The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-07-08

ball TO describe certain mathematicaiy
ascertaincd curve. called a parabola. III
YOU should say to a friend II fired a
ball from "A cannon and that ball describ-
ed an ellipse in descending TO the earth.
" your friend had mastered the science
OF 'projectilcs." he would find 1t I'M
possible to believe your statement. WITH
out also believing that a miracle has
been wrought. Aud why? Not because
Of his acquaintance with the essence OF
the protectile force nor with that OF
the force OF gravitation. nor yet with the
coordinate resultant OF the two FORCES
combined: but because he can main
ematically demonstrate the conditions
under which these combined forces uni
fOrmly work. and the demonstration IN
evitaby leads TO the parabola. Win the
essence of the forces themselves he Is
entirely unacqainted. Newton did not
demonstrate and did not know what gray
itation was. He discovered the mathe-
matical conditions under which it always
and everywhere acts that is 10 say. he
demonstrated the law of gravitation.
| am not here insisting upon mere
verbal QuibbIe. The difference between
law" and force" Is a matter OF the
most serious moment. II we are 10 90 any
clear thinking upon the phenomena OF
nature. A man who believes IN wltches'
or i'm "spiritualism" need not troub,e
himself TO make such distinction, and
indeed he seldom does. But man VINO
has two seeing eyes. and some POUNDS
of brains behind them, may find him.
self grievously misled If he turns his
thoughts upon nature" and falls 10
distinguish law" from a force With
out such distinction 10 guide nm IL
is quite easy for him to land in blank
atheism. or in pantheism. which Is not
much better.
HIS SERIOUS MISTAKES.
BY ignoring these truths. by persistently
steering clear of their application TO the
phenomena with which he was dealing.
Charles Darwin. perhaps the greatest
observer that ever lived. frequently gets
himself and his arguments into very
slough of despond.' He can not avoid
such words as adaptation END,
use" and such words frequently occur in
his Origin of the Species" What is
this thing for?" ITO what end was this
part adapted?' what is the use or
this other part?" These are questions
with which the famous naturalist was
obliged to deal. and they are questions
whose very terms were fatal to some
Of his pet theories.
90 not WOHufI llldl any 'hii''f
or. whose hypothesis required him TO
reject the belief that the eye was maue
to see with. and to hold that the pro-
duction of beauty was no part OF the
creators plan, should admit that the
sight of a peacocks tail made him sick
What business has the peacock with so
beautiful a tail? Where and how did he
get 1t? And, above all. what was 1t FOR!
The plain man. who believes his BlDle,
has a short and easy answer to these
questions and. unless he spends z good
deal OF time in studying evolution, ne
will naturally wonder how they can puz-
zle any human being. But let him at
tempt TO construct creation without
a creator: to evolve laws without law
giver: to discover adaptations that nobody
designed: to explain ends that nobody had
i'm view-in a word, TO leglslate Coo out
OF His own universe-and the difficulties
will crowd thick and fast upon him. Even
TO clear and sound thinking. TO say noth-
ing of conduct, God is necessary. Helm
hoz said that if an optician were 10
make an instrument as defective as the
eye. he would lose all his custom. l
reply: Let HIM make an instrument
which will see as well as the eye, ana ne
will get his custom all back.
definitions here stated to be cor
rect. the question very properly
arises: What does nature teach
us as to the character of the intelligent
agent in whose existence the logic OF
the case compels us to believer" And
here there is great need of caution; for
not a few thinkers of high repute. TO
say nothing of the many loose. popular
writer's. have seriously over-stated the
possible knowledge to be derived from
this source | do not say that Natural
Theology is worthless but its real re-
sources are limited, and ii is terribly thin
diet for hungry soul. ! am satisfied
that the chief benefit to be derived from
the study is that 1t shows us how little
it can teach, and thus emphasizes the
importance, the value and the necessity
of a revelation.
A GREAT COMFORT
This view is no mere speculation. In
Romans, LIST chapter, Goth verse, that
great reasoner, Paul, in arguing on nat
ural grounds the guilt of heathish idol
airy, says that the visible universe Is
sufficient to prove the creators "eter-
nal power and God head and this, he
holds, is enough to condemn idolatry He
does not say anything about the moral
attributes of the Creator as proved by
the creation of the world The Psalm
list. too. says that 1.-The heavens declare
the glory of God" but he does not tell
us that they teach us any thing as 10
Gods care COR us. Indeed. to the most
important questions we can ask in TINS
direction nature is almost dumb; ana
when she speaks at all her language
is hard to be understood Does dealn
end all?" Nature and science give no
distinct answer. rs the Creator interest
ed i'm our welfare?" Nature says little,
and that little is of uncertain sound.
Teeth chew, and teeth ache. The air
gives us the breeze and the cyclone.
Electricity is useful. but lightning kills.
Water is a help, but 1t browns millions.
Fire cooks our food and burns us 10
death. Outside of the Bible, and inside
of nature alone, the question. rs life
worth living?" is a sad riddle.
When we come to deal with the dark
or problems of life. where our powers
are weak and our sight is dim, what
a comfort it is to believe that personal
God, who can see and hear, is looking
down upon us. and that glorihed Sa-
vour is not too high above us To sympa-
thize even with our infrmities, And
what soul that is really and practically
Struggling WIN t'cSe Pio"iVH'' "a" i"'i
TO exult in the mighty sweep of that
glorious sentence. "All things work to-
gether for good TO them that love Gody'
DO they not tell US that his hand is
seen
In all that is. i'm all that yet hath been,
The falling sparrow and the shooting
light.
Which. blazing, hurries DER the vault