The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1899-07-27
THE GREAT UNIVERSE.
ITS WONDERFUL MYSTERIES.
Some Grand Lessons to Learn.
Virginian-Pilot.

AAO60S&40
Virginian-Pilot.
The effort to comprehend even the
mere boundless magnitude of the uni
verse and its ever expanding length,
breadth and depths makes the brain
reel and shudder. He who allows his
mind to dwell: upon the problem and
to venture further into space, has to
recall it in panic haste, with an awful
sense that it was in imminent danger
of falling into unfathomable abyss
beyond all possibility Of return.
For all that, nevertheless, ininlty
and eternity are cognizable to our linn
tied intellects for, if they are reliable
as far as they can go (and We must as
sumo them to be SO, OR abandon all at
tempts to think, Or reason, Or beleve),
then infnity and eternity are necessl-
ties Of space and time, fer If we can
neither measure nor explore either,
all the more are we Incapable OF fixing
Or imagining bound to either. 1t Is
with respect to space and time as with
sum in division which carried ad in
finitum still has sum In remainder );
for space and time, pursued in any ai-
rectlon ad infinitum each have limit
less beyond that appeals to research and
computation.
We understand at once how small
q part is our solar system OF one stu
pendous whole. And our world
this earth--is but one Of the smaller
attendants, or planets attached to the
sum. The starry host visible to us at
night still minimize and depreciate
this paltry globe, and what re see IN
the heavens at immense distances, tells
Us of innumerable stars and worlds be
yond of which these visible ones are
but the outskirts and astronomy,
with all its means and appliances to
boot, tells Us that all its explorations.
calculations and science but confirm
the existence OF thronging spheres on
spheres in innunlerable multitude
throughout all space, whose length,
breadth and depth surpass all measure
as they do all conception. As space
is an infnlty, without beginning, end,
or any limit, so Is time and eternity,
backward or forward, without begin
ming, end, or any limit.
What is the lesson of all this? Is
tito exalt creatures who exist in this
corner of the grand and terrible uni
verse, on an Insignificant clod OF earth
Is it to teach them that they may do
as they please with impunity, sure OF
being overlooked in so stupendous a
schemef Nay, verify; neither OF
these is taught by these sublime and
magnificent surroundings, with their
grand moyements and lllimitable ex-
tent. It is humility we should learn
from these environments-a meek
docility that should see that if the
safety and prosperity of our solar sys-
tenn and OF our own planet, are secured
and maintained by perfect order and
yer-iailing obedience to the laws
of nature,-we poor mites must, to
the measure OF our feeble ability. con-
form to the divina order, alone capable
of instituting and sustaining the i'm
me1slty Of the universe and its works,
aud earnestly seek to follow the laws
that make that order and that apply
to our own safety and prosperity here
and hereafter.
It does not become plgmies like US,
in the presence of such magnitude
and might to be dlsorderly and sedi-
tious, scoffers and sorcerers, because
we have been endowed with reason
which should make us all the more
grateful to the Creator and Ruler Of
all things, and the more ready to serve
Him in carrying out His laws and
purposes. Under the circumstances
our treacherous and unfaithful con-
duct exhibits q lack of deeency that is
a lack Of proper sense, and proves that
if ID our willfulness and vain egotIsrn,
re are not arrant kna YES, We can hard
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