universe, an evil thing. It would seem that the correlative of creation
is search; that as God has _made us_, we must _find_ him; that thus our
action must reflect his; that thus he glorifies us with a share in the
end of all things, which is that the Father and his children may be one
in thought, judgment, feeling, and intent, in a word, that they may
mean the same thing. St John says that Jesus thus "manifested forth
his glory, and his disciples believed on him." I doubt if any but his
disciples knew of the miracle; or of those others who might see or hear
of it, if any believed on him because of it. It is possible to see a
miracle, and not believe in it; while many of those who saw a miracle of
our Lord believed in the miracle, and yet did not believe in him.

I wonder how many Christians there are who so thoroughly believe God
made them that they can laugh in God's name; who understand that God
invented laughter and gave it to his children. Such belief would add a
keenness to the zest in their enjoyment, and slay that sneering laughter
of which a man grimaces to the fiends, as well as that feeble laughter
in which neither heart nor intellect has a share. It would help them
also to understand the depth of this miracle. The Lord of gladness
delights in the laughter of a merry heart. These wedding guests could
have done without wine, surely without more wine and better wine. But
the Father looks with no esteem upon a bare existence, and is ever
working, even by suffering, to render life more rich and plentiful.
His gifts are to the overflowing of the cup; but when the cup would
overflow, he deepens its hollow, and widens its brim. Our Lord is
profuse like his Father, yea, will, at his own sternest cost, be lavish
to his brethren. He will give them wine indeed. But even they who know
whence the good wine comes, and joyously thank the giver, shall one day
cry out, like the praiseful ruler of the feast to him who gave it not,
"Thou hast kept the good wine until now."