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SERM.his public miniftry, Matt. iii. 16, 17.

CCXXXV.

66

"The holy

Ghoft defcending upon him like a dove, as he

came out of the water; and there was a voice "from heaven, which faid, This is my beloved “Son, in whom I am well pleased.” The same voice was heard by Peter, James, and John at his transfiguration on the mount, as you may fee Luke ix. 35. And this St. Peter mentions, as a confiderable argument of CHRIST's divine authority, 2 Pet. i. 16, 17, 18. "For we have not followed cunningly "devised fables, when we made known unto you the

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power and coming of our LORD JESUS CHRIST: "but were eye-witneffes of his majefty. For he re"ceived from GOD the Father honour and glory, "when there came fuch a voice to him from the ex"cellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom "I am well pleafed. And this voice which came "from heaven we heard when we were with him "in the holy mount."

Indeed he makes this teftimony to be fuch an argument, as concurring with that which I mentioned before, is fufficient to perfuade one that CHRIST was fent from GOD; but he does not make it to be equal to that which de adds at the 19th verfe, "We

have alfo a more fure word of prophecy, where"unto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light “that shineth in a dark place," &c. intimating, the prophecies of the old teftament were greater confirmation than this fingle teftimony of a voice from heaven does amount to.

III. I proceed to the next evidence, which thofe who lived in our SAVIOUR's time had of his divine authority, viz. the power of working miracles, which he was endued withal; and this is the highest

testimony

CCXXXV..

teftimony that can be given to any perfon that he SER M. is fent from GOD. And in this refpect chiefly is the gospel called "the light of the glorious gospel of "CHRIST," because of thofe glorious miracles whereby the gospel was confirmed. This is, as it were, the broad feal of heaven, which is fufficient to give confirmation to any doctrine, which does not evidently contradict the perfections of the divine nature and it is not credible, that the providence of GOD is fo little tender of the concernments of mankind, as to communicate this power to any perfon that will abuse it to the confirmation of a lie. I deny not but the devil may do many ftrange things, and fuch as we cannot diftinguish from fome fort of miracles; and where men by fome great precedent provocation, have made it just for GoD "to give them up to ftrong delufions, to believe. "lies, because they would not believe the truth, "but had pleasure in unrighteousness," there God may permit the devil to work ftrange wonders, as it is foretold, 2 Theff. ii. 9. that the coming of Antichriftfhall be after the working of Satan, with "all power, and signs, and lying wonders, and all

deceivablenefs of unrighteoufnefs." But in this cafe there will remain two ways whereby impartial and confiderate men, and fuch as are not blinded by prejudice or their lufts, may fufficiently discover, that this is not from Gop.

1. By the abfurdity of the doctrine which thofe wonders are brought to confirm and fuch were the lewd, and filthy, and fenfelefs doctrines of the Gnoftics, to which Simon Magus pretended to

Of this fee more ferm. CCXXIX, CCXXX, CCXXXI. in this volume.

SER M. give a confirmation by the wonders that he wrought. CCXXX V. And this very probably may be that which the apo

stle refers to in this chapter. And fuch likewise are several of the doctrines of popery: fuch as the adoration of the virgin Mary, of faints and images, and the doctrine of transubstantiation; for the confirmation of which, they pretend a great many wonders have been wrought.

2. By the contrariety of the doctrine to that which hath had the confirmation of far greater miracles. Therefore if we fhould grant to the Papists, that feveral of thofe miracles which they brag of, were really wrought, (which, confidering the infinite cheats and impostures which have been practifed by them in that kind, and have been discovered, we have no reason to grant ;) yet because the doctrine, which they pretend to confirm, is absurd, and unreasonable, and contrary to the doctrine which they themselves own to have had a far greater confirmation by miracles far greater, and more unquestionable, more publicly done, and in fuch a manner, and with fuch circumftances, as do free them from all fufpicion of impofture; I fay, for this reafon we cannot admit thofe doctrines to be of divine authority; because the confirmation, which is given to them by those wonders, is overpowered by a greater and more divine teftimony; as the magicians of Pharaoh, though they did many odd feats, yet were plainly mastered and conquered by the greater miracles which Mofes wrought.

The fum is this, that wherever any perfon is endued with an eminent power of working miracles, fuch as are of the first rank, great, and unquestionable, and many, and publicly wrought, that is one

of

CCXXXV.

of the highest evidences we can have of the divineS ER M. authority of any perfon or doctrine. Therefore Nicodemus does upon this ground very reasonably conclude, that our SAVIOUR was fent from GOD, John iii. 2. "We know that thou art a teacher 66 come from GOD: for no man can do thofe mira"cles which thou doft, except GOD be with him.” And our SAVIOUR himself infifts upon this frequently as the great proof of his divine authority, Matt. xi. 3, 4. When John Baptift fent two of his difciples to him to be fatisfied whether he was the Meffias, he bids them report to John what the doctrine was which they heard him preach, and what miracles they faw him work for the confirmation of it; "Go and fhew John thofe things which ye do fee "and hear; the blind receive their fight, and the "lame walk, and the lepers are cleanfed, and "the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and "the poor have the gospel preached unto them." John v. 33, 36. our SAVIOUR there tells the Jews, that "John bare witness of him ;" and that might fatisfy them, because they looked upon John as a prophet: "But, faith he, I have a greater witness "than that of John; for the works which the Fa

ther hath given me to finish, the fame works that "I do bear witnefs of me, that the Father hath fent "me." John xv. 24. "If I had not done among "them the works which none other man did, they "had not had fin." This was the great aggravation of their unbelief, that they refifted the evidence of fo great miracles, fuch as no man in the world ever wrought *.

* See more of this, ferm. CCXXII, in this vol.

I should

I fhould now briefly run over the chief of thofe miracles of our SAVIOUR, which we find recorded in the hiftory of the gofpel; and fhew that they have all the advantages that miracles can have, to give fatisfaction to men concerning their reality. But this I referve for my next discourse.

SERMON CCXXXVI.

The evidences of the truth of the christian religion.

SERM

CCXXXVI.

this text.

2 COR. iv. 3, 4.

But if our gofpel be hid, it is hid to them that are loft: in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, left the light of the glorious gospel of CHRIST, who is the image of GOD, fhould fhine unto them.

I

N my last discourse, I was confidering the third evidence which thofe who lived in our SAVIThe third OUR's time had of his divine authority, viz. the fermon on 'power of working miracles, with which he was endued. And in treating on this, I propofed briefly to run over the chief of thofe miracles of our SAVIOUR, which we find recorded in the gospel, and to fhew that they have all the advantages that miracles can have, to give fatisfaction to men concerning their reality. And that I may proceed in fome kind

of

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