THE SCRIPTURAL IDEA OF illRACLES. 



69 



§ 7. The Philosophy of Miracles. 



On surveying these phenomena it is plain tliat they take us 

 •out of the woiid of ordinary nature. We are in the region of 

 the supernatural, the preternatural, the superhuman, the 

 extraordinary, in fact the spiritual. But is there such a 

 region ? 



Few scientific men will give a direct negative answer. Their 

 iittitude towards this spiritual hinterland is closely related to 

 their convictions concerning God. Physical investigations 

 •constantly reach into the unknown and when we approach it 

 we become immediately conscious of our limitations. We 

 <?,ling to the ordinary course of nature but gaze into the regions 

 beyond. After all, God is there. 



Our late President, Sir G. Stokes, puts the matter thus : — 

 " Admit the existence of a God, of a personal God, and the 

 possibility of miracle follows at once. If the laws of nature 

 are carried on in accordance with His will, He who willed them 

 may will their suspension. And if any difficulty should be 

 I'elt as to their suspension, we are not even obliged to suppose 

 that they have been suspended, it may be that the event which 

 we call a miracle was brought about, not by any suspension of 

 laws in ordinary operation, but by the super-addition of 

 something not ordinarily in operation ; or if in operation, of 

 such a nature that its operation is not perceived."* 



This simple statement goes to the root of the matter. There 

 are scores of possibilities within the divine treasury. Human 

 beings, that is, those whose reason is mainly adapted for the 

 investigation of nature, are not admitted. The treasure-house 

 is locked up ; but God keeps the key. 



Thus, whilst our respect for the results of scientific discovery 

 may at first cause men to demur to the gospel story because 

 science cannot fully grasp it, further thought justifies us in 

 accepting it as it stands. Nay more, without it there would 

 have been no Gospel for the world. But science is not to be 

 •altogether passive. What we call " The laws of nature " are 

 simply the rules or habitual processes of the world, so far as 

 they can be detected and formulated. They have to do in the 

 first place with the material side of existence ; but when we 

 pass to the spiritual element in human nature we find by 

 practical experience that new forces and new processes are at 

 work, and consequently that new laws have to be formulated. 



Gifford Lectures, First Series, p. 24. 



