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of order and method, I fhall reduce the miracles SER M. that concern our SAVIOUR to these three heads.

First, the miracles of his life.

Secondly, thofe that were wrought at his death. Thirdly, the great miracles of his refurrection from the dead, and thofe two that were confequent upon it, his afcenfion into heaven, and his fending the holy Ghost upon the apoftles and Chriftians in miraculous gifts and powers.

I begin with the firft, the miracles of his life. And in fpeaking of these, I fhall fhew that they had all the advantageous circumftances to convince men of the reality of them, and to free them from all fufpicion of impofture. They were many, they were great, and unqueftionable miracles; they were frequently wrought, and for a long time together, publicly, and in the prefence of multitudes; and they were beneficial, and for the good of men.

1. They were many. There might be fomething of impofture fufpected in a few inftances, that might be chofen out for the purpofe. But our SAVIOUR gave inftances of his divine power in feveral kinds, fo that there is fcarce any thing that is miraculous can be inftanced in, wherein he did not fhew his power. He healed all manner of difeafes, and that in multitudes of people, as they came accidentally without any difcrimination, Matt. iv. 23, 24. And though moft of his miracles were healing, yet he gave inftances in other kinds; as in turning of water into wine, commanding down the ftorm, and walking upon the waters, &c. And though the hiftory of the gospel mention very many miracles that he wrought, yet St. John tells us, that thofe that are recorded are but very few in com

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SER M.parifon of what he did, John xx. 30. "And many CCXXXVI. other figns truly did JESUS in the prefence of his "difciples, which are not written in this book." And chap. xxi. 35. "And there are alfo many other "things which JESUS did, the which if they should "be written every one, I fuppofe that even the "world itfelf could not contain the books that "fhould be written." An hyperbolical expreffion, to fignify the great number of his miracles and actions, befides what are recorded by the evangelifts.

2. As they were many, fo they were great and unquestionable, both as to the manner of doing them, and as to the things that he did.

(1.) Many things which were not miraculous in themselves, yet were fo as to the manner of doing them, which was not by any magical words, and figures, and charms, and fuperftitious rites, according to the manner of those who pretended to work miracles among the heathens. It is true he healed many diseases which were curable by phyfic and art yet then the manner was fuch, as was above the ordinary courfe of nature; many he cured by a word only, or by a touch, and the cure was wrought immediately, and in the fame inftant when he fpake the word, though they were at a great distance. Many were cured without his taking any notice of them, by touching the very hem of his garment; of all which I might give several inftances, but that they are so well known to thofe who are acquainted with the hiftory of the gofpel. Sometimes indeed he performed the cure by degrees; as in the man that was restored to fight, and saw men at firft confufedly, and without any distinction, as if they had

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been trees, Mark viii. 24. Sometimes he used fome SER M kind of means, but fuch as were very difproportionable in their nature to the effect that was produced; as in the cafe of the deaf man, which he cured by putting his finger into his ear, and by his fpittle, Mark vii. 33. and the blind man whofe eyes he anointed with clay mixed with spittle, and fent him to wash in the pool of Siloam, John ix. 6, 7. but most of his miracles he wrought in an inftant, and merely by his own word.

(2.) As to the things he did, many of them were miraculous in themselves. He cured many inveterate diseases, as, Matt. ix. 20. a woman that had an iffue of blood twelve years. He made the woman ftraight by touching her, that had been crooked and bowed together eighteen years, Luke xiii. 13. and the man that had an infirmity thirty-eight years, only by bidding him take up his bed and walk, John v. 8. He cured the man that was born blind, John ix. and, which all men will grant to be miraculous, and to have exceeded all the power of nature that we know of, he raifed feveral from the dead; and because it might be faid that feveral of those were not really dead, but in a delirium or fwoon, there is one inftance beyond all exception, John xi. he raised up Lazarus to life; after he had been four days in the grave..

3. He wrought his miracles frequently, upon all occafions that were offered, and for a long time together, during the whole time of his public miniftry, which is generally computed to have been three years and a half; a time fufficient to have detected any impofture in; efpecially one that fhewed himself fo openly, and conversed indifferently VOL. XI. Ff

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SER M. with all forts of perfons with fo little guard and CCXXXVI. caution.

4. He did all his miracles publicly, not in corners and among fome felect company of people, but before multitudes, and in the greatest places of concourfe; fo that, if there had been any thing of impofture in them, he gave the fairest opportunity that could be to his enemies to have detected him. Mahomet's miracles were wrought by himself alone, without witness, which was the best way in the world certainly for one that could work no miracles, but yet could perfuade the people what he pleafed : but our SAVIOUR did nothing in private. His transfiguration only was before three of his difciples; and therefore he made no use of that as an argument to the Jews, but charged his difciples to tell it to none, till after his refurrection, because that would give credit to it; after they were affured of that, they would eafily believe his transfiguration: but all his other miracles were in the fight of the people. He healed publicly, and admitted all to fee what he did. When he turned the water into wine, it was at a public feaft; when he multiplied the loaves and the fifhes, it was in the fight of four or five thousand people; when he raised Lazarus from the dead, it was before a great multitude of the people. The works that he did durft abide the light, and the more they were manifefted, the more miraculous they did appear.

5. His miracles were generally beneficial, and for the good of men; fo that they had those two characters of divinity stamped upon them, that they were effects both of power and goodness. Most of his miracles were fuch as tended to the benefit of mankind;

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most of them were either healing, or feeding miracles, SER M. or refreshing, as turning the water into wine; or tending to the peace of human fociety, as the miracle that. he wrought rather than he would give offence by not paying tribute. It is true indeed he might have shewn his power every way, he gave fome inftances of it in other kinds, which might feem more for his purpose, and for the manifeftation of his power, as in his allaying the ftorm, and walking upon the water but he wrought no miracles that were deftructive, except only two, namely, his permitting the devil to enter into the swine, Matt. viii. 28. whereby the inhabitants of the place fuftained a great lofs. But our SAVIOUR did this upon very good reason, as a reproof to that fordid temper which he faw to be in them; they were fo immerfed in the world, and wedded to their interefts, that they would, rather than lofe any thing in that kind, forfeit all the bleffings that the Meffias brought with him; and this temper appeared afterward in them; for though they were convinced that he had wrought a miracle, yet because they had sustained fome prejudice," they de"fired him to depart out of their coasts."

The other exception is his curfing of the fig-tree, Matt. xxi. 19. which had a moral fignification to his difciples, and was a fharp warning to them, what they muft look for if they were unfruitful. Our SAVIOUR rebukes our floth and barrenness in the fig-tree.

Secondly, next to the miracles of our SAVIOUR'S life, I mentioned thofe that were wrought at his death, which though they were not wrought by him, yet they were wrought to give teftimony to him, that he was fome extraordinary perfon; for as Ff2 much

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