The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-10-31
PASTOR EXPLAINS
 WORDS OF CHRIST D. D Oa n
Rev. Or. Stagg Breaches on
 The Greater Works.'
MIRACLES AND PRINCIPLES
Minister Tells How God Works Through Agents and Gives an Idea of the Broadening Ef-
 feet of christ's Work.

l
 John xiv:12
 ''Verily. verify, I say unto you, he that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do."
 Dr. Stagg said
 | Some little confusion may be gotten rid of by stating that a measuring of miracles by this magnitude is entirely foreign to the text. The predominant signification is not that of miraculous deeds, in the narrow sense, but in a I broader sense, the world-subdung work in general produced by the Holy Spirit i in the diffusion of the gospel, with It's light and life, among all peoples. in the conquest of Judaism and organism by the word of the cross.
 By ''the greater works we do not un- derstand works more striking and mar vicious in themselves, but more glorious | in their effects upon human society and upon the progress of Gods spiritual king dom.
 l The opening of the great subway in New York city the other day. marks a distinct attainment for this century. In | that had puzzled the engineers of other days. In its accomplishment, however, nothing was done that contradicted the science of engineering; the difference lay in the larger field over which the science ruled and the increase of means for ap- plying the principles of that science
 Principles of chrisfs Kingdom.
  born the principles. of His kingdom had been issued to the world. When Jesus entered the synagogue at Nazareth He read 1t to the people. We are to think of the words as He probably thought of them, not in the old-world historical sig nificance, nor as a full expression of His future aims, but as a summary of great moral facts now and always to be real ized in the world since He appeared.
 If the one object of Christs miracles was directly to reduce the sum of human misery, then they were a failure, for their result was inappreciable and in- significant l know it does not seem so, as we fix our attention on Him from day to day of His brief life, as we sit be- side Him in the city or in the wilderness. and see the countless procession of the wretched drawing near to Him, and the cleansed and healed bounding away and making the air to ring with praises "to God, who had given such gifts to men," But, after all, when we consider 1t with some regard to perspective and propor- tion, what an atom of comfort is this, beside the huge mountainous mass of human wool What a mere drop of so- lace in an ocean of agony
 To Him who looks down upon this earth from the circle of the heavens, with its darkness and unspeakable misery crying necessarily to God, the miracle is lost in its great purpose of pointing to the power of God to help a sin-cursed earth and of His plans in working out that pur- pose through those who believe in His name.
 Christ's Purpose.
 As clearly as there comes to a grow ing child a sense of what real life means. there must come to every Christian a larger view of Christs purpose for man kind. To comphcently believe that God has no business in this great, growing world of human beings except to attend to few saved souls Is to deny all re- ligion. A man never appreciates the mind of the Master until he sees that Christ has purpose beyond him and his needs "a purpose which embraces every man and womna born, which regards not their spiritual good alone, but also their pro gress, their health, their work, their wages, their happiness in this present world.
 The work of Christ is to make the world better The principles under His king dom have been the same in all ages some ages have had larger opportunities than others, this age perhaps, largest Of all
 The principles under our government are practically unchanged from it's be- ginning, but with the new opportunities and increase. of influence we are living in the time when greater works can be accomplished as compared with the great attachments of the past The difference is not in change of government, but in a better understanding of it's functions. This is an unfinished world It is not wise, nor happy, nor pure, nor good. Hu- manity is unsaved. Christ came to save it. To this great task he has called, as agents, men.
 Works Through Agents. God works always with agents, and this | is also Christs way when he undertakes the finishing of humanity. His tools are men. Is it a wise plan? passing vic | tory might have been won by war. Wealth would have purchased super fcial triumph Temporary success might have been had through political influence. But in these there is no note of universal | ity To live through the centuries and | pervade the uttermost parts of the earth | to stand while kingdoms tottered and civ | ilization changed. to survive fallen churches and crumbling creeds--there was no soil for the Kingdom of God like the | hearts of common men.
 | A man can be so environed and famil- | iarized with current evil and he can so narrow his regard to instant depravity as to be put out of all position to pro- nounce comprehensively, or to detect the grand forward drifts of events. certified l to by history read consecutively and in- | tegrally. It is vastly to our advantage in | this respect that we live so long after | the era-making coming of our Lord The Greater Works. There is hardly an aspect of life, or a | single relation among men that has not | during these centuries been changed, and these are the greater works" of which | Christ spoke when he made known his i purpose to his disciples. A power making | for righteousness Is cs necessary a con | clusion from the ascertained facts as is | universal gravity deducible from falling apples and falIing moons. We talk about