Cole's Funny Picture Book No. 1
_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.
[Page--Back Cover]
Northern Portion Of
COLE'S BOOK ARCADE,
Melbourne, Australia.
More than Two Million Books to choose from
Every sightseer in the City of Melbourne should visit COLE'S BOOK
ARCADE. It is entirely an Australian institution, being the first of
its kind opened anywhere, and at the present time unequalled in any
city of the world. It is 3 stories high, 600 feet deep, and an
average width of 45 feet, with frontages to Bourke and Collins Sts.,
the two main arteries of Melbourne; its public walkways are half a
mile long, its galleries are supported on brass pillars, while
hundreds of rainbows (the trade mark) decorate the interior and
exterior of the establishment. There are 100 mirrors tastefully
placed throughout the building. The present Arcade was opened on Cup
Day, 1883, and has been visited every day (except Sundays), year in,
year out, by an average of 5000 people, so that during the first 35
years of its existence, more than 50 million visits were paid to it.
Can get almost any Book you want
There are several miles of shelving and 3,000 cedar drawers. The plan
of book-drawers greatly facilitates the minute classification so that
one can find with ease any book wanted on any subject. There are two
Retail Departments of Books, one in Bourke Street, and one in Collins
Street, and a large Wholesale one of three stories between the two.
The Second-hand Book Department is 150 feet by 40. There are many
other departments including New and Second-hand Music, Stationary,
Fancy Goods, Artist's Materials, Toys, Art, Glass, and China-ware,
Tea Salon, Circulating Library, Printing Works, etc. Free music
recitals are given every afternoon and evening. Intellectual,
well-behaved people collect and friends meet and feel happy in the
Palace of Intellect.
[End]