Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1904-12-15
Jesus HIS OWN sign"
A Brilliant Sunday Sermon By Rev.
Hugh Black, N. A.
Mere Wonder Working Is No Evidence Of the
Things Christ Came TO Teach the World.

byterian Church, which is very large
building, was filled in every part Sunday
morning to hear the Rev. Hugh Black,
MA, associate of DR.. White in the Free
st. Georges Church. Edinburgh, Scotland.
Mr.. Black had for his subject Jesus His
Own Sign and Miracle" The text was
from Matthew xii 3S: "Then certain OF
the scribes and Of the Pharisees answered,
saying: Master, we would see a sign from
Thee. But lie answered and said unto
them An evil and adulterous generation
seeketh after sign; and there shall no
sign be given to it, but the sign OF the pro-
phet Jonas" Mr.. Black said:
We gather from it's source, as coming
from the Pharisees that this question had
a malicious purpose to undermine the au-
thority of the new Teacher with the PEG.
pie by asking from II i'm VI at lie could
not or would not perform, bnt from the
historical connection in which the evan
gelsts place it the purpose was not only
malicious, but almost insulting Our Lord
had been in the pursuit of His benelicent
healing ministry, mad cured many suffering
men and women, and the Pharsees' exp'a'
nation was that He had power from an
evil source He did it, they asserted, by
virtue of His connection with Bee2ebub,
the prince of devils. And now. after this
explanation of the signs and wonders
Jesus did among men. they came with the
insulting question, Master, we would see
a sign from Thee" What sort Of a sign
did they want, and what sort of evidence
could convince them if they could attilh,
ute His healing ministry to diabolic art?
The yelled insult of the demand is the
superclious passing over OF all He had
been and of all lie had done, "a il it did
not count and as if He must now begin to
do something of sufficient magnitude to
convince them that His pretenslons were
trustworthy.
Now there is demand for evidence
which is legitimate, evidence winch IS
necessary for the highest faith but in this
case, apart from the hypocrisy of the ques..
ton, there undellay a wrong conception OF
revelation and Il wrong conception OF the
nature and the place OF miracles. 1hey
wanted Christ to perform some prodigy AS
if piece OF wonder-working conld be real
evidence OF spiritual things; hence, our
Lords rebuke. 1t is a religious rebukc
God should be recognized for what He IS,
and the recognition of Him should not hes
dependent upon external signs, winch IN
themselves, after ALL have no spirltua! sig.
nhcance. Chrisl's feeling as regards TINS
is seen through graphic touch recorded
bv st. Mark, who writes that when the
Pharisees came seeking sign from HIM
Jesus sighed deeply III His spirit. 1t
showed to Him lamentab.e duIlness OF
soul, to think that the recognition OF the
spiritual should be made to hang on prod.
gies and on miracle. IA ongcring OF any kind.
"There shall 10 sign he given unto this
generation" This attitude of our Lord,
notice, is not contradictory to thr value
He elsewhere placed on miracles as evl-
dencc. He pointed, You remember, TO his
deeds OF mercy to authenticate His claims
when, as ia the case of John the Baptist,
there was a sincere desire 10 know the
marks of the Messiah, but His miracles
were NORA acts TO educate and - reveal,
not to surprise aud to asi onsh. lie knew
from sad experience that II was possible
for men to believe ia the reality OF miracles
and at the same time lose all It's true evl.
dental force, even to a.criOe ii to evil
powers as the Pharl-ecs did
"There shall be no sign gwen II curios.
ity mongers." There can he no sign gwen
to those who imagine Chat tn spiritual
can he proved by the material. Mere Won
der working i No evidence of the things
whicn Jesus came - teach th" world. Men
are not to be led TO God thcu or now
men are not to be Jed 10 Got. IL The sense
that Jesus mcau-by displays and coalur.
ing tricks. The demand Of the PhhrlscCs
showed radically fa'Se idea OF the who!e
nature and place OF the miracle and the
same mistake Is possible to rs. and posi-.
bic to uS IN many ways and forms. We
make the same mistake. for example, when
we think that faith IN God would be easier
to us If only some portent were vouch'
safed to MS ii only we could see some ply
steal evidence especially designed to con.
vince us. We fall into the PharisceS error
and merit their rebuke when We sigh for
the gertrude which we imagine would
come from a celestial appearance or from
voice from heaven, or II we could put our
finger into the print of the nails.
To understand Chrlst's attitude q this
question we need to nave our minds dis
abused of the idea that mere miracle in
the sense of prodigy is ever evidence of
spiritual things. Some miracles are Signs
indeed, but only when there IL spiritual
evidence in them; that - when they are
more than mere woodworking, winch
the Pharisees here desired For example,
our Lords healing ministry was great
and constant sign Of the love OF God, car.
rying revelation with as truly As any low.
ing word OF the Master ever did This let's
light in upon the true way in which to
view the whole question. Our Lords MR.
accs cannot he separated from the great
revelations of His whole lie and teach.
ing. His words and His works are core.
~ ;solato6 Civilizations n noyor hnt ma
tSo, r9O1p oontr;h,t;nn "a tbo rnvelat;on
Thn, $40 u oo', hl,. voh;nlos Of teach.
ing. They are not signs externally at
aalheI ~ one te"rn aie - ab,e. nnt
anu ,heiel9'e 10 MAJ IL ost,a"e Nv,
uneApIanne" e", rs ooSsnS ,as IS a.
ns'er,ous ias",om a. ihe poS s;denco u +hs
,lne po"ti, 'nGN u.I no' e'' tha teo ,
;eacn'ng, ,hey tnen li are eme ;n .e"
W. n,a are ral"oeJi III sn;r %tr'o" :" ,bor
"a 'n N"tus, 1'olai anu SP' 1.rn, II L.. ta
enre'' nuC eN,otn''aI AZ az 'A'ei;' Ivy ."e
WY my are an 'nttEI'Ii p"'t on ,"e 1as,,,
e,at'9h 81 'I ri loye OF "ou IN tnI',. "e'as
our our L2iI, ihe9 "afe an r C p,a.e ,n
ne Wnotr i"o'u 81 'ne Ln'lS.'u" fe cnJ
.loh as iru'''-llu'ts OF the P'1F Oh ooui
us hdh!ieslallons Oh the olNl.'c ionu anu
Wlsuona; c, 'ney are part u 'ne ,a,,aes'a a.
1,on OF NhllS'' 'ney t uIe nov qua an.ces y.
Ills message as the 1naflsees mere meant