Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1906-02-17

60 Or some are yellow or purple, or
pale green or emerald green. or white
or blue. or orange or sapphire. or Grim
son Some stars give forth steady
light: others are variable. Citi and
Mira ana Algol and Agnus are chang
ing their volume of light necessarily.
Some are stars Of the first magnitude.
others of the second. the third, the
fourth. the nth. the sixth. the seventh.
the eighth or even the ninth magni-
tndc Argclandcr the great astronomer.
catalOgued the stars In reference TO the
different sizes. as n jeweler might clas-
sify his gems by the color, the size and
the purity Of the precious stones. all OF
which implies that In heaven. when we
shine as the stars forever and ever, we
shall all keep our own individualitieS
and have our distinctive claractcris-
ties Of light. Yes heaven is 10 he a
place of infinite variety Of immortal
life. hut though you and !, when we
reach heaven. will be different In many
ways. there is one way which we shall
all he similar when we shine as the
stars forever and ever. We shall all
shine with supernatural light.
How do know this? Why. also by
the symbol of the stars. Let me ex-
plain. Now a star is not planet like
the earth II Is Il self luminous body,
like the sun. II Is n great furnace in
the heavens. which goes on. year after
year and century after century and
millennium after millennium. giving
forth lis heat and light, as our own
sun for millions of years has been heat
ing aud lighting our planet Now
comes the practical question. What
fuel feeds those seemingly ineXhausti-
bic furnaces: II is absurd 10 suppose
that here and there stray meteor
drawn into those awful masses of heat
could keep M the supply and combus-
ton century after century and millen-
MUM after millennium. Sir William
Thomson. the celebrated mathematician
and physicist. says that the sun will
burn at least five or six million years
longer. When one estimates the fact
that the suns volume or bulk Is at
least l,3O0.000 times larger than the
earth he begins partly TO realize the
enormous heat which this stars light is
giving forth. What causes all this light
Of the star: oh" YOU answer. II can
not explain II upon any rational
grounds. Let us say II comes from
Col" Thus say we in reference to that
spiritual light which shall make us
shine as the stars forever and ever.
Friend. no earthly light will make you
thus shine forever and ever Have you
the spiritual light: Have you that light
which comes only from touching the
living Goals OF the spirits fire? If you
have no: that spiritual light within you.
will you let God put IL there now:
Their influence Lasting.
But there is still another fact 10
which want TO call your attention 10
these spiritual stars. Though they may
shine forever ana ever in heaven. their
spiritual light will not be lost 10 earth
as long MS this world lasts My text
reads thus: They that be wise shall
shine as the brightness of the frma-
mcnt. and they that turn many TO
righteousness rs the stars forever and
ever" DO YOU not see IL As the i'm
mortal soul winner leaves this planet
he viii not only shine In the other
world. but also In this world NO"
says some one. Il do not see H." | will
explain II In the words of great as
tronomcr. Listen: Some stars are so
distant that their beams may have oc-
cupicd thousands OF years In journey
ing to the EARTH yet these bodies. II
suddenly nnnihilated would still con
tlnue 10 shine upon us fer thousands OF
years To come" So there are great men
whose existence has long since termi-
mated hut the influence of whose spirit
still irradiates our world Milton.
historians ana philosophers. though
gone from our sphere. still shine upon
il rs stars Of the first magnitude. II
our light for good or evil is TO shine
AMI continue To shine after we have
gone into the eternitics. how can we
neglect to make that light the spiritual
light it ought to bei
To show the length OF time the light
Of some Of the stars would continue to
shine upon the earth after the star IL
self was dead would quote from an
address which Dr. Gill. the astronomer,
delivered before the Royal institute OF
London Il few years ago. Among 9th
cr things he said: so far as all existing
researches go Centauri is the nearest
Of the fixed stars. To get some idea OF
its distance we Will imagine Il railroad
reaching from the earth 10 that luni-
nary Travelling at the rate OF sixty
miles per hour ii would take - 1868. 900
years for the train to reach this nearest
star" I le brain staggers under such
a computation. but IL is one still more
profound that the prophet makes when
he tells lis that the winner OF souls
shall shine forever and ever. Our lights
for good or evil will shine longer than
even the farthermost star of space
whose light now touches this earth.
They WI shine on and on as the win
ners al souls. or their evil results will
continue Ia he felt as the dcstroyers of
souls who will never reach heaven. be-
81.