Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-01-01
The SUPERNATURAL,
Its Nature Illustrated in the AIT
of Agriculture.
A Specially Prepared Paper of the New
Years "Record-Union, by Rev.
Horatio stebbins, D. D.

/
epithets upon the earth on which we live,
and mankind have called her Mother From
her bounty all creatures are fed, and her
ftuits are fer all. The earth invites the in
tslligelce, the industry and the fidelity of
man, and responds faithfully to his labor.
The harvest on ell the continents is waited
for with confident expectation, and ripened
fruits aud grain are hailed with joy. In an
| Gent time the year was marked off by agri-
cultural events, and great festivals celebrated
the sowing, the reaping, and the vintage. In
modern time, when religious sentiments are
| diffused in more general way through all
events and experiences, the harvest is cee-
brated by social festivity. and by the exhib;-
ton of the products of the earth and people
gather from far and near, sttesting by uni
| versal sentiment and interest that the condi
tion of agriculture is one Of the prominent
things in the life of the world.
Ii we look at this earth, and mans relation
to it. Intellectually, morally and spiritually !;
| il we consider that the earth ia the storehouse
of all the neateriel of mans progresr, civilizl-
| tion and refinement, from the dark aud
shapeless stones of the mountains 20 the
| piles reared by master builders; if we
reflect that the material of all mans
| labor and adornment and wealth
and comfort, from the rude tools of
| barbaric tribes to the wonders of modern
mechani'm, from the spontaneous growths of
l. L. ,.,oh e
cultivated fields and gardens from hoIs--
shce to the Phiaian Zaus; from tive wheeled
cart with oxen to the flying train moved by
! the viewless air; from all ard whatever in
material condition and power distinguishes
the savage from the civilized man, is from
the dark-sleepiug yet bright and wakeful
| earth. We are impressed with the suscepti-
bility Of what we call nature to the touch of
| man. A wilderness blossoms as q rose, desert
| is changed 10 fruitful field, and the rock
poufs out rivers of Gil.
! When we look at this esrSh whose products
are so important to human welfare, and think
| of lis having within its own heart the mate
risl of which this fair fabric of human society
i Is COIsk IuCIeu, lEOLu Iuo blOCho VI NOOU DSWu
out from the forest to the matchless bodies in
which our minds live, and that 1t waits only
the intelligent touch'Cf mans spiritual nature
| to transform it and bring forth its latent
powers Of life and use and beauty we are i'm
pressed with the idea that the world is im (
bedded in mind. Everything is transformed
by man. Nature herself, endowed with dark
| and terrible energies, changes the world by
| Al IS Ill al
storms and earthquakes and winds and seas
and seasons of the world have not dcns
80 much to change the facs of the
earth as man has done since he took possez
| sion and control. The world could not thus
| respond to mind unless there was mind in it.
! 1t could not be developed into higher order
| and higher law unless order and law were al
| ready the inner idea Of it. There must be
something TO speak to, or there is no COM
munication.
| Here, then, we have, on plane open and
manifest to all, an illustration on a grand
| scale Of the supernatural-ths coming in Of
| mind upon matter, upon animate and in
animate things, and bringing them isto
| higher forms Of order, use and beauty. This
action Of the mind upon things is not tina
highest plane Of the supern atural, but it
gives suggestion of that hierarchy of powers
| which seems to be enthroned in the universe
of creatures and things This action of mind
upon mind is higher, and the influence of the
Supreme Mind on our human spirits, which
we call by way of distinction inspiration, is
the highest and pure form Of the supernas-
ursl. In a general and broad way the super
natural is a superior power CT intelligence
and will acting upon nature.
In all our talking and thinking about the
supernatural, the miracle, the order and law
Of nature, there is manifestly want of soms
standard. It has been said that there Is no
surer sign of the decline of thought, or of
change Of base in popular theories, than the
fact that words once used confidently and
accurately are losing their currency, or pass
| only at discount, and men deny that they
| believe what they are charged with believing.
| If there is striking feature of the thought
| of our time in matters Of the highest intel,
| lecsual and moral interest, it is that many
| words which have hitherto hsd a definite
| meaning and value have lost their image and
superscriptior. Among those words whose
meaning has become thus uncertain, the
| words that lie along the border ground te.
twesn mind and matter. where the world Of
| things has been supposed to touch the world
| of mind, are most distinguished. Nothing is
more vague than much that is said about
nature and the supernatural. If we would
speak to any purpose or intent we must un-
derstand what we mean by nature, for, like
many things which we talk great deal
about, and think we understand them well
enou2h, when we look at them carefully and
Discriminate and define, they are slippery,
and elude our grasp, or take rev and variei
forms.
But let US fes il few simple outlines will
not help US to understand the general bounda-
ries of the theme and furnish suggestion
that will be the keynote of the truth.
In the first place, what in its reference and
rel ,tion to man is natural That is natural
which man has not meddled or inteIfered
with. Nature is all things as they are before
they are touched by man. As soon as man is
introduced all things are changed he is with
reference to them a supernatural power. The
earth-dark, uncultiyated, wild, as we say
is natural. But the earth peopled, the home
and dwelling place of man, divided off into
human geography CT races snd nations and
towns and cities, and flushed like picture of
matchless power with industry, commerce,
art, laws, manners and religion, il not nat
ural, is not nature. 1t may be nature raised
to higher power, bet it is not nature. Man
has touched it, and there is something in or
upon il that is supernature, supernatural,
above and beyond and more than the natural.
Is field of wheat natural? No more than
the mill that turns the wheat to fl ur or the
kitchen even that turns the -four Co brad are
natural. They are nature intarfered with,
led forth, taught by higher power. They
are nature mixed with man, and man is not
ia the realm of nature thus understood, but
above it, controlling If, comirg down upon it
from above.
We ara attracted away from the line where
man begins to be felt in bis power upon pa-
ture By the more grand and conspicuous dis
plays OF that power. We are not aware,
except on reflection, how low nature is in her
development, aud at how early period mans
inteligercs must touch nature to bring out
her hidden sore and her sleeping faculties.
We do not r, fl ct that on this plane of the
contact Of mans mind with things q bushel
Of potatoes is supernatural as truly as a
steam engine. The potato is ths result OF
cultivation, which is the application of indus
try, thou shs and skill to nature. The wild
root of the mountains of Spanish America
requires mans power TO bring forth thai hum
ble, useful escuient whose millions and hun
dreds Of millions are food TO the poor and
sauce to the rich. as truly as the materials of
the earth and the air require mans power
to combine them in machine that
propels ship, or with arms of
iron turns ths gearing of mill. The engine
attracts our attention, for il Is more con.
spicuous, hut il is not more real Nature il
very humble, and sffords little help to man
until hs supplements natures weakness by
his own power. Things natural are quite
hainless and ran do Iitfla mora tban ~,