The Spirit of God As Fire Part 5

May we not contemplate the possibility of these things, when we remember that it is said of Heaven, "the Righteous shall dwell _therein_," and that "G.o.d" in His eternal manifestations "dwells in light unapproachable" to us in our mortality, and is only manifest to us here by His invisible SPIRIT VEILED IN FIRE?

Startle not when we come to lay before you the well-defined elements surrounding that vast globe. The timid mind might naturally recoil, and stand aghast at the thought of approaching such volume of intense heat and "devouring flames." Remember that you are still in the body, subject to all the pains and penalties of fallen humanity. Remember that G.o.d has created no element incompatible with his own nature; remember that He is the Almighty power who hath created all things, and in the infinity of His power, can control any element for our happiness, and also the same for our misery. Thus it will appear that "every man's work shall be tried as by fire;" the righteous to be saved as by fire, and yet the wicked to be destroyed or tormented by fire. In this we can see the Infinity of the power of G.o.d in the salvation and happiness of His children--who are "the children of light," as also in the torments of the "children of darkness."

But we shall be able to show that "G.o.d's Spirit _is fire_" and that He _does_ so control this element, or change our nature, that whatever these may be, they are properly adapted to const.i.tute ineffable happiness to the immortal state of the righteous. This, we trust, will appear plain to you before you have finished the perusal of these pages.

_THE SUN, AND GLOBE WITHIN._

We now propose to continue our investigations of the Sun; in considering its surrounding elements, offices, &c.

We have already said that it is the main-spring, and we may add, barring the Great Author, the source and fountain of animated Nature; the source of light and heat, the two stimulants of vital force, without which no animated life could exist on this earth; and so, doubtless, with all the other planets and worlds which it controls.

And, while contemplating it thus as the immediate source of unnumbered blessings to the human race, and to all intelligences or animation belonging to this, or other worlds within its domain, we should not fail in devout reverence to the _great Author_, who created all by the "Word of His Power"--not only our Sun and its retinue of attendant planets, but those innumerable, far distant ones of which we have told you, with all _their_ attendant trains, yea, even all things, above, around, and beneath; the computation of whose numbers, their magnitude, grandeur, and transcendent glory so far exceeds our finite comprehension, that we are lost in wonder and amazement, and can but feel that, in comparison, we are less than an _atom_ of this vast and boundless Universe of Creation.

The Sun, represented as a "brilliant orb" a "luminary" or "luminous body," has also been denominated a "globe of fire." Some astronomers consider it an "_incandescent_ body" (_glowing whiteness of intense heat_).

Dr. Herschel's views respecting the Sun are, that it is a planetary body like our earth, diversified with mountains and valleys, to which, on account of the magnitude of the Sun, he a.s.signs a prodigious extent--some mountains six hundred miles high, and valleys proportionately deep. He does not employ in his explanations volcanic fires, as some others have done, but supposes two separate regions of dense clouds floating in the solar atmosphere at different distances from the sun. The exterior stratum of clouds he considers as the depository of the sun's light and heat, while the interior stratum serves as an awning or screen to the body of the sun itself, which thus becomes fitted to sustain life-animation. This refutes the idea advanced by that celebrated French Astronomer, La Lande, who held "that the sun is a solid opaque body, having its exterior diversified with high mountains and deep valleys, and covered all over with a burning sea of liquid matter. The solar spots, he supposed, were produced by the flux and reflux of the fiery sea, retreating occasionally from the mountains, and exposing to view a portion of the dark body of the sun."

But Prof. Olmsted (to whom we are indebted for this and much other information on this subject), refutes this hypothesis by showing the inconsistency that fluid, of the nature here spoken of, or supposed to exist, should depart so far from its equilibrium and remain so long fixed, as to lay bare the immense s.p.a.ce occupied by the solar spots--some of which are supposed to be fifty thousand miles in diameter.

Prof. Olmsted also examines the hypothesis of Dr. Herschel, relative to clouds surrounding the sun, and reasons as follows: "I am compelled to think the hypothesis (of Dr. H.) is enc.u.mbered with very serious objections. Clouds a.n.a.logous to those of our atmosphere (and Dr. H., expressly a.s.serts that his lower stratum of clouds are a.n.a.logous to ours, and reasons respecting the upper stratum according to the same a.n.a.logy) cannot exist in hot air; they are tenants only of cold regions. How can they be supposed to exist in the immediate vicinity of a fire so intense, that they are even dissipated by it at the distance of ninety-five millions of miles? Much less can they be supposed to be the depositories of such devouring fire, when any thing in the form of clouds floating in our atmosphere, is at once scattered and dissolved by the accession of only a few degrees of heat. Nothing, moreover, can be imagined more unfavorable for radiating heat to such a distance than the light, inconstant matter of which clouds are composed, floating loosely in the solar atmosphere."

Prof. Olmsted continues, "If we inquire whether the surface of the Sun is in a state of actual combustion, like burning fuel, or merely in a state of intense ignition, like a stone heated to redness in a furnace, we shall find it most reasonable to conclude that it is in a state of ignition. If the body of the Sun were composed of combustible matter and were actually on fire, the material of the Sun would be continually wasting away, while the products of combustion would fill all the vast surrounding regions, and obscure the light of the Sun.

But solid bodies may attain a very intense state of ignition, and glow with the most fervent heat, while none of their material is consumed, and no clouds or fumes rise to obscure their brightness, or to impede their further emission of heat." Hence, for these and other reasons, Prof. Olmsted thinks it more probable that the heat is that of a high state of ignition, rather than produced from combustion.

Thus we see that while all Astronomers agree that the Sun is the source of light and heat; that this heat is vastly intense; consuming, and yet never consumed or exhausted, it is a difficult matter to determine the nature and true element composing it. All agree however, that G.o.d himself created it and placed it in its proper position, and controls it for His own wise purposes.

Most Astronomers consider it an incandescent body (glowing whiteness of intense heat), encircled with two atmospheres. That next its surface is supposed to be nonluminous, while the outer one which floats upon it is _luminous_--and forms a "_photosphere_," this is what we see in looking at the Sun's bright disk. This photosphere radiates the heat and light which vivify the planets of the solar system, and imparts the stimulae of life and animation. It is said that flame-like ma.s.ses--some computed to be one hundred and fifty thousand miles in length--are piled upon, and overlap each other, and sweep onward in constant agitation like mountain billows of living fire. Its brightness far transcends and pales that of all other luminaries, and would that of millions of stars as bright as Sirius, or even hundreds of thousands of full moons.

We accept this view, as to the outer photosphere, and believe this "_incandescent_," yet not a solid body, but rather a _photospheric ethereal_ element occupying its appointed s.p.a.ce, and that it has nothing to do whatever, with the vast _inner globe_ which is entirely shielded from it by the intervening void, denominated by Astronomers as a surrounding nonluminous atmosphere. Sir John Herschel tells us that his investigations led him to the belief that this shields the globe within, and thus renders it susceptible of maintaining life, or some form of animated existence. Hence, we deem the evidences afforded by astronomy, strong, if not fully conclusive that our hypothesis is correct. But when we add to this the evidences found in the Bible--G.o.d's own revelations to man--we think there can scarcely remain a doubt in the mind of any who follow us in this investigation.

We now propose to consider more definitely the nature of that volume of flame, or intense heat, which we denominate the _Sun_. Of its temperature it is difficult to form an estimate the least comprehensive. We know our furnace heat will fuse cast-iron at a little less than 3,000 degrees. Oxy-hydrogen flame--one of the hottest known--is estimated at about 14,000 degrees Fahrenheit, while the temperature ascribed to the Sun is about 12,000,000. There is nothing our senses can realize, or our minds conceive, that will enable us even to approximate the intensity of this heat.

Now we have seen that the Sun is the source of all light and heat; the source--when the element is concentrated--of that which we denominate _fire_. The phenomena that fire pervades, by some of its const.i.tuents, every thing, and all s.p.a.ce, is incomprehensible otherwise than in the belief that the Spirit of G.o.d is everywhere. Although fire is always on this Earth in a concentrated form, yet its source is the Sun, and from this source we can concentrate it into visible ignition. And yet we see that the element itself is _ethereal_; it will consume by combustion, yet its heat and flame always tends upward, and disappears in its own ethereal element, and we can recognize no solid substance in it. We can feel and realize its warmth and vivifying influence; we enjoy the light, as one of its productions, yet all are _ethereal_, and we cannot grasp, mould, or retain it. We know that the Sun--that volume of heat--is the active source and agency of life and animation, and it imparts its blessings to us in a thousand ways; yet, misused, it proves the source and element of punishment and destruction.

We have said that light and heat are the two great stimulants of vital force. These two stimulants are inseparably connected. Heat is the source of light, and without heat _there would be no light_, for even reflected light is derived from this source; this is manifest to every intelligent mind. Therefore, we see plainly that the Sun is the source and mainspring of all animation, and to its influence, directed and controlled by the Allwise Creator, are we indebted for every blessing--nay, even life itself. It acts upon the elements appointed unto it, and brings forth all animation. It causes the earth to yield her productions; clothes the forest with green, gives to the "rose"

and the "lily" their beautiful tints and fragrance, and imparts to the flowers of garden and forest their thousand variegated hues. It gives to man his strength and wisdom, and to woman her beauty and loveliness, and--with refined and cultivated intellect--her ten thousand charms.

_THE PLANETS OF OUR SOLAR SYSTEM._

Let us now turn our attention, for a short time, to the contemplation of the planets, or worlds, belonging to our own solar system; those within the domain of our own Sun, and to which it dispenses light and heat. With these, our Astronomers are, so to speak, quite familiar. We cannot do better than to present them to you in the language of Dr.

Child, whose writings have afforded us so much correct data in preceding pages.

"In gazing at our fellow-planets on a clear night, as we see them stand out with pre-eminent brightness among the twinkling stars, who has not longed to penetrate the mystery of their being, and to know whether they, like our own Earth, are worlds full of life and movement? The vast distance that intervenes between us forbids us to expect a direct solution of the question, for no instrument yet made, or that we can hope to make, will bring their possible inhabitants within the range of our vision. We are reduced, therefore, to survey them with the sifting force of intellect, and to rest contented with such circ.u.mstantial proof as is derived from a knowledge of their general structure, and the a.n.a.logies subsisting between them and our Earth.

"Among our nearest neighbors, _Venus_ is nearly the size of our Earth; and _Mercury_ and _Mars_, though considerably smaller, would still form worlds which, to our ideas, would not in their magnitude be so very different from our own. As before remarked, all the planets revolve in elliptical orbits round the Sun, and the time consumed in their journey const.i.tutes their year. Their polar axis is not 'straight up and down,' but leans over or is inclined to the plane of their orbit, so that each pole is turned toward the Sun at one period of the year, and away from it at another. This arrangement insures the regular alternation of seasons and a variety of climates on their surface. The orbital inclination of _Mars_, for example, is much the same as that of the Earth, and, therefore, the relative proportion of his seasons must have a close resemblance to our own. It might be expected under these circ.u.mstances that ice would acc.u.mulate toward the poles in winter time, as on our Earth, and accordingly glacial acc.u.mulations have not only been observed by Astronomers, but it has been remarked that they occasionally diminish by melting during the heats of summer, while they increase in winter. Now as the planets, like the Earth, turn round on their axis with perfect regularity--and those just mentioned do so in very similar periods of time, hence, all have their days and nights.

"We have already stated that the Earth and its fellow-planets are kept steadily in their orbits by the exact adjustment of _centrifugal_ and _centripetal_ forces. Hence each moves in its regular order.

"Now by way of comparison, Astronomers have denominated the Sun as a globe two feet in diameter, or six feet in circ.u.mference. Starting from this globe let us wing our way across the s.p.a.ce filled by the solar system. A short flight of thirty-seven millions of miles brings us to a world which, compared to the two-feet globe, is no larger than a grain of mustard seed, while it is so bathed in the Sun's dazzling rays that it is not easily distinguished when viewed from the Earth.

This fussy little planet whirls round the Sun at the tremendous pace of 100,000 miles an hour, by which he proves his t.i.tle to be called _Mercury_, the 'swift-footed,' of mythology. At a distance of sixty-eight millions of miles from the Sun we behold _Venus_, the brightest and most dazzling of the heavenly hosts. In comparative size she may be represented as a _pea_. She is our nearest neighbor among the planets, and the conditions under which she exists recall many of those under which we ourselves live. About ninety-five millions of miles from the Sun we come upon another 'pea' a trifle larger than the one representing _Venus_, and in it we hail our own familiar Mother Earth. Here we shall not now linger, but pa.s.sing onward some fifty millions of miles we are attracted by the well-known ruddy glow of _Mars_--whose comparative size is that of a _pin's head_. His mean orbital speed is 54,000 miles an hour--nearly our own pace--but as he takes twice as much time to run round the Sun as we do, his year is consequently twice as long.

"Casting a glance behind, we are reminded of the growing distance that now separates us from the sun by the perceptible waning of his light.

"We next spread our wings for a very long flight. In pa.s.sing through the "asteroid" zone of solar s.p.a.ce, about 260 millions of miles from the sun, we may chance to fall in with some worlds of smaller dimensions than those we have been contemplating. We know very little about them, except that their ways are eccentric and mysterious. At length the sh.o.r.es of huge _Jupiter_ are reached at a distance of nearly 500 millions of miles from the sun. To carry on the comparison, he is a "small orange" to the "pea" of our earth, or to the two feet globe that represents the sun. His...o...b..t is a path 3,000 millions of miles long, which he accomplishes in an "annual" period of about 12 of our years. The sun's light has now shrunk considerably; but four brilliant moons or satellites, one or more of which are always "full,"

help to afford some compensation. But let us "onward" in our "outward-bound" course. We again pa.s.s through a s.p.a.ce of nearly equal distance as that of _Jupiter_ from the sun. We are now more than 900 _millions_ of miles distant from the central pivot. Here we fall in with _Saturn_, whose comparative size may be represented by an orange considerably smaller than the last (bear in mind the comparative sizes, our earth as a "_pea_" to these each an orange). His year swallows up almost thirty of our own. And in this far distant region the Sun, though giving only about one ninetieth part of the light which we receive, is still equal to 300 full moons, and is at least sufficient for vision, and all the necessary purposes of life, while no fewer than eight satellites supplement the waning sun-light, besides a mysterious luminous "ring" of vast proportions.

"Twice as far away from the Sun as Saturn, _Ura.n.u.s_, represented by a _cherry_, plods his weary course. Although his real diameter is 35,000 miles, his circ.u.mference over 100,000, being more than four times the size of our own earth, yet he is rarely seen by the naked eye. His annual journey round the Sun is 10,000 millions of miles, and he consumes what we should consider a lifetime, 84 _years_, in getting over it. Our little _earth_ has now faded out of sight.

"Only a few years ago, _Ura.n.u.s_ was the last planetary station of our system, but the discovery of Neptune in 1846, gave us another resting-place on the long journey into s.p.a.ce. Here, at a distance of nearly 3,000 _millions_ of miles from the Sun, we may pause awhile before entering upon the more remote exploration of the '_starry_ universe.'

"We are approaching the frontier regions of our system, and the Sun's light and the power of his attraction are gradually pa.s.sing away.

Between the sh.o.r.es of our Sun-system and the sh.o.r.es of the nearest star-system--they also being suns--lies a vast, mysterious chasm, in the recesses of which may still lurk some undiscovered planets, but into which, so far as we yet know, the wandering comets alone plunge deeply.

"We now stand on the frontier of the Sun's domain, and are, in imagination, looking across one of those broad gulfs which, like impa.s.sable ramparts fence off the different systems of the universe from each other. It seemed needful that the great Architect should interpose some such barrier between the contending attractions of the giant ma.s.ses of matter scattered through s.p.a.ce; that there should be a _sea_ of limitation in which forces, whose action might disturb each other, should die out and be extinguished. In it the flood-light of our glorious Sun gets weaker and weaker, and its bright disk wastes away by distance, until it shines only as a twinkling star. And the strong chain of its attraction which held with firm grasp the planets in their orbits, after dwindling by fixed degrees into a force that would not break a gossamer, is finally dissipated and lost.

"Now we ask, Is it likely that those vast orbs--with ma.s.ses and densities so wonderfully modified and adjusted in accordance with what we perceive to be the requirements of living creatures--with years and months, days and nights, seasons and climates--with atmosphere and twilights, trade-winds and currents--with clouds and rains, continents and seas, mountains and polar snows--with sun, moon, and stars, and, in short, with all the elements that make up the conditions of a habitable globe--is it likely that those glorious works of the Creator should have been formed to lie waste, sterile, and unprofitable? Or even if we could bring ourselves to think that those ma.s.ses, whose united bulk dwarfs our Earth into insignificance, had been solely created as make-weights to keep this little atom of Earth in its place, why should they have been provided with complicated systems of moons revolving round them to give them auxiliary light? The Sun's light they share in common with ourselves; but for what conceivable purpose should deserts void of life have been supplied with those wonderful lamps to light them up in the absence of the Sun? Conditions that might be incompatible with our organization, may be by adjustment of creative wisdom exactly suited to the beings placed to inhabit them. All life, even if it be essentially the same in principle, may not everywhere a.s.sume the same phase of outward existence, nor need we attempt to set limits in this respect to the Lord of Life. The s.p.a.ces lie there furnished ready--the Word was only required to people them with life.

"Such inquiries have an interest which goes beyond their mere astronomical import, for they touch our conceptions of G.o.d's greatness, wisdom, and power. Is there one who does not long to be able reasonably to cherish the thought that, far away from this _tiny_ speck of Earth, in the remote realms of s.p.a.ce, we behold worlds inhabited by beings who, it may be, are privileged to know their Creator, and to bless, praise, and magnify Him forever."

We have seen that all leading Astronomers agree in the fact of a "_plurality of suns_," and a "_plurality of worlds_," and their numbers so vast that they are beyond our computation. Now we hold that in all this vast creation, there is a controlling element, and that this element is necessarily manifest in all things, and so predominates that percipient intelligences should, and we believe can--to a certain extent--comprehend it. Do you ask, what is this element? we answer _fire_!

We have presented to your mind--as far as we are able to comprehend--the Infinity of G.o.d's wisdom and power, as manifested in his wonderful Creations; not only in creating this Earth on which we live, and all pertaining thereunto, but of Heavens, Suns, Planets and Worlds, whose numbers are _millions_, as they are seen standing out and peopling the realms of boundless s.p.a.ce, and yet we know that so vast is the infinity of His wonderful creations, that we have given to the mind only a bird's-eye view within the borders of His boundless Empire.

We are aware that the idea we advance--that the vast globe, encircled by the photosphoric, ethereal flame (that which we denominate the Sun), _is our heaven_, as also the heaven for intelligences of the other planets of our solar system, and that there are numerous other suns of similar import which may also be heavens for created intelligences inhabiting their surrounding planets--is new to the mind of man, and that at first thought some may be incredulous; thus, as we said in the beginning, it has ever been with all important discoveries, and especially so of discoveries through the lights and science of astronomy. Nevertheless, the wondrous works of the Creator, as we have surveyed and contemplated them--we think--will justify our hypothesis. But to all the foregoing we shall still add stronger, and we think, more convincing evidences, when we come to contemplate the elements of the Sun--fire, heat, and light--in connection with G.o.d's intercourse by His Spirit, and His dealings with man.

_G.o.d'S THRONE SHALL ENDURE FOREVER; SO ALSO SHALL THE SUN. CONCLUSIVE SCRIPTURAL EVIDENCE FOR ALL THAT WE CLAIM._

G.o.d hath sworn by His Holiness, that the seed of David (the MESSIAH), should "endure forever, and his throne as the Sun before him."

The Psalmist, referring to the Messiah says, "His name shall endure forever. His name shall be continued as long as the Sun, and all nations shall call him blessed." Here we have the a.s.surance of the eternal duration of the Sun; even as the Throne of G.o.d which is to "endure forever and ever." The promise is, that