Who Made It?

Sir Isaac Newton lived out his life knowing that it had purpose because it was created by an all-wise God.  This account is how he shared his faith with a skeptical friend.

     Sir Isaac Newton had a friend who, like himself, was a great scientist; but this friend was an unbeliever, and the two men often discussed the Christian faith.

      Newton had a skillful mechanic make a replica of our solar system. In the center was a large gilded ball representing the sun. Revolving around this were smaller balls fixed on the ends of arms of varying lengths, representing the planets in their proper order (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, and so forth). These balls were so geared together by cogs and belts as to move in perfect harmony when the crank was turned.

      One day, as Newton sat reading in his study with the mechanism on a large table near him, his friend stepped in. He recognized at a glance what was on the table. Slowly he turned the crank and, with evident admiration, he watched the heavenly bodies moving in their relative speeds in their orbits. Standing off a bit, he exclaimed, "What an exquisite thing this is!" Who made it?"

      Without looking up from his book, Newton answered, "Nobody!"

      Quickly turning to Newton, the unbeliever said, "Evidently you did not understand my question. I asked who made this thing."

     Looking up now, Newton solemnly assured him that nobody had made it but that the aggregation of matter so much admired had just happened to assume the form it was in. But the astonished man replied, getting warmer, "You must think I'm a fool! Of course somebody made it, and he is a genius. I'd like to know who he is."

     Laying his book aside, Newton arose and laid a hand on his friend's shoulder. "This thing is but a puny imagination of a much grander system whose laws you know, and I am not able to convince you that this mere toy is without either designer or maker! Now tell me, by what sort of reasoning do you reach such incongruous conclusions?"

      The man was at once convinced and became a firm believer that "the Lord, he is God" (1Kings 18:39).

Sources:

 I retyped this from a pamphlet.  I am uncertain of its source.

Illustrations:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Newton

http://physics.bgsu.edu/~stoner/A212/