The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1886-09-11
A SCIENTIFIC SERMON.

Br. T. Devine, for report of recent
sermon, by DIR. William Tucker, Of
Mount Gilead, O., on ''Storms and Cy-
clones," which is timely, in view of
the painful interest created on this
class of subjects, by the earthquake
which has just visited large portion
of the North American continent. The
sermon is on the line of discussion
which will assuredly follow the recent
earthquake, although not directed to
the consideration of that particular phe-
nomenon. The report has been revised
by DR.. Tucker, and is therefore au-
thentic. The text was Psalm civ, 2, g..
Natural phenomena reveal to us
much natural, moral, and spiritual
truth. Mind reveals itself in matter,
thoughts embody themselves in things,
and the spiritual is made manifest in
the natural.
The revelation of truth in nature is
the basis of science, art, morality, and
religion.
Nature is a revelation to us of both
God and man, as both use it as the in
strument with which they work.
/. What is the relation of God to the
natural phenomena of storms, cyclones,
and floods? Some hold that he has no
relation to it !; that it is purely the re-
suit of the action of natural forces, as
directed and controlled by natural laws.
But modern science shows that nat
ural forces are Of spiritual origin, and
result from the action of will. The
forces of nature reveal the action of
Gods will, as the order Of nature re-
veals the action of divine intelligence.
Nature is full of God. He is the
life that every where lives, the will that
every where works, the mind that every
where plans, the goodness that every
where gives, and the authority that
every where rules.
God is in nature as the supernatural
cause of all natural phenomena, as the
personal cause of impersonal nature,
as the spiritual cause of the material
universe, as the free cause of necessary
nature. But nature does not exhaust
God. At the same time that he fills
nature with his presence, thought, and
power he transcends nature.
2. What is mans relation to these
phenomena?
Man, as an intelligent free cause,
acts upon nature as directing, dis
turbing and destructive agent. He
uses her material, employs her forces,
directs and combines her energies, ex-
hausts her soil, destroys her forests,
changes her climate, and alters her sea-
sons. By his action on nature in cut
ting away the forest, draining the
swamps and low lands, he has caused
seasons of drought, floods and storms !;
by arresting evaporation, he prevents
the formation of clouds and the fall of
rain.
Cyclones belong to the class of cleo
trieal phenomena, and result from the
disturbance of the balance of the elec-
trical forces of nature, by the great
number of lines of railroads and tele-
graphs. Every line of railroad over
which the trains run is magnet, and
so is every line of telegraph. These
works of man must of necessity disturb
the balance of natures forces and cause
destructive phenomena.
The phenomena of this class have in
creased in the portion of the country
where the balances of natures forces
have been disturbed by human action.
Cyclones, in many instances, appear to
follow the lines of railroad, two facts
which show a close connection between
the operations of man and this destruct-
i've phenomena of nature. These phen
omena are educational. Iti part Of
! our culture.