, 1877-02-19
Overzeal @ Drawback to Chris
tianity---Sermon by
DR.. Ryder.
Bliss and Stebbins' Revival Work
at the Tabernacle.
MODERN MIRACLES.

The law Of the Lord i perfect converting tho
tSo S;h hcnrt -z,s. Palm. 's' '' '''' '''
Uy au impressive coanparson. the old poet
King sets forth The Inv of God. As tic sun
noges nll around earth, swinging his torches OF
light, as Though conducting an immense mar
r1ago procession, bis going forth Is from the
eul OF the heavens and bis Circuit back to tho
ends Of II, and there Is nothing hid from his
heat, 40 tho Inv Of God lnovss all around the
earth, and up and down through 1t, aud Is busy
everywhere converting the soul and mak-
ing wlsc the simple aud rejoicing the heart.
Since Dayll's tlny, science In its many forms
has como along to confirm the truth OF
tho psalm. The law Of God has become more
immense and uncl,nngng. Indeed, modern
times might we'll take UP Tho 10Th psu1n, anu
ect Il 10 their oTndccpcr music. All the thought
and expression Of tho Inst hundred years have
tended to jo!u God and Ia " together. and man
and Inv together, aud to crowd back the once
popular miracle.
Let our theme today be: Law, tho Point
where God meets Man. The theme Is too largo
for the luur, but perhaps NC can rcal the
preface or index of book too large for Our
Btudy.
onco, mar knew little o: secondary carisess
and then to tho simple world God acted Ill
rectly. Not dreaming Of any law Of grnvita-
tlon, god WAS employed to drive he sun about
III chariot. Not knowing auy OF the laws of
evaporation and condemnation, tho carly world
called unon god to drlvo up tho clouds nhd
hurl the lIghtnlnGs AMI nlutter forth the thun-
der. This task wAs assIgucd to Jupiter, aud
Fluvlus. for tho pcopiu knew not from what
other source could come tho thunder and tllo
rain. Thc old agcs swar1nel With gols, but
they wcrc iGiorant OF natural caliscs, a,,d hcnco
t{GID m
produced. Tie 1n,llAn EmpirU boastc1 Of q
million gods. Tie daHn OF acfc1,cc became the
evening of these .lctties. As rapidly as natural
philosophy found physical reason for E 1ay and
hitched lp tho sun.elariots no more, anl rs soJn
rs rain was found to coniu frotm evdporatlops,
which, rlstn4 from thu sel, Aoated away to 4
% chase d'ot %o' thc onc as "2e poston % u tsas Ss
nut the discharge II thu old army Of Inalc
md tcInalo dtylnlt.cs dil not wholly cure man-
kind Of the old shape of faith, for undcr d DIS
mud had angels to iii tic air out Of which tho
Pagan furecs had been driven. Miracles still
followed tho nations, only what Hercules, and
D!ana, and Venus l!asl done H. tIcaticn peFlotis
tho air as It, ieorge md 1T. Tntrir@< among thu
Catholics, aud bv nnInclcss good nt't1 bail angels
among Lhe Protestants. 'fhcsU PrOtcstants tlif-
fnred from tho Catholics In lsaylnE no names Tor
their saluts. Under tho lntuenco Of a scientific
cpoch which bcsan soon after Lcril Barou, n,lta-
rics have been raptdly ucrrcaslng 1T number. ~
that tor u,ousanl prodgca Of The twrlltl,
Not only, Inns thu study. VI The times exaltcd
fdw, but II tlns derct0pCd q new severity about
eyilenee. The i''rasutous cure wiieli ta',io ~
pass nut long slfseu III this city would have sto VI
iinrhallengc1 III tho o1lcn time, Aot only b.
cause there WIS no sctc,lcc II. that day, but
because there hui lccu no uttcntion pull 10
the study Of evidence. The .present has ap-
rosce ta,s ro two point; Gf
of the nature of evidence, and bcfore tls ronl-
binod assault the nlirnele Is making rapid ro-
treat. Il 's u .rerretually Diminishing quality
" quanttty In liun,nn af:ttra The miracles Iii
Holy Writ n,ust b. plated ln claws by them
selves, for as Christ Himself WAS an anomaly,
His surroundings iaust 20 along withctitm, and
must ba sllowctl space by themselves. At
least It Is only Of n'afvtls aEnl Wonders array
from that unique period would spcnk to-day.
One Of tic lnost Impressive studies uf the pres
cnt would b. tlsc study of tho lieu Of God. 'cu
mark how tf!e ec4tnrtls. lave slowly and surely
they lavo put to Hight thuse cntttrs called Her.
cnlcs aud Jupiter, aud l,ayo sought aud found
the glorious Father 10 ileavcn worthy Of all
must here pas. BY and fnd orr tl,cns In t,c con
cusion that there ID one 1odt and that law is tlle
mode Of nnlon aud communion between NH.
uod md Ills chiltlFeu.
hasty surrey Of the universe. For two or tire!
centuries scientific men O! eycry path and quail
isyhave been studying what wo call Nature, aud
60 where tier = nay' ssy iv9 ,. fund lev iot
less sceas this empire that now tho c!l!ef IN
autry o. to man Il whrtEcr he has not beer
gradually wrought out Iu the shop Of naturc
o hasns na.o ni ,. not T. Eaen trz, TN ysnfl
centuries ago. rtls inquiry, Possessing 'nlcce
no answcr, and being pcrhsps wl.oliy uuanswcr
aGlc, SHOWS 1T least bow widespread u tho rciEt
tso mehaa. u a..are ss besone '
tempted @ er"lvs ths universe III. Of Jaw
oply. The political philosopher movlna
i1s Up before him. IL iinds that tho poor .
England arc. poor because political iaWs haY'
LONG, been hfoken; no Anda tho black ma,
humola and Ennrant snd weak, because pollt
ical prInsiplrs Iaye been at1scdi hc ands TIL
fa!n'nes Ii, India IL spring from ldlcacst aue
cictJ tolno out of broken la~s.. l1's tledlcs
ind to tearh people the laws Of life and healtl
Is low tho highest duty Of that va'uaIlS pro
fession. Thus tho lntsiie. ts Of the most gtitc
n mSa moving alo1.g different paths At once buy
meet at the lNtnt that uo!i u present IN III
chain binding Him tu Ills creatures:
..Ttaa's Ta's eonelus'9n !nny be reached y 81, ttll ~
tlon will show you stas this il q partnershi
world-that It IL not q world in which uol Is ai
TEMPTING to thuw VI. ut th!nEa Jie tan ~ arttn
BY Himself, but II Il world In which tio1 an
.1an arc acting together and only thus. IN
stead ot pertornIing u1Iracles, GoM waits her
for inau to DO 4 part Of The daily work Go
gave man the tree, but not any dressed Al
peii,he1 lnnlcr; gayo lin iron, but no read,
made axcs or snivcs; gave him lux. but nc
l'ncn clothes: EAve hin Wild apples and VII
orangcs, but no orcfiarls OF sweet fruit; Cav
him an car for uut!r, but no p!auoa aud hari
sad % written compositions. Thus 1t IL not
world o. Gul 4pr vi Nan. but DArf.eFHhi
world where, to mako anything, demands til
iaioE Of tho iutlnitc and tbs unte cust
blne1: So perfect and relentless IL thla par
nerthlr contract that al tho dearest interest
Q! society have waited for tho slow movement
OF naa. Literature, the arts, civilization, III
stIect weakness until iaau hls ~ s.inc aioSs
pertosul Lis nart. Cul sstlng alona could La,
made earth tho home u every sciencs, uud ar
md uoble quality tuug. louy aso. Hut tha VET
laet that ~ h q grand destiny la4 not Ice
se4ehsd shows plalnly that this Worlt i ~
conducted upon any spe1tseuAr OF miEqr
blAns but uIruI ths rlau If 1u0 hufu