AN ESSAY ON MIRACLES.

THERE is one universal remedy for every spiritual disease and moral malady-for every sickness of heart, and sinking of the soul. Faith in Christ is this remedy. It is sad to think it should be so seldom received. Among many things which indicate how rare it is, is the prevailing sentiment at the present time with respect to the miracles of Jesus. There is a disposition I think, to shrink from them-to turn to the morality of the Gospel, and pass hastily over its wonderful record. It is frequently said, that miracles are a kind of evidence unsuited to our age. The character of Christ and of his gospel are chiefly dwelt upon in the way of an evidence-and as rarely are the miracles used for purposes of edification, as manifestations of the spiritual power of the Saviour, suited to strengthen a weak soul. It seems to be regarded as the weak side of christianity, attacked by its enemies, and avoided by its friends.

But this desire of avoiding the supernatural part of the gospel narrative, is unwise--for the gospel is a tissue of supernatural records, and these are the very source and fountain of the religious life. These are written that ye might believe him to be the son of God, and that believing, ye might have life through his name. It is casting away the gift of God-for blessed are those who have not seen, and yet have believed. The words of Jesus, however profound and beautiful they are, yet separated from his life, sink down from their high place, despoiled of their peculiar power. He no longer teaches like one having authority, but simply like a scribe of the Jewish school, or the Grecian Porch. Every where, a man's life gives authority to his words--we listen with reverence to him who has done great things-and the very same opinions affect us differently, when they come from the lips of a Washington and from the pen of an anonymous journalist: In the latter case they are merely speculations, having ninherent weight; in the former they bear the stamp of successful experimentthey have borne fruits. And so the words of Jesus, considered in themselves, are no doubt refreshing and profitable, but if we would drink spiritual life from them we must consider them as flowing from the same soul which commanded the winds and waves, and rebuked the dark tyrant of the tomb. The suggestions which I am about to offer, are therefore intended as aids to those who desire to elevate themselves to a genuine

faith in christian miracles. They are not meant to exhaust the subject, but rather to open it, and to stimulate to a further study of it. I shall consider FIRST the nature of a miracle : SECOND-its purpose: THIRD-the way in which it is to be recieved.

1st. The nature of a miracle-what is it? The common notion of a miracle, I consider unsound and the source of difficulty. A miracle is thought to be an arbitrary interruption of the laws of nature-a lawless phenomenon, springing from the caprice, so to speak, of him who works it, and unconditioned, and solitary. This view of a miracle makes it offensive to our understanding, for the more of insight we gain into the existing universe, the more we see of law. We find God always acting according to laws-we detect principles of harmony where at first all seemed discordant, and all our intellectual effort tends toward the discovery of universal principles, and general rules. (Note A.)

If therefore, we consider a miracle to be an interruption of the laws of nature-it is objected that it shows a want of wisdom in the Diety, not to have constructed the universe without the necessity of such interruption. Is he a wise artisan, it is said, who having constructed a machine is obliged to stop it in order to correct and alter its defects and arrangement?

66

But who gives us this account of a miracle, that it is an arbitrary interruption of the laws of nature? Scripture does not tell us so-it teaches that miracles have their conditions and their laws. For instance, we are taught that faith is necessary in him who works, and in those who are the subjects of a miraculous operation. Why could not WE cast him out?" said the Apostles once, when their master had relieved a man from an evil demon. "Because of your unbelief "—this was the reason assigned-" nevertheless THIS KIND cometh not out save by prayer and fasting"-so that some miracles require a different preparation from others. And it is a remarkable fact, that Jesus required faith in those on whom he performed a miracle" Believest thou that I can do this?" or something like it.

The true account of a miracle seems this--that it is a phenomenon in which the powers of nature are neutralised, or overcome by a manifestation of the higher powers of the spiritual world. The higher powers-for the powers which we see in operation around differ in rank and intensity. There are the physical and mechanical powers, occupying the lowest rank-the powers of gravitation and cohesion. Above these, is the range of the chemical powers of affinity, for when they come

in collision the chemical powers conquer. Thus, an acid destroys the power of cohesion in chalk, and the gravitation of particles is overcome; they ascend in liquids, and take their places according to their affinities. Higher still is the region of organic powers-the powers of life in plants, animals, man. Blood ascends in opposition to the law of gravitation-acids will not attack the living fibre-the Deltoid muscle in the arm will sustain 1000 lbs. weight when alive, which would be torn asunder by 50 lbs. when dead. And above all these, is the region of spiritual power, or that power which resides in a soul-the power of faith or of will. We see examples of this in martyrs where hodily pain is conquered and overcome by the spiritual life--a high degree of which is a miracle, when it conquers all the natural and physical powers. (Note B.)

And if it be objected, that according to this doctrine any body might work a miracle who had faith enough, why then I admit it, and say that Jesus has told us as much--"If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain remove hence into yonder place, and it shall be done unto ye.” Such faith however, is the gift of God, and is not to be bought by money, nor obtained by study or labor. Such faith can never come to a man, except the time has come when such a faith is needed. (Note C.)

2d. But we must pass to our second head, and ask—what is the purpose and object of a miracle?

Can God's spirit be manifested among men for any lower purpose than the creation of the inward life of holiness? It was for our salvation-to give us everlasting life by creating faith, that miracles were performed, and for this purpose alone. We must always look then for a spiritual object in a miracle, and be satisfied with nothing less. Many persons entertain. low and unworthy views of the purpose of miracles. Jesus did not produce miracles as a lawyer musters his arguments to convince a doubting auditory of his claims-nor did he heal the sick and raise the dead from a mere compassion for their physical sufferings, or the sorrows of friends-nor did he rebuke the winds and waves, and send his powerful voice through the portals of the tomb to call back the departing spirit, in order to astonish, and amaze, and stupify the senses of a wondering crowd. We must look for a higher object than this, or we shall not find the true one. If we study them one by one, we shall learn that he never sought to amaze or overpower, like a juggler-that his aim was the deep places of the heart and spirit-that he sought to break the chains of sense and earthliness, and help those who wished so to do, to

look through the darkened glass of this poor body into the realities of an eternal world. Whether he manifested his mighty gifts to the woman of Samaria, the sisters of Lazarus, the Jews in the temple, or the blind beggar in its porch, his object was the same. It was to rescue their souls from the slavery of sense and sin-to give to them one experience, which through all years to come, should be in their memories a well of water welling up into everlasting life. (Note D.)

But it may be asked, were not the miracles of Jesus intended to be an evidence of the truth of his religion? No doubt they were, but to whom and how? Not to those who were disposed to doubt, question or cavil; they did not convince such when done before their eyes, they cannot convince such now. God does not mean to force any one to believe in christianity against his will, and always can a doubter find objections, he will ever be able to raise cavils. The miracles of Christ were wrought as a gift and legacy to those who were desiring to have their faith in spiritual things strengthened: those who are turned to this earth and world, may go their own way; against their will, God will not give them the rich boon of faith. One condition alone has he made on which he bestows faith, but that condition he adheres to-they must wish for it. "Wilt thou be made whole? is the question always asked of us, before the healing word is spoken. (Note E.) And how are the miracles to be an evidence to these? Not by the way of a logical argument, addressed to the understanding a miracle is not addressed to the understanding, but to the whole spiritual nature-to the sentiment of the wonderful, the infinite, the holy-it is to rouse man to a consciousness that he is not all clay and clod-it is to awaken those sleeping interior faculties, which are the germ of his immortality, and connect him with his great home, Eternity.

Jesus, therefore, does not work a miracle, and then turn round to the spectators, and say "see what I have donenobody could have done it but by divine help-I therefore have divine help." Eternal life is not based on a foundation of syllogisms. He takes the moment when their souls are in a prepared state, sometimes he prepares them by previous quickening words, and when the spirit has become conscious of its poverty, and is looking up, wishing, hungering, and thirsting after a deeper conviction of holy faith-he speaks the word, and he destroys the cold power and takes off the heavy weight of an earthly nature. He rouses and awakens a sentiment which was sleeping within-a sentiment of the inherent soveignty of the human spirit, over matter and the laws of matter.

He gives by one moment, in which the laws of nature are overpowered and neutralised by the laws of the eternal world, a conviction which can never afterwards die, of the reality of that world. The idea of Truth, Duty, Spirit, Infinity, and Everlasting Beauty, are roused-these are

Truths which wake-to perish never,

Which neither listlessness, nor mad endeavor,

Can utterly destroy.

An impression like this, once made, may be covered up or hidden, but never effaced or destroyed.

3d. I am naturally brought to my last inquiry-how is a miracle to be received?

And here I lay down the proposition, that to believe in a miracle requires a spiritual mind-a mind having some portion of faith and desiring more. I say this, knowing well that the sseptic may scoff, and many believers think it an unwarrantable admission—but I think reason and scripture equally testify that such is the truth. To him who hath shall be given, is the universal rule—the natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God, they are spiritually discerned. Thus speaks scripture, and reason declares that a spiritual fact can, only be seen by a spiritual eye. A natural fact is seen by the natural eye. The Sadducees who stood by at the raising of Lazarus saw to be sure, that at the word of Christ the dead man come forth-thus much they perceived with the bodily ear and eye, but the spiritual part they did not and could not perceive. They could not believe it was by a divine power residing in the soul of Jesus, for of souls and divine things of any sort, they knew and believed nothing. They were puzzled, no doubt, to account for it, but must have concluded it a trick of some kind or other.

It is very easy to show, that faith in miracles must rest ultimately on our own spirituality of mind. Suppose in passing through the streets this day, you should see an advertisement, setting forth that a dead man would be brought to life in a certain place, at a particular hour, and that tickets of admission could be procured for a specified sum of money. If you should there, and see it with your own eyes-see the mouldering corpse revive at the spoken word, would you believe it a miracle? No. Why not? Because you are sure that God would not give the power for the purpose of enriching a man-because the PURPOSE is unworthy the intervention of God.