Chap. 6.

2. The Miracles of Christ were not a few, but very numerous; not in one or two places, but diffufed over the Creation, thereby to proclaim that the Creator was come down to redeem the World. There were Miracles upon the Water, he turned it into Wine, John 2. 9. Shewing himself to be the Lord of Nature; here doing that in an instant, which he doth every year in the Vine: Miracles in the Sea, a fish brings him the tribute-money, Matth. 17. 27. to declare, that all Creatures were Tributaries to him. After an whole nights toil to no purpose, the Net being let down at his word, enclosed a great multitude of fishes, Luk. 5. 5, 6. So that the awe of his Divine Power fell upon all the Spectators. Miracles upon the Sea and Air together; in a Tempeft he rebuked the winds and the Sea, and there was a great calm, Matth. 8. 26, as a proof that all the Elements were his fervants. Miracles upon the loaves, in multiplying of them, John 6. 11, and upon the fig-tree, in making it to wither away, Matth. 21. 19; as a clear demonstration, that his bleffing and curfe were great things. Miracles upon the bodies of men, in healing all manner of fickness and disease, Matth. 4. 23; and upon their fouls too, in making them every whit whole, John 7. 23; in token that he was the great Phyfician of both. Miracles in Heaven: at his Birth a star conducted the Wife-men to him, Matth. 2.2; at his paffion the Sun was darkned, Matth. 27.45. The ftar waited upon its Creator at his Birth, the Sun fympathized with him in his Paffion. Miracles upon the Devils, in cafting them out by his Word, Matth. 8. 16. A fure fign, that the Powers of Hell could not ftand it out against

the

him. Very various are the Miracles of our Saviour Chap. 6. recorded in Scripture: But if all had been written, world could not have contained the books, faith St. John, Chap. 21. verf. 25. The words are Hyperbolical, yet they import, that many of his Works were not committed to Writing. Arnobius enumerates the miraculous Works of Chrift, and then cries out, Quid Adv. Gent. l. 1 fimile Dii omnes, a quibus opem dicitis ægris & periclitantibus latam? When did the Pagan Gods do the like, from whom you say, that help is afforded to men in sickness or danger? Never was there fuch plenty of Miracles as here.

3. The Miracles of Chrift were very great: He did thofe works which no other man did, Joh. 15. 24. It was never so seen in Ifrael, Matth. 9. 33. I fhall inftance in two or three things: First, he raised up the dead: The maid in her Fathers houfe, the young man carried out upon the byer, and Lazarus four days dead and stinking in the Grave. What things are these? How much above all the Powers in Nature? In the fixth Council at Conftantinople, Poly- crab. Tom. 2 chronius a Monothelite, in Confirmation of his opi- 386. nion, offered to raise up a dead man ; but upon tryal he could do nothing at all, which made the people cry out, Novo Simoni Anathema, Polychronio Jeductori populi Anathema. The Emperor Bafilius being in great grief for his deceased Son, Theodorus Spondan. Ane Santabarenus prefented his Son to him as alive; but this was but a meer Spectrum, an illufion of fenfe: After a few kiffes and embraces, the Emperor faw his Son no more. Apollonius did call up the Ghost of Achilles, that is to fay, a Devil, as the noble De Verit.Relig. Mornay peaks. Elifba raifed the Shunamites Son

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Chap. 6.

to life, but he was only a Minifter and a Type of Chrift; the Power of God did the work: but our Saviour raised the dead by his own Divine Power. Another instance is, his reftoring fight to one born blind, John 9. Touching which the blind man faith, Since the world began was it not heard, that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind, verf. 32. It was a work fit for the Meffiah. It is indeed storied, that Vefpafian the Emperor restored fight to the blind; but it may be the perfon was not really blind, at leaft not naturally. Satan (as Bellarmine well obferves might poffibly refide in his Eye, and impede the ufe of that part, that he might feem to cure, when he did but cease to hurt. But our Saviour by a Power above Nature and Art, did cure one really and naturally blind, and that with Clay ; a thing in it self more probable to put out Eyes, than to cure them. And fo there was, as the Rabbins fpeak, Miraculum in miraculo, one Miracle within another; much as it was, when the bitter waters were made fweet by falt, 2 King. 2. 21. Another inftance we have in his casting out Devils: this was the Finger and Power of God. It is faid indeed, that Apollonius did caft Devils out of Men: Rayn. de lib. But how? It was in the very Method and Discipline Ap. Tom. 2. fol. of Devils, by fuch words and fymbols as they themfelves had prescribed; fo it was not an ejection, but a going out by confent, to honour the Sacraments of their own making. But our Saviour did not cast them out in their own way; but whether they would or not, by his Almighty Power. It is further to be noted, that foon after the Death of our Saviour, the Devils Oracles were struck Dumb. The

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Oracle

Oracle told Auguftus, That the Hebrew - Child bid Chap. 6. him leave that houfe, and be gone to Hell, no more anfwers were to be expected from thence. Whereupon Auguftus erected an Altar in the Capitol, with this infcription upon it, Hæc ara eft primogeniti Dei; the Altar of the first-begotten of God. The Evangelical light made the Oracles ceafe, the Priests of Delphos were brought to beggery. Plutarch, wri- Morn, de Ver:ting touching the ceafing of Oracles, at last cometh to this point, That the Spirits were mortal, and by their Death the Oracles ceased. Oh! what an one was our Saviour, who made the Pagan Gods shrink and hide their heads? What a Divine Light was he who chafed away thofe falfe Lights? These Works were for Greatnefs, fuch as became God manifeft in the flesh.

4. The Miracles of Chrift were excellently fuited to the Evangelical defign. Miracles in their general Nature are exceffes of Nature, and therefore things very congruous to feal up those super-natural Truths, which are above our Reafon. Evangelical Mysteries are fuch as eye hath not feen, nor ear heard, neither have they entred into mans heart. They are above the line of Reafon, and fo very aptly ratified by thofe miraculous Works, which are above the line of Nature. We are in all Reafon to conclude, that God, who acts above Nature, is to be believed, even when he speaks above Reafon; which, being but a part of Nature, may be as well exceeded by Mysteries, as other parts of Nature are by Miracles. But further, his Miracles had a fpecial aptitude in them to confirm the Gofpel; they were not deftructive, as the wonders in Egypt were, nor meerly

Spond. Annal. 68.

Chap. 6. to raise an admiration, as Simon Magus's were, who would prefent himself flying in the air, frame walking-statues, and make bread out of stones, that he might be esteemed a great one, a kind of Deity among men: No, our Saviours Miracles were for the good of mankind; he went up and down doing of good, he healed the diftempers of men, and caft Devils out of their bodies. And what works could be more admirably fitted to the Gospel, which was ordained to heal inward diftempers, and caft Satan out of the Souls of men? What can better accord together than healing Miracles, and healing Doctrines? It is very reasonable to believe, that he, who did fuch wonders on the bodies of men, can do as much and more upon their fouls. He, who caft Satan out of the outward man, can eject him and all his furniture out of the inward. Moreover it is to be observed, that his Miracles were ordinarily wrought upon Faith. Thus he said to the Centurion, As thou haft believed, fo be it done to thee, Matth. 8. 13. Thus to the blind men, According to your faith be it unto yon, Matth. 9. 29. Thus to the Father of the poffeffed Child, If thou canst believe, all things are poffible to him that believeth, Mark 9. 23, as if the Divine Power were made over to Faith. We fee here, how our Saviour in doing his Miracles, did put an honour upon Faith, which is the Condition of the Gofpel; and withal, what great reafon we have to go to him for Spiritual Miracles, who hath done fo many Corporal.

The last instance of the Divine Power, is in converting the world to Chriftianity, in raifing up a People to God out of the ruins of the Fall. The

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