The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1882-04-12
For the Central Presbyterian.
A Miracle Which all Nav See

Suppose number of men, in different
countries, without communicating with
each other, should be found to have hewn
out strangely shaped stones, each unlike
the rest, which, by some means, should be
brought together and by skilful hand
fitted one to another, each exactly suiting
its place, till the result should be build
ing beautiful in It's symmetry and grand
In its proportions, SURPRISING all that men
had ever built or dreamed of before
What would be the conclusion? Could
it be that all this had happened by
chance-that it just came about in hap
hazard way-that these different men
came to hew each one stone Just as he
did, without any particular design, and
it turned out that all exactly fitted into
one another and formed this splendid
structure? Such a conclusion would
argue one insane. These minds, each
lett to ITSELF could never have wrought
thus. There must have been some one
mind that had conceived the vast design
In all its complications, directing them to
do each his part in hewing Alright his par
ticular stone, that it might make its con-
trlbution in the erection of the mighty
pile where nothing was superhuous and
nothing wanting. An architect of greater
powers than Sir Christopher Wren or
Michael Angelo must have formed the
design and instructed each workman how
to prepare the stone which it was his part
to make ready.
ing, it is colossal statue that is the re-
suit when stone is fitted to stone; and a
grand and glorious form rises to waken
the wonder of the world by it's grandeur
and symmetry. Would not this point to
some artist greater than Phidias or Prax-
titles, who had formed the conception and
instructed each workman how he should
shape his piece of marble, that it might
fit in with the work of his fellow toilers,
and contribute to the perfection of the
whole?
Search the Scriptures and see if they
do not show something like this.
Here, we find men writing, not in diff
ferent countries, where communication
might be difficult, but in different ages,
with the impossible stream of death roll
ing between them, where it would be i'm
possible. These men wrote at different
times through period of more than one
thousand years. Examining their writ
ings, we find that while they wrote on
different subjects aud With vorioGs ends
in view, they make references to one per-
sonage-one WHO'S to come into the world
at future day. One gives feature OF
His person, or character, or a phase of
His work. Then, centuries afterwards
another gives different feature of His
character and totally different phase of
His life or His Office work, so that some
times it seems that there is well nigh
inexplicable contradiction in their repre-
sensations. At last, after more than ten
centuries, the work Of these separate toll
ers ceases no successor makes an addi-
ton to it no other stone is hewn. In
the meantime, during four hundred years,
students bend with intense interest over
these fragments and strive to unite them.
No human skill can fit them together.
All seems chaos and contradiction.
At last, a being appears, and lives and
dies, and lives again, and To- the original
of this portraiture. The contradictions
are reconciled in Him. He is at once the
babe and the ancient of days, the most
lowly and the most high, suffering and
yet reigning, prisoner at the bar and
the universal Judge, King Of kings and
Lord of lords
How comes this? Did all these men
in the different centuries Just happen to
make, each one his part of this wonder
full portraiture? And did it come by
chance that these various fragments which
no human art could gather and fit to-
gether, came to be united and find their
counterpart in the most glorious charac-
ter which the world has ever seen or i'm
agined-a parsonage whom those who
love Him, and those who hate Him, are
to-day studying with fresh interest and
wonder, though it is nearly nineteen cen
turtles since He walked the earth?
Here is something more wonderful
than the rearing of the building or the
carving of the statue in the way we have
supposed. Here is miracle more won
derful, if possible, than the raising of the
dead. Here is miracle, wrought in
many places and many times and many
forms and through ages.
Search the Scriptures whether these
things be so and when you see each yer
bal prophecy, each type and shadow
each bleeding sacrifice, each anointed
prophet, priest, and king-fnding com
mon ful6lment in Gods anointed Son.
the bleeding Lamb. Our Prophet, Priest.
and King never doubted the declaration