promised that this Spirit should be sent on others, and become his agent, or advocate in the world, to do his work in his bodily absence, and bear witness of him. And he told his disciples that this Spirit should be better to them than his bodily presence; and therefore it would be for their good that he should go from them into heaven. So that Christ's teaching them immediately and miraculously, by this sudden giving them his Spirit, is an infallible proof both of his truth and theirs, 2. This prophesying was partly by foretelling things to come, as Agabus did the dearth, and Paul's bonds, and partly the exposition of old prophecies, and partly the spiritual instruction of the people by sudden inspirations; and those that were enabled to it, were people, of themselves, unable for such things, and ignorant but a little while before. 3. Their speaking in various languages was a thing which no natural means could produce. Fernelius, and many other physicians, who were very loth to believe diabolical possessions, do confess themselves convinced by hearing the possessed speak Greek and Hebrew, which they had never learned. How much more convincing is this evidence, when so many speak in so many languages, even in the language of all the inhabitants of the countries round about them, and this, upon these sudden inspirations of the Spirit. 4. Their interpreting of such tongues also, which they never learned, was no less a proof of a supernatural power and attestation. 5. Their deliverances are recorded in the Scriptures: Peter, (Acts xii.,) and Paul, and Silas, (Acts xvi.,) had their bonds all loosed, and the prison doors opened by an angel and a miracle, which must be by a power that sufficiently attesteth their verity. 6. And they inflicted judgments on delinquents by no less a power: Ananias and Sapphira, one after the other, were struck dead upon the word of Peter, for their hypocrisy and lies: Elymas, the sorcerer, was struck blind by Paul, in the presence or knowledge of the governor of the country; and the excommunicated were often given up to Satan, to suffer some extraordinary penalty. 7. Their healing demoniacs, the lame, the blind, the paralytic, and all manner of diseases, with a word, or by prayer and imposition of hands in the name of Christ; yea, upon the conveyance of napkins and cloths from their bodies, is witnessed in the many texts which I have before cited out of the Acts of the Apostles: and this Christ promised them particularly beforehand; and it was the occasion of that unction of the sick, which some have still continued as a sacrament. 8. Their raising the dead is also among the before-cited passages so Peter raised Dorcas or Tabitha, (Acts ix.,) and it is like, Paul Eutichus. (Acts xx.) 9. And it is the greatest evidence of all, that the same Spirit was given to so many others, by their imposition of hands and prayers; and all these had some of these wonderful gifts, either prophecies, tongues, healing, or some such like. Sect. 35. 2. These miracles were wrought by multitudes of persons, and not only by a few; even by the apostles and seventy disciples, and others on whom they laid their hands, which was by the generality or greater part of the Christians. If it were but by one or two men that miracles were wrought, there would be greater room for doubting the truth; but when it shall be by hundreds and thousands, there can be no difficulty in the proof. That the apostles and the seventy disciples wrought them in Christ's own time, is declared before; that they wrought them more abundantly after, and that the same Spirit was then commonly given to others, I shall now further prove, besides all the histories of it before recited that upon the imposition of the apostles' hands, or baptism, or prayer, the Holy Ghost was given, is expressed; (Acts ii. 38;) to three thousand at once the Holy Ghost was given; "All the assembly were filled with the Holy Ghost; and with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all." (Acts iv. 31.) The Samaritans received the Holy Ghost upon the prayer of Peter and John; (Acts viii. 15, 17;) so that Simon Magus would fain have bought that gift with money. Paul was filled with the Holy Ghost by the imposition of Ananias's hands. (Acts ix. 7.) Upon Peter's preaching, the Holy Ghost fell on all the family, and kindred, and friends of Cornelius, who heard him preach; and they spake with tongues, and magnified God. (Acts x. 44, 45, 47.) Even in the same manner as it fell on the apostles. (Acts xi. 15.) The disciples were filled with the Holy Ghost. (Acts xiii. 52.) Twelve men, upon Paul's imposition of hands, received the Holy Ghost, and spake with tongues and prophesied. (Acts xix. 6.) The Holy Ghost was given to the Roman Christians. (Rom. v. 5.) Yea, he telleth them, if any have not the Spirit of Christ, b Matt. xvi. 17; x. 1, 2, and iii. 11; Luke x. 1, 17, 19; Acts ii. 1-3. the same is none of his. (Rom. viii. 9.) The same was given to the church of the Corinthians. (1 Cor. vi. 19, and xii. 12, 13.) And to the church of the Galatians. (Gal. iii. 1-5.) And to the church of the Ephesians. (Eph. i. 13, and iv. 30.) To the Philippians. (Phil. i. 19, 27. and ii. 1.) To the Colossians, (Col. i. 8.) To the Thessalonians. (1 Thess. v. 19. and i. 6.) And what this Spirit was and did, you may find in 1 Cor. xii. 4, 7, &c. There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For, to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom, to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another divers kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But all these worketh that one and the self-same Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will: "For by one Spirit we are all baptised into one body, whether we be Jews or gentiles, bond or free, and have been all made to drink into one Spirit." And (in 1 Cor. xiv.) the gift of speaking with tongues was so common in the church of the Corinthians, that the apostle is fain to give them instructions for the moderate use of it, lest they hindered the edification of the church, by suppressing prophecy or instruction in known tongues. And therefore he persuadeth them to use it but more sparingly. And James (v. 14, 15,) exhorteth Christians when they were sick, to send to the elders of the church, that they may pray for them, and anoint them, and they be forgiven and recover: by which it seems it was no unusual thing in those times to be healed by the prayers of the elders. Yea, the very hypocrites, and ungodly persons, that had only the barren profession of Christianity, had the gift of miracles, without the grace of sanctification. And this Christ foretold: "Many shall say in that day, Lord have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name cast out devils? and done many wonderful works?" (Matt. vii. 22.) c Quid soboles, virtusque Dei, et sapientia Christus? Nonne satis vanis curas erroribus aufert? Object. But all were not healed by them: Paul left Trophimus at Miletum sick. Why doth not Paul cure Timothy of his weak stomach and infirmity, without drinking of wine, if he could do it? Answ. 1. Certainly, they did not cure all men that were sick, for then who would have died. It was none of the intent of the Spirit of Christ, in working miracles, to make men immortal here on earth, and to keep them from heaven. 2. And it is easily confessed, that the Spirit was not at the command or will of them that had it: and therefore they could not do what and when they pleased, but what the Spirit pleased and his operations were at his own time and disposal. And this proveth the more fully that it was the testimony of God, and not the contrivance of the wit of man. 3. And miracles and tongues were not for them that believed, but rather for them that believed not: and, therefore, a Trophimus or a Timothy might be unhealed. Sect. 36. 3. These miracles were oftentimes wrought, even for many years together, in several countries and places through the world, where the apostles and disciples came: and not only once, or for a little space of time. Dissimulation might be easier cloaked for a few acts, than it can be for so many years. At least, these gifts and miracles continued during the age of the apostles, though not performed every day, or so commonly as might make them ineffectual, yet so frequently as to give success to the Gospel, and to keep up a reverence of Christianity in the world. They were wrought not only at Jerusalem, but at Samaria, Antioch, Ephesus, Corinth, Philippi, and the rest of the churches through the world. Sect. 37. 4. They were also wrought in the presence of multitudes, and not only in a corner, where there was more possibility of deceit. The Holy Ghost fell on the apostles and all the disciples at Jerusalem before all the people; that is, they all heard them speak in several tongues, the wonderful works of God; even the Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judæa, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, Lybia, Cyrene, Rome; Jews, and proselytes, Cretes, and Arabians. (Acts ii. 8-12.) It was three thousand Nonne potestatem propriam satis indicat auctor? Claudian. Mammert, Carm. post lib. de Anim. that the Holy Ghost fell on. (Acts ii. 38.), Those that went into the temple, and all the people, saw the lame man, that was cured by Peter and John. (Acts iii.) The death of Ananias and Sapphira was a public thing, so that fear fell on all, and hypocrites were deterred from joining with the church. (Acts 5.) The gifts of tongues, aud interpretation, were commonly exercised before congregations or multitudes. And crowds of people flocked to them to be healed. As with Christ they uncovered the roofs of the houses to lay the sick before him; so with the apostles they strove who might come within their shadow, or touch the hem of their garment, or have cloths or napkins from them, that they might be healed. was an age of public miracles. So that here Sect. 38. 5. All these miracles were uncontrolled; that is, they were not wrought in opposition to any controlling truth, which hath certain evidence contradicting this, nor yet were they overtopped by any greater miracles for the contrary. A miracle, if God should permit it to be wrought in such a case, might be said to be controlled, either of these two ways: 1. If a man should work miracles to contradict the certain light of nature, or persuade men to that which is certainly false: 2. If men should do wonders as Jannes and Jambres, the Egyptian sorcerers, which should be overtopped by greater wonders, as those of Moses, and as Simon Magus, and Elymas by Peter and Paul ; in these cases God could not be said to deceive men, by his power or permission, where he giveth them a sufficient preservative. But these miracles had no such control, but prevailed without any check from contradictory truths or miracles. Thus Christ performed his promise. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me, the works that I do, shall he do also, and greater works than these shall he do, because I go unto the Father." (John. xiv. 12.) Sect. 39. III. The third testimony of the Spirit to the truth of the apostles' witness, was the marvellous success of their doctrine to the sanctifying of souls, which as it could not be done without the power and Spirit of God, so neither would the righteous and merciful Governor of the world, have made a company of profligate liars and deceivers his instruments of doing this excellent work by cheats and falsehoods. This I spake of before, as it is the seal of Christ's own doctrine. I now speak of it only as it is the seal of the apostles' verity, in their testimony of the resurrection and miracles of |