The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-06-30

| was taken 10 be characteristic of the creation of
the whole world. but it is no longer tenable
/ But az any rate to admit that that would be
| evidence of design. Suppose that man, having
| found watch, should say to himself, some
! body thought this out, somebody created this,
| so that it Is constructed and adapted exactly to
| to the end in view for the Keeping OF
/ time,p Suppose, then, that some one
duce him into that watch factory, whore
watches are created by hundreds of thousands
| by machinery, and suppose the question should
/ be put to him. What do you think, then, about
/ the man who created this machinery, by which
it of itself goes on cutting out wheels and springs
| and pinions and rything that belongs to max
/ ing watch2 If it be argument of design
that man cod make one watch, is it not a
| sublimer argument of design that there is man
| existing who could create a mandatory turn
| ing out millions of watches ali the time and by
! machinery, too, so that the human hand has
nothing to do but to pick UP the parts already
created by machinesg
| If it be evidence Of design in creation that
| God adapted one single flower to its place and
functions is it not greater evidence that there is
| q system of such adaptations going on from
eternity to eternityl Is not the creator of the
| system,a more sublime designer than the creator
| of any single act of that Kind!
/ Or 90 with me to the adiacent town of Lowell
where you will find the power carpet-loom
| Then let me put down before you an Oriental
! rug which we all know has been woven by
women souatting upon the ground. each one
putting in the color that was wanted to form the
| figure, carrying out the whole with Oriental
| symmetry and harmony of color. Looking upon
that you could not help saying: well, that is a
beautiful design and these are skillful women
that made it; there can be no question about
| that"
That is an argument of design. But step into
| the power loom room now, where not simply a
rug with long, drudglng work by hand, is being
| created but where the loom is creating carpets
| in endless lengths, with birds and insects and
| flowers and moths and scrolls and every
thing of that kind. 1t is all being done
without a hand touching it. Once start
| the engine and put the perforated papers above
the machine. and that machine turns out a
carpet that puts to shame the beauty of these
| Oriental rugs. Now, the question is this: Is it
an evidence of design in these women that they
| turn out this work; and is it not evidence of a
! higher design in the man who turned out that
machine, that loom, which could carry on this
work thousandfol more magnfcently than
human fingers did,
1t may be safely said that evolution, then, in
stead of obliterating design, has lifted it to a
higher plane, and made it more sublime than it
| ever was contemplated to be under the old rea-
| sonings
| Next, it has been thought that science, by in
Producing the doctrine of natural law, and Civ
ing it a larger and more definite field of opera
ton, has destroyed all possibility of teaching
that there is special providence of God over
men and events. 1t has been said that every
world has happened by the force of law, and
that it is not likely that God will turn law
aside, or change law and interject His creative
will for the sake of any favoriteS that He has in
this world. | need hardly say to you, after the
reading of the passage which have given to you
this morning in our opening services, that no
doctrine is taught more explicitly by the Lord
Jesus Christ than this doctrine of the personal
watch and care of God over men and things;
| that nothing happens without His inspection
| If the doctrine OF general Providence
| that is, the Thestc doctrine of general
Providence supervising the machinery of the
universe or the Christian doctrine Of special
| Providence, the adaptation of all the forces of
nature to the welfare Of particular individuals,
raises up nations-if this doctrine of providence
were to be overthrown by science, | need not say
that it would make a very great breach in our
faith in the New Testament and the divinity OF
Christ himself. One of the things that makes
life endurabe is that we are not like so many
stones being rolled, broken and rafting down
| by violent humping torrents, without any par
ticular law of design. hut that grouped
together in communities and families and
as individuals under the beneficent inspection of
| God, who has continual thought OF our well
| fare.
The world would seem to me a very dreary
| place if did not believe in the imminepce of
| the divine presence and the interference of the
| divine mind and will. If were to 60 out with
| the thousands pressing board the
steamers for foreign travel and felt that all
those on board who were dear to me sleep
ing at midnight in perfect security because there
was a captain and officers and crew well informed
of all emergencies, [ should feel secure, because
they will be taken care of. do not need to be
anxious But if somebody should say to me,
''You have captain. mate, no crew, only an
engine which is started, and she is let CO. answer
ing only to wind and weather." l should not feel
very secure l don't know where should bring
| UP. / should probably go down, rather than up.
And if this world is vast machine, left to the
guidance of nothing but natural law. | should
get very little quiet from that idea. That it may
be better for the endless races i'll the long run I
will admit but is it better for me9 Is there any
rest or trnst for me where there is no doctrine
of the special guidance and perpetual presence
of God9 / need not argue the question.
Still, admit the uniformity of great laws;
God works through laws or forces. Men say
that God never works otherwise, but that is
nor what He does Some parts of his ways
have been let down within the reach Of human
observation and experience. but not all. and you
have no right to affirm directly that He does;
you have right to affirm He does not But
that is neither here nor there Men say it is
makes special and personal in
reference for the sake of working out
special men. Now, in the first place, our ideas
of law stated forces are incorrect. The pop
ular idea is, and it is partaken of very largely
by philosophical men, that laws unchanged
Dle irresistible In their sphere; that they are not
to be controlled, and that they compel all. 1t is
felt as though they were great energies that
moved as bars of steel would move through
crowds, overturning, bruisng and destroying all
that came in their way The irresistibleness of
natural law is an illusion. Of all the things
within the conception of the imagination, there
is nothing gentler, nothing more pliable nothing
more applicable, nothing more useful, nothing
more controllablo than natural phi ysical laws.
They are a great deal more like the silk thread
than they are like the needle that carries it, or
| than they are like a bar Of iron or steel Once
obey natural law, and it becomes your serv-
| ant
! Natural laws are constantly checked constant
| ~ contradicted and made imperative. They are
set in conflict one against the other. The laws
of contraction perpetually thwarted in the
laboratory. The acid cannot have its way when
,all- 1l-alix