, 1875-11-28

GOD We may nottcs Il, however. ~ one Fspy w
1noet either case-
shat w n not .nd s
Il not designed to charge him with caprice OF to de-
pseclae law bnt to rindicate His freedom In His oTn
universe. Intervention In answer to prayer does MOI
imply a change cf rlan. 1t rather forms oae LINK il
tbs chain Of tbs divine PURPOSES aud the sae may BE-
predicated of the prayer ITSELF When prs3eT Ieseh
who fcreknows all things, has heard that prayer IN
eternity and constituted both it and its a1swer part o.
the Interchangeable order, aud il the ansTE lnyolYe -
thlt exceptional action ia rs much the product o. Law
wnen the fulness Of Its time arrives. any event
God
ne do not deny but maintain tho i:amutasilf.s Of
Law. Wien the term is properly defined, what w
claim !nterventions with Law, as seen from tao ~
side, Themselves under the control OF ~" ~ -
tho divine sense II We restrict ide, ct law TO tns
sfated recurrence Of natural phenomsna. Nc sn.a
With the naturalist incline to aposneosize ths
gre,t God, and denounre the miraculous sno .1e ~
proyidentia1 ~ tmpossihiliies; but ~ nm W. wo
mean the expression OF the VII Of one wao ,t ~
throned aboTs every seeond cause, endowed "ln ~
power Of eecnR and applying other methods Of asi
Ing than those which ws sec. Ts ,e snall n1l
nd or ideas Of, Of cAea TIE emp1e 3hst tSs M term
fuge defines not province Of GOD tef1toI'aS
included within the sphere OF our human co5o'sloa
but passing beyond il nsrow et* an hy.cs snd
moral which Lie beyond US. The eye IS tnus ppn.a
fror part to the whoe, and We STAND N 3aes1nk
eystem Of nature Is only worthy to Be rcgardea Is
the outer gate Of approach We gazo Upward nto tnl
hc.adless realm Of tie Infinite, Wlta ~ "ol.u VI VI
xnor,n snd their bright hIe1archeR mounting upward
in bcxutIful array to the crowntng archan {eL ~
discover that world where, amid tho o.
P.zsdse the sPs o' nf t1e ontTsrd npon lie
in6nttude of forces aud msRnttCdes which owe tneir
being to the energies Of An e1haustless Creator ano
Which afford His creatures deld for unlimited pro-
md e}A q Qql4ef fQnCeQ-
fiop of Nature and higher idea Of Ia" and Wider
sphere in which the Indnito God re1gns. Ihe phenom
limited vieW OF nature, but not 80 much super
natural ~ superhuman-above u.s. but NOT Aoo3s aw !:
and when, in the providence OF the oniseTsA huet'
they arc projected 1t were, into our lower sphere,
u in the miracles Of answers to prayer there
IL neither auspensop violation Of law. but the intro
dlctaon OF higher CAUSE which opefates aceoIuns
law OF its own. As constantly, III our own order,
lower laws coming under the influence OF higher chem
ical Of vital physical Of moral 80 hero and waile tho
tho bells Of the universe ring and always
have rang in chime to the ear that hears them a.
Thus tho incarnation Of the Logos-the Eternal re
sphere Of tho lower, and tho train OF miracles and
speal proyidences which attended His advent His ca
the world and His departure from It weze no
outfashtng Of that more glorious order which DC
cao to reveal conforaby to its own lsws. They wers
credentials Of Hia mission. but they we're rnore-they
wess Its natural effects, the inevitable accountant
neuts Of Divine IncaEnatA g. Peter. IN bis Pente-
costa1 sermon, said Of Him: Whom God hath raised
IN having loosed the pains OF death because it was
not possll> that He should be holden of it" ols-
nsusen pAraphrasea Ibis language ~ follow: was
impossbla account Of the very nature or beng ol
Jcfus Christ, since the Son VIE lite in Himself II
sm the Life" said our Blessed Lord Of Himself; and
ILL contact with Us by union with our humanity Was
the Inauguration Of supernatural order IN the world
in which at every step We meet facts &no
foEces and ourselves lifted up out OF tho nne Of
the first OF natural Adam into the stock Of the second
or supernatural Adam Luther said that tho true mir
acle Of ChraaniS was the creation OF spratuA Ws IN
toe human soul
In thus assigning the phenomeoa Of tbs supeFnat-
ural md the providentias their place in tho systen
Of universal nature We do not adopt the creed OF he
naturalist Law implies \ LAwgiver. and the moment
you separate the efficiency OF tbs First Great Cauee
from second causes you make the lAer many gods,
aud restore tbs Roman mythology, or tho delaea-
neither tho Lawg1ye- the law. In medic tuttssus
it,s We make no concessions to error In acknoWledg
ing the truth that may be mingled with it. Our at.
tack must be coucented on the error1sts negations
aud false inferences, aud must fortify our minds
ia the conviction that our religion a. Dr.. fAirbairn
hA1 said}-
.Nei.her merges God in tho works and opera
tons Of nature nor aasocIatcs Him with ona de-
partment mort peculiarly than another; while still
1t presents ii, 1.-The work. Themselves, the changes
they undergo, xnd every agency employed In accom-
plistinR them-in dependence on His Arm and suoor-
dinate 10 His WILL He Il in al, through Ill, and
over Ill )" ..-
How DOES the TRUTH thus yindicated and elucidated
dignity prayeri How 1t soiemniza the act In which
often engage thoughslessly and prosecute for
QAuyt doW suggestive II u u LILO toaA4044AA4e3 u
faith. pleading 1t the foot Of God
Physical science mky be regarded as unfnandly to
religion only in tho sense that it, incomplete revea-
tons Iro3titutea to uufrieudy BY theorists
who would substitute for faith in God pifu credu-
II in themselves. Upon fair principles, science in
terp1cing nature, u the h1ud-mald OF religion, and
calls u to prayer. Gods autographs on the page Of
nature and the .page Of revelation are fden-
Teal. In assigning phenomena their place In
the symmetry of nature science Ia only demonstrate
ing thu naagni6cenee Of the Presiding Deity. Let
then beware last release the grip Of manly faith
on our banner and let us 30 establish hearts and
minds In the terty OF '.those things which most
surely believed among rs, eyea as they delivered
them unto u.s. which from the beginning were eye
Witnesses 1nd ministers Of the word Acts H. l, q,
that ahal cherish With Hebrew ardor tbs belief Of
the immediate supervision Of God over His work and
His willingness both to hear lnl answer prayer And
this IL the confidence that We have In Him. that we
ask anyth.ng according to His viii He hsareth na !"
Il. John. r.. l4) And, in tho presence Of our skep
teal ss.aants let stand stsadfas and unshaSeu.-
'.stanl like an anvil aud wil by.aud by spoil the
faoe at tho hammer xnd out the strength OF tho
h1mmera1s ~