Encyclopedia of sacred theology - pagina 527

Chap.

IIJ

§ 82.

603

THE INSTRUMENTS OF INSPIRATION

nations was temporarily ended with, the apparent destruction of Israel, as with its Golgotha.

Of course it extends beyond the lines of our task to work out more fully this concentric exposition of miracles. We merely wanted to show that in this entire phenomenon of miracles there lies one continuous manifestation of the

This manifestagreat predominant thought of Redemption. tion by itself was not enough to cause the thought that expressed itself in it to be understood and to be transmitted. the "handling with hands" (yjrrjXacjidv) of 1 John i. 1 is added the " seeing " (Oewpelv), and it is only by that seeing that insight is obtained into the meaning and significance of So much, however, is evident that the sight of the miracle.

To

these several miracles, or the reading of the narrative, counts among the means used by God in the revelation of Himself to the holy

men

of old.

This

is

true in a twofold

way:

First, in so far as the miracles occasioned a deep impression

God's presence and of His overwhelming omnipotence, by which the ban, put upon believers by the superior power of the cosmos, was broken, and they were set free and faith And secondly, because in each miracle by Avas wakened. itself and in the mutual connection of all these wonderful of

works one grand, ever-varied thought of God expressed itself, the language of which only needed to be understood in order It should to have one's spiritual consciousness enriched. be noted, however, that the holy men of God separated that God who manifests Himself in His miracles, so little from the God who created and maintains the cosmos, that in their perception the glory of the

nature constantly identified

itself

Lord

in creation

and in

with that other glory

The last four which He revealed to and in His people. First, in Ps. cxlvii. 1-11 Psalms show this most plainly the glory of God in nature is sung, in verses 12-14 the glory of God's peoj^le appears, in verses 15-18 the power of God over nature is again exalted, and finally we read, " He sheweth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel. He hath 7iot dealt so ivith any nation.'' Thus to the singer the Niphleoth of the natural and special prin:

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