Go to the top of a mountain so that you can see 50 miles in all
directions; you then observe a space 100 miles in diameter. Now the
_world_ contains 25,000 such areas as that. Our world is amazingly
vast, but our sun is a million times as large; yet we see rolling in
space thousands as large as our own, which probably have accompanying
worlds. And again, beyond this the telescope and astral-photography
reveal to us that _to the right, and to the left, before and behind,
above and below, and to every point of the heavens, and at immense
distances,_ millions and millions again of enormous stellar bodies
exist, roll, revolve and travel through space. Multitudes of these
suns and worlds around us in every direction are at such immense
distances that a person travelling with the speed of light, namely,
200,000 miles, or 8 times round our earth, in a _second_, world take
_1000,000 years_ to reach them. Nor can we imagine an end to this
stupendous universe, or an end to space, for is we try to do so the
question immediately occurs, _what is still outside and beyond that?_
And so on to incomprehensible and overwhelming infinitude. And these
many millions of suns and worlds and systems and all their parts are
clearly working together, like the most exquisitely designed
clockwork. Look at the marvellous mechanism of the human brain, the
human eye, the human hand, the human heart, and in fact the whole
human structure and composition; they all prove the truth of the
affirmation that man is "fearfully and wonderfully made." Nay
further, examine carefully every object in existence, however
stupendously large or, as shown by the microscope, infinitesimally
small, and they each and all appear equally perfect for their
purpose. Can we see all this, and think on it, and not imagine a
Designer and Controller of infinite attributes? It always appeared
to me that there must be in this vast, illimitable, and beautiful
universe, myriads of beings, superior to our weak mortal selves,
and at the head of all and over all, an immortal Being of infinite
perfections, which thinking men in all countries and ages have
called GOD. And shall not we, immortal souls, increase in knowledge
and wisdom, and as the ages roll on, more and more perceive and
understand this mighty universe and its Author? I firmly believe we
shall, and that as yet we are only beginning to live and think and
understand and appreciate.
The Supreme Being was believed in, praised and worshipped by all the
ancient peoples, and is now believed in, praised and worshipped by
the vast majority of the people of the world--it is true under
different names, but still it is the same idea--a Being without
beginning and without end--Infinite in Wisdom--Infinite in Goodness
--Infinite in Power--Infinite in Action and, at all times,
everywhere and present.