Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1885-06-29
DESIGN IN CREATION.
sEEcHsRs sERmos YESTERDAY
General snd Special Providence Con
sidered Natgrai laws Made Ser
sants DV Proper Use.

Nks F0RE, June sc.-Besehers sermon
thlz morning Sas upon the 40estions OF de-
sign IA efsation and Of general and speclai
psoyidenoe, AZ theg stand related, n0t only
- Scripture testimony but ~ shat se know
% the course VI aaEara4 laws Ia tnis world
The view of the famous German sclsntlst
haecksI that a world nsssis no God that has
Ia llself provision fDr al the phenomena
that have taken place. seemed " beeeher
not u simplify the problem of
creation, 0at ~ make it still more DIFF
nealt ~ comprehend. Nothing IN
human sxperisaee furnishes basis
foe believing IN the origin and progress Of
lbs world of rs Own self without any ex-
tsruai influence. Cause nas been wrought
into the very common sense Of mankind. and
haecksis theory leaves the origin Os matter
still anaceoanted for. The origin OF matter
aud the existence Of tendencies or laws IA
matter seem lucOncelvable. The same Is
truo Of the origin OF divine being, bat con
fessedly this 10 removed from human Inyes-
ugatiOn.
The doctrIne OF evolution al hrst seemed
~ destroy the fact OF intelligent designs Ia
creation, 80 the agn0stic school, which IN
cludes some 0I the u0blest spirits of oar day.
spralg gp. God may exist, but We 10 not
kn0W 10" they say Ddt tins Is What the Bible
said from beginning 10 end. lt Il what
philosophy - nCW beginning 20 explain. We
cannot understand sae divine nature, 50 ex-
aited above anything yet developed IN as.
except 10 uaNn- upon - when We are our
selves unfOided aud rise. such higher
operation zs does not belong 10 the great
mass Of ithe human race 0fOd Il 20 be seen
only oy those faculties that verge upon the
divine itseif. and b. them moral intuition
does come with certainty a. great a. any
that scientific vestigatlon brings 70 the
-ensss OF men A u special providence, no
doctrine Wa more explicitly taught by Jesus
Chglst than that az Gods personal care and
inspection of individuals and conmdn-
Itios. II science should overthrow tins
doctrine n would make a serious
breach IN our faith. not only IN
the new Testament, but the divinity of
CHRIST itself. Men say that God would not
set aside nat ural law for the benefit of any
favored person. family or community. They
say God works through laws OF force and
never otherwise. This Is impudeut. We do
not know what God thinks, nor what lie
does. Some parts OF hts ways have been let
down within reach of our observation, but
not all; and while We have no right TO Affirm
that tie does, We have no right To affirm that
He does not lh5 popular idea that natural
laws are Interchangeable, irresistible.
uncomfortable Il al illusion. Nothing -
gentler, more pliable and usable than natural
laws. Obey them and they become your
servants. Natural laws are constantly
checked. directed. made imperative; are set
IA conflict one against another and made TO
compromise. We make wind and water
grind for "a and carry Electricity.
the great bufoon of the North IN Winter
nights. or flashing about IN storms, the
pyrOtechnics of the world IN it, untouched
state was useless and barren. Now IL
doctors the sick, lights our dwellings,
plays the poet boy, carries news
Ia tw,nknng round the world. has
become fruitful because the will of man has
learned how % use IL. Men can by using
and not abusing or violating natural laws
make them providence for the advantage
or elevation, not only OF themselves. but of
those around them The invention of a
single machine may change the destinies of
nations. Civilization Is but wise subIec-
ton Of natural laws by human intelligence
and will: and II God cannot create provi-
dsnce by using, not violating, natural laws
then he cannot DO what the meanest crea-
lures here on earth can do IN some degree.
tie can exert directly or indirectly upon the
consciousness Of men that which will make
them snactOrs Of biz own decree