Democratic messenger., 1892-12-24
PRICE, Sl.OO PER ANNUM


agonies of centuries. Although we know
comparatively little about the other
worlds lest we become completely dis
satisfied with our own, no doubt the
other worlds have heard and are now
hearing all about this world in the aw-
I full experiment of sin which the human
race has been making.
| In some way interstellar communica-
tion is open. and all worlds. either by
wing of flying spirits or by direct COM
munication from God, are learning that
disloyalty and disobedience doom and
| damn everything they touch. and .he
/ spectacle practically says to all other
worlds: obey God, keep holy and stay
in the orbit where you were intended to
swing, or you will suffer that which that
recreant world ont yonder has been suf-
/ fering for thousands of years." It is no
longer TO me a mystery why so small q
| world as ours was chosen for the trag-
/ edy. \ chemist can demonstrate all the
laws of earth and heaven in a small
laboratory, ten feet by five, and our
world was not too small to demonstrate
To the universe the awful chemistry OF
unrighteousness, its explosive and irving
and consuming power.
do not believe that there is a world
that has been in existence from the
! time when Copernicus the astronomer
knocked ON the door OF heaven, to the
world that last week came within sight
of the observatory at Greenwich, but
has heard of our terrific terrestrial exper-
iment, and the awful object lesson has
thrilled the mulsimillions of stellar pop
ulation. especially when they heard that
in order To arrest the disaster of centuries
the World Maker and the World Starter
and the World Upholder must give mp
his only Son to assassination to expiate
and restore and save the victims of the
planetary shipwreck.
THE TOWER OF PHARoS.
On the tower of Pharos, Egypt, me-
tallic mirror was raised which reflected
all that occurred both on land and sea
for distance of three hundred miles,
and so Egypt was informed of the COM
ing of her enemies long before their ar
rival. BY what process l know not, but
in some way this ship of a struggling
earth, | think, is mirrored to distant
worlds. Surely this one experiment of
Il world unloosing itself from God will
be enough for all worlds and all eter-
mites.
But notice that as other worlds rolled
into the first book of the Bible, the
book of Genesis, they also appear in
the last book Of the Bible, the book Of
Revelation. They will take part in the
scenes of that occasion, which shall be
the earth's winding up and tremen-
dous occasion for You and me person.
/ ally. My father was on the turnpike
road between Trenton and Bound
Brook, New Jersey. He was coming
through the night from the legislative
halls, where he was serving his state, to
his home, where there was sickness. l
often heard him tell about it. 1t was
the night of the l2th and the morning Of
the 18th of November, 1888.
The sky was cloudless and the air
clear. Suddenly the whole heavens be-
came scene never to be forgotten.
From the constellation Leo meteors be-
gan to shoot out in all directions. For
the two hours between four and six in
the morning it was estimated that a
thousand meteors minute flashed and
expired. 1t grew lighter than MONDAY.
Arrows of ire. Balls of fire. Trails of
fire. Showers of fire. Some of the ap-
pearances were larger than the full
moon. All around the heavens explo-
sion followed explosion. Sounds as well
as sights. The air filled with uproar.
All the luminaries of the sky seemed to
have received marching orders. The
heavens ribbed and interlaced and gar
landed with meteoric display. From
horizon TO horizon everything in COM
bustion and confagration.
Many brain that night gave way. It
was an awful strain on strongest nerves.
Millions of people fell on their knees in
prayer. Was the world ending, or was
there some great event for which all
heaven was illuminated? For eight mo-
mentous hours the phenomenon lasted.
East, west. north, south-it looked as
though the heavens were in maniac dis
order. Astronomers watching that night
said that those meteors started from
2,200 miles alove the earth's surface and
moved with ten times the speed Of q
cannon ball.
The owner Of n plantation in South
Carolina says of that night scene: II was
suddenly awakened by the most distress
ing cries that ever fell on my ears.
Shrieks Of horror and cries of mercy
could hear from most of the negroes on
three plantations. amounting in all to
about six or eight hundred. While ear
nestly listening for the cause l heard a
L fatn thn
name. / arose, and taking my sword
stood at the door. At this moment
heard the same voice still beseeching me
TO rise, and saying, oh, my God! the
world is on fire" then opened the door,
and il is difficult to say which excited
me most, the awfulness of the scene or
the distressed cries of the negroes. Up
ward of one hundred lay prostrate on
the ground-Some speechless and some
uttering the bitterest cries, but most
with their hands raised imploring God to
save the world and them. The scene
was truly awful. for never did rain fall
much thicker than the meteors fell to-
ward the earth But the excitement
thus described by the southern planter
ran among the whites as well as the
blacks; among the intelligent as well as
the superstitious.
THE STAR SHOWER OF 1888.
The spectacle ceased not until the ris-
ing sun of the November morning
eclipsed it. and the whole American ma
tion sat down exhausted with the agita-
tions of night to be memorable until
the earth itself shall become falling
star The Bible closes with such a scene
of falling lights-not only fidgety mete-
ors. but grave old stars St. John saw
it in prospect and wrote, The stars of
heaven fell unto the earth, even as fig
tree casteth her untimely figs when she
is shaken of a mighty wind" What a
time that will be when worlds dropi
Rain of planets. Gravitation letting
loose her grip ON worlds. Consultations
ayin0 anart Salaxies dissnlvef