Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 104, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 August 1904 — The Story of the Stars [ARTICLE]

The Story of the Stars

This lecture wss delivered by Mrs. Elizabeth A Reed last even ing at the Methodist church. Although so many of our people are out < f th»> city, the audience was lar fe e and appreciative. Mrs. Reed claims that the ttory of the Stars is the story of redemption. After giving some idea of the immensity of space, and rapid motion of the stars though their measureless orbits, she showed that the c nstellations and many of the stars are still known to the Scientist by the names they bore in the days when ear h was \oung. When and by whom, the signs of the Zodiac were marked out, is one of the many things which no man knows. But they ha/e formed a part of the astronomical record of the ages as far back as history go's. So also of the constellation the configuration of of groups have far ages been recognized in standard ast oiomical marks as they are today For instance Virgo was recognized as heaveDly Virgin more than 2500 years before Christ, and this constellation is claimed to be the brilliaut and age long proph« cy of the birth of the Messiah. Leo is a constellation and like the Virgin is also a sign of the Zodiac, The brightest star in Leo is Regulus meaning a king, and L o the Lion is always above the many headed Hydra representing the eerpent power. Surely we have here a prophecy of him who sh ill trample upon the serpent and the asp. There are two constellations of the cress, one in the northern skies >nd the other in the southern heavens. iVhen the loving father looked down through the long aisles of coming time, he saw that when mankind fell away from God seme means of redemption matt be provided. He saw the crimson crown of Calvary, It was thee that thoss glorious constellations were flung into space, one in the far south the other in the northern heavens, that all the raees of men may read the sub ime message. What wonder that people learned to reverence the sacr ed symbol even before it was consecrated upon Calv ry.

The Great N rthern Crown the ccrona Boreah* is symbolic of that "crow a of rigliteousneV’ which is laid up for the faithful. It represents that "crown of life that fadeth not away.” Mrs. Reed quoted the testimony of only the ablest and most celebrated among the astronomers and if science may be relied upon as correct, her conclusion seem to be irrest ; ble that the very stars of heavens confirm the Bible stoiy they are gleaming prophecies of the conquest of the serpent power, of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, of Aries "die Lamb that was slain from the foundation of the world of the croas wheron he died, and of the crown of life which shall be’ given to him ‘‘who endureth temptation.”