Owen - BS2775 O8 1668

z36 Jefus ofNazareth the onlyTrue and Promifed Mefsiah. multitudes for fundry years together, being all of them fitted by his advert-arks, to try if they could difcover any thing of 'deceit in them. And although his perfonal Mini¡iry was confined toone Nation, yet the Miracles wrought by his Difciplcs in his Name and by his Power, for theconfirmation ofhis being the Mefah, were fpread all the world over, fo that all mankind were filled firft with the report of them, and then fatisfied with their truth ; and laffly, the generality of them with faith in him, which theydire&d unto. The notoriety therefore of his Miracles, far exceedeth that öf thofe of Motes. And for the means whereby the certaintyóf them is continued un- to us, whether we refpeét: the number of perfons confirming it, or their quality, or theirdif-intercft as to any carnal ádvantage, ortheir fufring for their Teffimony, it is notorious that the Jews condition confined meerly to themfelves, is no to be comparedwith it. So that we may truly fay, that no Jewcan póffibly on any rational account, give credit unto the Truth of the Miracles wrought by Mofer, and deny it unto them wrought by the LordJefus. 62. But yet there Items fomewhat further neceffary in this cafe. Though there were Miracles wrought by oar Saviour, yet they might be every way inferiour unto them wrought . by Mofer, and fo nor fufficient to teftihe,unto a Doetrine and Authority re. moving and abolifhing the Lawsand Cuftoms inftieuted by Mofe:. And this the Jews of old famed to have had refpe6t unto, in their endlefs tumultuary Calling after Signs andMiracles. And hence, though the Lord Chrift fometimes pleaded . with them the works that he wrought, leaving them to Eland and fall according unto the evidence of them, lob. 15.24. chap. ro. 37. As alto did the Apofiles afterwards, At . z. az. "unto the aflonifhment of all, and fatisfadion of the lefs obdurate, job. 7. 31. chap. 12.37. Yet both he himfelf conftantly refufed to gratifie their cu- riofity and unbelief, when they required any Signor Miracle ofhim,.Matth. 1 2. 38, 39. chap. 16.4. Lok, r r. 29. And the Apoftle exprefly condemneth the whole principle in them, as that which in the preaching of the Gofpel was not to be gratified, nor much attended unto, 1 Cor. r. 22. But yet neither is there any ffrength wanting un- to our Argumenton this account alfo. For although it be not at all neceffary, that hewho comes with an after-Revelation of the will rof God, reverfing any thing be- fore eftablifhed, fhould be attefted unto with moreMiracles, or thofe that are-more Cig- na!, thenhe or they were, who were the inffrumentsof the firft Revelation of things to be repealed (Teeing no more is required but that hebefufciently evidenced to be fent of God, whichmaybe done by one true real Miracle, as well as by a thoufandy yet the wifdom of God hath fo.ordered things, that the Miracles wrought by the Lord Jefa'es, did on many accounts exceed thofewrought byMofes, as by a comparifon in fome particular inflames will appear. Fielt, The number ofthem gives them the preheminence. Thejews contend that sf. 63- there were feventy fix Miracles wrought by Motes, whereas thofe of all other Pro- phets, asthey obfeuve, amount but untofventy four ; for fo do they lay holdonevery occafion to exalt him, who yet judgeth and condemneth them. To maker up this number, they reckon. upfundry things that happened about his birth, and death, far enough from Miracles wrought by him, or ha the confirmationof his Minifiry : They add alföevery extraordinary work of God that fell out in his daies, to the fame purpófe. Be it fo then, that fo many Miracles were wrought by Mofes, as we are far from diminifhing any thing of the Glory of his Minifiry, yet what arc thofe compared unto thofe wrought by Chrift, and his Apoffles,' inhis Name, and by his Power andAuthority ? Thofe that are recorded of his own, are not catty reckoned up, and yet thofe that are written, are -far the leaft part of what he did perform, and that in the ¡pace of three or four years, whereas thofe of Moles were fèattered unto the whole courfe of his life, for an hundred and twenty years. Thus .ohna- forts us, thathe did many more figes befides thofe that are written, chap. zo. 3o, 31. and that his Teftimony is equal untothat of Mofs, we have proved before. Headds, that the world could' not contain the Books that -might be written of his Miracles, chap. 21. ay. by which ufual hyperbole, a great multitude is defigned. Nor did the Writers of the Story of the Gofpel agree to give. an account of all theMiracles that were wrought by the Author 'of it, but only to leave fufficient in- ¡tames on record of his Divine Power, in the effecting of them. For this end they tingled out fome works that were occafionally attended with fome ,Di,Cputes or Preachings, tending unto the opening and confirmation of the Doctrineof the Gofpel. Thus upon thecoming of the Difciples of Jahn unto him, it is fáid, Luk 7. 2r. In that

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