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lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet; and he healed them. And they glorified the God of Israel.”—Matt. xv. 30, 31. With what a circle is our blessed Lord surrounded! Let us pause a little, and endeavour to paint him to our imagination, on this mountain, where the astonished multitudes so justly extolled all these mingled wonders of power and grace. Let us reflect upon the dumb speaking, the maimed made whole, the lame walking, the deaf hearing, and the blind seeing, that with them we may glorify the God of Israel!

But who can describe the sentiments of these happy creatures, who, without any dangerous or painful operation, found themselves, in a moment, restored beyond all the efforts of nature, and beyond all the prospects of hope! With what pleasure did the ear which had just been opened, listen to the pleasing accents of his instructive tongue! How did the lame leap around him for joy! and the maimed extend their recovered hands in grateful acknowledgments of his new-creating power! While the voice of the dumb sang forth his praises in sounds before unknown; and the eye of the blind checked the curiosity which would have prompted it to range over the various and beautiful objects of unveiled nature, to fix its rapturous regard on the gracious countenance of him that had given it the day! Let us further reflect, with what correspondent pleasure must our Lord survey these grateful and astonished creatures, while his benevolent heart took its share in all the delight which he gave! These trophies of his greatness, how unlike to those of the field, the monuments of desolation and slaughter! DR. DODDRIDge.

Suppose that a learned heathen writer, who lived within sixty years of our Saviour's crucifixion, after having shown that false miracles were wrought in obscurity, and before few or no witnesses, speaking of those which were wrought by our Saviour, has the following passage:-"The works of our Saviour were always conspicuous for they were true; both those that were healed, and those that were raised from the dead; who were seen not only when they were healed or raised, but for a long time afterwards; not only whilst he dwelled on this earth, but also after his departure, and for a good while after it, insomuch, that some of them have reached to our times,-"

I dare say you would look upon this as a glorious attestation for the cause of Christianity, had it come from the hand of a famous Athenian philosopher. These fore-mentioned words, however, are actually the words of one who lived about sixty years after our Saviour's crucifixion, and was a famous philosopher of Athens. This person, Quadratus, embraced Christianity, and died a martyr! RT. HON. J. ADDISON.

There were always very many amongst the worshippers of Christ who were of good judgment, and of no small learning; such as, not to mention Jews, Sergius the president of Cyprus (Acts xiii. 12), Dionysius the Areopagite (xvii. 34), Polycarp, Justin, Irenæus, Athenagoras, Origen, Tertullian, Clemens Alexandrinus, and others; who being such men, why they

should themselves be worshippers of a man that was put to an ignominious death, especially when almost all of them were brought up in other religions, and there was neither honour nor profit to be had by the Christian religion. There can be no reason given but this one; that upon a diligent inquiry, such as becomes prudent men to make, in a matter of the highest concern to them, they found that the report which was spread abroad, concerning the miracles that were done by him, was true, and founded upon sufficient testimony; such as healing sore diseases, and those of a long continuance, only by a word, and this publicly; restoring sight to him that was born blind; increasing bread for the feeding of many thousands, who were all witnesses of it; restoring the dead to life again, and many others such like. Which report had so certain and undoubted a foundation, that neither Celsus nor Julian, when they wrote against the Christians, dared to deny that some miracles were done by Christ: the Hebrews also confess it openly in the books of the Talmud. HUGO GROTIUS.

The number of Christ's miracles was very great. If we consider only those which are recorded at large, they are about forty; but it is evident that they must have been beyond all number.

There was a great variety of Christ's miracles. It was the number and variety of the miracles of Moses, which at length convinced the Egyptian magicians that the power by which he wrought them was Divine. But a variety of effects, all mutually distinguished, and each perfect in each kind, suggests the idea of a perfect agent, powerful and designing, employed in producing them. And this is the case with the miracles of Christ: for, not one disease only, but all are subject to the power of Christ and his apostles: even death, the last enemy,-gives up his prey at their command, especially at the command of Christ. We behold him, giving sight to the born-blind; making those who wanted a limb, perfect; those who were bowed double, straight; those who shook with palsy, robust; nerving the withered arm with strength; restoring the insane and demoniacs to reason; and raising the dead to life. That great miracle of raising the dead, in particular, Christ performed no less than four times; once on the ruler's daughter, just after she had expired; again, on the widow's son as he was carried on his bier to be interred; a third time, on Lazarus, when he had lain in his grave four days; and lastly,—the greatest instance of all,-in himself. And the design was every way worthy of their Almighty Author! REV. T. H. HORNE.

Whose heart is so insensible as not to feel devout pleasure in the history of these miracles of our Lord, though the subjects on which they were wrought are long since mouldering in the dust! But let us further recollect, that our Divine Leader has other yet more noble and more permanent trophies,—those immortal spirits which he has redeemed, and sanctified, and saved! So may our transported souls, O blessed Jesus, in the consciousness of health, vigour, and salvation, behold thee as our Deliverer! DR. DODDRidge.

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Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD. Job. i. 9-12.

And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit, and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years.-Rev. xx. 1-2.

SACRED NARRATIVE.

AND they came over the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs, a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying and cutting himself with stones. But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him, and cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the Most High God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not. (For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit.) And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered saying, My name is Legion: for we are many. And he besought him much, that he would not send them away out of the country. Now there was there, nigh unto the mountains, a great herd of swine feeding.

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