that which Jesus has embodied already for him in some experience of his life, these facts of Christ's originating must be exactly imparted to him. The event must have been once witnessed and then accurately recalled, and the meaning intended unmistakenly disclosed, and for this "the inspiration of the Spirit must give him understanding," and set in clear insight the mind and will of the Lord Jesus. With such clear impartation of the quick and stirring vision, there rises the irrepressible impulse to communicate it. It is as "a burning fire shut up in his bones," and the uneasiness of forbearing wearies so greatly that he cannot stay the expressing. And in this communicating he must be guided as unerringly as in apprehending, so that the very received Idea shall be lodged in the literal record. As in the case of Moses

with the Tabernacle and its sacred furniture it must be made "after the pattern which was shown thee in the mount."

For all this the Holy Spirit works in the mind, effectually securing that mind freely to accomplish just what in the inspiration is intended-clear possession of the truth and correct expression of it. The power of Jesus Christ still inheres in his living experience, as divinely communicated to the mind of the Evangelist, both of deed and word, and their "spirit and life" rouses him to his work of recording, and then goes into his record to quicken future readers; but while thus recording, he needs the constant

1 Jer. xx. 9.

present Spirit directly working on his mind, to quicken every faculty, that it may take truth accurately; to stimulate to intense urgency, that it may write promptly; and then to keep the intensified vision on the imparted pattern, that it may copy exactly the heavenly meaning. In this way the inspired man works in entire freedom, while the Spirit gets the work done, as he intends, without error.

Truth so expressed is no merely honest human record of what is sensibly or studiedly apprehended, just as all carefully written profane history is; a sacred power is here superintending the whole transaction for its own purpose, and making the record, though freely written, yet so written as the superintending Spirit designed it should be. One in his free characteristic mode of expression gives his peculiarly marked revelation; another gives his spontaneous record of what has been vivid in his mind; but the Holy Spirit has so wrought on each as to get from all just the sacred Book he purposed.

Any mind in any age may be influenced by the Holy Spirit to sharper insight and intenser zeal in expressing, and more clear and effective communication of his message, and for this the good man, and especially the gospel minister, may earnestly and believingly pray ; but such assisted message cannot claim the authority of plenary inspiration without the attesting supernatural signs which must convince others that God has sent him. No one may arrogate for himself, nor

may others claim for him, the prerogative of infalli bility without the seal of supernatural powers.

2. THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN MIRACLES. If philosophy can only logically judge from experience, any valid conclusion of miraculous occurrences is impossible. No experience can then reach beyond nature, and nothing can be known out of nature that can interfere with nature; and any strange occurrences which may come into experience must be just as much of nature as the ordinary onflow of successive events. Indeed, from mere experience can be deduced no laws of nature to be miraculously subverted; all phenomenal changes are mere facts perceived, and the order of occurrence as marked a fact as the phenomena themselves and their changes, and no experienced invariable order can be logically raised above fact, and made to be law; and all assumptions of necessary connections in experience, because nature itself has necessary connections, rest solely on the habit which events have taken on, and which they may at any time break up. It is only when we recognize an Absolute Reason, regulating experience through a regulated series of events, that we come to any valid knowledge of fixed connections in nature from the control of reason put into nature, and thus making nature the subject of law, and a legitimate field for philosophy. As the creature of reason, and subject to reason, nature may have outside interferences, and newly introduced events into its old order whenever

reason itself may demand it. And such is the meaning of a miracle, viz., an interference in nature by the Author of nature, when he has reason for it.

And now, the whole redemptive work for humanity is supernatural; as much above nature, and from a source out of nature, as was the origination of nature itself; and the carrying on of such a work in nature must, in varied ways, reasonably interfere with and designedly make changes in the orderly connections of nature. When such an interference as only the Author of nature can effect is wrought in nature, to give his own sanction to a message or messenger assuming to come from him, then is the occasion reasonable, and the accredited authority valid. But the condition of the interposition of divine power is essential to such validity. An animal interferes in one part with nature when he overcomes gravity, and makes a weight move up hill; but animal sensibility is nature, and the motive to move the weight has been some appeal to sentient nature, and thus as much one part of nature interfering with another part, as when the force of falling water or condensed steam moves machinery. There is here no introduction of power from beyond nature. Still further, a man, as rational, may overrule sense, and act from reason in taste, philosophy, morals, or religion, and so work on nature, and make changes in nature that originate in a source wholly beyond nature; and thus human interferences in nature are oftentimes completely supernatural; but such human changes can

give no valid accrediting to any assumed authority from heaven, and so these man-made changes are properly no miracles. Even magical enchantments, and satanic "lying wonders," are no attesting miracles; but to give valid warrant, the attestation must be superhuman, supersatanic, even divine; just as Moses' rod devoured the serpents which Egyptian magicians exhibited, and Paul dispossessed the pythoness of her "spirit of divination." When that which only God can do is truly done in nature, to give his own authority to his own commissioned ministers, then is the occasion reasonable for the miraculous interposition, and the clear interposition valid for the claims of a divine commission. So true prophecy is a miracle of foreknowledge; and reading the heart, a miracle of "discerning spirits ;" and dividing the sea, or raising the dead, a miracle of omnipotence; but the reasonable occasions can seldom only occur, for the frequent repetition of divine interferences miraculously must soon subvert the very end designed; but on reasonable occasions, human agents may do truly divine deeds.

But conditional that man should be a miracle-worker, is special faith in the impartation to him of a divine power. No man could do the mighty work unless he had the peculiar faith; and the genuine faith, though small in degree, secures the possession of the power. "If ye had faith as a grain of mustard-seed, ye might say unto this sycamine-tree, Be thou plucked up by the roots, and be thou planted in the sea; and it