538 Charms, and fuperilitious Rites, according o the manner of thofe who pretended to. work Miracles among the Heathens. 'Tis true, he healed many Difeafes which were curable by Phyfick and Art : yet then the manner was fuch, as was above theordinary courfe of Nature 5 many he cured by a Word only, or by a Touch, and the Cure was wrought immediately, and in the fame inftant when he fpake the word, tho' they were at a'great diftance. Many were cured without his ta- king any notice of them, by touching the very hem of his Garment 5 of all which I might give feveral inftances, but that they are fo well known to thofe-who are acquainted with the Hiftory of the Gofpel. Sometimes indeed he performed the Cure by degrees ; as in the Man that was reamed to fight, and law Men at firft confufedly, and without any diftindion, as if they had been Trees, Mark 8. 24. Sometimes he ufed Tome kind of Means, but fuch as were very difproportionable in their Nature to the Effe& that was produced ; as in the cafe of the deaf Man, which he cured by putting his finger into his Ear, and by his Spittle, Mark 7. 3 3. And the blind Man whofe Eyes he anointed with Clay mix'd with Spittle, and lent him to walh in thePool of Siloam, john 9. 6, 7. but molt of his Miracles he wrought in an militant, and meetly by his Word. (z.) As to the thingshe did, many of themwere Miraculous in themfelves. He Cured many inveterate Difeafes, as Math. 9. zo. a Woman that had an itlite of Blood twelve Years. He made the Woman ftreight by touching her, that had been crooked, and bowed together Eighteen Years, Luke 13. r ;. and the Man that had had an Infirmity thirty. eight Years, only by bidding him take up his Bed and walk, yohn 5. 8. He cured the Man that was born Blind, john 9. and, which all Men will grant to be Miraculous, and to have exceeded all the power of Nature that we know of, he railed feveral from the dead ; and becaufe it might be faid that feveral of thofe were not really dead, but in a deliriumor f.voon, there is one inftance beyond all exception, Sohn t t. he raifed up Lazarrro to Life, after he had been four days in the Grave. 3 He wrought his Miracles frequently upon all occafrons that were offer'd, and for a long time together, during the whole time of his publick Míniflty, which is generally computed to have been Three Years and a half 5 a time fufficient to have detected any impoflor in ; efpecially one that (hewed himfeff fo openly, and convers'd indifferently with all forts of Perkins with fo little guard and caution. q. He did all his Miracles publickly, not in corners and among tome fele& Company of People, but before Multitudes, and in the greateft places of con- courfe 5 fo that if there had been any thing of Impofture in them, he gave the faireft opportunity that could be to his Enemies to have detected him. Mabomer's Miracles were wrought by himfelf alone, without witnefs, which was the belt way in the World certainly for one that could work no Miracles, but yet could perfwade the People what he pleated : but Our Saviour did nothing in. private. His Transfiguration only was beforeThreeof his Difciples ; and therefore he made no ufe of that as an Argument to the Jews, but charged his Difciples to tell it to none, till after his Refurreftion, becaufe that would give Credit to it 5 after they were allured of that, they would eafily believe his Transfiguration but all his other Miracles were in the fight of the People. He healed pubhckly, and aumit- ted all to fee what he did. When he turned the Water into Wine, it was at a publick Fealt ; when he multiplied the Loaves, and theFifhes, it was in the fight of four and five thoufand people 5 whenhe raifed Lazarur from the Dead it was before a great Multitude of the People. The Works that he did durft abide the Light, and the more they were manifefted, the more Miraculous they did appear. ,. His Miracles were generally beneficial, and for the good of Men 5 fo that they had thefe Two Chara&ers of Divinity ftampt upon them, that they were Effeds both of Power and Goodnefs. Mott of his Miracles were fuch as tended to the benefit of Mankind 5 molt of them were either healing,orfeeding Miracles; or refrefhing, as turning the Water into Wine 5 or tending to the peace of Human Society, '.the Evidences of the Truth, Vol. 11,
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