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Tous les autres exemplaires originaux sont filmds en commenqant par la premidre page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration et en terminant par la dernidre page qui comporte une telle empreinte. Un des symboles suiv&nts apparaitra sur la dernidre image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbole — ►signifie "A SUIVRE", le symbole V signifie "FIN". Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre filmds d des taux de reduction diffdrents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul cliche, il est filmd d partir de Tangle sup6rif ur gauche, de gauche d cf oite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images ndcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants iliustrent la mdthode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 -^ THEOLOGICAL UNION OF MOUNT ALLISON WE8LEYAN COLLEGE. FIFTH Innual Lecture akd '9 Sermon. Delivered June, 1883. SAINT JOHN, N. B. J. «Sc \. McMillan, 98 Prince Wiu-iAAt SruEtT, 1883. A <-4.< » .i f i*'-'- .,>y.^-. m Ill ■- |i wmm^^ U I Ti9 y'li A * »i 9 MIRACLES: iJEiXG Tin: Fifth Annual Lec ture i^eeoiik the Theological Union or Mount Allison AVesleyan College. i;v REV. CRANSWICK JOST, M. A. Delivered June, 1883. SAINT JOHN, N. B. J. & A. McMillan, 98 Prince William Street. 1883. MIllACLES. j]^|ILACLhS, ,n tlio I)n,n(l use of tlm tmn, are inelli(„l, in which God Jiolds intercourse with man, outside of the general constitution and course of material thinos. They are conveniently distinguished in theoloo-y as the mir- acle absolute, or, the work-miracle ; the miracle of 'proplurv or thcAvord-niiracle; the miracle of iuspiration, or, the hooldmir- aclc; mu^acles of grace; and providential miracles,— all of which arc corollaries of the grandest of God's works, the miracle of luuiian )'edemi)tion. ^ These various methods of Divine interventiou in the alTairs ot men have elements in common, which justify their classifica- tion under this one generic term. They are all supernatural. Thev all imi.lv the activity of God in ways distinct from the system „f cause and cttect repre- sented by the laws of nature. They arc all the result of the operation, in the interests of redemption, of the laws of the spiritual life. They all stand or fall together, with the belief in a personal God, the Author of nature and of revelation. More definitely, and without any cpialifving word, the term m question is applied to a particular departinent of these super- natural exhibitions of Divine interest in human alHiirs; namely to the work-miracles, by whicli God, at sundry times, has authen- ticated His messengers to man,— the greatest of which centre in the person and mission of the Lord Jesus Christ. Bnt, while we apply this name to these supernatural works themselves, it must be carefully observed— as Mozlev very clearly shows — that the material tV't in the miracle does'not of itself constitute the miracle, but, "the material fact as coinciding with an express announcement, or, with express supernatural prcten- sions in the agent. It is the correspondence of two facts wliich (3) ?)^b'\'l 4 MlUACLES. constitutes 11 miriu'lo. W :i jxTsdn says to a bliiul man, '.Sec,' and ho sees, it is not tiie sudden return of siL>;ht alone that wa liave to account i'or, but, its return at that jjartieular moment. For, it is morally impossible th.at this exact agreement of an event with a comiiiand or notification could have been by mere chanee, or, as we should say, been an extraordinary coincidence, especially if it is re|)cat(.'d in other cases." ' The system (tf nature and that of the sui)ernatural, which are thus introduced to our notice, are not rival svstems. It is unfortunate that some foundation has been unintentionally given to the supposition (.)f their mutual antagonism by defmitions which have lon^; obtained currencv in theology. Miracles have been delined as "violations" of the laws of natiu-e. And, against this idcsa that God arbitrarilv *' violates" a law which Jle has himself appointed for a benelieent purpose, the shafts of unbelievers have, not altogether unjustly, been hurled. Ihxt, if it is shown, as we believe it can be, that mir- aeles do not "violate" the laws of nature, then these shafts fail of their intended mark. II' secondary causes whieh have hitherto been produetive of a certain definite result, Merc now to produce an o{)positc result, that Mould be a "violation" of a law of nature. Ikit, a miracle is not the result of such contradiction in the operation of second- ary causes. A stream of M-atcr flovring onward to the sea is arrested in its course and confined to the narroM^ limits of its channel by the diminution of the temperature. Ijut, that effect is not a violation of the huv of gravitation. The law of gravita- tion remains the same. That effect is produced by the subordi- nation of the kiM' of gravitation, in the particular instance, to the law of heat and cold. In like manner, miracles are the result of the subordination, in particular instances, of the laM'S of material nature to the higher laws of the spiritual W'orld, by the Great First Cause, M'Iio fulfils His high designs through the agency of secondary causes, or by direct volition. In the M'orld of nature there is an ascending scale of cxist- ' Mozlcy "On Miracles," page 118. f. ! T" ^IlKAC I.ES. 5 onco iVoni tlie niincril to iiiun, and a corrcsiioiidlinr nscondiiiir scale of law. TIicm-o is als(> a constant sulnmlination of lower law to liiij^lier law. The laws of iniorganizod matter are snhor- dinated to the laws of oriranized matter; the laws of ve/^^etable life to the laws of animal life. Man, at the heahich miracles sustain to the other forms of supernatural agency M-hieii are sometimes designated by the same general name; and also their relation to the laws of nature, I invite your attention to two propositions, which it will be my aim in the present dis- cussion to establish, viz. : l.st. That miracles arc po^Hiblc, in opposition to the dorjmas of naturalism and mate riaiisiii ; and, 2ndly. That theij are the necesmry credentials of revelation, and are in harmoni/ iriih the beneficent purposes of God in the (jcneral course of nature and in the greater icork of redemption. I. The ground of the possibility of miracles is the exist- ence of (Jod, the jKH'sonal, Omnipotent Creator and :\roral Cfovernor of the universe. 1. Tlic real question in disi)ute, therefore, between those v.ho believe that miracles have been performed, as credentials of revelation, and those who deny their possibility, is the question of the existence of One whose [)erfections are such as are ascribed to the God of the JJible. If no such Being exists, miracles are impossible: if such a Being does exist. Ills goodness and omni- potence are a guarantee of their possibility. 6 iNflKAcr.KS. 'I'liis i»ii(' is Ihirly put bel'urc r.s hy llio o])oning .sentence of llie l>il)le, and, is k('[)t boi'ore lis by every sacred page. " In the ben;innin<'- (Jod created tlie heavens and the earth." (Gen. i. 1.) Eitlier the heavens and the cartli have existed I'rom eternity, or, th(!V have not existed iVoni eternitv. li' i\wx have, tlic statement in (Jenesis is untrue; if they liavo not, they must be either the onsj)rin,L!; oi' chan(;e, — an absurdity wliich modern naturalism does not aflirm, — or, tliey nuist be the product of an intelligent Creator, and the statement of'(j!enesis is true. "And tiie Lord (Jod formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into liis nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul." ((Jen. ii. 7.) Either man is the product of a special Divine creation, or, lie is not. If the allirmativc is the I'act, the statement of (Jenesis is true; but, if the negative is the fact, the statement of Genesis is false. Whoever accepts the foregoing testimony to the creation of the heavens and the earth, and to the s])ecial creation of man, admits the existence of a Being who is competent to the perform- ance of all the miracles of the IJible, and admits also the exercise of Ilis omnij>otencc in methods not included in the general course of nature. Logically, therefore, he must be ready, at the least, to give attention to the argument in support of subseqiieni spe- cial manifestations of the same Supreme power. 2. Who arc the objectors, and what arc their objections to the plain and consistent scriptural narratives of the supernatural ? The modern opponents of miracles arc of two classes. To the first class belongs the so-called historico-critical school, including the Tubingen critics, with Strauss and llenan, and their followers. They are the diseijiles of the Hegelian, or. Positive philosophy, whose corner-stone is naturalism. They are, there- fore, at the outset of their Biblical investigations committed to the impossibility of miracles, and, of the whole range of super- natural facts and experiences wliich the Bible reveals. When they use Biblical terms, they attach to them an unbiblical mean- ing. Their God is a pantheistic abstraction, the mere })ersonifi- jNIlIJArLKs. iteni'o of " In the en. i. 1.) L'liity, or, ;tiiteinent 'itlicr till' itunilisni itcUigciit 2 grouiul, n became luct of a ive is tlie ivc is the rcatioii of I of man, 1 pcrform- le exercise iral course ; the least, [ucni spo- jcctions to ernatural ? JCS. ical school, I, and their r, Positive are, there- iimitted to i of super- Is. When lical mean- 3 person iti- catlon of ideal i^erfections ; an iniajiriniiry hcino-, haviiii!,' a j^lace and a nse in i)iiilosophy only as abstract ideas in lainly declare their belief of materialism ; others reject the • •harge of materialism, though many of their statements arc a distinct substantiation of the charge. Speaking generally, their philosophy is that of phenomenalism, or, agnosticism. 2sow, it will be seen that these two classes of objectors are virtually one. For, whether the position taken be that of a lirect denial of the '3upernatural, or, that of opinions the admis- sion of which excludes the supernatural, the result is substan- tially the same. It is not in my present plan to make a distinct application K) the miracles of the four hyi)otheses of the first-named school. That application will be sufficiently evident as we proceed. It IS enough to say at present that neither of these hypotheses affords an explanation of any of the miracles of the Xew Testament which does not impeach the moral character and motives of Jesus and the Evangelists; and, when they come to deal with the great miracle of the resurrection of Jesus, they attempt a task in which their incompetency becomes glaringly a[)parent. I wish to call special attention to the assumption upon which both these schools of objectors base their theories, viz., the denial, cx})licit, or, agnostic, of the supernatural. ^ -v4 ]5ut, we will first listen to their own words, in proof of the opinions which I have here attributed to them. Strauss advocates the mythical origin of miracles, but, find- ing that hypothesis tottering under the blows of the defenders of the supernatural, he joins hands with scientific materialism. '•Vainly," he says, "did we, philosophers and critical theolo- gians, over and over again, decree the extermination of miracles. ()ur ineffectual sentence died away, because we could neither dispense with miraculous agency, nor point to any natural force able to supply it where it had hitherto seemed most indispensable. Darwin has demonstrated this force, this process of nature ; ho « MlHACr.RS. 9 ncc of tlie !iis denial, al. Some reject the cuts are a 'ally, their jcctors are that of a the admis- is substan- ipplication icd school, occed. It }scs affords Testament es of Jesus 1 the great k in which ipon which the denial, n proof of , but, find- 2 defenders laterialisra. cal theolo- )f miracles, dd neither itural force [ispensable. nature ; ho lias oponed a (kw)r by whicli a happier coininii; race will cast out miracles, never to return, livery one who knows wliat miracles imply will ])raise him, in conser incidents are the woof of a history, whose unity is constituted by the interweaving (^f the two, and the removal of either is liie destruction of tiie web."' ]>nt, no; they do not do that. They essay the impossible task of harmonizing the (iospels with their anti-supernaturalism, and hand us back, as the result, a system whose authors are acknowled. • LitV.' <>\' .Jcsii-;: I'rcfuce, l>age -1. I: 12 MlllACI.ES. charges Jesus with the basest artifice ami fraiul. Indeed, lie says, "Thci'o never was a great religious creation wliich did not imply a little of what people call fraud." His explanation of the resurrection of Lazarus is, that it was a mock mira(;lo ; that Martha and ]Marv, desirous that Jesus should obtain a wider notoriety, deceitfully hid their living brother in the sepulchre, and that Jesus, knowing him to be alive, and consenting to the fraud, came and conmianded the living Lazarus to come forth ! Dr. McCosh remarks that Ilenan, after having allowed his book to pass through twelve editions Avith this slander, changes his interpretation of the miracle ; but, the new interpretation is na more satisfactory, or creditable to " the Creator of the eternal religion of moralltv" than the old.^ To such contradictory and calumnious utterances arc they driven who deny the supernatural in the life and works of Jesus ! And, remember, this is the highest result to which anti-super- naturalism has attained in formulating a science of morals; this is the "railway," which, according to Strauss, Darwinism is pre- paring, by which the human race, delivered from the tyranny of tiic supernatural, is to be borne " v-hox the flags are fluttering^ iovfullv in the breeze !"^ But, Strauss fails to give to that "where" a local habitation or a name. Cautious people will fear lest it be "the antipodes of heaven," over which floats t!:c black flag of eternal despair. Tyndall sometimes shrinks from that " where." In the pre- face to the expurgated edition of his Belfast Address, lie says, "I have noticed, during years of self-observation, tliat it is not in hours of clearness and vigor that this doctrine (of materialism) commends itself to my mind ; that in the presence of stronger and healthier thought it ever dissolves and disaj)pears, as offer- ing no solution of the mystery in which we dwell, and of which we form a jiart." And, in the body of that Address, he adds, in language which the believer in the supernatural can heartily endorse, "You cannot satisfv the human understanding in it.s 1 •J K ' McCosh's " Cln-istiimity and Positivism," pajjcs 247, 200, The Old Faith and ti'ie New." Vol. I., page 205. Miracles. 13 [Icctl, he (lit! not :)n of the ;lo; that a -wider ^pulchrc, [YJC to the lie forth ! his book [ingcs his ion is na ic eternal are thev of Jesus I nti-supcr- irals ; this sm is pre- yranny of fluttering habitation antipodes despair, n tlie pre- , he says, it is not iter ial ism) stronger as offer- of which le adds, in n lieartily iling in its demand for logical contiiniity between molecular ])rnc'C>ses and the phenomena of coiiseiousncj^s. This is the rock on which materialism nnist inevitably split whenever it j)rctcnds to be a <'omplcte ])hilosoj)liy of life."' 5. The issu(; is now before us. Where will we take our stand? \)'ill we join the schools of natiu'alism and materialism, denying 'ill supernatural existence, and the whole system of supernatural facls and experiences which the Scriptures reveal V For, the assumptions of these schools of thought are alike fatal to every f )rm of supernatural being and activity. The impossi- bility of the work-miracle involves the impossibility of pro})hecy and inspirati<»n, and rc(lemi)tion ; it makes the new birth a fic- tion ; it makes i)ravcr — in ilie lauLrua'i-o of JJushnell — onlv a dum)>l)cli exercise;"" and then iullow, in due order, the mate- rializing of mind, and the placing of man at the apex of being. Or, will we take our stand on the platform of revelation, which admits a spiritual nature in man, allying him to other orders of s[)iritual being, over whom is the infinite and eternal Spirit; and supernatural phenomena, mingling with the })lieno- mona of nature, — whieli admission satisfactorily explains the mvsterv of the orii>in of life, and harmonizes the facts of human consciousness with all the established facts of science ? (i. It is a remark' of ^Tozley, that ''no one is ever convinced by external eviroduce conviction."*^ The remark ap[)lies equally to all science, [)hysical, metaphy- sical, and moral. In the science of mathematics, there nvv. certain fundamental principles which lie at the basis of all investigation. These fun- damental princlpl(>s, of which the axioms arc examples, are not the result oi' previous processes of reasoning. They arc admitted ' Belfcst "Atldres>," p. ;'.3. - ■' Nature and Tlie Supernatural, p. 317. ''"On Miracles;" Preface to tliinl edition, jiage 24. 14 MlIJACLES. to be ncccsf^arv truths upon tlic simple statement of tliu.n, and no elaborate arijjument ean make tliem clearer to the mental eom- l)rehcnsion. If one should deny these axioms, lie is stopped at the very threshold of the science ; there can, indeed, be no science of mathematics to him ; but, admitting them as the data of con- sciousness, he advances step by aiv.p, Mitli conviction at every step, until he reaches the summit of assured demonstration. In metaphysics, also, there are certain primary truths Avhich argument cannot demonstrate, and of which we can give no bet- ter reason than that we know tliem to be truths, and that the denial of them involves us in endless absurdities. Our personal existence, our personal identity, tlic imjwssibility of an effect without a cause, — these and kindred trutiis are not the i)roduct of research, are not derived from experience, are not proved by syllogistic reasoning. In the ultimate analysis we can only say that they arc constituent parts of the mental nature with which we are endowed. We have had the experiment of ])hilosophers beginning their researches in the domain of mind, if not M'itli a denial of these intuitions, at least with an agnostic purpose to admit nothing for truti» which could not be made to stand in the conclusion of a syllogism ; and the result, as recorded upon the pages of history, is an inextricable confusion of the subjective and objective, a blind labyrinth in whicii the philoso})hcrs them- selves were lost. In like manner, there are, in the sphere of morals, ultimate and elementary principles, innate ideas, which spring up intui- tively in the mind, along with those of which we liavc been speaking, when the mind is awakened to activity by the contact of the external world. The essential distinction between right and wrong, the obligation of virtue, personal responsibility for character and conduct, and the existence of an intelligent, moral (lovernor of the world, — these arc fundamental convictions of the mind, inwrought in the constitution of our nature, upon which the very existence of a moral nature depends, and whicli must be true, unless our nature be a lie. And, if our nature is a lie, the whole universe must be, as Sir William Hamilton says, '' a dream of a dream." MlUACLKS, 15 lic.ii, aiul iital ooni- ,t(i[)j)cd at no science ta of con- at every ttion. ths \vliich ;e no bet- il that the .' personal an effect le product proved by 1 only say Itli which ilosophcrs not with a )urpose to ind in the upon the subjective crs thcni- u hi mate up intui- ave been le contact ecu right bility for nt, moral ictions of ire. upon lid which nature is Iton says, Pliilosopliy te^^ts the innate i^leas by the criteria of univer- sality and necessity. Aj)])ly these criteria to the idea of (Jod, and it stands the test. (1.) Tiie idea of God is universal. History proves its univer- sality, ^[an, under all circumstances of race, or clime, or en- liLclitemnent, is a religious being. Tiiis is as tridy j>redicatcd of him as that he is a social being. The religious instinct has been the occasion of the mightiest movements in human historv. And, the testimony of the human mind, uid)iased by a false ])hiloso- ])hy, is not to the fate-god of the heathen sages, or the dream-god of liudilhism, or the imj)ersonal, pantheistic god of naturalism, or the force-god of materialism, but to a living (Jod, an object of intelligent worshi[), interested in the allairs of the world exercising an elective Governorshi[) over it, and j)ropitiated by prayer, penitence, and sacrifice. (2.) The idea of God is necessary. Xo man can satisfy his nature without some su])reme object of reverence ;nid worship. If he dethrones the true God, he sets up a false god. IMsitivism lias its god. According to Comte, "Le Xouveau Etre Supreme," is humanity. Ivcnan, who, as we have seen, declares that in his belief there is no being superior to man, and so shuts out a spirit- world, nevertheless appeals to the "i)ure soul" of his departed .sister — to whose memory he dedicates his "Life of Jesus" — " to i-eveal to him, from the bosom of God in which she rests, those truths which are mightier than deatii, and take awny the fear of death." The necessitv of the itlea of (jlotl is seen also in the fact that, as in the case of all the imiate id(!as, the alternative is an ab- surditv. IManicheism, and other svstcms of a former ao-e, main- taiued the eternity of matter. But, this ancient stronghold has been abandoned. Hume admits this. He says, "That impious maxim of ancient philosophy, 'ex nihilo nihil fit,' by which the creation of matter was excluded, ceases to be a maxim according to this philosojihy."' The supposition of the eternity of matter being laid aside, there remains to account for the origin of the ' QiKjted by Mozloy, page 87. 16 jMlRACr.ES. univcr.se, with its ortler iiiul design, an intelligent Creator, or, blind, unintelligent clianee. But, to suppose that chance could originate a world like ours, whose movements are directed by wise laws, and fill it with innumerable evidences of contrivance and adaptation of nieiMS to ends, before which the highest human intelligence, itself, according to the supposition, a work of chance, stands ama/ed, is so clearly absurd, that it can only obtain a hearing when it is disguised under some high-sounding scientific name; which name, be it natural selection, or evolution, or the correlation of forces, is made to do a double service, namely, to account for and explain some natural phenomena, and then, by the fallacy of a non-distributed term, to account for and explain iiU the phenomena of the universe. When it is afiirmcd that the idea of God is innate, "that does not mean," as Dr. Pope remarks, " that the full knowledge of God is formed in every mind as an object of consciousness, but that the constitution of human nature is such that it naturally develops a consciousness of God, even as it becomes conscious of self and of the outer world. This consciousness of God is morally perverted, even as the consciousness of self and of the outer world may be intellectually perverted by a false ])Iiiloso- ])hy. It may assume a thousand forms, from the blind fetish of abject superstition, through all the varieties of polytheism uj) to Pantheism, or the materialistic theories that unwittingly make the eternal evolutions of unintelliu'cnt law into the verv God thev reject."' The living seed will grow even in the darkness and coldness of the cellar, but tiie j)roduct will be a blanched and sickly sprout, bearing only a faint resemblance to the j^erfect plant. But, let the living seed bo surrounded by favorable conditions of soil and sunlight and heat and moisture, and then will be, " first the blade, then the ear; after that the full corn in the ear." The full corn in the ear has its origin in the seed, but the perfect development is due to favorable external surroundings ; and, when Ave see the ])erfect grain, we praise the soil, the season, ' "Conipeiuliiim of Christian Tlieology," page 110. !Mii;a( LKs. 17 rcator, or, lice ('(jiiUl irccted by ontrivancc est liuman of cluincc, V obtain a iv scientitic ion, or thi' iiainelv, to id tlien, by ,nd explain , '' that docs lowledge ol" Risncss, but it naturally ?s conscious i of God is and of the ;C pliiloso- ind fetish vthcisni nj) imlv make : God thev rv lU :r d coldncs- and sickly feet plant. conditions len will be, orn in the ecd, but the rroundings ; , the season, and til"' hii>i)au(hii:ni. as wt'll a- llie svcd. I ;i liki- imiuiih r, tlie •i'cnM of iiiond truth, the iiiuati' 'nh'a <>!' (ind, will nr<»\v in tlie darkness (if heatheiMloni, ami in the <'i>!diu'-- of a fataii^tie piiilo- sojihy, hnt the development will Ix' dd'oi'int'd and iinpfrffct, and must iKtt he' taken for tlie niuanal, liealthy jji'odnd. 'i'lic de- formity and in)perteetion mn-t he atti'ihnted to the nnfaN'orable and adverse siu'rounrliniis in whi<'h the development takes place. Tliat tliere is any development, undei- these circumstances, proves the vitality and vio-or of the «rerm. Jhit, hrini:^ the livini^ man, Avitli tiie <::erms of truth which the (.'reator has hidden in the'soil of his nature, under the liirlit and warmth of Divine revelation, and there is a beauty and maturity of development \vhich ])r(n'es that the germs are good, and that the revelation is also good and ada])ted to the germs. Tlie living man, develo[)ed under the genial inHuenee of revelation, is brought into highest, holiest, happiest maturity. Just as the acceptance of the axioms of mathematics, as the data of consciousness, is necessary to the verv existence of that science, but, being accepted, tiie science with its inlinite analogies and harmonies, is its own demonstration ; so, the innate idea of God, M'ith its correlative ideas, iits into and harmonizes with the supernatural facts of revelation and the facts of natural science; and the result of the union is a temple of truth, "a grand cathc- dral,'' it has been called, "'with divinely painted wind(tws. Stand- ing without you can see no glory, nor can possibly imagine any, ])ut, standing within, every ray of light reveals a harmony of uns])eakable splendor."' And, the Architect of tiiis great tcm- l)]e is a jKMsonal God, unlimited in the exercise of His Infinite perfections. 7. i)iit, sei('ntific materialism says that the unitbrmity of tiie laws of nature is iiK^onsistent with the idea of an unlimited Deitv. This is the substance of JIume's famous argument, which, though often refuted, has, in one ibrm or another, been repeated to this day. '(,)uote(l in "(lod-Mmi," hy Dr. Townstiiid, page o'24.. li 18 MlI{A( LKS. lii Wliat C'tU'ct lln' lU'iiunu'iit liad upoii tlic mind oi' the pliilo- Ntplicr liiinsL'It' may be jlul^•o(l iVom tlic fact that lie makes an adnussiou wliicli (•()inj)l('tcly undermines it. "I own," lie .siys, "there mav i)()ssil)lv Ix; niiraeles of sueh a kind as to admit of ])roof from Iniman testimony." " lint," lie adds, — and in so ut, should the miracle have a high moral purpose, bear- ing upon the eternal destiny of man, the philosoj)lier could not believe it I JJecause gold has often been counterfeited and a worthless article palmed olf upon the credulous, therefore, the philosopher will throw away the gold and, at the same time, save the counterfeit I Let us, however, examine the premise of the argument which asserts the uniformitv of the laws of nature. What is the character of this belief? Whence do we derive it ? Is it compatible with the idea of an unlimited Deity ? Or, is it only compatible with the idea of a Deity bound by the ada- mantine chains of the laws of nature? Our belief in the uniformity of the laws of nature is of the character of an induction. But, an induction stated as a proposi- tion is not universal. An induction is based on facts, and the array of facts may be amply sufficient for it as a basis of action, and yet we may be compelled, ujion competent testimony, to admit facts which are contrary to the induction. The uniformity of the laws of nature, as a universal proposition, is false ; as a particular proposition, admitting the possibility of facts which it aoes not include, it is true. There is, therefore, nothing incom- ^ Hopkins' Evidences, pages 39, 40. >rM!A(|.F:s. 10 10 pliilo- luikcs an lio f^ay.s, {ulniit of 11(1 in so his o-iv- s miracle itrc'S havo , that the ^ullicient, fact, but to sav, if liraclc in Id believe ose, bear- could not ed and a ■efore, the uiic time, ent which we derive ity? Or, y the ada- c is of the a proposi- s, and the of action, imony, to uniformity false ; as a s which it ins: incom- patiblc ill tlid idea of a personal (iod, thi.' Author of nature, Jlimseit' superior ((• iinture, dircctiiin' thi; i^-eneral course of nature accordinj; to lixed laws, upon wiiieh we may (h'pend in the general liusiness of lil'e, and yet, for ))articular puri)o>es of His government, manifestinn; his personality and liberty in other ways than through these laws. I eonelnde my remarks upon this division (»!' the subject by e.vi»ressing the conviction, that just as men, in the excavation df a mountain-tunnel, beginning' their labor I'rom either side, bye and bye meet in tlic centre and r(;joice in the completion of ;i common purpose, so will the students ol' nature and the students (if revelation, all eventually iiK'ct and join hands in the centre of the (lee|)est mysteries of the universe. Ihir, thi> lia|»j)y result cannot be achieved " by any moveiucnt of" tli(»ught which begins by denying or throwing into the background those spiritual prin- ciples which are the jnost d('ei)ly rooted and the most enduring of any tiiat are in man," ' It can only be achieve(l when all the students of nature use, as many do now, the i^ycs of the soul, as well as the eyes of the body, and, Mhen in the spirit of the di- vout Kepler, thev confess, "() (Jod, I think Tliv thoughts after Thee!" ir. My second projiosition is, that miracles an; the neces- sary credentials of revelation, and are in harmony with the beneiicent ])urposes of God in the general coiu'se ol' nature and in the work of redemption. Tiie fact of God, unlimited in the lil)erty of J lis inlinite }ierfections, being granted, several conclusions naturally Ibllow. (1.) It follows, that the universe is not a ponderous machine which (io. 21 s " so ; l)Ut, as tlu'V tiro il within •ts itsolt", , oxocpt- . to these harmony iinselt' in hat from of " His ] the only Londoil, a» f in other )cval witli to gratify ch ^voulcl scon, Avhat that revc- nian with vo ear and Mid upon iso or un- Iv human iiith Jcho- ip? p his wide life, will, han undcr- !xpcrienoe» 111 a rcvela- lo the iinite mind, iirc niy.^tt'i'ics, :ihii\-c it- puwci' i>f full (•iiiMpreiicii-inii. If the >iiii|il('-i l'(inii> of existence arMun(>nal)le tt» lu'licxc that deeper mysteries an- contained in ilie < 'reatni- Ilim-elf, ami in Ills nmral plans and j>urpn>es. How. then, can the att<'nlii>n of man, wiio-e lacuUies ha\c l)een \veal luideiv-t audi nil' and expei'ience'.' And, liow can tiio>e deeper trutlis w hich pertain to the ( iodliead l)e so authenticated that \\c may conlidently reeei\'e them as fact.-, ihouu'ii we cannot latiiom them? ( )ne of the niy>terie-< of revehuioii i>, (iod manifest in the flesh, in tiie jxrson <•(' desus ("iirist. This Divine incarnation liad been preiiictcd l)y a loni;' sui'cession of iirophecies. Jjiit, ow- iufj,' to the hias of human in'uoranee ane of a character which difterentiates them, as 22 Miracles. ji wlutli", iVoin false jiortcnts, and exalts them to a high ground, above the sus])icion of the oandid and unbiased mind. Such is tlie eharaeter of the mira(;les of the Gos})els. The api)li<.'ation to tliem of I^eslie's four rules for determining the truth of matters of fact in general, eonclusively demonstrates their genuineness. (1.) They were of such u nature that men's outward senses, their eyes, and ears, and taste were judges of the facts. (2.) Tiiey were done openly in the presence of multitudes. The J(!\vish Tahuud admits the facts, though it ascribes them to magic, the art of which Jesus is said to have learned in Egypt. I do not know that the facts, as a whole, have ever been called in question, excepting to meet the emergencies of infidelity, so well estal)lislicd are they. (.'].) Public memorials and actions have j)er[)etuated the me- mory of ihem in the world. (4 ) These public memorials originated at the ti:ne when the matters of fact were performed. The Christian Church, begin- ning at Pcnt as to alloid an :i(k'(jiuUe .sui)ply for the needs of live tliou.'^aml '.' If the skili'ul -.iiyHieian, by liis knowledge of the medicinal pro- l)erties of various herbs and minerals, is able to assist nature to throw off disease, and to turn awav the hand of death, is it not in harmony with this endeavor that Jesus, by an omnifie v.ord or touch, and in one painless moment, did that which nature does by slow processes, antl through prolonged weakness and dis- tress? If sympathy with those who mourn over their dead is an instinct of the human heart, which shows itself in such deeds of kindness as are widiin the limits of the human faculty, is it not in harmony with this instinct of nature, that He who came from God, manifested His sympathy with the mourners bv such deeds of restoration from the dead as His Divine faculties enabled Ilim to accom])!isli ? Once only during His ministry, did Jesus [)erform a miracle, which, u])on the face of it, is harsii and severe; namely, ^yhen He caused the fruitless fig-tr(;e quickly to dry up from the roots. But this miracle, performed, not upon a feeling man, but upon an unleeling fig-tree, also harmonizes \\\\\\ nature, which has a voice of severity and justice, as well as of bcneyolencc and love. And, the needful lesson which the miracle of which we are speak- ing so impressively conveys, — Jesus' condemnation of a fruitless profession of faith in God, — vindicates His moral purity from the charge of unholy passion, and points to the symbolism of the nn'racles in general, which will be considered in another place. o. It needs also to be remarked, in order to correct a preva- lent error, that the supernatural works of God are not greater, in themselves, than His ordinary oj)erations in the general course of nature. It requires no higher endowments of i)ower and wisdom to perform any of the miracles of the Bible than to perform any of the works of Providence which are daily wrou. •2.") .smd ? 1 |)1'0- ure to it not v.oril iKitnro ul dU- lead is deeds y, is it o came icrs by icultics iiiracle, r, when >c roots. Lit upon 111 has a lid love, e spoak- friiitless ity from 11 of the place. a, preva- eatcr, in d course isdom to n any of fore our the wiiK' requires dnee the rich chi-tcrs from wliich the wine is pressed. It i'e([uin'd Om- nipotence to perform the miracle of the loaves and fishes, hut it no less needs Omnipotence to cause the seed sown in the eniih by the hand of indnstrious m;in to 5:;erminate and nudtij)ly into an abundant harvest. It required Omnipotence to cause the sightless eye-balls of ]>artiineus to drink in the light, but no less docs it need Omnipotence to originate and preserve the ada]>ta- tion of the organ to the medium of sight. It required Onmipo- tence to raise the dead La/arus from the scjmlchre, but no less does it re(piirc Omnipotence to ])reserve the living, and to kee]» the complicated mechanism of the human system in Iiarmonions operation. The faculties wiiich are competent to the perform- ance of the one class of works are e(pially competent to the per- formance of the other. 4. If, now, we examine the terms by which the miracles are designated in the (lospels, we will find that they prove the pur- pose of the miracles as the credentials of revelation, and al>o suggest other vahiablc ends thev serve in the economy of re- dem])tion. One term applied to them in the Gospels is tcm,s, a wonder, something distinct from ordinary })henomena, something which attracts attention and creates astonishment. It is, however, tn be carefidlv nottjd, that while the ICvanii-elists tell us that tlii- term was nsed by the people in speaking of the mighty w«jrks of Jesus, they never use it as expressing their own conception oi" these events. The masses of the people, ignorant of their real nature, or, not anxious to distinguish their real nature, saw in them the marvelous, and applied to them a name whieli did not diiferentiate them from the ordinary marvelons. l)ut the Evan- gelists, u:.derstanding their true signiticance, do not place them upon such a level. The Evangelists chictly u.-e three terms, which lead us on, step by step, to a true conciiption of the mir- acles, and of their right place and uses in revelation. (1.) One of these terms is Jiokdiicis, i.r., powers, capabilities, faculties. 26 MlRACr.KS. Every class of hoinj^.s lias its peculiar iaoultles, suited to its sphere, and littin,L»: it to fulfil its special functions. ]Man has powers and faculties which operate in the line of the laws of nature. TUo results are seen in the arts and scienites, which liave so materially changed the outward asi)ect of the world, and so largely contributed to human comfort and well-being. God, also, has special powers and faculties, suited to His sphere, quali- fying Him to create the universe and sit u[)on its throne ; i)owers and faculties which o[)crate through secondary causes, and in other methods which, to the limited faculties of man, are impos- sible. Jesus, as a Teacher sent from God, possessed these Divine faculties, and used them in the interests of His mission to the world. " The healing of tlie sick, the giving sight to the blind, the raising of the dead, — things entirely beyond the range of our ])owers, yet lay entirely within the compass of our Lord's capaci- ties, and were in accordance with the laws of His nature." (2.) The second term ih aya, works. As the finite faculties of man manifest themselves in works, so do the faculties of God. ]5ut. His works are superior to those of man, as His faculties are superior to those of man. Jesus, possessing these faculties of God, performed the works of God. When questioned concern- ing the cure of the imj)otent man, at the pool of Bethesda, upon the Sabbath, he said, " My Father worketh even until now, and I work.'' ' 'J'he faculties of God exercised upon the Sabbath in the ordinary works of nature were the justification which He otf'ered for the si>ecial exercise of these faculties ujjon the Sabbath, in tlie work of mercy wrought ujion this suffering man. Again, He said, " If I had not done among them the works which none other did, they had not had sin ; but now they have both seen and hated both me and my Father." In seeing Him, they liad seen His Father. He was (Jod visible to man, and in rejecting His works, they were rejecting (Jod's works, because God's attri- butes were manifest in Him. '■». The third of the terms referred to is ii<':nci((, i.e., signs, svmbols. 'John V. 17, Revised Version. MinAcr.i:; 27 The fdcalfics of God, making tlicmselvcs maniiest in the sujicrnatiiral irorh of Jesns, were not without a ::;ran(l purjiose; they were signs and symbols, — .s'/r/jj.s, tliat lie tiirougli whom (lod works is His messenger, authorized to speak in His name; and si/mhok of the trutiis tiiemsclves. (a.) The most prominent meaning of i;in- ning of His si^ns," by which He manifested forth His glory/ Xicodemus, expressing his own opinion, and that of other candid ])ersons, said, " Wc know that thou art a teacher come from (rod; for no man can do these si(/n.s that thou doest, except ( rod be with him." " John closes his Gosi)el by saying, " Many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of His disciples which are not written in this book, but these are written that ye may be- lieve that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing ye may have life through Plis name."' Respecting the doctrine of the union in Himself of the Divine and human nature, Jesus taught that His own verbal testimony was a sufficient guarantee of its truth, but, that if any regarded that testimony as insufficient of itself, they should believe the doctrine on the testimony of His works. " Believe me," he said, *' that I am in the Father and the Father in me, or, else, believe me for the very works' sake." ^ Respecting those doctrines Avhich are on the level of human experience, He assured the people, that if they would do the will of God, as made known by Him, they would have in their own consciousness a demonstration of their Divine origin and adapta- tion to the soul's needs. " If any man willeth to do His will," He said, " he shall know of the teaching, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself."'^ But in regard to these know- able doctrines. He also taught, that they who had not done the will of God, as revealed by Him, and therefore , ('. 30 !MlRACLKS. miracles of whicli tlio Gospel has })rcsorvL'(l the record ; ami each of these is, iii its own departiiu'iit, and from its own angle, a miniatnre of one great miracle which He is continually work- injjc in the rewneration of the human soul Each of them is patterned after some asjjcct of His great mediatorial and redemj)tivc work, and bv studying them all, we may come to a better a})prchension both of it and Him." ^ Ui)on this point, I (piote also the words of Canon Wcscott, — the miracles "are presented to us as a revelation of hope, of for- giveness, of restoration; of hope, as wrought in an ago of signal distress; of restoration, in the universality of their extent; of forgiveness, in the sj)iritual antety})os of their working. And if we take this larger view of their essential nature, I do not see how wo can conceive of a Divine Saviour without such deeds of love. A gosi)el without miracles, would be, if I may use the image, like a church without sacraments, 'i'lie outward pledge of the spiritual gift would be wanting." - An examination of the miracles, under the guidance of a skilful expositor, will show in how many points they touch and illumine the deep i)rol)lems of the spiritual life, illustrating them by the analogy of earthly things; and doing so in a better man- ner than words alone could do; just as the picture of an object may enable us to form a clearer ])erception of it than the best verbal description. 5. Without entering upon the (piestion of the comparative value of miracles to those who witnessed them, and to ourselves who receive them upon historic testimony, it will be seen from the line of argument pursued, that their use and value are by no means limited to any one period of Christian history; and this will be further evident from several additional considerations to which, in closing, I will allude. (1.) Miracles are standing witnesses to every age of the reality of the supernatural. ' "The Gospel Miracles, etc.," page 210. -' " Characteristics of the Gospel Miracles, pages 43, 44. MlUACLKS. If tlic long chain of secondary causes liad never, In the liis- tory of men, been interrupted ; if no suj)ernatural deed iiad ever l)roken in upon tlie routine of the laws of nature; if ii(> demon- stration had ever been furnished of tiie watchful activity of One to whom nature is subordinate; if flesus, claiming all power in heaven and in earth, had i'urnished no tangible evidence of its possession, infidelity would no doubt point triumi)hantly to the absence of demonstration as the ])roof of its imiwssibility, and "faith would lind no way opened to the * world to come.' " U]>on this point, Trench si)eaks as follows : "If in one sense the orderly workings of nature reveal the glory of (iod (Ps. xix. 1-G), in another, they hide that glory from our eyes; if thev ouo'ht to make us continuallv to remember ilim, vet there is danger that they lead us to forget Ilim, until the world around us shall prove, — not a translucent medium, through which we look to Ilim, but, a thick impenetrable veil, concealing Ilim wholly from our sight. Were there no other j)urj)ose in the miracles than this, namely, to testify the liberty of God, which, liowever it habituallv shows itself in nature, is vet more than and above nature ; were it only to break a link in that chain of cause and effect, Avhich else we should come to regard as itself God, as the iron chain of an inexorable necessity, binding heaven no less than earth, they would serve a great purpose, they Mould not have been wrought in vain." ' The miracles accomplish this purpose. They are voices, say- ing to anti-supernaturalism in all its forms, "There are more things in lieaven and earth, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy." Thev arc the visible touches of the invisible hand of Illni who fills immensity and comprehends eternity, tokens of His complete ability to fulfd all the promises, and all the I'ighteous judgnients of His word. (2.) Miracles are fundamental in the system of Christian doc- trine, as entertained by the great body of Christians in every age, and their elimination would be the destruction of that system. ^ Notes on the Miracles, page 24. ;]2 .Mii;A( Li>. r.duk at Josus JliinscU'. \\'liat an aniazini^ iK'rs()naj.^u Ho is ! Iiuslmcll doses liis very discriiiiinatiiig and suLruji'stive analysis of the ehamcter and ministry of Jesns, — an analysis worthy of most earel'ul stndy, — in these words : "Not to say that we are dissatisfied with this sketeh, wonid he almost an irreverenee of itself, to the snhjeet of it. Who ean satisfy himself with any- thing that he ean say of .lesns Christ ? We have seen how many pietnres of the saered jx'rson of Jcsns by the first masters, but not one among them all that tlid not rebnUo the weakness whieh could dare attempt an impossible subject. So of the cliaraetcr of Jesus. It is nceessarv for the holv interest of truth, that we should explain it, as we are best able; but what fire Jiiuiian thoughts and liuman conceptions on a subject which dwarfs all tiionght, and immediately outgrows whatever is conceived ? And vet, for the reason that we have failed, we seem also to liavc sue- eccded. For the more impossible it is found to be to grasp the character, and set it forth, tlie more clearly is it seen to be abovc^ our range, a miracle and a mystery." ' So prominent is the place in the world's liistory M'hich Jesus holds, that lie cannt)t be ignored. lie must in some way be accounted for. And how is He to be accounted for ? We have noticed the inconsistencies and absurdities to which naturalism is driven in its attempts to furnish an answer to this (juestion. And, I cannot forbear to mention the recient remark- able confession of a prominent Unitarian minister of the perplex- ities of " liiberal Christianity," in relation to Orthodoxy. Dr. Ellis, addressing the Unitarian Club in Boston, said, — " Fifty years of study, thought, and reading, given largely to the Jiible, and to the literature which peculiarly relates to it, liave brought me to this conclusion, that the IJook — taken with the especial Divine quality and character claimed for it, and so ex- tensively assigned to it as insjiired and infallible, as a whole, in ;dl its contents — is an Orthodox book. It yields what is called the Orthodox creed. The vast majority of its readers, following its letter, its obvious sense, its natural meaning, and, yielding to ' "Nature and tlic Supernatural," page 2:24. MlilArl.KS be id I this i-k- tlie lave Ithe Icx- in lied ing the impres-ioii whit-li sunuMtf itsemplialie texts inaUe upon tliciu, find in it ()rth().) Miracles are pledges of the fulfilment of revelation re- specting special manifestations of Divine power which arc yet to be made in the history of redemption. The conflict between good and evil, at present raging in the world, will not always continue. It is to be terminated, accord- ing to revelation, in the everlasting victory of the good, and the subjugation and separation of the evil. This probationary life is to l>e succeeded by an eternal state of rewards and penalties, meted out by Ilim whose omniscience is a guarantee of infallible rectitude. The corruptible bodies of unnumbered generations, mouldering into dust, are to be raised up, i)reparatory to the final iudgment-scenes. The bodies of the just, reanimated and glori- fied, are to be caught up to meet the Lord in the air, and to be forever with Him. The highest Christian ho])es are centred in a complete deliverance from the Influences of evil, and the vision of God, in a new heavens and a new earth wherein dwcU- cth righteousness. Upon what foundation do these hopes rest ? What Is the guarantee of their fulfilment ? They rest upon the word of God, 'Jolini. 1,2, 14. 'Ephesians iv. 14, Ecviscd Version. It Ml KA(r,i;s. illustrated and confiniu'd I miracles of all, tl ascension into licavcn (( I liavc l)( (( for limine and wcif Spirit of Jlini that raised n„ J ' o"t also in j)owe]* and i II uinianav ctornal voiith if tl 1 in vou you, He that raised up C'hrist J so your mortal bodies throiiol, His S en a I P Jesus from thv. esus from the pirit tliat dwelletl 'Sermons on Christian JJle, ,,a«es I,'5 U . , ti