Smyrna times., 1858-09-23
S T. r M O N
On the Completion of the Submarine
Telegraph,
BY REV. J. E. GRAMMER.

WGive God the Praise."-JomN 9. a.
Such was the language of the caviling Phs
rsees when poor blind man was made to Sc
by the touch of Jesus ia a miracle of mercy
Out of their own mouth they were condemne
n refusing TO God the homage and adoratio
due the exhibitions of his presence. For the
were silenced by the stern logic of common
sense, and the pertinent answer of " The mar
that was blind" " il this man were not of Goo
be could do nothing" And yet. though they
pfofessed to be such jealous servants of the
Most High, they could not see Him where he
was most visibly present, as in the very person
of Christ; and they pretended to discern Him,
when in reality God was not in their thoughts
nor revealing himself in their way.
But, though this poor blind man. who was
altogether born in sins, was cast out by the
Pharisees, his mind was endued with spiritual
vision to recognize the very Deity incarnate 10
fill down before him in worship and cry out,
Lord. believe. He gave God the praise. for
he acknowledged that God only could have
purged the filmed eye aud let in upon it the
light of his beautiful world. They reasoned,
I'VE know that God spake unto Moses, but as
for this fellow, we know not whence he S.
He reGS 1ned, Why, herein is a marvellous
thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and
vet he hath opened mine eyes. Since the world
began, was it not heard that any man opened
the eyes of one that was born blind. If this
man Uere not Of God, he could do nothing"
That was the conclusion of common sense,
and truth stamped upon the mind of this Jew,
as the first article of his creed-as the earliest
lesson of his life-as the teaching of the an
cent oracles- That was the argument with
which Ncodemus, the very master and head
man ia Israel, began his discourse with Jesus |
mo man can do these miracles that thou doest, |
except Gnd be with him." And that is the |
emphatic declaration of a Jealous God 4" am |
the Lord, and my glory will not give TO ano.
ther. ] ara he; | am the first, also am the |
last mime hand also hath laid the foundations
of the earth, and my right hath spanned the
heavens. / am the Lord and there is none
else, there is no God beside me. / girded thee,
though thou has not khOIon mel form the
light and create darkneSS-I make peace and
create esil; /, the Lord, do all things"
The spirit of the blind man and .he language
of the Pharsees should be in the breast and
upon the lips of every man who beholds the
wonders of this nineteenth century. To-day
we behold what great things God has reserved
for this age. The lightnngs have become our
messengers, and the fame Of fire our minister's
Ia the completion of the Submarine Tele-
graph, we witness the greatest wonder that
ever burst upon the world since God "laid its
foundations and fastened the corner stone there
Of, when the morning-star sang together and
all the sons of God shouted for joy,"-we see
the achievement of the greatest enterprise of
man; the approaching fufllment Of the most
distant prophecy the nearest approximation
ever made by a mortal to the intelligence and
capacity of the angels,-we see the last strug-
gle between mind and matter end in supreme
dominion over every element of nature. Light
and heat, wind and water, earth and sea, all
are under the sway of that mysterious power,
which, as with the wand of a magician. is
bringing everything vnder the sun-aye, the
sun himself-in the crcling ring of its enchaDt-
ing influence. We see man crowned with the
fresh insignia of his royalty over this lower
world, and rising not only to the dominion of
the beasts which roam the field, the fowls that
sweep the armament, and the monsters both
great and small that swarm the sea, bat chain
ing the subtle and swift-winged coursers Of the
clouds TO the car of his triumph, and with a
tongue of fire heralding his way to the subju-
r of thonuhf aud arfion |
We see him converting this mass of dead
matter into living organism,-its stupendous
framework ramifed and knit together by mil
lions of electric nerves and arteries, all trem-
bling with the pulses Of his heart and flashing
with the kindlings of his brain,-great cerebral
cords, instinct with life and feeling. moving !
with ceaseless energy and equal sympathy,wiih
all the throbbing, laboring, anxious minds OF
more than half that tread the Globe. Not only
so-but we see him threading the unknown
paths of the sea, aud under the roar and din OF
its stormy waves, when they mount as it to the
clouds, sending along the whispering wires the
messages Of grave national counsel, or of kind
ly greeting to distant friends and kinsmen.-
We see him annihilating time and space and
standing like an omnpresent and omniscient
lord Of the earth, TO whom its distant quarters
are but as the outer court Of his palace, and all
its sayings spoken as if in the vestibule of his
audience chamber. We see him in his highest
character, as servant of God--an instrument
in the hands Of Providence, for the accomplish
ment Of His great ends.
Itis asked, What is there to rejoice over in
the completion of the Submarine Telegraph
"what have we gained by il J" IL may be an
swcred. |. W. rcoice over IL as God's ~orb