in Contriving Man's Redemption. ii39 ~~~~j~r\y',h~r;~t~~~s ?~~a;i~fin'it:n~~st~r~d~, i~~~~~~r:~~nan~[,<~;~~~;a:~7n t::::~~ the whole World and Nothing. The degrees of difparity between the World and No- 1./'V"'..J thing are not actually inli ni~e , b.ut between the m~fl.excellent Creature and the glor~ous Crearor they are abfolutely mfimre. From hence It IS, that that wh1ch m other thmgs refol ves onr doubrs, here increafes the wonder, and in appearance makes it more incredi ble. Te do m , iairh Chrilr ro the Sodducet, (who den ied the R.e[urrection) noi kf1owi11g tbe Power of God. Bur rhe more raifed Thoughts we have of his immenfe Paw. ei1 the more un likely his Conjunction with a Natut'e iO far benear}i him will feem to be. '2 . The Di vine Power was magnified in our Redeemer's Supernatural Conception. Twas requiGre his Bod y fhould be miraculouOy form'd of the Subflance of a Woman , by ~i~~f~: ~~en;!;;,~ ~~~~u~1~eie~e~~~~~t~~,'f[~~~~;~~dub;~~·; ~~c~~~'orn~~h~~i~~ no<of the Flefh, but in re(pect of his Office: For undertaking to recor.cile God by rhe Expiation of our Sin, he mufl be allied to us; and abfolutely pure from the flain ofSin. Heaven and Earth concurred to form thatl Divine Man the King of both, the Earth furnifhing matter, and Heaven rhe Principle of his Conception. Accordingly rhe Angel told Mory, Luk. 1. 35· whoqueflioned howibecould be a Mother not having known a Man, ] he Holy Ghojl foali"come 11pon thee, and tbe Power of the Highejl fhaU overjhadow thee, therefore al{o tbat Holy Tbing that p,.U be born of thee, fh•U be caUed the Son of God. This was toretold many Ages as an admirable Efi"ect of God's Power. When ]udob was opprefl by rwo potent Kings, and defpaired of an efcape, to raife their drooping Spirits ;~,: ~~f~e~~~:~l.s t~e~;~J ~1~ ~r;~ ::~ ~::!ei:;;;{,1b:::l~ t::,e ;!~tjlJ:t~=//{i~eJv!,;;~ Immanuel_. The Argument is from the greater to the lefs; for 'ris apparently more difficul t that a Virgin, without injury or biemifh to her Purity and Integrity, fhould con - ~~';~~~ ~:~~~.:~~ht~;:;~~;~~d~~~~,t~en~~~~~i~~ ;~~~r: ~~~~sn~~;: ~:~~\~o~=~~fct:! his People from the fury of their Adverfaries. 3· The Divine Power was eminently declared in the Miracl es our Saviour wrought during the time of his publick Minii1ry, to verify his Divine Million, that he was the great Prophet Cent from God to inflruct Men in rhe way of Life. In difcourGng of this , { will briefly fhew, ~hat Miracles were a convincing proof of his Ceiei1ial Calling, and that the performa~ce of rhem was neceifary in order ro the conviction of the World, and confider particularlythofe He wroughr. i. A Mi racle is an extraordinary Operation of God in Nature, either in flopping its courfe, or in producing fome Effefrs that are above its Laws and Power: So chat when ~~~[~~~;::~a~r~;:,.a n}iy 1r~'!m a;~i~~sis5~d~0v~G~fe~ri~h~h~~~;~~~e~~~ c:?n~~~~~d b~ h1s S~fes, the only W1tneJfes above reproach in his account. From hence Nicoden11u addreJfes himfelfro Chrifl, John 3· 2. M<ifier, we l;_now tbot tboltart aTcacbcr covufrom God; for no Man c:an do tbofe Miracles that thou doft, except God be J"Pith him: that is; no inferiour Agent can perform them) without the fpecial Affilhnce of the Divine Power. . And 'ris not to be fuppofed that God \Vill lend his Omnipotency to the Devil t<?WI'~kareal Miracl;, to_confirm a FalGty; and thereby, neceifarily induce Men into Error tn a matter of mfimre motnent: for fuch is the Doctrine of Salvation that Chrill ereached. . d P· The worki..gg ofMiracles was neceifary to convince the World, that Jefus Chrifr was r,nr from God, whether we confider rhe Jews or the Gentiles. To convince the Jews upon a _double a~oount: ' 1 .. iecaufe. the ~;formance of rhem was one of the Characters of the promifcd Meff~. F.or thiS rea[on ,when two of John's Difciples came to inquire whether he were the expelled Prophet, he returnS'this anlwer tothequeflion: Go a11d {hew John thofe things 7Vhich Je do ~ear 4ndfie, The Blind re.ceive their Sight, and the Lame walk._, the Lepers are ckanfed, and the De.f he.r, the De.d are rai.fed 11p, and tbe poor have the Gofpel preached to them, Mat. 11. of, 5· Thus he defcribed his Office, and verified the Commiflion he h;rd from God, by reprefenting his Miracles in the Words of the Prophecy, Jft. 35 · 5, 9· . . I 2. Our
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