~ z6o 7 be Harmony of tbe Vivine Attributes ~ I !hall only add, That the Apojlles did many and great Miracles in the Name of Chrijl Chap. 22·which was the flrongefrdemonflration that He wasrais'd to a glorious Life. Theywer~ ........,__. invefled by the Spirit with the habits of various Tongues. This kind of Miracle was necelfary for the univerfal preaching of the Gofpel: For how difficult and obfrrul.live had ir been to their Work, if they mufl have return' cl to their Infant-flare, to learn the fignification of foreign Languages, to pronounce the words in their original Sound, and the Accents proper to rhe irCoumry? Therefore the.Holy Spirit, according to the Promife of Chrifl, defcended upon them, and became their Mafler, and in a moment imprefl on their Memories the forms of d ifcourfing, and on their Tongues the manner of expreffing them. Wherever the DoUrine of Jefus was preach'd, God bare them witnefs both with Sign1 and 111onders, and wiJh divers Miracles and Gifts of the Holy Ghofl, according to his own wiU. When St. Peter pafs'd through the Streets, fill 'd with Perfons difeafed and half dead , he ~:~~~J ;~;:~it~:r~a~d~e,;~~~~~~~~ ~.~~~~~t~i~~ :~=~ ;;it~~:s ~~:~~~~m~~~~dwDea;hh~~ leave its Prey, and lite to return toitsmanfion that Was not habitable for it. And that miraculous Power continued in their Succeffois fo long as was requifite for the convittion of the World. Juflin i\llartyr, lrenteus, TertnUian, Origen, Cyprian, mentions divers Miracles perform'd by Chrirtians in thofe times. TertuUian offers to ·the Emperor, to whom he addrefl his admirable Apology, to compel the Devils that polfefl Humane Bodies to confefs themfelves to be evi l Spirits , and thereby conflrain the Prince of Darknefs to enlighten his own Slaves. And Cyprian alfures the Governour of Africa that he would force the Devils to come out of the Bodies they tormented, lamenting their ejeaion. Now we cannot imagine they woul d fo fa r difcredittheir Doctrine and Reputation, as to pretend to fuch a Power without they had it. In !hart, to deny the Miracles wrought by the Primitive Chri((ians, were as great rafbnefs, as to deny that C£fl:r conq.uer'd PorJtpe1 , or that Tit us fucceeded Vejpajian. For we have the concurrent Tefl1mony of the grave{) and befl Men, of Undtrfranding and Confcience, who were Eye-witnelfes, and which was not contradicted by thofe of the fame Age. Briefly, There are fuch clear Charatlers of the Divine Hand to render the Gifpel authentick, that to deny it to be true, is to make God A Lyar. of It~J::,;:;f"n .;h~h~at;,';: ~f ~~ewd~~~r::~ha~\~s;~r~:;~;'b~e:~:, ·:=~~~:~ :~eO~i~i~ nal. 'Tis confirmed by Supernatural Tefrimonies. The Doctrine diflinguilhes the Miracles from all falfe wonders, the illufionsof Satan, and the Miracles confirm the Doctrine. What doubt can there be after the full depofition of the Spirit in raifing Chrifr from the Grave; in qualifying the Apofrles, who were rude and ignorant, with Knowledge, Zeal, Courage, Charity, and all Graces requifite for their great Enterprife, and in converting the World by their Minirtry and Miracles? If we believe notfo clear a Revelation, our Infidelity is defperate. When our Saviour was upon the Earth, the Meannefs and Poverty of his appearance lelfened their Crime, who did not acknowledge and honour him in the difguile of a Servant: Therefore they were capable of favour . Many of his bloody Perfecutors were converted and faved by the preaching. of the Apofrl~s. But fince the Holy ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~i]if.,~.t~~~r;~ebJe:, ~~n~~;~~~~if: ~~~~i~t~~~;;::~o~"if ~i~~ ~t:t i~u'15:~~; ~~lYe~~~~·~:~'~::ex~~~~:.~ s;on #;~~c~h~e ::::~}a~tc~e;;~o1t' v~ribrr; for fpiritual Wickednelfes trembled at his Name, were expelled from their Dominions, and fenttotheir old Prifon to fuffer the Chai ns and Flames due to them: To refufe his Teflimony, is a degree of Ob!linacy not far difrant from the Malice of the Devils, and puts ~e~h~~~e~~~~~t~e{h~~~! ~:~c~:~~n~~ ~~~:hic~ni~ ~w~~fut i~i~~~i~~p~~~~l~e~;/f; obedientto our Glorified Redeemer, who will difrribute Crowns to all his faithful Servants. We cannot truly believe his RefurreClion without believing his DoCl:rine, nor believe his DoCl:rine without unfeigned Defires after the eternal Felicity it promifes, nor defire that Felicity without a fincere compliance to his Commands in order to the obtaining it. In jhort, 'tis Infidelity approaching Madnefs, not to believe the Truth of the Gofpel; but 'tis Madnefs of an higher kind and more prodigious, to pretend to believe it, and yet to Jive in difobedience to its Precepts, in contempt of its Promifes and Threatnings, as if it were a meer Fable. CHAP.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=