Cole's Funny Picture Book No. 1

by E. W. Cole

Page 206—The Supreme Being

GOD Go to the top of a mountain so that you can see 50 miles in all directions; you then observe a space 100 miles in diameter. Now the world contains 25,000 such areas as that. Our world is amazingly vast, but our sun is a million times as large; yet we see rolling in space thousands as large as our own, which probably have accompanying worlds. And again, beyond this the telescope and astral-photography reveal to us that to the right, and to the left, before and behind, above and below, and to every point of the heavens, and at immense distances, millions and millions again of enormous stellar bodies exist, roll, revolve and travel through space. Multitudes of these suns and worlds around us in every direction are at such immense distances that a person travelling with the speed of light, namely, 200,000 miles, or 8 times round our earth, in a second, world take 1000,000 years to reach them. Nor can we imagine an end to this stupendous universe, or an end to space, for is we try to do so the question immediately occurs, what is still outside and beyond that? And so on to incomprehensible and overwhelming infinitude. And these many millions of suns and worlds and systems and all their parts are clearly working together, like the most exquisitely designed clockwork. Look at the marvellous mechanism of the human brain, the human eye, the human hand, the human heart, and in fact the whole human structure and composition; they all prove the truth of the affirmation that man is "fearfully and wonderfully made." Nay further, examine carefully every object in existence, however stupendously large or, as shown by the microscope, infinitesimally small, and they each and all appear equally perfect for their purpose. Can we see all this, and think on it, and not imagine a Designer and Controller of infinite attributes? It always appeared to me that there must be in this vast, illimitable, and beautiful universe, myriads of beings, superior to our weak mortal selves, and at the head of all and over all, an immortal Being of infinite perfections, which thinking men in all countries and ages have called GOD. And shall not we, immortal souls, increase in knowledge and wisdom, and as the ages roll on, more and more perceive and understand this mighty universe and its Author? I firmly believe we shall, and that as yet we are only beginning to live and think and understand and appreciate. The Supreme Being was believed in, praised and worshipped by all the ancient peoples, and is now believed in, praised and worshipped by the vast majority of the people of the world—it is true under different names, but still it is the same idea—a Being without beginning and without end—Infinite in Wisdom—Infinite in Goodness —Infinite in Power—Infinite in Action and, at all times, everywhere and present. E. W. Cole

The Ancients' Idea of God God extends from eternity to eternity.—Aristotle. Nothing is more ancient than God, for He was never created; nothing more beautiful than the world, it is the work of that same God.— Thales. Nature herself has imprinted on the minds of all the idea of a God; for what nation or race of men is there that has not, even without being taught, some idea of a God.—Cicero. There is one God; Him the Christians, Him the Jews, Him all the Gentile people worship.—Emperor Adrian. Amid so much war, contest, and variety of opinion, you will find one consenting conviction in every land that there is one God, the King and Father of all.—Maximus Tyrius. If we suppose a God, to Him there can be nothing mean and nothing great. The most trivial things must be equal under His regard as the most august. All-powerful, omniscient, and omnipresent, He must encompass all things, and pervade all things. Ignorant of nothing, forgetting nothing, despising nothing, He must direct the operations of the universe with perfect skill, and sustain every part in consummate order.—Plato. What land or what see will man find without God? Into what part of the earth wilt thou descend and hide thyself, O unhappy wretch! where thou canst escape from God?—Plutarch. Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty; for all that is in the heaven and in the earth, is Thine; Thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and Thou art exalted as head above all.—David. He is God, the Great, the Mighty, the Tremendous, the Merciful, the Gracious, the Benign, the Wise, the Faithful, the Just, and the Virtuous; Omniscience, Omnipresence, Omnipotence, are His alone, whose Being knew no beginning, and can know no end.—The Mishna Torah.

The Name of God in 48 Languages "Aeolian and Doric—Ilos. Arabic—Allah. Armorian—Teuti. Assyrian —Eleah. Celtic and Gallic—Diu. Chaldaic—Eilah. Chinese—Prussa. Coromandel—Brama. Cretan—Thios. Danish and Swedish—Gut. Dutch— Godt. English and Old Saxon—God. Finch—Jumala. Flemish—Goed. French—Dieu. German and Swiss—Gott. Greek—Theos. Hebrew— Elohim, Eloha. Hindostanee—Rain. Irish—Dia. Italian—Dio. Japanese—Goezur. Lapp—Jubinal. Latin—Deus. Low Breton—Done. Low Latin—Diex. Madagascar—Zannar. Malay—Alla. Modern Egyptian —Teun. Norwegian—Gud. Olalu Tongue—Deu. Old Egyptian—Teut. Old German—Diet. Pannonian—Istu. Persian—Siie. Peruvian— Puchecammae. Pollaacca—Bung. Portuguese—Deos. Provencal—Diou. Runic—As. Slav—Buch. Spanish—Dios. Syriac and Turkish—Alah. Tartar—Magatal. Teutonic—Goth. Zemblain—Fetiza."

The Moderns' Idea of God Father of ALL! in every age, In every clime adored, By saint, by savage and by sage, Jehovah, Jove, or Lord.—Pope.

The Supreme Being whom we call God, is a necessary, self-existent, eternal, immense, omnipotent, omniscient, and best Being; and therefore also a Being who is and ought to be esteemed most sacred of holy.—N. Grew. What an immense workman is God! in miniature as well as in the great. With the one hand, perhaps, He is making a ring of one hundred thousand miles in diameter, to revolve round a planet like Saturn, and with the other as forming a tooth in the ray of a feather of a humming-bird, or a point in the claw of the foot of a microscopic insect. When he works in miniature, everything is gilded, polished, and perfect, but whatever is made by human art, as a needle, etc., when viewed by a microscope, appears rough, and coarse, and bungling.—Bishop Law. Nothing is easier than to say the word—universe, and yet it would take us millions of millions of years to bestow one hasty glance upon the surface of that small portion of it which lies within the range of our glasses. But what are all the suns, comets, earths, moons, atmospheres, seas, rivers, mountains, valleys, plains, woods, cattle, wild beasts, fish, fowl, grasses, plants, shrubs, minerals, and metals, compared with the meaning of the one name—God!—Pulsford. The whole evolution of times and ages, from everlasting to everlasting, is, collectedly an presentifickly represented to God at once, as if all things and actions were at this very instant really present and existent before Him.—Sir T. More.

Who taught the bird to build her nest, Of wool and hay and moss? Who taught her how to weave it best, And lay the twigs across? Who taught the busy bee to fly Among the sweetest flowers— And lay her store of honey by, To eat in winter hours? Who taught the little ants the way Their narrow holes to bore, And through the pleasant summer's day To gather up their store?

—

There's not a tint that paints the rose, Or decks the lily fair, Or marks the humblest flower that grows But God has placed it there. There's not of grass a simple blade, Or leaf of lowliest mien, Where heav'nly skill is not displayed, And heav'nly goodness seen. There's not a star whose twinkling light Illumes the distant earth, And cheers the solemn gleam of night, But mercy gave it birth. There's not a cloud whose dews distil Upon the parching clod, And clothe with verdure vale and hill, That is not sent by God. There's not a place on earth's vast round, In ocean deep, or air, Where skill and wisdom are not found, For God is everywhere. Around, beneath, below, above, Wherever space extends, There Heaven displays its boundless love, And power with mercy blends.—Wallace.

Eternal Goodness I dimly guess from blessings known, Of greater out of sight, And, with the chastised Psalmist, own His judgements, too, are right. I know not what the future hath Of marvel or surprise, Assured alone that life and death His mercy underlies. I know not where His islands lift I only know I cannot drift Their fronded palms in air; Beyond His love and care.