, 1875-07-19
THE FIRST MIRACLE.


SERMON III TIE REV. n II. A1TELL.
Tho Roy. N. IT. Axtoll preached at the rark
Avenue Methodist Church yesterday morning,
tahug ~ his thotue "Tlc Flrat Miracle, or tho |
Now Stisson," and AZ Lis to1t these words:
This bcg!unnE Of miracles did 1caus IN Can, nf
0aee and mantiekso forth Iis glory-juhn H.: II.
lie spoke % follows:
1t IL thus amid tho pleasant acones OF 4
friends, perhnpa cousins, wedding that Jesus
Christ porfor1ua lis flsHt wonderful work. 1t
not only showa tho actiyo nearness Of Almighty
agency, bns has reference TO something clso,
aud gises sign and pledge Of aometLing TO-
yond itsolf. "Thia heglnuiuR OF miracles did
Jesus IN Cana OF 0a!i'ee, hnd msnifeasod forth
his glory" Dy It we are gtvon Wow Of .he
miEBon and learn soma Of the characteristics
Of tho futuro Of His lifo on earth.
"Tney want vino" mud Mary comos to tell
Jcsus. Ills 1cpiy gives n Significant lcason In
regard to tho relation Io suataius in The ,ni-
vcrso Of God. "Wou,an, what is common bo-
tween tleo aud MAJ or My real n,tsBiun you
havo not just conception. Thou art, in
sense. Ny mother, but am thy Creator. You are
,utersstsd 40 friend In this Pciplcxity. stand
officially in relation trauHcandlng natural af-
fection, but though Ny hour ia not come, I may
forcshov ite character. You know s1e ~ jesus.
mn also the promised Christ. I am known to
these ubout Us Jewisl, youth, but hayo IN
oblcct different frpln theso, anl az hood your
lcslucst ren1 tlo dearer lesson Of My glory.
This miracle pfoclutsed any opportunity for
donying ita trlo character. Ills tln,o for nctloD
avory other 1nosns failed '.r!,oy have no
w,ue,' said His mother, who, Notwithstanding
tho rcrly. said TO tho servants; "Whatauever lle
smith unto you do it, Again, Tho " six watei-
apiece. vere selected for tho water; not tho
vino bottles containing tho old remains which
could at least color and give ta-te TO the fluid,
Vixen Jesus MAS entonbod it was not In ah old
tomb waosc pcrchancc thoro wore. the bones Of
an old prophet. which gave i1fc aud rcstr. r.oclon
but IN tJoaeph's now tomb. whor> 10 never man
lay" 90 hero tho water wRs placed whero wine
had nover bocn.--in tho open bathing tnhs-
nat all night sfS aa eHt no a'cS0n os.1os 9gk ,'
cbango 60 vas immediate. Thoy filled tla
vessels 'to tho brim,." and the command was
the fcast:" And they bore It, and when he bud
tasted It ho was surprised that tho most perfect
VINO Was kopt to tho last OF tho fcaat. And It
waa no littlo manipulation to 0ntsh out witt
the feast; there etooa ovcE Two hogsheads ac-
cor]iug to cur measure. The Savior always
| gives largely to those who como With eMptiness
to lin. Dy this uo manifested forth 1lis glory.
ifo mcnifeB.ed forth LIS, not anothaF's. glory.
THIS gives lii tho reason Of miracles. Thoro is
Just as much power exhibited In tho growth Of
Tile grapo ami the development Of Its ploPortteu,
| the brewing OF VINE from earth below and from
tiis air above, md tno collecting OF it in sho
rfpc clustess, but tho glory Of Tho power IL NOT
manifested. Wo bccono tnBonh6c to the hand
| Of power by the very thing that should lead uH
| to adore it-ilB comlnonness-and wo Say Eon-
orhl law does'th this, whon we know TINT back OF
| Rouotat law there must ho 1n(lnltc mind. Nero.
We always used TO Hcoing pen tracing !tuos OF
thought We might not think that there WAS an
unscen hand which moved It, mud M unseen
thinker bohlnd tho movement Of tho hand. It
| might to necessary 70 our right knowledge Of
tho mattor TINT the hand to soluotines aeen up
| OH tho pen.
Dy tho miracle wo SEQ the Bourco OF tho power.
We learn tbo character OF Jesus. -
But miracle aloIs not with itsclf Let ua
ses shat deeper !aBsnnB tdls tlrtt BEn iunreasos.
"Thera wprs rot thore nlx waterpota of Stone.
aftor tho manner Of tho lurll ,inH OF tho Jewa."
~ For the pbarlsoes. aud all tho Jewrt !oxceps
they wash tleit bands off, cat lot. holding tho
traditions Of the EldcrB." Hero spriuga up be-
ton. Hero ate tho dly0tH waal'lnga, horc the
who'o ritual Of aectiticcs aud cleana'ngs which,
could not make lilo cospcrs lhorsuuto peEfpct." "
The last os tue Old Toatament wrisera fcsl lonc:
| tngH afkor The real and cluha IhG J0Wlsl records
in gloom. What Hhall NO do for the ain OF tie
soul Jeeus stsuds beside thu pots Of corcmo-
Mai cleansing, younE Jew. where all is .!ewsl1,
sn1 u ! m1ment by that T Tora tha. hssd L.
lug under tue Ia. III changol to tho VINO VI llls
Kingdom. Ills tlmo has not yet como. Soon ia
shsi! not he jewish youth IL tho hes'i, but
shall slse rending away tue aesh which nsked
uuiyerso. ~ this act, hoBbyor, eau you not seo
the mission 11o las to perform? Can you not
sec the ubnraotcrlatics Of Ills fuller dispeuuA-
t!oni The wafer ot purifying" represents !;
; huce and joy: IL the representative Of oui
Christianity. It wau tho work OF Christ t.
bring good tidings Of great loy BY turning tls
WeAkor. poorer dispenshtion iHto tho richer ans
srrN SfA
It was Of Him tha. It Was said ''llc washed I'll.
garments in wine and His clothes iu the hloou q
tic grapes." TO lin aro wc indebted TOT a
onn KlednGss md hope sna ony Eto To- i'm, ME- rs
atarted out ~ tho deliyeter OF tho people aue
the founder Of the Old uisponsaston, le, loo. u
! tpblisled h!s authority with Pharaoh By .
!sAoy Was " VIE .RRe .u5 q dssb ,Sa 'T ss @
miracle was changing water into blood, Christi
J was tuning wAter Into vine. How beautiful.
Ia ilIustFatsd tha whote outwork OF ChristiAuls,
y.t ysF Il sas dssee sasS m b.p
tiBm, con1uering tetnptatlonB, suffering mysteri
) ous things, lhAt lle might suocur us III our sur
. rows and aympa1h!ze with md sAve III. Now
0 lie stands in the crowded h4lia sud ats Ut til
! by His ptessuce, but contributes 10 the Joy An
!, | eutarkAinmeut BY His 0mnihn power, liz cons
i to msp not ~ 1tosos, wiki dsath,-not ~ Joh1
baptist, Aastere, stern aud .esk.nG the desets
NAs <na4o"7 "tsA. AAio A4a[1Ptotr W +A3 f&a<oe
l.. p!sssuse, with the throng ot happy hostts. II
!. comes drinking = his wedding, and eating Wit
I Zasheus, Tho publican, 1t hs tails.
i There 10 no llarM Ia being 1t 4 wedding,
Z. ChriBt be there. Tho house Of mourning
i better tlsn tue houss Of tsA.tiug only tscAuy
We are moEe lkety to look q ths greAt faeEs Of on
It that Chris. is in our Joys, ~ wsl II il 30,
y ruws. We cannot do right by hsysuG no joyiu
J, 4ours-by doprlyiug ourselves Ut aoctal PRIV
y ileges aud being lnotose. We ~ true disciple
i are 10 come to the Wedding With Christ. AL ~,
It aso Chsisls g,tta. Tie deYil las not
o singls one to bestow upon hia follow
Il esx. Thou Clslatiau homes aud hasrtz shout
o TO full Vt fall Vt ringing laughter aud ohsesin
o music. The Christian ~ nnt to Rbatain from III