Fairies, fays, genii, sprites, etc., were once supposed to be helpful
to some favored men. The stories about these imaginary beings have
always had a fascinating interest. The most famous of these stories
were told at Bagdad in the eleventh century, and were called _The
Arabian Nights' Entertainment_. Then men were said to use all sorts of
obedient powers, sorceries, tricks, and genii to aid them in getting
wealth, fame, and beautiful brides.
But I find the realities of to-day far greater, more useful and
interesting, than the imaginations of the past. The powers at work
about us are far more kindly and powerful than the Slave of the Ring or
of the Lamp.
The object of writing this series of papers about applications of
powers to the service of man, their designed king, is manifold. I
desire all my readers to see what marvelous provision the Father has
made for his children in this their nursery and schoolhouse. He has
always been trying to crowd on men more helps and blessings than they
were willing to take. From the first mist that went up from the Garden
the power of steam has been in every drop of water. Yet men carried
their burdens. Since the first storm the swiftness and power of
lightning have been trying to startle man into seeing that in it were
speed and force to carry his thought and himself. But man still
plodded and groaned under loads that might have been lifted by physical
forces. I have seen in many lands men bringing to their houses water
from the hills in heavy stone jars. Gravitation was meant to do that
work, and to make it leap and laugh with pearly spray in every woman's
kitchen. The good Father has offered his all-power on all occasions to
all men.
I desire that the works of God should keep their designed relation to
thought. He says, Consider the lilies; look into the heavens; number
the stars; go to the ant; be wise; ask the beasts, the fowl, the
fishes; or "talk even to the earth, and it showeth thee."
Every flower and star, rainbow and insect, was meant to be so
provocative of thought that any man who never saw a human book might be
largely educated. And every one of these thoughts is related to man's
best prosperity and joy. He is a most regal king if he achieve the
designed dominion over a thousand powerful servitors.
It is well to see that God's present actual powers in full play about
us are vastly beyond all the dreams of Arabian imagination. It leads
us to expect greater things of him hereafter. That human imagination
could so dream is proof of the greatness of its Creator. But that he
has actually surpassed those dreams is prophecy of more greatness to
come.
I desire that my readers of this generation shall be the great thinkers
and inventors of the next. There are amazing powers just waiting to be
revealed. Draw aside the curtain. We have not yet learned the A B C
of science. We have not yet grasped the scepters of provided dominion.
Those who are most in the image and likeness of the Cause of these
forces are most likely to do it.