The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1864-05-25
From the Christian Observer.
THE BURNING BUSH.

Il
angels, prophets. and apostles, IN conhrma-
ton Of the truth which they taught. Inc
Scriptures teach that God governs both
the natural and moral world by general
laws, and that his experimenting Pros,-
dence directs all events, even 70 inc lah-
ing Of q sparrow. We may speak Of many
things As fortuitous, or as happening oy
chancellor so they appear to us-oat &C.
csrding to the philosophy OF the B'ole'
there is in reality no such thing as chance.
and no room for il in the universe. NJ
oaly the changes Of day and night, winter
and summer. seed time and harvest, lie
and death. and the rise and tall OF States
and nations, but all other events are dlrect>
Cd by the hand Of God IN harmony WIN
the general laws by which lie administers
che government Of the world.
A miracle is 4 sign Of prodigy above
these general laws-called the laws o. ma
ture. tis sometimes defined asa prodigy
contrary 70 the laws Of nature; because u
appears 50 to us. These laws seem TO us
to be suspended for time BY the miracle.
But our knowledge of nature is toe 'mper-
feet to Justify the assumption that her laws
are violated or suspended BY the intersen,
tioa Of miracles. They are wonderful
prsdigiss in harmony perhaps with hign-
er Law, not revealed to rs. The burning
bush is the FIRST miracle recorded 10 me
LIE Of Moses. tits strikingly remarkable
even among miracles. There IS nothing
else like il in all the wonders recorded 10
the Bible. No magician could initiate X,
no imposture could haven't it, Tor no one
ever imagined that an angel would appear
to mea in the form of bush burning yet
not consumed! Impostors have pretend
Cd that angels have appeared to and that
Gsd has spoken to them in visions or dreams
hy night. Dreams and visions are phe-
romena within the circle Of human expert.
ence. They are not necessarily miracles
There may be nothing supernatural Ia the
most wonderful dreams ever reported
They may result from some law OF assocl-
atisn, unknown TO philosophy, BY which
certain thoughts and images follow each
other in the mind when the senses are
locked up in sleep. But what lmposter o.
dreamer ever pretended that he saw an an
gel in the form Of burning bushs Awe
struck BY the wonderful prodigy, Moses
said, Il will now turn aside and see Thu
great sight, why the bush is not burned
And Gsd called to him out Of the bush an,
said, Msses, Moses; lie said here am |
And He said, draw not nigh hither: ps
OF thy shoes from of thy feet, fer the place
wheresn thou standest is holy ground
Moreover He said, l am the God OF IN.
Father. the God Of Abraham. the God 0
Isaac, and the God Of Jacob, And Nose
hid his face, fer he was afraid to look upcl
Cod The voice that spoke from the fr
filed hin with holy fear and dread.
commands him in token Of his yeneration
70 put OF his shoes; the ground on whlc
he stood was holy, on account Of the Dlyin
manifestation.
In regard TO the person who made thi
revelation, the history in Exodus says
"ths Angel Of the Lord appeared to BIZ
in 4 fame Of Ere cut Of the midsi. 81
bush" The angel Of the Lord-a messen
ser sent from God. But the voice whic
smoke afirms the presence Of the Great
AN, the self-eIistent eternal Jehovah. i
revealing himself the God Of Abraham. II
reminds Moses Of his promise to bring hi
peoele out Of Egypt. Many suppose ,ha
the speaker was the Angel OF the Cove
nant, the Lord Jesus Christ. But Stephe
calls him "the angel Of the Lord" an
Jerome, Augustine and Gregory adopt thl
view. The message brought TO Moses
a ~ a
equally valid whether uttered BY God Him
SELF or BY the ministry Of an angel.
The angels which came to Abraham. 40
Let, and Joshua, and others, appear
have cone in the forms OF men. IL an
ask. why Ibis wonderful change in the forl
Of this angelic or Divine manifestation
We answer. it is not for Us to solve th
mysterious problem presented BY the in
on;ry Rut noble coincidence is sugges,