The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-06-22
A SATURDAY SERMON.
THE MILLENNIUM.
Thy kingdom come.-Matthew $40.

| earth. A few pessimists reject this be-
| lief and declare that the world is grow
! ing worse instead of better, but the
great majority accept the idea COM
| monty known as the millennium-the
era OF a thousand years when the power
| of the Evil One over man shall be bro
! ken and there shall be no more wick
edness in the earth.
The problem of the progress and
| destiny of the human race is So vast
| that it can be contemplated only in
! connection with inf1nity itself And
yet the era in which the race may live
| on this earth may be only as one brief
summer that an insect exists in
cycle of centuries.
Astronomers tell us that our solar
system is travelling through space at
the rate of five million miles a year.
The route taken is an elipse which it
will take the solar system 10000 years
to complete. We are now about mid
way of one side of this ellipse, travel
ing toward the end where our solar
system win round the great sun, Arc
turus, and then start back on a jour
ney of $4,000 years to the other end of
the ellipse, toward the Star Polaris.
At the Arcturus end of this ellipse is
the summer season of intense heat,
where the elements will melt with fer
vent heat; at the other end is the win
ter season of intense frigidity. We are
now in the springtime of this vast
cycle of time and life of all kinds is
fiourishing on the earth, but as our plan
cts approach Arcturus in the course of
$4,000 or 10000 years, the heat-so the
astronomers tell us-wil become SO in
tense as to destroy all life.
If the astronomers are correct, this
explains why the Far North shows evil
dences that it was once a torrid region
and why vast glaciers once spread over
these temperate plains of ours. Sci
ence also corroborates the belief that
the world and its contents will some
time perish with fire.
To grasp these ideas one approaches
a faint conception of time and eternity
and space-which are infinite; yet infini-
ty itself the human mind cannot COM
prehend.
Consider then the bIief season that
it is given to the human race to exist
in this vast cycle of time. Mans pro-
portion to the universe is no greater
than is that of the minute microbe to
the great earth. Yet we are assured
that even a sparrow cannot fall to the
ground without the notice of the great
y
finity manifest-and we cannot COM
prehend it.
But man was created on this little
earth, which is only a speck in the
wide universe, and through the inf1u-
ence of evil he became terribly wick
ed So many questions arise In con
sidering these mighty matters-ques-
tions that only inf1nity can answer
that man can only accept the voice or
faith in his own soul or leave them
unanswered. But of the fact of his ex-
istence, and of his depravity and ignor-
ance, there lis no question. ~
And now he is toiling up the heights
to where he may once more look out
over the plains of infinity and under
stand. In his wickedness and depravi-
ty, knowledge was taken from him;
for had he known all the secrets and
laws of nature he would have used
them to conquer his fellows, So little
by little his character is Improving,
and in corresponding degree he is un-
locking the stores of knowledge.
1t was undoubtedly a beneficent idea
of Providence to deprive man of know
ledge in the days of his wickedness.
Suppose in the old feudal days when
might made right men had possessed
the knONlSQS6 u SAtSllANlNS anu SNNAAA4
that they do now-the powerful would
have used it to Cypress the weak even
more than they were oppressed. But
these secrets were kept from men until
principles of right and justice had so
far prevailed as to warrant that JUS |
tice would rule in the main, and then |
Providence unlocked one by one the |
secrets of nature.
Yet the unlocking process has little |
more than begun, although it is now |
going forward much more rapidly than |
ever before. The power of steam, and |
some of the uses of electricity have
been discovered and are now used for |
the advancement of the race. A thou |
sand years ago they might have been
used for it's destruction. We are just |
be ginning to learn of electricity. The |
kingdom of the air will shortly be con-
quered by the airship. In mental sci
ence and in metaphysics, students are |
lust inserting the keys in the locks |
that seal their secrets. Scientists are |
Just beginning to learn how to prolong |
human life.
Thomas A. Edison estimates that we
know but a minute fragment of the |
knowledge that is to be gained. This |
Is undoubtedly true. But as the world |
grows better; as men understand better
bow to use their knowledge for the |
good of their fellows and the glory of |
their Creator; as humanity rises to a |
higher plane where such knowledge |
will be a blessing instead of a curse |
wise Providence will doubtless con- |
tinue to open the storehouses of know |
ledge to man.
Many Of these things still approach |
the infinite to such an extent that our |
finite minds cannot grasp them Yet |