, 1877-04-07
Sermon on Miracles.
DELIVERED At sNuHoMsu CITY by REV
j. n. THOMPSON.
PaNishsd By Re3iDa

Luke Kill, ], D. lhcrC were present NJ thHt
season some that told him Of the Galtlcans
whose blood PLATE had mingled with tn, If sac.
riiiccs. And Jesus, answering said INTO them:
suppose We TINT these Galileans were sinners
above all the GalileanS, because they suffered
such things, ] tell yOu nay; but except ye re.
Icnt sc shall all likewise perish. Or those
eighteen upon whom the tower in Sloan fell
and slew them. think ye that they were sinners
above all men that dwelt in Jeru,alemy | tel
YOU, nay; but except ye repent, yc shall all
likewise perish.
We have no means OF determining
what particular season this WAS, for st,
Luke was far from being careful about
the chronological arrangement of his
facts. But there is no doubt that this
story about the unfortunate G ilcans
was information brought 10 Christ for
the first time. The Gllilcans were the
most turbulent and r.hellious OF the
Jews. They had not been, up to the
time of this event, thoroughly, though
they had been nominhlly, Subduel by
the Roman power. Josephus tells us
that they were "the most scditinus peo,
pie in the land" 1t is suppose that, at
the time of the tragedy mentioned in the
text, they belonged to Herod's jursdic-
ti0n between whom and PLATE there eX
isted mortal rnmity, Al enmity healed
over by their common guilt in the crime
winch cost our Lord his human life. The
Galileans were accustomed to come down
10 Jerusalem to offer their sacrifices, for
dixie the banditti of some Roman Cath.
olic countries) they were n religious peo
pie, observers of the outward forms of
the national faith, and in full commun
ion with the established church, in spite
of their srditions, violence, rOhbcries and
murders. Probably by bringing their
lawess habits to Jerusalem, band of
them gave the Roman Governor, PLATE,
preteXt for gratifying, by the sAugh-
ter of some OF Hcrod's subjects, the
hatred which he cherished against their
king. 1t is by some Bible students sup
posed that the particular Galileans men
toned in our text were followers of that
Judas Gaulontes (spoken of by Gnma.
liel in Acts ", 37) who would not recog-
nize the Roman authority, and num-
her of whom, so Joscphus informs us,
were at one time surrounded and slain by
the soldiers Of PLATE. while offering
their sacrifices in the Temple at Jeru-
salem.
= nese surmises correct or otherwise,
oi tns much the story makes MS sure {:
Certain Galileans bad come to Jerusalem
to Offer sacrifices, and while they were so
engaged Pilates soldiers had fallen up
on them and slain them, under such cir
cumstances, that their blood flowed down
in the same channel with that Of the an
imals which they had just offered upon
the holy altar. The story was told to
Jesus with the Obvious intention, not of
dwelling upon its own particulars, but
) ut enforcing a doctrine which the narra--
tors supposed to I've contained in it. This
TACT is clearly brought out in our Lords
reply-"Snppnse ye that these Galileans
were sinners above all the Galieans, he.
cause they suffered such things, tell you
nay but except ye repent We shall all
likewise perish" There was no miracle
involved in that calamity-no supernat,
al display OF Divine anger for any par.
Icular siu-cithcr in this event or 10
thlt fearful death which overlook those
eighteen persons upon whom the tower
in Sloan had lately fallen.
The superstitious narrators had cyi-
dentIy seen a miracle in each of these
events. Bat the great Miracle Worker
sand may There were only the opera
tions Of regular lawn the one case Of
that law which controls the passions of
cruel, vengefu, men, and in the other OF
the law Of gFayitat.on operating upon a
piece ot imperfect workmanship or a
wall d.cayei by ag, In both cases, be-
cause the victims stood in the way OF
those laws. tulv were mugciless'y crushed