The Indianapolis journal., 1902-09-07
THE VOICE OF THE PULPIT
THE FIRST MIRACLE: 1T WAS FULL
OF BEAUTIFUL FITNESS.
Short Sermon by the Rev. Thomas
Spencer, ID. D., Pastor First Meth
Odist Church, Petersburg, Va.

This beginning of miracles did Jesus In
Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth His
glory."-St. John ii. IL.
When Saint John speaks of this miracle
at Cana as the beginning of Christ's mira
cles, we understand him to mean the first
occasion on which our Lord, during His
earthly life, put forth His divine power OF
working miracles. The apostles way of
speaking sweeps away all the idle tradi-
tions and fanciful dreams of an infancy
filled with marvellous works, and bids us
think Of our Lord as undergoing perfect
ly natural human development, life diff
fering from ours only in the respect that
1t was holier than ours. Through this mira
Gle the light of His divine glory first shone
in the sight of men. Let us look into some
of the lessons which it has to teach us.
First of all, it is perhaps out Of harmony
with some peoples straight-laced notions
of religion that the Lord should have
wrought His first miracle in order 10 pro-
long the pleasure of a wedding feast. They
can see a reason for the miracles of mercy
by which He healed the sick; but 1t seems
strange to them that the Lord should have
thought 1t worth while to replenish q fail
ing supply Of wine by a miracle, and should
have given to that the distinction Of being
the beginning of His miracles.
And yet In truth there was q beautiful
fitness in it all. We are overmuch tempt
ed to throw a cloud over the religious life,
to think of 1t too much as a thing of fast
ings and self-denials. as an enduring of
hardness for Christ's sake. Even the very
estate of matrfmony itself, with all its
ministry Of gentleness and affection, has
been by many despised a lower state
than that of the ascetic single life. It was
we'll that Christ should put the seal of His
approval upon 1T, adorning and beautifying
it as holy estate by His presence and
first miracle at Cara. That is one of the
lessons we are to gather here; that mar
riage is a holy estate, and that they who
enter it may go attended by Christ.s pres
ence, and crowned by His blessing These
people had called Him to the marriage,
and He went. And surely there are few
things in which human souls need more
the guiding and blessing of Christ than
when two lives are being made one in that
union of veal woe that must last until
death. He will not refuse His presence
when He is called to the marriage of those
who feel their need of Him, and ask His
presence.
NO ABUSE OF GOOD THINGS.
One may agree that marriage is solemn;
| but think that feasting is not solemn:
| while here Jesus prolonged the feasting,
as well as blessed the marriage. 1t is
| part of the mission of Jesus to teach US
how to take the good things of God with
| out abusing them, or being enslaved by
them. There are such things as innocent
| pleasures, and He can smile upon our use
! of these, and is willing to help us to them
in proper measure.
| Possibly these people were poor people,
blessed more with friends than with abil-
ity to entertain their friends. so that all
the supply of wine they were able to pro-
vide was exhausted before the guests had
been properly served AS they sat at table
receiving the congratulations OF their
| friends, there was overhanging them, oil
unconscious to them perhaps, the mortifi-
! cation of having TO tell their guests that
there was no more wine to be had. Jesus
thought it thing worth while to let that