Sect. 9. By the miracles of Christ, I mean, 1. His miraculous actions upon others; 2. His miracles in his death and resurrection; 3. His predictions.

The appearance of the angel to Zachary, and his dumbness; his prophecy and Elizabeth's, with the Angel's appearance to Mary; the angel's appearance and evangelising to the shepherds; the prophecy of Simeon and of Anna; the star, and the testimony of the wise men of the East; the testimony of John Baptist, that Christ should baptise with the Holy Ghost, and with fire, and that he was the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sins of the world: these and more such I pass by as pre-supposed. At twelve years of age he disputed with the doctors in the temple, to their admiration. (Luke ii. 46.) At his baptism, the Holy Ghost came down upon him in the likeness of a dove, and a voice from heaven said, thou art my beloved Son, in thee I am well pleased. (Luke iii. 22.) When he was baptised, he fasted forty days and nights, and permitted Satan to tempt him extraordinarily, by carrying him from place to place, that he might extraordinarily overcome. When Nathaniel came to him, hẻ told him his heart, and told him what talk he had with Philip afar off, till he convinced him that he was omniscient. At Cana of Galilee, at a feast, he turned their water into wine. (Luke iv.; Matt. iv.) At Capernaum he dispossessed a demoniac. (Luke iv. 33, 34, &c.) He healed Simon's mother of a fever at a word. (Luke iv. 38, 39.) He healed multitudes of torments, diseases, and madness. (Matt. iv. 24.; Luke iv. 40, 41.) He cleanseth a leper by a word. (Matt. viii. 2, 3; Luke v. 12.) So also he doth by a paralytic. (Matt. ix.; Luke v.) He telleth the Samaritan woman all that she had done. (John iv.) At Capernaum he healed a nobleman's son by a word. (John v.) At Jerusalem he cured an impotent man, that had waited fiveand-thirty years: a touch of his garment cureth a woman diseased with an issue of blood twelve years. (Matt. ix. 23.) cured two blind men with a touch and a word. (Matt. ix. 28, 29.) He dispossessed another demoniac. (Matt. ix. 32.) He raised Jairus's daughter at a word, who was dead or seemed so. (Matt. ix. 23, 24.) He dispossessed another demoniac, blind and dumb. (Matt. xii.) He healeth the servant of a Centurion ready to die, by a word. (Luke vii.) He raiseth the son of a widow from death, that was carried out on a bier to be buried, (Luke vii.) With five barley loaves, and two small fishes, he feedeth five thousand, and twelve baskets full of the fragments

He

did remain. (Matt. xiv.; John vi.) He walketh upon the waters of the sea. (Matt. xiv.) He causeth Peter to do the like. (Matt. xiv.) All the diseased of the country were perfectly healed by touching the hem of his garment. (Matt. xiv. 36.) He again healed multitudes, lame, dumb, blind, maimed, &c. (Matt. xv.) He again fed four thousand with seven loaves, and a few little fishes, and seven baskets full were left. (Matt. xv.) He restoreth a man born blind to his sight. (John ix.) In the sight of three of his disciples, he is transfigured into a glory, which they could not behold, and Moses and Elias talked with him, and a voice out of a cloud said, this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, hear ye him. (Matt. xvii.; Luke ix.) He healed the lunatic. (Matt. xvii.) Multitudes are healed by him. (Matt. xix. 2.) Two blind men are healed. (Matt. xx.) He healed a crooked woman. (Luke xiii. 11.) He withereth up a fruitless tree at a word. (Mark xi.) He restoreth a blind man, nigh to Jericho. (Luke xviii. 36.) He restoreth Lazarus from death to life, that was four days dead and buried. (John xi.) He foretelleth Judas, that he would betray him: and he frequently and plainly foretold his own sufferings, death, and resurrection; and he expressly foretold the destruction of Jerusalem, and of the temple, and the great calamity of that place, even before that generation had passed away. (Matt. xxiv., &c.) He prophesied his death the night before, in the institution of his supper. When he died, the sun was darkened, and the earth trembled, and the veil of the temple rent, and the dead bodies of many arose, and appeared; so that the captain that kept guard, said, "Truly this was the Son of God." (Matt. xxvii.) When he was crucified and buried, though his grave-stone was sealed, and a guard of soldiers set to watch it, angels appeared, and rolled away the stone, and spake to those that inquired after him and he rose and revived, and staid forty days on earth with his disciples: he appeared to them by the way: he came often among them on the first day of the week, at their meetings, when the doors were shut he called Thomas to see the prints of the nails, and put his finger into his side, and not be faithless, but believing, till he forced him to cry out, my Lord, and my God! (John xx.) He appeareth to them as they are fishing, and worketh a miracle in their draught, and provideth them broiled fish, and eateth with them he expostulated with Simon, and engaged him, as he loved him, to feed his sheep, and discourseth of the

age of John. (John xxi.) He giveth his apostles their full commission for their gathering his church by preaching and baptism, and edifying it by teaching them all that he had commanded them, and giveth them the keys of it. (Matt. xxviii. ; John xix., and xx.) He appeareth to above five hundred brethren at once. (I. Cor. xv.) He showed himself to them by many infallible proofs, being seen by them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God; and being assembled with them, commanded them to tarry at Jerusalem till the Spirit came down (miraculously) upon them: and he ascended up to heaven before their eyes. (Acts i.) And two angels appeared to them, as they were gazing after him, and told them, that thus he should come again. When Pentecost was come, when they were all together, (about a hundred and twenty,) the Holy Spirit came upon them visibly, in the appearance of fiery cloven tongues, and sat on each of them, and caused them to speak the languages of many nations, which they had never learned, in the hearing of all: upon the notice of which, and by Peter's exhortation, about three thousand were at once converted. (Acts ii.) After this, Peter and John do heal a man at the entrance of the temple, who had been lame from his birth, and this by the name of Jesus, before the people. (Acts iii.) One that was above forty years old. (Acts iv. 22.) When they were forbidden to preach, upon their praises to God the place was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost. (Acts iv. 31.) Ananias and Sapphira are struck dead by Peter's word, for hypocrisy and lying. (Acts v.) And many signs and wonders were done by them among the people; (Acts v. 12;) insomuch that they brought the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that, at least, Peter's shadow might overshadow them. (Acts v. 14, 15.) And a multitude came out of the cities round about Jerusalem, bringing sick folks and demoniacs, and they were healed every one. (Ver. 16.) Upon this the apostles were shut in the common prison; but an angel by night opened the prison and brought them out, and bid them go preach to the people in the temple. (Acts v.) When Stephen was martyred, he saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at his right hand. (Acts vii.) Philip, at Samaria, cured demoniacs, palsies, lameness, and so converted the people of that city; insomuch that Simon, the sorcerer, himself believed. The Holy Ghost is then given by the imposition of the hands of Peter and John, so that Simon offered money for that gift. Philip is led by the Spirit

to convert the Ethiopian nobleman, and then carried away. (Acts viii.) Saul, who was one of the murderers of Stephen, and a great persecutor of the church, is stricken down to the earth, and called by Jesus Christ, appearing in a light, and speaking to him from heaven, and is sent to preach the Gospel, which he doth with zeal and power, and patient labours to the death. Ananias is commanded by God to instruct him and baptise him after his first call. (Acts ix.) Peter, at Lydda, cureth Eneas by a word, who had kept his bed eight years of a palsy. (Acts viii.) At Joppa, he raiseth Tabitha from the dead. (Acts ix.) Cornelius, by an angel, is directed to send for Peter to preach the Gospel to him: the Holy Ghost fell on all that heard his words. (Acts x.) Agabus prophesied of the dearth. (Acts xi.) Peter, imprisoned by Herod, is delivered by an angel, who opened the doors, and loosed his bonds, and brought him out. Herod is eaten to death by worms. (Acts xii.) At Paphos, Elymas, the sorcerer, is stricken blind by Paul's word, for resisting the Gospel; and Sergius, the Roman deputy, is thereby made a believer. (Acts xiii.) At Lystra, Paul, by a word, cureth a cripple that was so born; insomuch as the people would have done sacrifice to him and Barnabas, as to Mercury and Jupiter. (Acts xiv.) Paul casteth out a divining devil; and being imprisoned and scourged with Silas, and their feet in the stocks, at midnight as they sung praises to God, an earthquake shook the foundations of the prison, the doors were all opened, and all their bonds loosed, and the jailor converted. (Acts xvi.) The Holy Ghost came upon twelve disciples, upon the imposition of Paul's hands. And God wrought so many miracles by his hands, at Ephesus, that from his body were brought to the sick, handkerchiefs, and aprons, and the diseases departed from them. (Acts xix.) At Troas, he raised Eutychus to life. (Acts xx.) His sufferings at Jerusalem are foretold by Agabus. (Acts xxi.) At Melita, the people took him for a god, because the viper hurt him not that fastened on his hand; and there he cured the father of Publius, the chief man of the island, of a flux and fever, by prayer and imposition of hands. In a word, in all places where the apostles came, these miracles were wrought, and in all the churches the gifts of the Holy Ghost were usual, either of prophecy or healing, or of speaking strange languages, or interpreting them, some had one, and some another, and some had most or all. And by such miracles were the christian churches planted: and all this power

Christ had foretold them of at his departure from them: "These signs shall follow them that believe in my name shall they cast out devils, they shall speak with new tongues, they shall take up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay their hands on the sick, and they shall recover." (Mark xvi. 17.) Yea, in his lifetime on earth, he sent forth his apostles and seventy disciples with the same power, which they exercised openly. (Luke ix. 1, &c., and x. 16, 17.) Thus was the Gospel confirmed by multitudes of open miracles."

And Christ's own resurrection and ascension was the greatest of all. And here it must be noted that these miracles were, 1. Not one or two, but multitudes. 2. Not obscure and doubtful, but evident and unquestionable. 3. Not controlled or checked by any greater contrary miracles, as the wonders of the Egyptian sorcerers were by Moses, but altogether uncontrolled. 4. Not in one place only, but in all countries where they came. 5. Not by one or two persons only, but by very many who were scattered up and down in the world.

And that miracles, and such miracles as these, are a certain proof of the truth of Christ and Christianity, is most evident, in that they are the attestation of God himself.

1. It is undeniable that they are the effects of God's own power. If any question whether God do them immediately, or whether an angel or spirit may not do them, that makes no difference in the case considerable; for all creatures are absolutely dependent upon God, and can use no power but what he giveth them, and continueth in them, and exerciseth by them. The power of the creatures is all of it the power of God. Without

" At qui causas causis, partes partibus volumus æquare, magis nos valemus ostendere quid in Christo fuerimus secuti, quam in philosophis quid vos. Ac nos quidem in illo secuti hæc sumus: opera illa magnifica potentissimasque virtutes, quas variis edidit, exhibuitque miraculis, quibus quivis posset ad necessitatem credulitatis adduci, et judicare fideliter, non esse quæ fierent hominis sed divinæ alicujus et incognitæ potestatis. Vos in philosophis virtutes secuti quas estis? Ut magis vos illis, quam nos Christo oportuerit credere? Quisquam ne illorum aliquando verbo uno potuit, aut unius imperii jussione non dicam maris insanias aut tempestatum furores prohibere, compescere, non cœcis restituere lumina, non ad vitam revocare defunctos, non annosas dissolvere passiones sed quod levissimum est furenculum, scabiem, aut inhærentem spinulam callo una interdictione sanare? Personarum contentio non est eloquentiæ viribus, sed gestorum operum virtute pendenda.—Arnob. adv. Gent. 1. 2. • Tria totus mundus mirabatur: Christum post mortem surrexisse; cum carne cœlum ascendisse; et per duodecim Apostolos Piscatores mundum convertisse.-Christos, in Math.