102 PROF. H. LANGHORNE ORCHARD, M.A., B.SC., ON 
knowledge of God as Spirit, Light and Love. Though miracles 
mivht not themselves directly teach these truths—truths of the 
highest importance for man to know, they would certainly 
enforce them. A miracle would have no little value as a 
credential of the prophet’s authority, and as a “summons* to 
attention ” to the revelation of which he was the bearer. It is, 
therefore, probable that if a Divine revelation were given to 
beings who did not love God and were inattentive to His Will, 
this revelation would be accompanied by miracle, in order to 
render it effective. This appears to be recognized even by so 
stubborn an opponent of the miraculous as Matthew Arnold. 
He allowsf that “ Popular religion rests” (the belief in God’s 
existence) “altogether on revelation and miracle,” and “That 
miracles, when fully believed, are felt by men in general to be 
a source of authority, itis absurd to deny... It is almost 
impossible to exaggerate the proneness of the human mind to 
take miracles as evidence, and to seek for miracles as evidence.” 
They are, then, to be looked for in connection with a Divine 
revelation. In other words, the Bible miracles are probable 
from the nature of the phenomenon. 
(2) If we consider the conditions and circumstances under 
which these miracles are said to have been wrought, we must 
take account of the characters both of the Worker and those 
on whose behalf the work was wrought, and also of the relations 
between them and Him. We see God’s character known as 
holy and good, and man’s as sinful and disobedient. The 
relation of God to man being one of love, and that of man to 
God being one of alienation, God is seeking to bring His lapsed 
creature back unto Himself; that, in renewal of the broken 
Communion, the spiritual law—law of the spiritual nature— 
violated at the Fall, may be re-established, and the true 
spiritual order be restored. Lias remarks{ that the purpose of 
the Divine revelation would be “ to discipline the mind to that 
seriousness, earnestness, humility, teachableness, self-restraint, 
industry, perseverance, which are necessary elements of all true 
goodness.” It would also tend to develop the not less important 
qualities of “awe and reverence, which are connected with the 
best part of man’s nature.” “A revelation made by§ miracles 
is likely to produce such results,” 2.¢., to produce this moral 
* Smythe Palmer, in the introduction to Trench’s Votes. 
+ Literature and Dogma, pp. 56, 57. 
t Are Miracles Credible? p. 111. 
§ The words “ by,” as used here, evidently means “accompanied witb, 
