Ver.17. the 17th Chapter of Sr. JO HN; 249 Chrift not only cured, but reltored perfe& Health; which no natural Mean's can work. He raifed the Dead, a Miracle, that cannot be counterfeited ! Therefore well might Nicndemus fay, John 3.2. Rabbi, we know that thou art a Teacher come from God : for nó Man can do thefe Miracles that thou doll, except God be With him ; they being wrought by a Divine Power, they (hewed his Divine Million and Calling. And as Chrift, fo did his Meffengers ; as the poftles, Heb. 2. 3, 4. How fball we efcape if we negleei fo great Salvation, which at the firft began to be fpoken by the Lord; and was confirmed to us by them that beard him? God alfo bearing them witnefe, both with Signs and Wonders; and with divers Miracles, and Gifts of the Holy Ghoft, according to his own Will. They were authorized by Chrift, as Chrift by God, . and God bore them witnefs i It ii my Truth; I am their Witnefs, and you will perifh if you do not hearken to ir. Tfiat winch may be obferved in there Scripture - Miracles, is, that they werè not done when Men would require, or when the Initruménts pleated, but according to God's own Will upon fpe- cial and weighty Occafions, that it might be the more evident, that God Was the worker of them ; and therefore were not meerly ufed to beget a Reputation at all Places, and at all Times, as if God's Power fhould be at the Creatures beck. Counterfeits, fuch as 9pollomus T)anaus, were never dainty to thew their jugling Tricks, but always were pliable to the Humors and Lifts of Men, and to fatisfy Curiofity. Only now and then, and upon fpecial Occafions, would God manifeft himfelf. Juglers proftitute their Feats. Come, let us fee what you can do, thew us a Miracle ; as Herod dFred to fie Chi-0, that he might fee fome Miracle, Luke 23. 8. This would not leffen the tvlajetty of God. Signs and Wonders were not ordained for the Stage and Scene, to caufe admiration and paftime for every wanton Spectator. Again, I obferve, that ge- nerally there Miracles were A &ions of Relief and Succour, not meerly of Pomp and Glory, and tended to deliver from the Miferies of Soul and Body, as Blindnefs, Sick- nefs, and Devils. I remember but two of Chrift's Miracles that were deftru&ive; Wafting the Fig -tree, and drowning the Herd of Swine ; in other Miracles, he was exercifed in curing the Sick, railing the Dead, tatting Out Satan, dw Öbjell. r. Ay, but we have none now .ilúfw. It is not neceffary, becaufe the fame Do&rine and Rule is continued to ut without change. That which is extraordinary, mutt be proved by extraordinary Means. Miracles wrought where there is no neceffity, are liable to fufpicion. When Chriffs'Doctrine was new, and the Calling and Fun &ion that he exercifed in the Church new, then were Miracles wrought to confirm them. The Lord's manner bath always been, when heere &s any new Wor(hip and Service, to give teftimony to it from Heaven ; as Trees newly let need watering, which afterwards we dilcontinue. Upon the delivery of any new Law or Truth to the World, natural and ordinary means of Convi &ion are wanting. None now pretendeth to be an extraordinary Mel fenger from God ; the Doctrine is ordinary, and the Call ordinary, and why fhould we expect extraordinary Confirmation ? the Old fufficeth. And by the content and experience of many Ages, and its own Reafonablenefs, Chriftianity hath gotten a juft Title to humane Belief, and there we mutt fubmit. John 20. 30, 31. .Atzei many other Signs truly did Jefas in the prefince of his Difciples, which are not written in this Book: But theft were written, that ye might believe that lefts is the Chilli, the Son of God. God bath given us the Report and Record of the old Miracles, which is enough to beget Faith in them, that have a mind to believe rather than wrangle. We think it had been better, if God had continued this fenfible Confirmation ; but we mutt not give Laws to Heaven. Becaufe we have fo much Light, and other Inducements of Faith, God will govern us by Wifdom, and not by Power. It is true, Men are lefs apprehenfive of his Wifdom, than of the fenfible effe &s of his Power ; but becaufe we have other - wife Confirmation fufficient, now doth God try us, whether we will turn Atheifts and Antifcripturifts, and upon light fufpicion mifbelieve. Objefl. 2. How (hall we know that thofe Miracles Were done, fence we taw them not, we have but Fame and Report, which oftentimes is no Friend to Truth ? Afro. We have the Report of Men that lived in that Age, who were only fit Wit- heffes in this Cafe, and were Perlons of fingular Holinels and Credit, and they were thofe that felled it with their Blood, and therefore their Report, is of as great Autho- rity and Certainty, as if we had feen them our felves. And befides, the Report is ancient, conftant, not contradicted by the vigilant Adverfaries of that Age with then* tiii which
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