498 Of the Miracles, wrought in Vol. lI concerning him long before he came, which when he came were exaftly fulfilld in him; by the Miracles he wrought to give reflimony of him ; by theeminent Holi- 'fiefs and Virtue of his Life ; and by innumerable things which he foretold con- cerning himfelf, the Deftru&ion ofjerufalem, and the Difperfron of the JewifhNr- Lion, and the Succefs of his Do&rine in the World, which were all afterwards pun. &wally accomplifh'd. All thefe proved him to be an extraordinary Perlon. Bur he was likewife declared to be the Son of God, by a Voice from Heaven, and by his Refurteétion from the Dead. Or if we confider the firlt Publifhers of this Do&tine, to whomGod bare witnefs, with Signs and Wonders, and divers Miracles, and Gifts of the Holy Ghoft, and the wonderful Succefs they met withal, notwithflanding the outward Meannefs of their Perfons, infomuch'that their Do&rine very luddenly prevail'd, and pail like Light- ning through the World, and in the 1pace of a few Years, fpread it fell beyond the utmoft Bounds of the vaft Roman Empire, and this in defpite of the moil powerful Oppofition and fierceft Perfecutions that ever were railed againft any Religion g fo that like the Children of Ifrael in "Egypt it d+d thrive under Affli&ion, and the more it was oppreft, the more it grew and multiplied; becaufe there was a Di- vine Power that did vifibly accompany the fort Publifhers of ir, and Men were not able torefit the fpirit whereby they fpake. All there together make up a full and convincing Demonftration of the Truth and Divinity of the Chriftian Dc&rine: and yet perhaps no one of thefe alone is a fufficient Proof of it. For tho' a Do&rine be never fo reafonable in it felf, this is no certain Argument that it is from God, if no Teftimony from Heaven be gw. ven to it g becaufe it may be the reluit and iffue of humaneReafon and Difcourfe and tho' a Do&rine be attefted by Miracles, yet the matter of it may be fo unrea- fonable and abfurd, fo unworthy of God, and focontrary to the natural Notions which Men haveof him, that noMiracles canbe fufficient togive confirmation to it ; and therefore in Tome Cafes the Scripture forbids Men tohearken to a Prophet, tho' he work a Miracle. Deus. 53. 1, 2, 3, If there ariJe among youaprophet, or a dreamer ofdreams, and giveth thee a fign, or a wonder, and the An or the wonder come to pajs, whereof he fpake unto thee, Paying, Let us go after other Gods (which thou bolt not known) and let toferve them : Thou fbalt not hearken unto the words of thatpro- phet. And the reafon is given, ver. S. Becanfe be bath fpoken to turn you away from the Lordyour God. From whence it is plain, that a Miracle is not fufficient to ella- b1Hb the Worfhip of a falfe God. The fum of what I have faid is this, That we do not found our Belief of Chrifti. anity upon any one Argument taken by it felt ; but upon the whole Evidence which we are able to produce for it, in which there is nothing wanting that is proper and reafonable to prove any Religion to be from God. 2. But yet Miracles are the principal external Proof and Confirmation of the Divinity of a Do&rine. I told you before, that force Do&tines are fo abfurd, that a Miracle is not a fufficient proof of them : but if a Do&rine be fuch as is no ways unworthy ofGod, nor contrary to thofe Notions which we have ofhim, Mi- racles are the higheft Teflimeny that can be given to it,andhave always been owned. by Mankind for an evidenceof Infpiration. And therefore Nicodemus takes it for are acknowledg'd Principle, that Miracles are a fign of a Teacher fens from God, John g. 2. We knew that thou art a Teacher come from God : for none cando there Miracle, which thou deft, except God k with him. And the Scriptureconftantly refolvesthe Divinity of any Perlon or Do&rine into Miracles, as the chief external Evidence that they are from God. This was the Teffimony which God gave to Moles, to fatisfie the People'of Iliad that he had font him. Exod, 4. r, AndMofes anfivered, andfail; but behold, they will not believe me, nor hearkenuntomy voice : for they will fay, The Lord hatb not appeared unto thee. Upon this God tells Moles, that he would give him a power of Miracles, to bean Evidence to them that theymay believe, that the Godoftheir Fathers, of Abraham, Ifaac, and yacab, bath appearedunto thee. And. all along in the Old Teftament, when God Pent his Prophets tomake any new Re- velation, or upon any extraordinary Meflage, he always gave credit to them, by formSign or Wonder. And when he Cent his Son into the World, he bare Witnefs to
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