May not that be the Heavenly world wherein stands the "City of God, whose foundations are eternal," and whose maker and builder is the great Architect of the Universe? Its walls are Jasper, and are ever glittering in the glory-light of eternal day. Its apartments are gorgeously furnished in brilliant array. "I go" said the Saviour, "to prepare a place for you." There "the gold-paved streets," there the "Great white Throne" and "Christ the Lord" who sits thereon as the judge and ruler of His own native Empire—for it is He that shall judge the nations of this Earth, and in the "great day" of "final judgment" he will recount, in evidence, some of the scenes through which he passed on this Earth, to justify his final and unalterable decision.
May not there gush forth the crystal "fountains of life" from which to drink will quench all thirst; and there the "rivers of life" ever flowing, in whose waters to bathe will renew eternal youth, and immortality, to dwell on and on with eternity itself? May not Moses, and Elijah, and the Prophets, and Martyrs be there? May not many of us, who are still on this Earth, contemplate the theme that there (in that bright world at whose boundary surface we cannot, while dwelling in mortality, gaze for even one minute of time without being blinded) we have a father, a mother, sister, brother, husband, wife, a child, or some loved friends, who have left the shores of Time, and are safe with their blessed Saviour, to dwell in his sun-light throughout "eternal day?"
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 "God" 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 God 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 God 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 "God'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 constitute 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.
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 assigns 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 space 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 encumbered with very serious objections. Clouds analogous to those of our atmosphere (and Dr. H., expressly asserts that his lower stratum of clouds are analogous to ours, and reasons respecting the upper stratum according to the same analogy) 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 God 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 stimulæ of life and animation. It is said that flame-like masses—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 space, 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—God'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 constituents, every thing, and all space, is incomprehensible otherwise than in the belief that the Spirit of God 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.
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 circumstantial proof as is derived from a knowledge of their general structure, and the analogies 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 constitutes 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 circumstances that ice would accumulate toward the poles in winter time, as on our Earth, and accordingly glacial accumulations 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 circumference. Starting from this globe let us wing our way across the space 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 title 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 passing 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 passing through the "asteroid" zone of solar space, 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 shores 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 orbit 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 pass through a space 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, Uranus, represented by a cherry, plods his weary course. Although his real diameter is 35,000 miles, his circumference 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, Uranus 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 space. 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 passing away. Between the shores of our Sun-system and the shores 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 impassable 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 masses of matter scattered through space; 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 masses 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 masses, 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 assume the same phase of outward existence, nor need we attempt to set limits in this respect to the Lord of Life. The spaces 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 God'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 space, 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 God'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 space, 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 God's intercourse by His Spirit, and His dealings with man.
God 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 assurance of the eternal duration of the Sun; even as the Throne of God which is to "endure forever and ever." The promise is, that
"His seed also will I make to endure forever, and his throne as the days of heaven. Thy throne O God is forever and ever."
Thus, we see that the Sun and the heaven are to endure as long as the throne of God, and his throne is to endure "forever and ever."
Now to us, to all, while dwelling in mortality, the Sun dispenses its blessings alike. "He maketh the Sun to shine on the evil and on the good, and sendeth the rain on the just, and on the unjust."
Thus, we see that the Sun is the active agency for the dispensing of His blessings to man and all animation on this Earth. Its rays of light and heat penetrate the bosoms of oceans and seas, and draw up from "the fountains of the deep" the "liquid element" in ascending vapor, and condensing it into clouds, scatter and return it in rains, and gentle showers, to water and replenish the Earth and make it bring forth for sustenance of man and beast, and renew the verdure of nature.
Now do we not see in all this, as in all things else, that the Sun—its heat and light—are God's agencies in sustaining all things? We have told you that we could comprehend that it was an agency pervading and controlling all things. But you have doubtless noticed the fact that as we have followed up and grasped the revelations made by Philosophers and Astronomers, that the ablest of them have failed to comprehend the nature of the eternal source of fire. All agree in the one fact, however, that it is derived from the Sun. No finite mind ever has comprehended, nor, it may be, ever will be able to fully comprehend it. We know that it exists. We apply to it properties and principles, or components which form the element. Beyond this we cannot go, only we know that God himself is its author; that it is an element intimately connected with Himself—nay more, that He has even revealed to us that His Spirit is fire! And when we contemplate the fact that it is the only completely destructive, or annihilating element, and yet one that can never be destroyed; one that is to purify the righteous, and yet punish the wicked, we are led to the inevitable conclusion that it is an attribute of the Great Jehovah. We believe it an element of creative agency, one that has existed—possibly—from all eternity, and will continue through all eternity to come. We are told that God, by His Spirit, is manifest in all His works. Now, what else than light, and heat, is thus manifest to us? It is positively the source of all light, and St. Paul tells us that "All things are made manifest by light;" while the Psalmist declares "His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and His circuit unto the ends of it, and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof."
Now we see that this declaration establishes our hypothesis of the location of heaven. His going forth from the end of the heaven—from the sun—and nothing is hid from the heat thereof—the Sun being the source of heat—is conclusive evidence that the Sun is near—even at the ends of the heaven.
In the further contemplation of the hypothesis, that the Spirit of God is as fire, you will remember that we have stated that some of the constituent elements of fire pervades all things, and also that God—by His Spirit—is everywhere, and in all His works. Hear the Psalmist, on this subject:
"Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? Whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there thy hand shall lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.
"If I say, surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee: but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee."
Mark well this testimony, that while the Spirit of God is everywhere, so, also, is that Spirit light, and there is no darkness, save to those vailed in humanity. When spirit is free from mortality; is accepted of God, and clothed upon with immortality; as spirit, it partakes of His own nature, and will, henceforth, dwell forever in eternal light.
Now what the Sun is to this earth and its inhabitants, so also we believe it to be to the inhabitants of all the other planets belonging to its system; all of which worlds it controls, even as it does this. And here the mind goes out in the contemplation of the hypothesis, that all those other suns, standing far out in sidereal regions—each governing and controlling its own system of planets, or worlds—are also heavens for created intelligences inhabiting such planets. God is Infinite, as well as Omnipresent. Infinite in wisdom, and in His creative power.
Therefore Suns, and consequently heavens, may be numbered by millions, and their surrounding worlds by billions; yet all created, governed, and controlled by the infinite wisdom and power of the great Architect of the Universe. Such hypothesis is wonderful for finite minds to contemplate, yet not more so than the fact of the existence of our own solar system.
That the Sun shall endure forever, no rational mind can doubt. God's own word assures this, and that His throne shall endure as long as the Sun. Should He quench the fires of the Sun, and yet make no other provision for light and heat, all would be blackness, darkness, and desolation, and no animated life could exist on this earth, or surrounding worlds.
Having assumed the hypothesis that that which we denominate the Sun is a volume of photospheric-ethereal, or SPIRIT-FIRE; that it is the source of all that we can comprehend of light and heat; we have also stated our belief that it is an attribute of the Eternal One—possibly an agency of creative power—we believe we shall be able to make this plain to every reflecting mind, in our further contemplations of the revelations which God has made of himself, as we find them recorded in the Bible. These revelations are plain, and we believe the time in the history of our world has come, when we should more fully comprehend them—even the nature of His manifestations, and thus comprehend more our own relations to Him, and by this means be enabled to "come to a knowledge of His truth," and more fully realize His prescience, day by day. That this has not been more fully comprehended heretofore, must seem a mystery to every reflecting mind.
Now what are these revelations? Let us examine.
We learn from Bible History, that "God created man in His own image, and after His own likeness." "In the image of God created He him; male and female, created He them." Thus, in creation, man is spoken of in the plural. "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." Now "the first Adam was made a living soul, and the second Adam a quickening spirit." The terms soul and spirit are held as synonymous; both having reference to our immortal nature, and, as this immortal nature emanated from God our Creator, and is of His own eternal attribute, it can never die; hence, it must exist through all eternity.
Job asks, "To whom hast Thou uttered words? whose spirit came from Thee?" and in Ecclesiastes it is declared, "The spirit shall return to God who gave it." St. John, the revelator, tells us that "God is a spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth." While St. Paul says, "His spirit beareth witness with our spirits, that we are the children of God."
Now you will remember that St. John, the revelator, has told us that it was revealed to him that "the seven lamps of fire, were the seven spirits of God," while Job says, "A flame goeth out of His mouth, and God by his spirit garnished the heavens."
We wish you to bear this evidence in mind. For Job not only speaks of a plurality of heavens, but explains by what agency they were garnished—even by the Spirit of God. Now we know that garnishment is transcendent brightness, and brilliancy; to adorn and polish surface. Is it not therefore, probable that Job had reference to that bright ethereal spirit flame, whose brilliancy blinds us if we attempt a lingering gaze at the Sun's bright disk? 'Tis said that heaven within is lighted with the "glory of God."
In our previous arguments, we have showed, conclusively, that the Sun is the source of fire, heat, and light. Let us now further examine the offices of this element thus derived from the Sun, and note in this investigation whether it is not, in some way, intimately connected with heaven.
First. Under the Mosaic dispensation, God commanded His Prophets, and Priests, to build unto Him an Altar, and to offer sacrifices thereon; and such sacrifices would be accepted by Him, as should be evidenced by his sending down fire from heaven to consume the offerings. He also commanded, through Moses, that the fires should ever be burning upon the altar, and that the Priests should continue to renew sacrifices and burnt offerings upon it. These sacrifices were as memorials before the Lord, and typical of the coming of Christ, who should be the "great sacrifice," to ransom fallen man.
Now it will be remembered that when such offerings were made, fire came down from heaven and consumed the offerings, and thus made manifest that the sacrifices were accepted of God. (Let it be remembered that we have shown, as far as finite mind can comprehend, that the Sun is the only direct source of fire, and then remember that fire came down from heaven.)
In the book of Job we read,
"God is a Sun and a shield, who maketh His angels spirits, and His ministers a flaming fire."
Now we know that angels are God's ministers, and how oft do we find recorded in the Bible, how—under the earlier dispensation—they appeared on earth in forms of fire, and with the brightness of the Sun.
The Psalmist tells us again that:
"Our God shall come, a fire shall devour before Him. A fire goeth before Him and burneth up His enemies."
The prophet Jeremiah proclaims:
"Wherefore, thus saith the Lord God of hosts, Behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire."
The Psalmist answers:
"While I was musing the fire burned."
Thus, how plain the revelations that God's Spirit is fire. Not necessarily manifested at all times, by the burning and consuming our mortal bodies—this only in His wrath—but by the purifying of our natures; "burning up the dross, and base desires," and thus fitting us for the enjoyment of heaven and happiness, for
"He shall be as a refiner's fire, and the righteous are saved as by fire."
Let us hear what the prophet Jeremiah saith:
"For behold the Lord will come with fire; and with His chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and His rebukes with flames of fire, and the slain of the Lord shall be many."
Ah, when He comes forth with His Spirit of fire in wrath and indignation, then it is that this element is one of terrible destruction. Comprehending this, the a same prophet inquires:
"Who among us shall dwell with devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell in everlasting burnings?"
Hear the answer of God, given through his prophet to all His obedient and faithful children:
"Though thou walkest through the fires, thou shalt not be burned, neither shall the flames kindle upon thee."
Again, of His Spirit in a milder form:
"Is not my word like fire, saith the Lord?"
The prophet answers:
"His word was in my heart as a burning fire."
Now remember that:
"By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, and all the hosts of them by the breath of His mouth."
And here His word is represented as FIRE!
In the first book of the Chronicles it is written:
"Every man's work shall be tried by fire."
And, in the second book of the Chronicles:
"And when the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the Lord upon the House, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground, and worshipped and praised the Lord."
Thus, no one dared gaze on the brightness of that glory, and all bowed "with their faces to the ground."
Turning to the book of Deuteronomy, we find written:
"The Lord thy God is a consuming fire. Understand therefore this day, that the Lord thy God is He that goeth over before thee as a consuming fire. Out of heaven He made thee to hear His voice, that He might instruct thee; and upon earth He showed thee His great fire; and thou heardest His words out of the midst of the fire."
In Leviticus we find written:
"And there went out a fire from the Lord and devoured them, and they died before the Lord. And there came a fire out from before the Lord, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offerings—which, when the people saw, they shouted and fell on their faces."
Let us contemplate, for a moment, the sacrilege of the attempt at using this element—during the old dispensation—to the consuming of an offering or sacrifice to any other than the one true and living God. Turn to the Book of Numbers, and read,
"When the people offered incense upon the strange altar, there came down fire from the Lord and consumed the two hundred and fifty who offered the incense. And Nahab and Abihu died, when they offered strange fire before the Lord."
Second Kings, vi. 17:
"Elisha said, they that be for us are more than they that are against us; he prayed, and God opened the young man's eyes, and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha."
Thus we see that this element—in its destructive form—is the ready manifestation of God's displeasure.
Turn to Exodus, and read,—
"And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him (Moses), in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush, and he looked, and behold the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed." Again, "The cloud of the Lord was upon the Tabernacle by day, and a fire was upon it by night in sight of all the house of Israel." Again, "And the sight of the glory of the Lord was like devouring fire upon the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel."
Now let us consider this element in its offices when controlled by the Great Jehovah.
"For it came to pass when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, that the angel of the Lord ascended in the flame of the altar."
Here there was no delusive manifestation, but the actual flame of fire, ascending upward toward heaven; even to the Sun its original source.
We will now turn to the Book of the Second Kings, and—in our mind's eye—join the prophets "as they walked and talked with Elijah" and witness one of the most sublime scenes the eye of man has ever beheld:
"And it came to pass as they still went on and talked, that behold there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder, and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven."
Was there not a startling, and sublime revelation, that this element controlled, can be suited, even to our enjoyment of happiness when the great change comes; when this mortal shall put on immortality?
In the Book of Malachi—the last of the Old Testament scriptures—we hear the voice of Him who had promised deliverance, speaking to us through His prophet:
"Unto you that fear my name, shall the Sun of righteousness arise."
Thus we see that the promised Messiah was spoken of as a Sun.
Turning to the record of the New Testament, we find the Saviour's advent into this world signaled by a brilliant "Star," emblematical of the Sun, shining in all its splendor, brilliancy, and beauty, and leading the wise men to where lay the "Infant of days"—the veiled "Star," or Sun, of light and immortality.
At a later day, behold Him manifesting His veiled brightness, as he stood "transfigured on the Mount" before Peter, James and John, when "His face did shine as the Sun, and His raiment white as the light."
But we deem it unnecessary to dwell upon all the symbols of fire, heat, and light, so clearly representative, which may be found interspersed throughout the Old, and the New Testament pages. We will catch up a few others as we pass along, before, in mind, taking our stand with John, the revelator, on the Isle of Patmos. St. Paul tells us,—
"The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ." And that the "Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming."
St. John, says:
"I indeed baptize you with water, but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and WITH FIRE."
Thus we see that spirit is denominated fire in the ordinance of Spiritual Baptism.
And St. Paul says:
"By one spirit are we all baptized into one body."
Let us now glance at the account of John's spiritual vision while on the Isle of Patmos, as recorded in the Book of Revelation:
"I heard behind me a great voice as the voice of a trumpet, saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. And I turned to see the voice that spake with me, and I saw seven golden candlesticks, and One in the midst of the candlesticks like unto the Son of Man. His head and his hair were white as the snow, and his eyes were as flames of fire, and his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace, and his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars; and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword; and his countenance was as the Sun shining in his strength."
John saw the door of heaven opened and a voice as of a trumpet said unto him, "Come up hither, and I will shew thee the things which must be hereafter." He continues. "And immediately I was in the spirit, and, behold a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne, who, to look upon was like jasper, and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald, and around the throne sat four and twenty elders in raiment of white, and out of the throne proceeded lightnings, and thunderings, and voices, and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God. And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament, and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings. And there appeared a great wonder in heaven, a woman clothed with the Sun. And I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven clothed with a cloud, and a rainbow was upon his head and his face was, as it were the Sun, and his feet as pillars of fire."
"And the city had no need of the Sun, for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof." "And there shall be no night there, for the Lord God giveth them light, and they shall reign forever and ever. The Lord God shall be unto them an everlasting light, and the days of their mourning shall be ended."
"Then shall the righteous shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear let him hear." (Matt. xiii. 43.)
We have quoted the foregoing Scriptural passages—to which we might add scores of others of similar import—to show the connection of the element of fire, heat and light—with God himself, and that while it proves the agency; at least in dispensing His blessings to all animated life, and can be so controlled by Him that—even in its intensity—it cannot harm the righteous, either in body or spirit, when He interposes; yet it is the certain agency of destruction, and the torment of the wicked at His will; or without this interposition. Certain it is, that it is the agency by which He has made Himself manifest to man, and this agency still continues in the dispensing of all the manifold blessings we enjoy, day by day, and should cause every heart to turn to Him with reverence and grateful emotions. The mind of the Christian world should acknowledge the omnipresence of the Infinite One; that He pervades all space, and is manifest in all things; while each individual should feel as Elihu did when he uttered the words, "The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life;" and exclaim with the Psalmist:
"I will bless the Lord at all times, His praise shall continually be in my mouth. The eyes of the Lord are ever upon the righteous, and His ears are open unto their cry. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." "Lord, thou hast been our dwelling-place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God."
Now we have seen that God—by His Spirit, or influence—is everywhere; that he pervades the universe of His Creation; that his nature is eternal and indestructible, while all else—save man's immortal nature derived from God—is destructible. We are plainly told in the Bible that the Spirit of God is fire; that His Word is fire; that He is like a refiner's fire—even as a purifier of silver. That every man's work shall be tried by fire; the righteous saved as by fire; that, to his people, He will be as a wall of fire; and though they pass through the fire they shall not be burned; neither shall the flames kindle upon them. And yet our God is a consuming fire, before whom the wicked shall not stand. That the fire of His anger, and His wrath, shall be kindled against them, when all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly shall be cast into the fire that will never be quenched; whose flames shall ascend up forever and ever. Oh, how plain the revelations of God as to the immortality of the soul, and a future state of existence! The righteous to enter into, and enjoy eternal life; the wicked—who are dead in trespasses and in sins—to enter into eternal death, even the "death that never dies."
How startling the fact of these plain revelations! God is now made manifest to our daily and hourly comprehension. How dare we trifle with Him, and our own soul's immortal interest? We are daily and hourly rushing on to our own eternal destiny. Ere another year, a month, a week or day is past, we may realize that "it is not all of life to live, nor yet of death to die." No one can escape the eternal fiat of Jehovah, "dust thou art and unto dust shalt thou return." As death leaves the body so judgment finds the soul. "The righteous shall inherit eternal life;" "the wicked shall be driven away from the presence of God, and from the glory of His power," and take up their abode with tormenting devils "in everlasting burnings."
Stop, poor wandering child of sin; yield obedience to the requirements of God's law; "acknowledge Him in all thy ways, and He shall direct thy paths."
The Psalmist tells us that "the Lord God is a Sun." Saint John tells us that, while in the Spirit, it was revealed to him that the "burning lamps of fire were spirits of God." Now remember that we have told you that the vast volume of flame of ethereal fire outside and around the heavenly world, is all that we can see or comprehend as the Sun; that flame is the source of all light, heat, and animation: hence, considered in connexion with its offices, may we not safely conclude that it is an attribute of Jehovah?
The prophet Malachi foretold the coming of the "Sun of righteousness," behold the "star in the east!" Who can doubt this star being a visible manifestation of the Spirit of God? Christ, the Son of God, is called "the Sun of righteousness; the bright morning star." His advent into the world was signalized by this sacred emblem—even by the Spirit of God revealed as the brightness of a star. How appropriate this representation, when the Son of God came to usher in the light of an eternal day to his people. Transfigured during His stay on earth, "His face did shine as the Sun, and His raiment was white as the light." Now remember, we are assured that the heavenly world and city "hath no need of the Sun, for the glory of God doth lighten it, and the Lamb (the Son of God) is the light thereof."
Thus we think we have furnished conclusive Scripture evidence that God's Spirit is manifested by fire. Fire is the source of all light, and is also an element pervading all things throughout the vast universe of God—in air and earth, seas and floods, rocks and mountains, throughout all heights and depths. Hence, hear again the exclamation of the Psalmist: "Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?" Behold, God, by His Spirit, is everywhere, even throughout the vast extended universe of all His wondrous works.
We have but to consider the source of this element—which is God himself—and we shall then easily comprehend how it can, by the same power, be adapted or made congenial to our mortal or immortal natures. We have said, He has created no element incompatible with, or uncongenial to His own nature, nor any that He cannot adapt to the condition of the spirit-life of His children. Fire is an element destructive of all things else save immortality, and that it is not destructive of this, we have evidence in the fact that the wicked shall be cast into the flames of hell, and suffer its torments for ever and ever. And yet, while it is an element destructive of all else, save immortality, it is one, and the only one we can—even partially—comprehend, that can never be destroyed. Mortality shall be destroyed, and naught remain but immortality, purified by fire—the Spirit of God.
Now in order that His children here, might comprehend His infinite power in controlling, or adapting this element to their happiness, He has manifested this power even with mortality on this earth. Our mortal bodies are susceptible of feeling its painful influences, and of being destroyed by it—save when He intervenes, and changes our nature so that it can have no impression upon us, or makes it a congenial element in which we can enjoy happiness. That He can do, and has done this, we have manifest in the miraculous preservation of the three Hebrew children. For their refusal to forsake the Living God, and worship the idol, or golden image set up by King Nebuchadnezzar, the king commanded that the furnace should be heated seven-fold, and they be bound and cast into it. This was done, and while the heat was so intense as to destroy those who bore them to, and plunged them into the fiery furnace, yet when the king looked into it "he saw four men loose and walking in the midst of the flames; praising God, and blessing the name of the Lord, and the fourth was like unto the Son of God." The king called them to come forth, and when the three who were cast in came forth, "not a hair of their heads was singed, nor even the smell of fire passed on their garments."
Thus we see the power of God manifest in the adaptation at His own will, of this,—to our mortal bodies—painful and consuming element, to our condition of happiness. And, on the other hand, when this saving power is withheld, how certain is destruction, as manifested by its destroying those who approached near enough to the furnace to cast them in. O, the measure of happiness those children of the Most High enjoyed in the midst of the burning flames! shouting and praising God. And when they came out of the fiery furnace, they still continued their triumphant shout; calling upon everything—animate, and inanimate—throughout the vast Universe, to "bless, praise and magnify the name of the Lord forever."
That God can, and does make this element suited to the enjoyment of happiness of His people, we have also seen manifested in the case of Elijah taking his seat, at the command of God, in the "chariot of fire," and with "horses of fire" ascending up into heaven. Thus, "changed," as the apostle expresses it, "in the twinkling of an eye," his mortality ceased, and "clothed upon with immortality," by Divine power, he could ride in triumph with his steeds of fire, sitting in his chariot of burning flame.
We scarcely deem it necessary to refer again to the—almost universally conceded—fact of man's immortal nature. By the breath of God, man was made a living soul or spirit. God's spirit is living fire; hence this immortal nature of man is living fire, an attribute of God himself, and one which can never cease to exist; can never be annihilated, but will live on, and on through all eternity. But when this immortal principle of spirit-fire leaves the body, mortality ceases to live, and must decay and moulder into dust. For, speaking of this mortal body, He hath said, "dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return," and "the soul shall return to God who gave it."
Now to show the intimate connexion with the Sun and Heaven, spoken of in the Scriptures, we will here group together a few of the many passages found written therein.
The prophet Jeremiah, in referring to the great and terrible day of the Lord, says "the light shall be darkened in the heavens;" and in the Gospel according to St. Mark, referring to the same, we read that "the Sun shall be darkened;" and in the Revelation, that "the Sun and the air were darkened." Again, Jehovah, speaking to His people, saith: "I will cover the heaven, and make the stars thereof dark;" and, in order that we may more fully comprehend, he added: "I will cover the Sun with a cloud;" and the Psalmist tells us that "He covereth the heaven with a cloud;" and thus saith the Lord through His prophet: "Be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them."
Thus we see that the Sun and heaven are often spoken of in connexion with each other in regard to light. The Sun is to us the source of all light, and in covering the heaven He covereth the Sun. But we see, as above, that He hath made this matter plain to our comprehension by His own utterance: "Be not dismayed by the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them."
Now you will remember that the heathen, in ancient times—and even so with them at the present day—were always dismayed and frightened at the recurrence of an eclipse of the Sun, and imagined the time of the world had come to an end. But the science of astronomy has comprehended the laws of nature, and has revealed the true causes of these seeming phenomena to the enlightenment of the world, and many years previous to their occurrence. Astronomers can foretell the day, the hour, and even the very moment when they will appear, or be visible in any part of the world, as, also, when they will disappear. But we see, however, that God himself has spoken of such eclipses as "signs in the heaven," and yet they are eclipses of the Sun.
But still more pointed and clear is the evidence of their connexion given by the Saviour, where the Pharisees and Sadducees desired him to show them "a sign from heaven." Hear His answer: "When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair-weather, for the sky is red; and in the morning, It will be foul weather to-day, for the sky is red and lowering. O ye hypocrites! ye can discern the face of the sky, but ye cannot discern the signs of the times." Now we here see that they asked Him for a sign from heaven, and the Saviour answered promptly by referring to the apparent phenomena produced by the disappearing and reappearing of the Sun. Thus answering by signs which they had marked; produced by the Sun, which covereth the heaven from our view.
We have shown what all must acknowledge; that the Sun is the only source of fire, heat, and light which is comprehended in Nature. Revelations of the Past, and predictions as to the Future, assure us that God's wrath is revealed by fire. Now from whence cometh this fire when His wrath is thus revealed? God rained down fire and brimstone from heaven upon Sodom and Gomorrah, and thus destroyed those cities and their wicked inhabitants. Now, as the wrath of God is revealed by fire, St. Paul sets this matter at rest. Hear him: "The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men." Thus, His spirit of wrath is manifested by fire; the source of fire is the Sun, and He sends fire from heaven. Hence, we cannot for a moment doubt the correctness of our hypothesis that the source of fire, as manifested in the Past, and also that which shall be manifested in the Future, is the Sun. And wherein it is declared that fire came down from heaven, or out of heaven, it was natural that such expressions were used, because it was held that God resided in heaven, and He sent down fire from thence to execute His judgments.