that were performed by Christ and by His apostles; and a general observation of them must now suffice. They were all, or nearly all, of that benevolent description which harmonizes with the general character of the Gospel; they were accommodated to man's domestic and social enjoyments; and they diffused comfort and delight in the hearts and in the homes of those who were the subjects and partakers of them. The first miracle performed by Christ was at a marriage feast in Cana of Galilee, where He turned water into wine; and the second was at Capernaum, where He healed the nobleman's son by a word, although Jesus Himself was at Cana in Galilee. Afterwards He healed the impotent man at the pool of Bethesda at Jerusalem. He fed five thousand men in the wilderness with five barley loaves and two small fishes. He gave sight to one who was born blind, and by a word He raised Lazarus from the dead; and also the widow's son at Nain. But the most important of all Christ's miracles, was His own resurrection from the dead. And many others were performed by Him, which are not recorded; as the evangelist informs us, "And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that, believing, ye might have life through His name." (John xx. 30, 31.) Many miracles were also achieved by the apostles after Christ had ascended into glory. A great difference, however, was manifested by Christ and by His disciples in the mode of working miracles. Christ performed His by His own authority and power; but the apostles wrought theirs in the name of their Lord and Master; by which we perceive the superiority of Christ over all His disciples. Peter and John healed the cripple at the gate of the temple. Ananias and Sapphira were struck dead because they tempted the Spirit of the Lord: "And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people." (Acts v. 12.) When Philip preached the Gospel in Samaria, many miracles and signs were effected by him. Eneas was healed of his infirmity, and Dorcas raised from the dead, by Peter; yea, even the shadow of this apostle possessed a miraculous effect, and multitudes of sick and possessed of devils were restored through his instrumentality. Elymas was struck blind, and the impotent man healed, by St. Paul; and among the barbarous people of Melita, when a venomous serpent fastened upon his hand, it did him no harm. With the apostles, as we have already noticed, authenticating miracles closed; but thousands who witnessed them believed, and turned to the Lord. And if the records of these signs and wonders can be satisfactorily sustained, they will also furnish a basis for our faith, against which the gates of hell shall never prevail. Although miracles were so convincing, yet they were not the only evidences which the inspired men possessed, but one class of proof among many that they were the commissioned messengers of God. 10th. Truth will bear the most scrutinizing investigation, and the more severely it is tested, the purer and more glorious it will appear. The miracles recorded in the inspired volume are of such a truthful and commanding character, that the more closely and thoroughly they are examined, the more their reality is evinced, and the more unexceptionable will the argument based upon them appear. The word of God shuns no test, but invites it in the closest, clearest, and most impartial manner. No false or invented miracle will pass the ordeal through which the Scripture miracles pass without injury to their claims and character. And we are willing to add any additional criterion which can be reasonably and truthfully applied; and these observations are not intended to be confined to a few of those recorded in the sacred page, but to them generally, whether performed in the Old or New Testament dispensation. 11th. The first selection of miracles which we shall make to elucidate the argument derived from them, viz., that they were divine authentications that the men, at whose instance they were wrought, were the appointed messengers of God to assert His sovereignty, and to declare His will, will be those recorded in the Old Testament dispensation; especially those wrought by Moses, or in reference to him. No one acquainted with the records of those miracles will doubt their importance either in respect of the present or eternal interests of mankind; nor can there be any doubt respecting their impressive majesty, or that they were worthy of the occasions upon which they were wrought. Reason dictates that miracles should be among the last resorts to produce conviction, and that they should not occur except for some purpose of great importance connected with the liberties or morals of mankind; and they should be of such a character as to carry conviction that they were performed directly by God, and that in themselves they demonstrated the glory of His power, and the reality of His government. The miracles of Moses fully elucidate these requirements. Moses himself needed the most satisfactory proof that he was sent, and that he would be supported by God, before he commenced so momentous a mission; by this alone could he be induced to undertake it; but, when so convinced, his reliance would not be in himself, but in Him who sent him. The appearance of the Lord at the burning bush, and His address to Moses, comported with the greatness of the object, and were assuring of success. It was equally necessary that the Israelites and Egyptians should be convinced of the same facts, that the former might intrust themselves to the guidance of Moses, and that the latter might know that he was acting under immediate divine direction. And the signs and wonders which were wrought in Egypt were convincing proofs of divine interference and power. The objects to be accomplished were of paramount importance to the human race, viz., to assert the universal dominion of God, and the responsibility of man to His moral government. The emancipation of millions of people from cruel and murderous bondage was an act worthy of Him who is Lord of all, and by that act He manifested the utter nothingness of all the gods of Egypt, and the jugglery of their priests; and also showed Himself to be the avenger of human wrongs and oppressions; the great conservator of rights and liberties in human society, and the D that were performed by Christ and by His apostle d when fences, arned hese ed .t The + a, were miting the this was done ctators. By the and the Israelites signal that sea closed ..hin its precincts were all in secret, nor before a few y and professedly. The whole em in a most poignant degree; ed, from Pharaoh to the maid behind cars reluctant, yet favourable, testimony, tertained of its truth: here the greatest nesses, and those whose interests led them to diabolical arts; yet these were constrained to is is the finger of God," and they confessed, unless they were "all dead men." The surrounding nations nese mighty acts of the Lord, how He had dried up the and thus indirectly they were added as witnesses to the he whole nation of Israel beheld the great plagues which rought upon Egypt; and hence these miracles must have been essed and confessed by millions, both of friends and foes; and they were "known in all the earth," we cannot imagine any tions to have been more openly performed, or any in which there ould be a more complete absence of deception or delusion. people o did hir authe belie and ba vwere also of such a character that they were capable of on and thorough investigation; they were open, palpable, d fully appreciable by those who witnessed them. Had > least imposition in them, it would have been instantly he wisdom and learning of Egypt. These miracles in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his ense by which an event is conveyed to the mind ition and appealed to, that it might test its the hearing must have been fully satisfied h his hand towards heaven, and "the Lord he fire ran along upon the ground," by Egypt was devastated; the senses of ghly exercised, for "the river stank, of the water of the river;" and kness was a darkness which might r. C and beast that were in the field The duration of their continuance, ample opportunity for testing them, The river was smitten for a period of asted for three days, and the plagues were y, and all the Israelites were protected from umstances in connexion with these plagues were sted, and were so by the most subtle men upon the result of their investigations convinced them that they unexceptionable. ese miracles were not unusual events merely, and that they t brought about in the ordinary nature of things, the causes of were unknown, and the repetition of which causes would proce similar results, is evident from the sign or act by which they were produced, or rather by which they were regulated and determined. The act of smiting a river with a rod has no natural power to turn that river for hundreds of miles into blood; the lifting up of a rod, and stretching it over the sea, has no natural cause in it to divide its waters for miles, so that they should be as walls on each side. No natural effect can be produced without an equivalent cause, but here there is no natural cause equal to the effect; but the sign of the event in the insufficiency of the cause more impressively indicates the reality of the miracle. Some of those signs were wrought in a specified time mentioned by Pharaoh himself, which excludes the least thought of natural cause and effect. In the case of miracles, the natural and physical cause is not, as under other circumstances, equal to the effect; but there is either an evidence of an exclusive supernatural cause, that is, there is no physical medium whatever, or the instrumental cause is manifestly unequal to the effect produced; but the use of inadequate means as a sign more clearly indicates a miraculous operation, because it shows that the event is at that time expected to ensue. It is, therefore, no objection to a miracle that external means were employed, which were manifestly inadequate to the operation; neither does it render the miracle dependent upon second diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow." (1 Peter i. 10, 11.) : 4th. In no less a degree do we claim "plenary inspiration" for the New Testament writers: and we do so for the same reason, because they claim it for themselves, and for one another. As infallible teachers of the New Covenant, they needed full instructions and directions; and these they were promised by Christ, by whose Spirit the Old Testament writers were inspired. The general character of the inspiration of the apostles is thus stated by our Lord: "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." (John xiv. 26.) And again: "Howbeit when the Spirit of truth is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will show you things to come." (John xvi. 13.) In these passages the Holy Ghost is promised to the apostles to teach them "all things," to bring "all things" to their "remembrance," to guide them into "all truth," and to show them "things to come; these expressions signify plenary inspiration, which extend even to the words which they should use, which were engaged to be given them in times of persecution: "But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you." (Matt. x. 19, 20.) Many indirect proofs may be selected from the writings of the apostles which confirm this view; such as, that the Gospel is "the power of God unto salvation," and other assertions of this class; but we shall confine ourselves chiefly to those more direct assertions which carry evidence in themselves. We have already noticed that Christ promised the apostles divine inspiration; and that they claimed such inspiration for themselves and for each other, is evident from their own proceedings and testimony. It is recorded concerning them on the day of Pentecost, "And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.' (Acts ii. 4.) After this St. Paul was called to the holy office, and St. Peter claims an inspiration for him, and for his Epistles, equally with the other scriptures: "Even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; as also in all his Epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other Scriptures, unto their own destruction." (2 Peter iii. 15, 16.) And they claimed the same distinction for themselves. St. Paul in the most unqualified manner does so when he says, "But I certify you, brethren, that the Gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received |