The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1899-09-15
SPIRITUAL RESTORATION.
Gravitation Not the only Law Of Nn-
ture-Forces That Uplift
and EnnObIe.

About a year since the French astron-
omer, Flammarion, published in one Of
our popular periodicals sketch called
"The End Of the World" II was EN-
beilished by many engravings showing
that the operations OF natural law are
slowly but surely reducing the physical
world 20 one uniform, dead level The
waters which are carried by eyapora-
tion and air currents TO the heights Of
the mountains, discharge their bur-
den on the mountain peaks and bear
with them on their return vast masses
of rock and earth. The crags, broken
by frost and thunder, east their fall
ing walls into the depths of the can
yon whence the swollen streams filed
with melted SHOWS spread their dis
integrated particles over the alluyial
plain. "Then cometh the end And
the final picture shows the great globe
itself reduced TO 'pasty mass, as
smooth and featureless as the lump Of
clay which turned under the hands OF
the potter upon his wheel loses every
protuberance and finds every feature
perfectly erased.
Is this then the end Of the world? SO
faras wecan judge 10y the operations Of
the one great force mosteyident 10 the
senses. II is. Blu, those who look be-
low the surface Of things find facts TO
give pause to such swift conclusions.
Standing. for instance, at Manitou,
above Colorado Springs, one sees the
great red masses Of primeyal sand
stone lifted high in air and balanced
with indescrbable deXterity upon the
oroded shales or limestones beneath.
What does this mean TO the educated
observer but that some other power
than rravitation has had a hand in
the shaping of the world? All Of ma
lures powers are not working toward
the dead level of Flammarion. Other
powers than those he instances are
lifting up the mountains into azure
depths and making the dull insensate
earth the fit abode of man who loves
the beauty and serenity and heights.
So if we were 10 drop down into one
of the great California mines, for in
stance that below Table mountain, we
should discover ourselves exploring the
beds OF ancient rivers that once formed
valleys. but which are now hundreds
if not thousands of feet above the pres
ent sea level and running directly
across the axis of the range itself. What
does this mean but that while nature
destroys she still restores the forms Of
strength and beauty displayed about
us?
Throughout the Word of God we
read of one thus mighty TO restore
I'm the realm of the soul Most readers
pass lightly over such passages, but IN
them lies a world Of meaning. The
ore dominant force Of a merely world
lv life is 70 reduce all spiritual beings
10 n low dead level. The downward
tug IS ever present, and the trend to-
ward the abyss is felt by every one that
lives. But true as this is, undeniable
ms Il is that sin abounds. IL IS brought
10 light equally by Scripture and ex-
perience that grace does much more
abound That Divine power inter-
posed when II seemed that the end OF
spiritual existence was 10 be simply
the broken debris Of a disintegrated
world dissolved IN sin. And that pow
er by the word Of prophet, the admo-
milton Of the. saint, the sacrifice Of the
priest and the redemption wrought by
the Son Of God, lifted a sinking world
into the heights Of loves own AZURE
restored" to dwell in heavenly places
I'm Christ Jesus. "IIe restoreth my
SOUL" says the Psalmist. "IIe shall re-
store all things" is the message Of the
Gospel The end of the world is not its
destruction, but "a new earth in which
dwelleth righteousness" and for that
vision God be thanked.-Chicago In
terror.