
distant stars we detect familiar indica-
tions of familiar earthly substances. In
the spectrum of such q star as Capella,
iron and sodium, magnesium and by
drogen, manifest themselves precisely rs
they do in u sun or on the earth. The
heavens declare the essential unity of
matter, and theoretically that of God
Himself. l have spoken Of the apparent
fact that gravitation in the star-depths
is the same as on the earth. Now,
what are we to think of gravitation, or,
indeed, Of any kind of force, acting be-
tween particles of matter? Are we to
imagine that the particles which sat
tract" have some kind of sense by
which they recognize each others ex-
istence and position. and some kind of
intelligence by which they can calculate
exactly how strongly to pull each
other, and some kind of will and power,
and some material connection with
0onh 0thnVs hyy ,o,oorc @f 1vhsnL 49,,
actually produce the pull? Are we to
suppose this; or, rather, that some one
a%ll-pervading sense, intelligence and
power is the real and ultimate agent in
the case? One, of whom science a
perhaps reveal something as to His ON
nipresence, omniscience, and omnipo-
tence, but nothing more; while only
revelation and u own tilial SYM
pathy Il speak it reverently) can make
known His personality and holiness and
love.
One would not dare to say that no
explanation of gravitation will wei be
discovered, .correlating it with other
physical forces, like those of chemical,
electrical and magnetic attractions; but
1t is quite safe to say that, even after
snch discovery, the real mystery of
force will still remain as unsolved as
ever, lying somewhere in the region
where spirit and matter touch each
other. One lesson is most impressive
" taught by astronomy; namely. the
folly OF attempting to measure Gods
ideas and purposes by human notions
OF utility and value. l do not mean
that we can not and do not in many
cases recognize His ideas in the rela-
lions, proportions and arrangements
OF a system; bat only this, that
in multitudes, perhaps even in the
majority OF cases, we find ourselves
batf1ed. ellis wisdom is u~nsearchable,
and his ways past finding out" Irefer
to the wastes" of creation-the desc
late, Unreasonable solitudes between
the stars, occupied apparently only by
scattered bits of meteoric matter hun
dreds of miles apart--worlds, by the
million apparently unsuited fer any
kind OF life-suns shining "uselessly''
except as to some almost infmtesimal
fraction of their radiance. So far as we
can see, only a few things in the uni
verse are of any use at all; not, of
course, because other things really have
no use, but simply because we. ourselves
are SO limited i'll our understandings
that we are as. unable to comprehend
them as one born blind to understand q
telescopes. S. Times.