East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1911-12-11
MIRACLES WORKS
OF NATURAL LAWS
PRESBYTERIAN sunday sermon.

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SAD
Science assures US. through the
month of its great exponent, Huxley.
tbat there IS no reason why miracles
may not happen" If We cannot
prove that they have happened, GER
tainlv no one can prove that they
have not happened. 1t Is, therefore
an omen question of probability. wor-
thy of our serious consideration. II
is no evidence of mental acumen to
cast the subject aside or 10 discard
all the miraculous from the New
Testament ANY little boy can run
out the figures on the slate, but only
the bright student works the prop
lem. Let us attempt modestly to
throw a little light on the question.
our first encouragement, then Is that
miracles are not impossible. In this
age of invention we are all rather
slow to assert that anything is impos-
sible. Many of the commonplace
facts of modern civilization were con-
sidered impossibilities a generation
ago. knowledge of the chemical
composition of heavenly bodies, see
ing through Opaque objects, talking
through the air at long distances, and
actually flying through the air ike
birds were accounted impossible
only yesterday And had any one of
them been performed a generation
ago as an isolated event. it would
have been accounted a miracle, be-
cause not to be explained according
To the then known laws. As man be-
comes acquainted with natures laws,
they become his servants. II then
any man should perform an act IN
accordance with natural law, known
only to himself, such an act would
be a miracle to those unfamiliar with
that law A miracle, therefore, Is
not a violation of natural law, but
only an occurance not eXplcable by
the laws with which we are familiar
But science again assures US that we
are not vet familiar with all natures
lsNs. Why. then, should it be con-
siderei unbelievable that God. who
knows all the laws should perform al
the miracles recorded in the Bible
II can work my will into the com
-plex forces of natures laws witt
which I am familiar so as to get re
suits which nature when left to her
self would not produce, why should
not the Son of God work His will int
winds and waves. into blind eyes AM
shrivelled nerves so as to bring re
suits. which natures forces If left I
themselves would not have produced
may go out and scratch the so
of the garden a little and toss in
few pieces of potato, just enough fo
a suggestion to mother nature, sh
Arsr forth
whole basket full of potatoes 1
sthe potato-bug sitting on the fence
am a worker Of miracles. A htt
higher UP the scale of life, God is ii
gardener and l am the potato-bu
We do not call it q miracle when n;
ture turns water into wine inside
the growing grape. If we only kne
all the laws pertaining TO the chemi
try of foods, might we not understar
a process by which to turn water i
to wine in an open Jar as well as b
meath the purple skin of the grap'
Perhaps the growth principle in d
seed does not altogether forfeit
mystic potentiality when it passes !
II bread: in which case the multipl
ing the loaves would be as scientii
as the sowing of the seed. Parodo'
cal as it may sound, then, a mirac
is simply a natural result Of the a
plication Of natural law, by one W
is perfectly familiar with all the Law
But. says the skeptic. please tell
why God doesn't perform any m
acles now. My answer is that do
know Why should 1 boast of bel
familiar with all Gods plans and re
sons for doing anything. He has I
submitted all of His methods of dol
business for my approval, and even
He had my approval would be
guarantee of the wisdom Of the met
cd. Of course I think 1 am pre-
smart. but really 1 don't feel conn
tent to run the universe. I did
create it, and / don't understand
the principles by which it is r
Some folks think that because
preacher don't know everything.
therefore, doesn't know anythi
However, see no reason why g