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are the Words of our bleffed Saviour, Think not that I am come to deftroy the Law or the Prophets: I am not come to deftroy, but to fulfil. For verily I fay unto you, Till Heaven and Earth pafs, one fot or one Tittle shall in no wife pass from the Law, till all be fulfilled. Matt. v. 17, 18. And during the whole Course of his Miniftry he conftantly appealed to the Teftimony of the Law and the Prophets: Had you believed in Mofes, fays he to the Jews, you would have believed me; for be wrote of me. And his Apostle St. Paul, in his Defence before King Agrippa, gives this Account of the Gospel he preached: Having obtained Help of God, I continue unto this Day witneffing both to Small and Great, faying none other Things than thofe which the Prophets and Mofes did fay fhould come. And indeed one Revelation admitted to be of divine Authority must be a Touchftone to try all fucceeding Revelations by: For God cannot contradict himself; and the great Works done by Mofes and by Christ are not only an Evidence of their divine Authority, but are a Bar to all fucceeding Pretenders. The Miracles reported to have been done in the Heathen World are unworthy of God, confidered either in themselves, or the End propofed

pofed by them: For let it be observed, that God never works Miracles merely to astonish and furprize People, but always to serve some great Ends of Providence: And though he has in Favour of his People, and fometimes even of particular Perfons, wrought a Mirade; yet, when he published the Law and the Gofpel, he did not reft the Authority upon one or more fingle Miracles, but upon a long Series of Miracles exhibited from Day to Day for Years together. And, if Miracles are properly applied as a Proof of the Purposes and the Will of God, Miracles wrought without being attended with any Declaration of God's Will in which we have any Concern, are very improper Inftances to be fet up in oppofition to those of Mofes and Christ, upon which the Happiness of Mankind depends in this Life, and that which is to come. This Confideration gives Weight and Authority to the Miracles of the Gofpel: For it was a Defign worthy of God to restore Mankind to that Happiness which they had forfeited: And it was a Work in every View of equal Dignity and Benevolence with the Creation: For, if God is adorable in the Work of the Creation, he is equally fo in the Work of Redemption; and there is at

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least as much Goodness in making Men happy, as in making them at all.

With what Colour of Reafon can the pretended Miracles of the Heathen World be brought into this Question, which were done upon trifling Occafions, unworthy of the Interpofition of God? Look into all the antient Oracles; fee to what mean Purposes they are applied, and how often they prove destructive to those who relied on them; and then tell me what Marks you fee of divine Wisdom or Goodness in them, that should fet them upon an equal Foot with the Miracles of Chrift Jefus.

We read in the Old Teftament of fome Miracles wrought in Behalf of particular People, and for particular Purposes: But neither are these, though of divine Authority, to be fet in competition with the Miracles of the Gofpel: For they were not introductory to any Scheme of Religion, or new Declaration of God's Will, but are rather to be confidered as Acts of Government, and fuitable to the Character of God as King of Ifrael; for, where the Government itself was divine, no wonder to fee the Measures of the Government to be of the fame Kind. And this Character of God being peculiar to the Jews,

Jews, is the Reafon why fuch Miracles were frequent under the Jewish Law, and are very rarely to be met with under the Gospel.

Secondly, I am to confider what fort of Works are to be admitted for Miracles in proving the Truth of any Religion. The first Sufpicion that men naturally have of any one who pretends to Prophecy or Inspiration, is, that he has contrived the whole Matter himself: For we have seen many Vifions and Inspirations imposed on the Vulgar by Men of very bad Heads or very bad Hearts. And therefore the first Inquiry is, whether the Miracles might not proceed from human Art or Cunning.

And fhall I undertake to prove, that it exceeds the Power of Man to raise the Dead to Life, to give Sight to the Blind, and to cure all Diseases by the Word of his Mouth? No: Never was any fuch Attempt fet up. But perhaps no fuch Miracles were ever really done, and the People were deceived by false Appearances. As for Inftance; When the Man born blind was reftored to Sight, he did not indeed recover his Eyes, but all the reft of the People loft theirs; which I think would be the greater Miracle of the two: For it is as easy to believe that the Word

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of Chrift fhould make one man fee, as that it fhould make a thousand blind.

But must they, you will fay, of neceffity proceed from God, because they could not be wrought by Men? Were they Effects of nothing else but infinite Power?

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The Miracles of the Gofpel, being fuch Works as neither Human Wisdom or Power can perform, force us to have recourse to a fuperior invifible Caufe. But ftill you will fay, Can the Wit of Man difcover all the different Orders of Beings between himself and his Creator, their Powers and Properties, fo as with Security to affirm that no Being, but the All-wife and All-mighty God could perform these wonderful Things; especially confidering that no Effects, neither the Miracles of the Gofpel, nor the Works of Nature can prove directly an infinite Power or Wisdom? For who will be bold to fay, that the Wisdom and Power of God were exhaufted in the vifible Works of the Creation, fo that there is nothing either wifer or greater that infinite Wisdom and Power can contrive or execute?

Let this Matter be rightly stated, and thus it will ftand: The Works of Nature are certain Proofs of an All-powerful Cause; not

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