1H0
STAltS AND MEN.
Vol. vii
1!
1
As for the sun, he oaros for no ono; no,
not lie, for lie is 11 man of business, lie ht3
the worlds to light and heat and well does
ho do his work. With u speed groator than
even Jehu over dreamed of, ho drives his
chariot over the broad boundless high
ways of heaven.
Older and wiser men oven than myself
have noticed this bond of sympathy and
similarity between stars and men and
have created the science of Astrology and
the religion of Astrography.
The stars have a social aspect. There
arc many stars, so are there many men.
Each star has a name, so every man has a
name. Some stars arc comparitively near
to us, others are so far distant that their
light is four thousand years old before it
reaches us. Some men are comparitively
near heaven. They bland upon the
mountain top of holiness almost ready to
enter tho eternal city. Others will bo
older than four thousand eternities before
they catch the faintest glimpse of that
. blissful realm.
Every star occupies a certain position
in tho heavens placed there by God, so
every man fills a certain sphere in life
placed there by the All. ruling Hand.
" One star diflorcth from another star
in glory;" so one life diflorcth from an
othor liio in capabilities, possibilities,
and responsibilities. To one is given one
talent, to another live, to another ten.
And as every star shines witli its utmost
power so every lite should live to its lit.
most, should be true to its capabilities,
possibilities, and responsibilities be they
great or small. Truth consists not in
having many talents but in developing
those we have. Bo true, and like those
that turn many to righteousness, "yo shall
shine as the stars forever and over."
Shakospero says, "Alan is his own star."
And this in a certain sonsu is true, we
have tho power of being something or
nothing ,of choosing tho true or tho false.
"Alan is his own star and that soul that
can render an honest and a perfect man,
commands all light, all influence, all fate.'
Nothing to him falls too early or too late,
our acts our angels are, or good, or ill, our
fatal shadows that vault by us still."
In tho heavons are beautiful constel.
lalions Around some greater star gather
numerous stars of lessor magnitude. In
the society of men we find constellations.
A duko or prince, count or king, or some
other titled descendant from tho ape
fomes from a foreign shore, and indc
pendent, democratic America comes surg
ing and thronging around him eager to
touch the hem of his garments, honored
if they can steal a glance from his picrc
ing eye, a hair from his noble head, or a
kiss from his blooded lips. A Stuart, a
Va'.ulerbilt, or an Astor form the centers
of mighty constellations, many of whose
admirers aic but parasites that feed upon
the juices of their money bags.
There are stars that shine with their
own light and stars that do not. There
are men that command respect from thcii
fellows because they deserve it, because
they possess those intrinsic qualities that
will ever command respect. Others occu
py exalted social positions and possess
social standing, because of their wealth,
and influential friends. Take these away
and they would quickly sink to their
proper level. Those are stars that shine
with borrowed light.
Wo aro told of extinguished stars; of
stars that havo been created, and have
shone in the heavens; but having gradu
ally grown dimmer and dimmer until
they now live only in name and scientific
history. Men have been born, have lived,
labored, and died, and they make up the
myriads of stars that have gone out.
Par out of tho reach of the eye, beyond
the reach of the most powerful telescope,
even whirling with inconceivable veloc
ity in tho mighty sea of imponderable
othor, aro other worlds than ours' stars
that arc unsoon. So in the mighty on com
ing tide of time arc gonoiationsof men yet
unborn, unknown, and unseen.