MIRACLES AND SPECIAL PROVIDENCES. 369 
assigns to natural phenomena, science has augmented the 
distance between them and man, and increased the popular 
belief in their orderly progression. 
As a natural consequence the demand for evidence is 
more exacting than it used to be, whenever it is affirmed 
that the order of nature has been disturbed. Let us take 
as an illustration the miracle by which the victory of Joshua 
over the Arnorites was rendered complete. In this case the 
sun is reported to have stood still for "about a whole day " 
upon Gibeon, and the moon in the valley of Ajalon. An 
Englishman of average education at the present day would 
naturally demand a greater amount of evidence to prove 
that this occurrence took place, than would have satisfied 
an Israelite in the age succeeding that of Joshua. For to 
the one, the miracle probably consisted in the stoppage of 
a fiery ball less than a yard in diameter, while to the other 
it would be the stoppage of an orb fourteen hundred thou- 
sand times the earth in size. And even accepting the 
interpretation that Joshua dealt with what was apparent 
merely, but that what really occurred was the suspension 
of the earth's rotation, I think the right to exercise a 
greater reserve in accepting the miracle, and to demand 
stronger evidence in support of it than that which would 
have satisfied an ancient Israelite, will still be conceded to 
a man of science. 
There is a scientific as well as an historic imagination; 
and when, by the exercise of the former, the stoppage of 
the earth's rotation is clearly realized, the event assumes 
proportions so vast, in comparison with the result to be 
obtained by it, that belief reels under the reflection. The 
energy here involved is equal to that of six trillions of 
horses working for the whole of the time employed by 
Joshua in the destruction of his foes. The amount of 
power thus expended would be sufficient to supply every 
individual of an army a thousand times the strength of 
that of Joshua, with a thousand times the fighting power 
of each of Joshua's soldiers, not for the few hours necessary 
to the extinction of a handful of Arnorites, but for mill- 
ions of years. All this wonder is silently passed over by 
the sacred historian, manifestly because he knew nothing 
about it. Whether, therefore, we consider the miracle as 
purely evidential, or as a practical means of vengeance, the 
same lavish squandering of energy stares us in the face. If 
