The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1904-12-15
4 PRINCE BEAUTIFUL,
aus REGULAR WEEKLY SERMON
'Eyse Genuinely Religious Life Leads
,aas so the. Enjoyment Of the diories
l@eysnd.

&ytsrian Church, which Is very largs
Nx1&irg, was filed IN every part Sunday
eaerning to hear the Rev. Hugh Black
N~A-, associate of DR.. White in the Free
ID. George, Church. Edinburgh, Scotland
1hr Black mad for his subject Jesus His
Stsn Sign and Miracle. The text wa:
2rnM Matthew Xii:3S: Then certain ot
H aeribes and of the Pharisees answered
osyaag: Master, we would see 4 sign from
NSsec. But He answered and said unto
Nkeua, An evil and adulterous generation
3oeSeth after a sign; and there shall nc
Sin be given to it, but the sign OF the pro
EsaS Jonas" Mr.. Black said:
We gather from its source, as coming
Szn,a Che Pharisees. that this question had
y malicious purpose to undermine the au'
HEkasitv OF the new Teacher with the peo.
iwsc By asking from Him what He could
snse or woGld not perform, but from the
n1ssorical connection in which the evan
S3.sSsts place it the purpose was not only;
MALICIOUS, but almost insulting. Our Lord
Sad been in the pursuit OF His benehcent
baaxns ministry, had cured many suffering
Esos and women, and the Pharisees' expla-
.ssa source; He did it, they asserted. by
a.tac Of His connection with Beelzebub,
Eks prince of devils And now, after this
sexplxnation of the signs and wonders
Hng cid among men. they came with the
Sr.rhing question, Master, we would see
q sixu from Thee" What sort of sign
xd they want, and what sort of evidence
aoSaM convince them if they could attrib-
xSe His healing ministry to diabolic art!
&he yelled insult OF the demand Is the
1nspeTciEous passing over OF all He had
hnen and Of all He had done, as If it did
aOt eoNut and as if He must now begin to
10 something of sufficient magnitude to
susrviace them that His pretensions were
Eantworthy.
, Now there is demand for evidence
Ahicil is legitimate, evidence which IS
Fsaecssary for the highest faith, but in this
s1aae, apart from the hypocrisy of the ques..
Mon, there underlay wrong conception OF
n.velation and a wrong conception OF the
szssurc and the place OF miracles. They
xsanfed Christ to perform some prodigy. as
a q piece of woodworking could be real
sssaeuce Of spiritual things; hence. our
Asxd's rebuke. 1t Is religious rebuke.
Cod should be recognized for what He is.
aaA the recognition of Him should not be
iaepcadent upon external signs, which in
-jksxselves. after all. have no spiritual sig
Hk<nnce Christ's feeling as regards tnis
II ssen through graphic touch recorded
~ sc. Mark, who writes that when the
RfEsrisees ct me seeking sign from him
yenas sighed deeply in Has spirit. Il
shexsd to Him, lamentable dullness OF
npal 70 think that the recognition Of the
sspirittsal should be made to hang on prodi-
xies and Oh miracie-mongering OF any kind.
yhere shall no sign be given unto tins
1Benerstion" This attitude Of our Lord.
nctiee, is not contradictory to the value
He elsewhere placed on miracles ss eyI-
,3cece. He pointed, YOU remember. to his
deeds Of mercy to authenticate His claims
VIXEN, as in the case OF John the Baptist
there was a sincere desire to know the
4sarss Of the Messiah but His miracles
nere moral acts to educate and to reveal.
Urt to surprise and TO astonish. he knew
frrn sad experience that It was possible
fepr men to believe in the reality of miracles
Rna at the same time lose all its true evi.
Mcat!al force, even to asccibe 1t to evil
powers as the PhariseeS did.
There shall he no sign given 10 curios-
Fly n,ongers." There can be no sign given
90 those who imagine that the spiritua!
Gan be proved by the material. Mere won
DIR working is no evidence OF the Things
Whsca Jesus came to teach the world. Men
ary. not to be led to God. then or now
I,en are not to be led to God. in the sense
fha$ Jesus rneant-by displays and conJur-
AsE tricks. The demand OF the Pharisees
shaEe6 radically false idea oil the whole
Hature and place OF the miracle and the
styac mistake is possible to us. and possi-
h}e ts US in many ways and forms. We
srsiSc the same mistake. Ioc example. when
,ue think that faith III God would be easier
fc Us IL only some portent were vouch
safed to us; il only we could see some ply
sical evidence. especially designed to con
Ssuce us. We fall into the Pkarisees' error
xad merit their rebuie When We sign Tor
<ke certitude which we imagine would
esnse from celestial appearance or from a
vaicc from heaven, or Ii we could put our
Erssr into the print of the nails.
To understand Christ 5 attitude on tins
3aestion we need to nave our minds dis
abused of the idea that mere miracle IN
che sense of prodigy is ever evidence OF
9nritual things Some miracles are signs
sideed, but only when there is spiritual
evidence in them; thai is. when they are
more than mere wonder-working. winch
the Pharisees here desired. For example,
oar Lords healing ministry was grea:
ssrL constant sign OF the iove OF God, car
YyinS revelation with as truly rs any low
ing word of the Master ever did. This let's
EEkt In upon the true way IN which 10
vic.S the whole question. Our Lords MIR
sssles cannot be separated from the great
revelations ci His whole lie and teach
ing. His words and His works are. core
GESed;. the miracles are not TO he looked on
Vsx isolated exhibitions OF power. but as
themselves contributing to the revelation.
yhey were not signs. but vehicles OF teach
ing. They are not signs externally. at
faehed to the teaching TO give It weight,
and therefore to make it creditable; not
unexplained occurrences testifying IN a
rsJxterious fashion to the possession OF di-
vfne power; they did not evidence the
faaehing, they themselves are the teach,
ing. They are parallels in action instead
.of in words, moral and spiritual in their
eject, not.evidential at all, except by the
Gay. They are an integral part of the rev.
ssIation of the love of God in Christ Jesus
vsvar Lord. They have an essential place IN
the whole round of the Christian revela-
ton as fruits-fruits OF the pity of God.
~ manifestations of the divine love and
wisdom; they are part of the manifesto.
zion OF Christ; they are not guarantees or
Yts message as the Pharisees here meant
them, but part OF the message itself, as
much evidences OF Gods love as His gra-
eious, tender words are or ever could be,
therefore Chrisps miracles are never to be
conceived OF as mere displays OF power.
He persistently refused from first to last
TO work wonders TO make men believe. Il
n not that the demand for evidence is
syrone. it is a natural demand tina. proc;