MIRACLES AND SPECIAL PROVIDENCES. H 



cannot be sharply drawn, their distinction broadly ex- 

 pressed is this: that, while a special providence can 

 only excite surmise more or less probable, it is 'the 

 nature of a miracle to give proof, as distinguished from 

 mere surmise, of Divine design/ 



Mr. Mozley adduces various illustrations of what he 

 regards to be special providences, as distinguished from 

 miracles. ' The death of Arius,' he says, ' was not mira- 

 culous, because the coincidence of the death of a here- 

 siarch taking place when it was peculiarly advantage- 

 ous to the orthodox faith .... was not such as to com- 

 pel the inference of extraordinary Divine agency; but 

 it was a special providence, because it carried a reason- 

 able appearance of it. The miracle of the Thundering 

 Legion was a special providence, but not a miracle, for 

 the same reason, because the coincidence of an instan- 

 taneous fall of rain, in answer to prayer, carried some 

 appearance, but not proof, of preternatural agency/ 

 The eminent lecturer's remarks on this head brought 

 to my. recollection certain narratives published in 

 Methodist magazines, which I used to read with avidity 

 when a boy. The general title of these exciting stories, 

 if I remember right, was ' The Providence of God as- 

 serted,' and in them the most extraordinary escapes 

 from peril were recounted and ascribed to prayer, while 

 equally wonderful instances of calamity were adduced 

 as illustrations of Divine retribution. In such maga- 

 zines, or elsewhere, I found recorded the case of the 

 celebrated Samuel Hick, which, as it illustrates a whole 

 class of special providences approaching in conclusive- 

 ness to miracles, is worthy of mention here. It is re- 

 lated of this holy man that, on one occasion, flour was 

 lacking to make the sacramental bread. Grain was 

 ]>n -cut, and a windmill was present, but there was no 

 wind to grind the corn. With faith undoubting, Sam- 

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