第85部分(第4/7 頁)

less　instrument　that　at　this　moment　I　hear　doing　its　work　is　a　miracle；　we　are　surrounded　by　miracles；　unappreciated；　unvalued；　because　so　mon。　This；　though　a　truism；　is　one　from　which　we　may　argue。

I　believe；　therefore；　that　these　things　took　place　substantially　as　they　are　recorded；　that　a　God…endowed　Being　of　supernatural　strength　did　show　signs　and　wonders　before　the　eyes　of　His　generation；　and　for　the　subsequent　instruction　of　mankind。　If　this　is　not　true；　or　rather；　if　the　greatest　of　these　signs　is　not　true；　then　Christianity　falls　to　the　ground；　it　is　a　well　dug　in　sand　that　will　hold　no　water；　and　what　tens　of　millions　have　believed　and　believe　to　be　a　gateway　to　a　better　and　enduring　world　is　but　a　glorious　morning　cloud　which　melts　away　and　is　lost　in　the　vastness　of　the　ether。　Then；　as　St。　Paul　says；　we　are　of　all　men　the　most　miserable；　then　let　us　eat　and　drink　for　tomorrow　we　die；　then　let　us　see　to　it；　so　far　as　is　possible；　that　we　bring　none　here　to　bear　the　burden　of　the　years　and　know　the　despairing　bitterness　of　death。

Needless　to　say；　I　refer　to　the　Resurrection　of　Jesus　Christ。　If　He　never　rose　from　the　grave；　then；　so　far　as　I　can　see；　there　is　no　hope　for　Christian　man；　and　we　trust　in　a　vain　thing。　I　say；　so　far　as　I　can　see；　for　there　may　exist　other　roads　of　salvation　with　y　part；　I　believe；　however；　that　He　did　rise；　as　firmly　as　I　believe　that　at　this　moment　of　writing　I　am　sitting　on　the　deck　of　a　ship　called　the　Arcadia；　and　that　what　He；　born　of　woman；　did；　we　shall　do　also。

Indeed　this　may　be　a　convenient　place　to　state　my　private　opinion　（it　is　no　more；　though　I　cannot　find　that　it　conflicts　with　the　doctrines　of　Christianity；　see；　for　instance；　the　passage　in　which　our　Lord　refers　to　Elijah　as　having　returned　to　E