The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-08-15
SEEKING FOR SIGNS.
p..tor D. C. Garrett Discourses
Against Spiritualism.
40 GEORGE ON "cHRlsT's OWN"
-. Bsptists Engage in Missionary
work Among tho Chinese - New
uethodist Protestant Minister.

..st Marks church yesterday morn
-. The rector, David Claiborne Garrett,
n.s.ched on Seeking for Signs" The
!svt vas: Sand Hezeklah said unto
s..;.h what shall be the sign that the
I'D viI heal me and that / shall go up
:.,o the house of the Lord the third
a.,,n Mr.. Garrett said in substance:
!, vss a critical moment In the life OF Heze-
80 The king, one of the best of all the rulers
.,.,.sl. felt empowered to do great work Al
e.sv he had accomplished much: the temple
..ired. the ancient rites restored, idolatry
sssshed. the Assyrian army under Sennacherib
=. strange intervention of Providence almost
..snved. And now when new and more
Ivsous opportunities for service were at hand,
S-kiah was oyertaken with sickness and re-
s;red the warning OF death. 1t was an unex-
..stsd summons Hezekiah was still young
IN. too young, he thought, to die. Life was
stdl precious in its possibilities and activity.
p.thetic are all such crises. Not in in a cow
.,dy spirit, but only in the instructive desire to
tusll this lie naturally, many, like Hezekiah,
h.ys cried softly through some sore affection
q. farther time on earth. The prayer of the
t;,y vas answered. The second message of the
,,onhet brought hope OF recovery. There was
= - restoration to health and the third day
vm,hip in the house of the Lord. But now the
seysrest trial of all came to Hezekiah. In
.sssd Of resting satisfied with the prophets
nsomise. Q sign, some positive token Of Gods
,.vor was sough. Hezekiah! Thou vert
,.s Israelite II was ever the way with this
,seulisr people--full of faith at many times,
nd then wanting Gods word substantiated by
outvard proof. In the eXultation of his pro-
,oaued life Hezekiah determined on a crucial
test-s miracle must be performed. And notice
that the king chooses the more marvellous of the
tvo aiterusiives. The shadow on the sun dial
mustgo back ten degrees. 1t is not necessary to
attempt any explanation of this phenomenon,
which ID interpreted IN various ways to accord
With scientific knowledge No one will fntelli-
realty insist on q literal acceptation of the
story. This in Hezekiah's time. meant a recess
zion Of the sun In its heavenly orbit To us. in
modern times, it means the retrograde move
Yoept Of the earth on its axis, q change extra
ordinary that no one would have been left to
record the experience. The nature of the sun
dis. the placing the miracle in the light not
in he sun on earth, are all subordinate in in-
tsus 70 the real spiritual import of the nara
tive It's the seeking after outward signs as
eoruAntye OF spiritual truths that We wish
10 coasidW today. In the childhood of the
world ID the crude condition of religious
thought n the undeveloped stages of both
national saA individual life, this tendency il
uppermoet Indeed, this desire for extraordi-
nary material Manifestations of spiritual real
itiea 10 not outgrow in the world today. This
Is the spirit Of modern spiritualism. Men want
to be assured Of another life, and are anxious to
see with phyacial hight the spirit forms of the
beloved dead II is a natural craving. Every
heart IL susceptible OF such longings. But how
dangerous the seeking after these signs in the
material way so often employed. The secluded
nfna dver al Insu Iss.txs ALL
the psrapnernslia OF a magician, the mysteries
Of the unseen universe are pretended to be re-
vsaisd The best answer to spiritualism il
10 guard one against the crudity Of
mat state OF mind or soul that demands ma
erial signs of spiritual truths. For suppose
ali that one may ask ia this direction should be
rstifed: suppose God should permit view Of
- Atddsn world snd sight Of our dear ones
thsse would it satlsiyb Would 1T tend truly to
~ better equipment of our own soul to live the
lin beyond and reach the blessed reunion in
Psisdiseg The only real meaning of life on
Earth is that of education, and this implies disci
pine, and discipline depends always on the ex-
etise of faith. Take faith out OF life and ex-
hADce here loses all real import. Nothing is
lett b grow character. Surely some signs are
Dot good for ua II Is better to walk by faith
than sight
In many other ways, even In religious thought
and practice, there may be an undue asking for
ngna 1t is witnessed in u love for and depend
saes on the miraculous Such is the reading OF
miracles into the Bible and a mechanical use Of
be Scriptures In theology the doctrinaires
seek signs By imposing precise definitions and
formulating exact statements OF all the details
Of Gods being and His relations to mankind.
Tn the other hand many hold back from going
up to the house OF the Lord" that is, joining
the church, because religion lacks positive
demonstration. II 10 the position of the az
hosae Who demands a sign before he will be-
aem Ills forgotten that spiritual verities can
no, spsht not, to be proven by the same logical
hs'hois those which pertain to the realm Of
selsnoe Again. there are signs of Gods pres
shee 10 The world of nature and in the expert
eace OF human kind; but men will ignore these
.pPsieat sokens N seeking uncommon proofs.
p's cfled for such sign 10 be given his bre.h-
,ea % earth that they might believe aud repent,
oas 'ns witness Of God in the revelation through
.ie plopaeA Was the answer declared. IL is said
ss0 Napoleon the Great once hearing some
sNhsa ssvsnts scouting the existence of God
aiu oeiSlng proof of tho reality, said in quiet
.aes very well. Messieurx, but who made
saas AMI the hand pointed heavenward to q
oneh particular star. Thus men will pass by
ss'saanee OF God in accustomed ways and
eAana new oIncns Of startling nature.
.aesesiah, II be had kept his faith. might have
.ouno 10 The sun itself witness of q higher
rV"ef' ea' no, the sun must do unheard of
,laSs not merely stand still as 1t did for
'osaas' bat journey backward in the sky
a.. 80 TIE experience OF prayer the same mistake
.es occurs. Few seem TO understand the
aas meaning OF PRAYER, which is not 10 coax
as VI tod blessings lie is unwilling 10 give,
ap' 70 iorce signs Of the providence. but TO re-
ssesse the erring heart OF man to the righteous
a., ' VI an Interchangeable Father. One may say:
nave prayed so long and 80 earnestly for this
~ without response that have lost faith IN
s1Asss IL Is more likely, dear friend, you
as'e !e' 10 fad the firm faith. We are not to
Se1 material returns III the way we may
4"s 70 ifaine oar selfish petitions The best
''oa IN life is ~ learn 10 say GOD knows
~ Thus IN regard 10 the whole religious
~ aa ny that mean ii religion eonfnensur-
N'ln human life in every aspect. we are TO
~saeer that the best signs from God, those
.Ashi comfort ana unlift. are the messages
spsak directly IN the soul Here we are 10
oat destiny. to rake character Cor
"a. Religion meant that The church is
@ IA that Bat in this soul growth We
maoi exT9ct physical proofs Of spiritual
So We must walk often in the dark on
sr sssd lde. while all the while the heart is
.a1ssed from the heaven side. We may not
sssefeasen FOR much that is hard TO bear, the
~" ana GsSappointmeuts that we carry, but
ash Tod ever gives; itis the consciousness
.asre IS q purpose IN ell this pre- par ali N
'f ssgaity.
WoELD BELONGS TO CHRIST.
AID Tor uuDnAnity's Redemption
With His Own Blood.