Serin. CLXXXII. of the Chrifliaf Rth ion, 119 Society, as the Miracle that he wrought, rather than give offence by not paying Tribute. 'ris true indeed he might have lhewn his Power every way, he gave fame Inftances of it in other kinds, which might feem more for his Purpofe, and for the manifeftation of his Power, as in his allaying the Storm, and walking upon the Water : but he wrought no Miracles that were deftru&ive, except only two, namely, his permitting the Devil to enter into the Swine, IIlatth. 8. z8. Whereby the inhabitants of the Place fuflain'd a great lofs. But our Saviour did this upon very good reafon, as a reproof of that fordid temper which he faw to be in them 5 they were fo immerft in the Wotld, and wedded to their Interefts, that they would rather than lofe any thing in that kind, forfeit all the Wettings that the APOas brought with him 5 and this temper appear'd afterward in them 5 for tho' they were convinc'd that he had wrought a Miracle, yet becaufe they had (attained force Prejudice, they cleftred him to depart mot of their Coajls. The other exception is his curfing of the Fig-Tree, Mattb.2t. sy. which had a moral fignification to his Difciples, and was a (harp warning to them, what they muff look for if they were unfruitful. Our Saviour rebukes our Sloth and Bar, rennefs in theFig-Tree. Secondly, Next to the Miracles of our Saviour's Life, I mention'd chafe that were wrought at his Death, which tho' they were not wrought by him, yet they were wrought to give Teflimony to him, that he was fume extraordinary Perfon 3 for as much as when he died, the Frame of Narute was put into fuch a trem- bling and melancholy pouture. So the Hiftory of the Gofpel tells us, Matth. 27. 45. Thatfrom the Sixth hour till the !Vint¢, there was darknefr over all the Land 3 which, as Learned Men have calculated, could not be an Eclipfe, according ro the natural courfe of things. And ver. Ss, ga, C&'c. The vail ofthe Temple was rent from the top to the bottom, and the Earth didquake, and the Books rent, and the Graves were opened. Thirdly, The great Miracle which was wrotight after his Death, in railing him tip from the Dead, together with thofe two that were confequenr upon it ; his vifible Afcending into Heaven, and his fending the Holy Ghofi upon the Apo- files, and Primitive Chriftians, in fuch. Miraculous Gifts and Powers. Firjl, The great Miracle of his Refurreaion, after he had lain three days in the Grave. This was the Miracle which was to be the chief atteftation of his Di- vine Authority, and to give Confirmation to the Do&rine which he declared to the World. And accordingly we find that the chief Office of the Apoftles was to be Witneffes of his Refurredion ; and the great Evidence they were to give to the World of his Divine Authority was, that God railed him from the dead. And we find the Scripture every where laying the great fires of his Divine Au- thority upon this Miracle. As 17. 3 By that manwhom he bath ordained, where. of he bath given ajfurance unto all men, in that he bath railed him from the dead. Kom. I.4. Declaredmightily to be the Son of God, by his R, furredion from the dead. a Pet. I. 21. Who byhim dobelieve inGod, that railed him up from the dead, and gave him glory. Now that this Miracle was really wrought, I (hall endeavour to (hew, by pro. ducing fuch Evidence for it, as the nature of the thing to be proved (which is matter of faEt) will bear. I (hall therefore, Firjf, Produce fuch Teflimony as we have for it. Secondly, Add tome Confederations that may ferve to give Strength and Ad- vantage to the Tetlimony. Firjt, For the Teftimony we have of this. In Ilion, we have it melted byan abundantly fufficient number of Eye- witnetres ; and greater Evidence than this, matter of fad is not capable of. For the Eye-witnefíes and the number of them, you have them produced by Sr. Paul, I Cor. i f. q, 6, 7, 8. The fam of what he faith is this; that Chriti after his Refurrettion, was teen once by Peter alone, once by games alone, and twice by all the Apoftles together, and by above five hun- dred Brethren at once. So that the number of the Eye- witnefhes is abundantly fuffcient. And that they did *tell this, appears by. the Hillary of the Gofpel, Zzzz which
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