Universe as we see it

Introduction

Dear reader, we thank you to read our little book, hoping it may suggest that you may better see this beautiful Universe, so that each day of your life may grow brighter and happier.

"As we see it," is only the best we could do. You may see it much better than we have done. You may better know the dear All- Father than we are able to do. I hope you may! And, too, that you may wield a happy influence that will aid all you know to search, to know God, and to delight in serving Him.

"Universe as We see it," is the mite of active prayer that my soul is trying to offer, that God's Kingdom may come on Earth.

Please forgive the shortcomings of this, my little book.

The Author.

Chapter I

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MAY NOT MAN KNOW ALL UNIVERSE?

Too vast the scene for mortal eye ! Yet some sweet rays each soul takes in.

Man desires to know ! Man would know all Universe! Man would know the author of Universe !

Universe — Grand Universe! — Work of Almighty hands! And may the mortal man aspire so high? May man know all of Universe ? As we see it, the Universe invites man to its study, though its immensity and grandeur exceed man's power to fully comprehend or cope with its magnificence, yet what he can take in affords him a delight of the highest order. What nobler theme can engage his thoughts? What more can the craving soul of man ask for, than to study and learn the All of Universe?

How beautiful, how sublime — how vast is Universe! What does Universe include? What is there that is not included in Universe ? The All — Omnipotence, Power, Wisdom and Love — so beautifully portrayed throughout all nature! Everywhere, everything we see tells us of these beautiful Divine attributes! The sublimest thought the human mind can have is the study of Omnipotent Power and Love, as shown throughout Universe.

Universe, the reflection tif its Mighty author! And through the study of Universe may not man gain some just conception of God — this, the soul's intensest craving! To know God! Exaltation of privilege to even know somewhat of God! To, through the beautiful veil of universe, catch some glimpses of God, — beautiful,, entrancing thought !

Glorious Universe ! Ever whispering to the yearning, listening human soul of a lovable Being! A Being the soul feels the need of! Feels somehow a kingshipness to this spirit Being. All Father to all created beinghood. A Spirit-father seems an ever-pressing need of the creature, man.

Glorious Universe, thy marbled gilded steps leading up to God, on which mortal may climb to reach his spiritual needs. Oh, this beautiful, grand universe How man longs to see and know all that the mortal can know of it, — -its enormity is stupendousness. Its variety endless. Its beauty soul-entrancing. Its grand mysteries fascinating beyond the human mind, to reach such heights and depths! How baffled is man in his weakness to cope with such greatness as he finds before him in the study of this vast universe !

To seek, to learn, to know the all,

The mortal soul doth ever crave —

Nor all is known — till author Great be found !

Oh, for some power the whole to know,

Oh, for a soul that song to sing

— The whole of Universe!

Oh, mortal man take yon angel wing- —

Oh, seek some power from the Divine,

Oh, soul climb up to heavenly spheres

And learn the All of Universe !

Oh, gracious God, inspire man's mind Oh, teach us Parent — Divine — Supreme ! Oh, draw us close ! — Thee, would we know !

All knowledge is sweet to the soul of man, But knowledge of God makes man divine ! — This is that bliss for which man sighs — That ever hungering soul of man !

The Desire to Know. Man desires to know. Man wants to see and know everything. Nothing must escape him — man just must know. He is built that way — he wants to see and know the all that is around him;

and he wants to know the what is what of all he sees. He questions, "What is it? Where did it come from ? Who made it ? What is it good for ? Can I get any good from it ?" etc. Man is the creature that must see and know, for man is a seeing and knowing animal. Desire is ever driving him; of all within his reach he will grasp as best he can. Especially does he love to see. Sometimes man's mere idle curiosity is no small surprise ; seeing how much trouble he will put himself to satisfy it. Most animals have some curiosity, but some men have an insatiable curiosity. Yes, curiosity is a pleasurable emotion, not only is good pastime, but, too, is the shortest cut to find out things, and man, by all means, has just got to know. Yes, just for the pleasure there is in knowing, for 'tis sweet to know facts.

Then, in some cases, to know is very necessity, as often 'tis a means of self-preservation; to be "forewarned is to be forearmed."

To know, aids man in his aims and desires. For "knowledge is power." Man ever wants power — force. Man's very self-love makes him crave power. Man must know all he can in order to cope with the exigencies of life. 'Tis right to see, to learn, to seek to know. Then all universe seems inviting man to see, to

UNIVERSE AS WE SEE IT t>

study, to know. All universe is teeming with wonders ; such as arouse the very soul of man to study its grand, beautiful mysteries. Some just a little veiled and some so deeply hidden that the mortal feels pained to think 'tis knowledge too wonderful for him to grasp after.

Still man ever desires to know. Man seems self -driven to seek, to know of the what is around, above and beyond him. Reason demands of man to know ; for man feels he has an interested right to study and know all truth. All that lies in mystery he wishes to unveil to full light. Naturally man studies the great, the small. He reasons reflectively. He scans all with an earnest scrutiny. Notes law everywhere prevailing. Sees a mystic force in back of all law, which points him to a first Great Cause. Sees all nature around him in its seemingly self-poised stateliness and beauty of beinghood, all-knowing how to fulfill its needs — seemingly has some contract to fulfill with some higher beinghood.

Man feels mystified at what his reason cannot explain ; he longs and is still ever craving to know all ! 'Tis easy for us to excuse man's craving to know, and 'tis only a little that the human mind can master at a time. 'Tis step by step only that we reach our way when reason laboringly investigates, weighs and measures all by reason's standards. Man's soul self-hood joins in with reason, will reach knowledge at last. Innately man's nature seeks for the highest, the best he can attain. He is ever longing for good. Man's soul desires are to reach after higher states. Man wants perfection, not satisfied to fall short of his conception of what good is; ever is craving the upwardness ; climbs after his ideals of perfection. Something seems ever beckoning him onward and upward. Man longs for higher life; feels that his destiny must reach up into eternity, for all this earth-life of man seems pregnant with the issues of eternity.

All nature teaches man this aspiration. With nature's text books before him, man reads upwards to Divinity ; finds the author of nature ; Divinity of love everywhere photographed on every page and leaf of nature. The humble student of nature finds he is ever advancing up the hills; catches higher, and still higher glimpses of above and beyond the mountains of time. He is ever climbing, the summits he must reach the all at last. His eye getting more and more used to the ever brightening light as he approaches the source of all light, till by-and-by man's eyes will rest beyond the fields of nature — and oh, behold, 'tis nature's God up there! Thitherward, man is ever climbing! Ever seeking upwardness, man will at last reach up ! Up, up, man, up ! For God is there !

Force, Cause Expressed. In his earnest studies of universe, man sees everywhere some wonderous force. Some mighty power sustaining the grand machinery of universe, — CAUSE. Law is seen in charge. Greatness hidden in mystery ! For see, LAW looks back to the FORCE that is hidden behind it. Force, mind-force seen in action everywhere. Such mighty force ! This mystic force so allinspiring; ever attracting man's wonder and love. Man admiringly craves FORCE! All along the way man sees infinite force working everywhere throughout nature. What is that grand thing y Force? In all that is done, force seems back of it. Desire may wish a thing done, but Force! has to do it. In every form of activity there is the actor, Force. Ordinarily, we think of force as a mere manifestation of some law of nature ; perhaps it is not occurring to us that every organism, every activity of mind, soul or body is an expression of Force ; every activity has force at the back of it.

Is Force Causation ? Cause Expressed.

Force and Law. Is Force Law? As we see it, law is a standardized method by which force works to effect special ends. Law truly is a something grand, but Law is not the mattercause. Law is the rule of action, or the agent in the action. Law is the restricted modus operandi of force in activity. Law is not the primal power! In the many rounds of the dance curtains may conceal the prompter, yet see, the merry dance goes on; the figures of each round following the music with its instructions when, where, and how to move in right time. Force, the soul of universe, is ever lining out hymns of joy to the world !

Throughout all Universe, Force Apparently the Cause. {See the display of Force in Nature.) We note some of the grandest, stiblimest displays of mystic force in some of the majestic phenomena of nature. Transcendingly grand is the lightning flash; the noblest trees are ripped to splinters ; while we hear the solemn peal of the thunder; and oh, the terrors of the cyclone! See the dread devastation along its track as it sweeps over the land in its wrathful energy of Force; scattering all before it that would obstruct its pathway. Whence comes this Force? What is it? Do we see that force? We see the wreckage left along the road; we see what masterly strength was hidden in that fierce thunderbolt that has left the grand old loftyheaded pine scattered, now, where? That flash of lightning we saw, but the force back of it, what sublime force is this? Terrific, yet beautiful !

Oh, force, thou majestic, unseen power, how we dread Thee, yet adore ! A something far beyond our mortal ken! What is the mystic thing ? Oh, tell us, what is force ? We see its grand displays ; how mystic to our wondering eyes ! The volcano, the earthquake, are not these Forces, boldly expressed? What is the matter with old mother earth that she gets so perturbed ? Has she some morbidity within her great interior-self and is seeking to give impressive expression that may be righted? Where can be the origin of such dread activities of Force, and why, bringing as it does such consternation, dread, suffering, death upon the creatures covering the surface of the earth? How can force so seemingly heartless be? Oft, in his great terror, when the calamitous effects of force are pressed upon him, man cries out in his helplessness, "My God, have mercy upon us!" Naturally man would escape such destructive forces; innately he calls to a saving force !

More Pleasing Forces of Nature, Less terrific, yet no less sublime, beautiful and grand, are the powerful forces of nature as exhibited by the laws of attraction, for see what wonderful force holds the heavenly bodies up in helpless space ! Omnipotence of force is here ! Stupendous power! How can mortal mind comprehend a witchery so sublime?

See our sun, held up in space ; its ponderous weight, to which is added the also ponderous weights of all its solar system family of bulky globes, tied to the sun by magic fingers. All are held aloft, and journeying through the voids of space; sustained up there without falter or weariness. Whence the unseen proofs of Forcd that holds them there? While each and all, faithful to its specialty of ceaseless duty ; each separately, and all unitedly keeping exact time in the rate of travel, moving in circles, nor ever one mite straying from the regulations hung over them. What sublimity of mystic Force is here ! And this, our own, own solar system but one of the hosts of solar systems that fill the realms of vast universe! How lost is mortal mind in its eager longing to comprehend this omnipotence of Force!

See Also Chemical Manifestations of Force. What magic seems to be hidden away in the chemical affinities ? The chemical actions and reactions, wonderful with what mathematical precision of exactness do atoms each fill its own place in chemical formations; seems as if Divine wisdom were buried in each atom. How supremely exact, and beautifully delicate is Force in its activities here.

See also the Wonderous Exhibitions of Electric Activities in manifestations of Force. Its manifold antics are a constant new surprise to us. Noting its effects produced on other atoms of matter, what mystery of Force is this ? All feel the magic force of electric touch.

In watching the plant, see again the sweet force as the humble flower turns its face toward the sun; beautiful, soulful, mystic Force! Too, see the delicate tints of color which the soul fulness of each flower taketh unto itself; and more wonderful still, whence comes its fragrance? Partaking freely of this good, it yieldeth back of the same in the gratitude of its soul. See, too, on each petal it may blend so cutely all the varied colors, as if some passing butterfly had kissed those varied colors there !

Say you, a flower has no need of Force? Oh, force is as tenderly delicate as it is also supremely strong! What is Force, beautiful force ? For see its finer exhibitions as well as its magnitude!

The forces of nature, some so beautiful and enjoyable, some so terrific and awe-inspiring; yet seem inviting us to closer study of them. All seem to spell out to us, "The Hand that made us is Divine."

See every endless 1 " and varied activity of force in every department of nature, both organized and unorganized matter, — so called or not — but matter still, of whatever grade it be, 'tis traveling, ever traveling, with its fullness of force. Force, the palpitating heart of all universe. Force, a mystic thing, yet so sublime and Divine! Whence is Force?

Oh, reason is ever asking what is force? Who made it ? Whence came it ? May I avail myself of it? How can I reach it?

Pray tell us what is Force ! Is force God's impersonal involuntary Selfhood? Manifesting and acting through the laws of nature ; ever obeying fiats that proceed from the Divine-mind during the early days of Creation? Pray tell us what is force? Did we hear answer: Force is the wakefulness of all nature? Force is the acting agency by which the cause of nature comes more visibly in touch with the created. So beautifully told in the soul-lit language of the poetic philosopher in the words: "The cause of nature is the Art of God."

Man's Soul Ever Pleading, Longing, Trusting. Would that it could arise and climb nearer unto the Source of all good ! Earnestly does man desire to learn of the Source of this grand Force! Man does the best he can to see, to learn, to know; yes, man would know all ; no part of universe but what man would explore. Man would know the Author of universe.

Is man self-limited? May man self-limit himself? Does the law of environment limit man? "So foolish was I and so ignorant, I was a beast before thee." Is it not man's duty to study up as far as his mind and soul are able to attain unto ? All universe is spread out before him. Truly, an inviting field of study! Will man be like dumb driven cattle ? — "Verily, man that understandeth not is like the beasts that perish I"

God Himself is manifested in His manifold creations. The attributes of God are everywhere shown. Infinite Mind ! Wisdom, love, power, all attracts man's study. Man feels that in some way he must be related to the cause of all he sees; feels that he has a right to learn and know, because he feels an urgent need of this Great force; needs the Love of this Great Author of Force! Man innately reverences Divinity!

Man May Know God. May he ? The highest of all knowledge is to know there is a God. Infinite Creator God ! Divinity ! Jehovah ! The I Am!

The most assuring of all knowledge is to know God is Love! Love, Wisdom, Will Power ! Attributes of Personality, Divinity of Personality.

The sweetest of all knowledge is to know God our Father! Mortal man has a Spirit-father. Man is not the child of chance; God is the infinite Being, a Father to man ! Oh, precious knowledge! The knowledge man most needs. The what man's soul is ever craving. Exaltation of privilege is this; to know there is Infinite Power, that that Power is wisdom, is love, is in touch with the creature, man! Man, not left to mere earth destiny, but privileged to a higher beyond than this animal earth-life. Man spiritually endowed. God gives of Spirit-life as well as earth-life. God, the Spirit- father, that gives to mortal man of Himself! Gives man soul to link him more nearly to Himself ! Then may not man study to know his Spirit- father? Surely man will learn of "his Father who art in Heaven" as fast as he can. Spirit infant will grow and learn of its Spirit-parent.

Is God Willing for Man to Know Him? "Thou, Solomon, my son, know thou God." — "And ye shall seek me and find me when ye shall search with all your heart." — "Your heart shall live, that seek God."

Please go search that old Jewish Bible, both old and new, each of us for ourselves. In it, see if He is willing for man to know Him. While mortal frailties may blur the picture of God, still, even as Moses saw God, 'twill be a good start-off lesson, and as we go onward in this study each of us can get more light. Soullight awaits the opening of the soul-windows. And who but will search his own innateness of being-hood to see why it is he so craves — something beyond his fleshly-self. "My Soul thirsteth for Thee!" — "Let us walk in the Light!"

"Child of a King, prepare to know the lovely grace of thy Father." See, the Loving Father God, the King Infinite, stoops to lowly earth and bids his child know Him ! ' Earth child, know thy Father who art in Heaven ! Seek with all thy powers of soul to know Him. Since finiteness can only comprehend Infiniteness as finiteness compares with Infiniteness, how little, then, can the finite know of the Infinite ? Yet so dependent is the finite upon the Infinite that he must know that little.

As the new-born babe of earth learns little by little 'ere yet it can its parents know, still that parent's presence is very dear to it, very essential to its very being ; and 'ere yet its eyes can see the light it knoweth its parent.

As the finite attains spiritual development, he may have hope to know his Infinite Spiritual-father. Man, earth environed, can scarce attain beyond infancy's spirit-beinghood. Can't get far beyond kindergarten grade of lessons in spirit education and development. Yet God's earth-child feeling innately, knowing that he has a Divine Spirit-father, seeks to know that parent. Baby-like, snugs up to Him for soul- warmth and love and for all itself cannot do or obtain without parental aid.

Man's great need of God seems the most potent reason that urges him to study of God. Man, the creature of a more exalted nature of beinghood than all else of earth creatures, of necessity realizes his Father wants his thoughts to go beyond the bounds of earth !

Earth-child, see Father God! The spiritselfness within you bids you see with spiritual eyes. See the Great I Am! Self-existent Being, — Desire, a Divine soul element.

God desires — God exists — God the Great self-existing Beinghood — Auto-beinghood, found only in God ! Perfection of beinghood found only in God. Spiritual, manhood, bodyhood, supreme exaltation of perfection in personality ! Man, made in the image of God, has only such conceptions of God as the man-eyes are able to obtain through his earth-man-eyehood. When, after man grows up to his highest earth conception of what God is, then he is ascending the ladder of a higher life, which is leading him up to where his eyes can better bear the Spiritual light of God. Not until man reaches the full heights shall he "know even as he is known."

Man is made in the image of God ; man, an earth-child-of-God destined to heavenly states. "In my Father's house there are many mansions." Has not man special reasons for feeling some heritage in the mansions beyond this earth ?

Earth is God's footstool ; God's throne is in the heaven of heavens. He, God, the "I Am." Who inhabits eternity !

See Universe, Magnificent Universe. Magnificent, boundless Universe — Space Infinite — Measureless — Eternity of roominess! Divinity's sublimity of Infinititude ! Only the Great, Almighty God could need such amplitude in which to breathe the Eternal air of boundless space! He, only God! His Magnificence of beinghood ! He, only He, could have need of such boundless roominess — the whole Magnificent Universe! He, Jehova! God, our Father !

He, the soul and center is! Spacious universe ! His glory o'erspreads it all ; all space, all universe, is but His Gracious Atmosphere !

God's throne the center is ; yet uplifted high — e'en high above our universe. High in transplendent Glory reigns our Almighty God ! Being sublime, "whom we call God, and know no more," yet do our souls teach us that to His great love we owe all; that He, our Spirit- Father, is from whence all good comes. To Him our souls aspire. At His great throne of love there is the mercy-seat! Where in faith our souls must call; God in regal state, in Highest personality, sits on His throne Supremely King of all universe !

We, too, realize all Father in His love, as extending His impersonal involuntary, Selfhood expressed in His great mind-force of thought extended over all universe, recognizable to many as expressed in law, — Law of nature, so called.

The sublime greatness of God's personality ; of God's supreme allness of beinghood is too extended for us to know in our earthly environments. Each mortal in his own innate knowingness of spirithood, may to his own self-comprehension conceive somewhat of God, catching such glimpses of the supremely exalted Statehood of God as he is capable of obtaining, yet all mortals have not equal soulforce.

Not gold, diamonds, and all other precious stones lighted up by a million suns can outshine God's great glory in His throne on High. Nor can reason, nor time, nor any other earthly sense tell us the All of what God in His whole self-hood is. Yet reason is but too glad to tell all it can. While the spirit-soul joins in with reason in aspiring to reach up toward the Divinity parent, does learn and know somewhat of God. And then mortal man loves to learn and know, the more he does attain unto this happy knowledge the more he becomes able to learn. The upwardness and desire to study of God as best man may, leads to a higher, happier state of mind, gives mortal that peace "that passeth all understanding."

We can but think it is an aid to the Spirit-soul-mind of man to specially study the rising and the setting sun ; only when sun is veiled in horizon's misty atmosphere can the common, human eye look at the sun to realize its identihood ; its height we realize at all hours of sunlight ; but sun's selfhood, at rising and setting, we may look upon without pain to the eye. Only thus veiled to us can we see sun ; to study it is soul-inspiring. In the flesh, too, man must see God veiled, but as we know the noonday sun is there, so we know God is somewhere; though we see Him not.

Only thd Fool Says There Is No God. Gazing at yon morning star, the harbinger of day, we ask : "What made that star ?" for evidently it is not self-made, nor has it self-independence, but is mysteriously interwoven with other similar revolving orbs. It seems attracted by magnetism, together with a family of planets, all of whom seem firmly bound to a central star ; the parent and leader sun who, as captain of a band, seems leading them all through their respective orbits, and at the same time all moving along through space on some more extended route.

Thus reflecting on the motions of these stars, and gazing still in the Eastern skies, we ponder. See the wonderful Force that holds all in its own special place. Law, order, affectionate grouphood ; all following the path of duty, our mind's deepest attention is absorbed. We would know the all about this beautiful ruling of the sky.

Still gazing and pondering, we seem to get an answer, — and oh, so plain it reaches us, though whispered to our souls. It said to us : That morning star was called into existence by Mental-Force-Divine. Divine mind ! That star, a world more beautiful than our own may be, furnishing a home for man of purer, lovelier minds, mayhap, than fill the land of our own earth-star!

Still pondering, watching the worlds in the sky, we note these grow more dim, while there still seems increasing light ; gray and rosy rays of light adorning morning's horizon sky ; now brighter and still brighter rays beam in to introduce a new-born day. Meanwhile a more resplendent light comes on; above horizon's hill peeps o'er all, the Sol Sun himself, fair Monarch of the day ; he speaks, yet no sound, no sounded word is heard, for worded language cannot better tell. He tells there is a

God! From Him I come; He is my light, my life, my all; I am His created servant; I am one of God's repositories of light and warmth ; I, his agent, am to receive from Him, then to reflect and diffuse new beams of genial warmth and life-inspiring light. He radiates to me a superabundant store; bids me reflect to earth and all this family group that round me roll for daily needed light and healthful warmth. I but reflect from Him these gracious gifts; I, but the delivering agent, or sub-agent, am only one among very many suns and solar systems that march through space to light and warm the many worlds and many peoples, and tell them there is a God. A God of wisdom and gracious power, who loves to divide, of His good self, fair light and living warmth to make all breathing life more dear and sweet; and to bless all worlds that fill the sky.

Gradually this radiantly gorgeous monarch of the day moves on smiling on our little planet earth as he goes. Earth so lorn and lost without the sun to tell of God; to light its blank, dark way through heedless space and thoughtless time.

Oh, hear ye, men of earth ! See, He gives free light to aid you to see your work and all the beauteous joys of earth. Then to alternate the night with day and give you soothing hours of rest. Oh, man, love the Great All Father, God!

All Universe Tells of God. Nor is Old Sol our ruling Sun alone to tell the sweet great truth, there is a God ! But see — oh, hear ! What hosts do speak ! Whole trains of suns, with their attending stars, they all cry out: Children of earth, oh, hear us tell ! We are a golden band ; we are the armies of the sky ; veterans of long ages, who rule the days and nights, the seasons of eternal time. Our God, He made us all. We feel we know God's mighty power Divine. We gladly travel the mystic paths through solitude and primal space; His loving fingers point us the way; point out the path we each must go. Yes, 'tis the truest delight to follow close the heavenly rule ! We all know God, we love him, to obey !