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Show J 77 ; The Comet THE- comet lias come and passed and the old planet called earth continues its steady & roll on Its axis, its steady sweep in its L orbi, If, as the savants say, the wild wonder of If Uieether sought to lash the earth with its elongat- jL ed narrative, the elastic atmosphere made a ' cushion to break and neutralize the blow, and the . order of the universe was not changed by the sky- J scraping visitor. tj The sun and moon and the planets are all ! worlds; their goings and comings are perfectly j. read under the keys which science has discovered; , the fixed stars are doubtless other suns with their iv families of planets and satellites, and it is but h natural to suppose that in the economy of the In- p'"' finite, they are inhabited worlds; that as their ft" physical structures are like that of this little earth T on which we dwell, they are subject to the same k laws and the same influences, and there is no F reason why they should, not, like our planet, be inhabited; that their inhabitants have their loves I and hates, their ambitions, their strength and weaknesses, even as do the inhabitants of this world, and that the only differences are due to the measure of their enlightenment. We of the earth have an Idea that could we In a moment be transferred to Venus, for instance, our first inquiries would be: "Have you dally journals here and books? When was the art of printing discovered here? Have you steam un- gines, electric lights and wireless telegraphy? Is your time divided Into moments, hours, weeks and months and years? Have you a St. Patrick's Day and Fourth of July? Are your people divided into different nationalities? Do you have wars at times, soldiers on land and fighting ships at sea? i Have you rulers corresponding to our kings on the 1 earth, or are you a great Democracy where the I people rule? Have you schools and churches, and f a Sabbath Day, and what God do you worship? I It seems entirely natural that we should ask such questions and be understood, for the physi-f physi-f cal structure of Venus is precisely the same as ; that of our planet, and if there are people there, they must, like ours, live upon the fruits of the (ground and the fishes of the seas. But the comets are a different affair. Their .' substance is uncertain, their elaborate make-up is too fragile for any earthly use, at least, they do not seem to have any constituent parts that can i bo of any practical consequence. Are they the old- f fashioned messengers to carry secret dispatches ! from world to world, by a code which only planets B and suns can read? They have their regular m patrols in the ether, else our astronomers could , . not calculate their comings and goings, but what I Is their object in the universe? I Of course, speculation Is vain and the wings I of the imagination flutter and fall in their flight I to discover a possible reason for their existence. 1 It may be they are the royal standards of the V upper worlds, symbols of the power and majesty that governs creation and holds satellites, planets I and suns in their spheres without a jar, as cen turies come and go and age succeeds age, all moving mov-ing under changeless laws. And, as we contem-I contem-I plate the wonder of it all, the stately ode of Dora s' haven, in its splendor, comes back to . memory like a solemn paean. I. O Thou Eternal One! whoso presence bright All space doth occupy all motion gui Unchanged through Time's devastating flight, Thou only God! There is no God beside. Being above all beings! Mighty One! Whom none can comprehend, and none explore; Who fill'st existence with Thyself alone; Embracing all supporting ruling o'er Being whom we call God, and know no more! In its sublime research, Philosophy May measure out the ocean deep may count The sands or the sun's rays; but God! for Thee There Is no weight nor measure; none can mount Up to Thy mysteries. Reason's brightest spark Though kindled by Thy light, in vain Would try To trace Thy counsels, infinite and dark, And thought is lost ere thought can- soar so high, E'en like past moments in Eternity. Thou from primeval nothingness' didst call First chaos, then existence. Lord, on Thee Eternity had its foundation; all Sprung forth from Thee; of light, joy, harmony, har-mony, Sole origin all, all beauty, Thine, -Thy word created all, and doth create; Thy splendor fills all space with rays divine; Thou art, and wert, and shall be glorious, great! Light-giving, life-sustaining (Potentate. Thy claims the unmeasured universe surround. Upheld by Thee, by Thee inspired by breath! Thou the beginning with the end hath bound, And beautifully mingled Life and Death! As sparks mount upward from the fiery blaze, So suns are born, so worlds sprang forth from Thee! And'as the spangles in the sunny rays Shine round the silver snow, the pageantry Of Heaven's bright army glitters in Thy praise. A million torches, lighted by Thy hand, Wander unwearied through the blue abyss; They own Thy power, accomplish Thy command, All gay with light, all eloquent with b'lss. What shall we call them? Piles of crystal light? A glorious company of golden streams, Lamps of celestial ether burning bright? Suns lighting systems with their joyous beams? But Thou to these are as the moon to night. Yet as a drop of water in the sea, All this magnificence In Thee Is lost; What are ten thousand worlds compared to Thee? And what am I, then? Heaven's unnumber'd host, Though multiplied by myriads and arrayed In all the glory of sublimest thought, Is but an atom in the balance, weighed Against Thy greatness Is a cypher brought Against Infinity! What am I, then? Naught. Naught? But the effluence of Thy light divine, Pervading worlds, hath reached my bosom, too; Yes, in my spirit doth Thy spirit shine As shines the sunbeam In a drop of dew. Naught! But I live, and on Hope's pinions fly Eager toward Thy presence; for in Thee I live, and breathe, and dwell! aspiring high, E'en to the throne of Thy divinity! I am, O God, and surol,r Thou must be! Thou art directing, guiding all, Thou art! Direct my understanding, then, to Thee; Control my spirit, guide my wanderiiig heart; 11 Though but an atom 'midst immensity, Still, I am something fashioned by Thy hand; Jl I hold a middle rank, 'twixt Heaven and Earth, 11 On the last verge of mortal being stand Close to the realms where angel3 have their 11 birth, IB Just on the boundaries of the spirit land! !H The chain of being is complete in me; H In me is matter's last gradation lost,, :H And the next step is Spirit-Deity ! -fl I can command the lightning, and am dust; H A monarch and a slave; a worm, a god. ;H Whence came I here and how? So marvelously ! Constructed and conceived unknown. This clod H Lives surely through some higher energy; H For from' itself alone It could not be. H Creator! Yes! Thy wisdom and Thy Word H Created me! Thou source of life and good; H Thou spirit of my spirit, and my Lord; H Thy light, Thy love, in the bright plentttude, M Filled me with an immortal soul to spring H Over the abyss of- Death, and bade it wear H The garments of eternal day, and wing H Its heavenly flight beyond this little sphere, H Even to its source to Thee, its Author there. H O thought ineffable! O visions blest! . H (Though worthless our conceptions all of Thee.) H Yet shall Thy shadowed Image fill my breast, H And waft Its homage to Thy Deity. H God! thus alone my lonely thoughts can soar; H Thus seek Thy presence, Being wise and good! H 'Midst Thy vast works, admire, obey, adore, H And when the tongue Is eloquent no more, 'H The soul shall speak In tears of gratitude. H |
