Heaven. It was highly becoming the Supreme Being to attest the divine mission of Moses and the prophets, of Christ and the apostles, whom he sent to accomplish the most interesting and important designs. This consideration gives a credibility to scripture miracles, which cannot be found in the strange and wonderful things related by profane authors. And notwithstanding some weak and superficial writers in favor of infidelity have called in question the existence of the miracles which are recorded in the Bible; yet Josephus, Celsus, and Julian, the most learned and bitter enemies of the christian religion, have frankly acknowledged their truth and reality. We may rely upon it, therefore, that the miracles which are related in scripture did actually exist. This being premised, we proceed to observe,

1. The miracles of the prophets, of Christ, and of the apostles, carried as much evidence of their divine mission as mankind ever required. Pharaoh required no higher evidence that Moses came from God, than his working miracles. It seems to have been a given point with the people of Israel, that if Elijah wrought a real miracle, he was the true prophet of the Lord. And the Jews in general expected the Messiah, when he came, would exhibit no higher evidence of his divine mission, than that of miracles. This they acknowledged on a certain occasion, by saying, "When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done?" Besides, his enemies frequently desired and required him to produce the testimony of miracles, in favor of his divine mission and authority. Once they said, "What sign showest thou, that we may see and believe thee?" Once they said, "Master, we would see a sign from thee." And they repeatedly desired him, "that he would show them a sign from heaven." Men had a right to expect and require this evidence of the divine mission of the prophets, Christ, and the apostles; and when they exhibited this evidence in their favor, every person ought to have been entirely satisfied with it. It is, therefore, the dictate of common sense, that those divine teachers gave clear and sufficient evidence of their divine mission, by the miracles which they wrought.

2. Their miracles actually convinced many, of their divine mission. The Jewish nation in general were convinced "that God spake unto Moses." Many individuals believed that Christ was sent of God. His first miracle "manifested forth his glory, and his disciples believed on him." While he attended the passover at Jerusalem, "many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did." His miracles convinced Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, of his divine mission.

"Rabbi," says he, "we know that thou art a teacher come from God; for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him." His giving sight to the man born blind raised a dispute about the evidence of miracles, and finally discovered the conviction which that miracle carried to the minds of the candid. "Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the Sabbath day. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them. They say unto the blind man again, What sayest thou of him, that he hath opened thine eyes? He said, He is a prophet. Then said they unto him, Give God the praise; we know that this man is a sinner. He answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not; One thing I know, that whereas I was blind, now I see. Then said they to him again, What did he to thee? How opened he thine eyes? He answered them, I have told you already, and ye did not hear; Wherefore would ye hear it again? Will ye also be his disciples? Then they reviled him and said, Thou art his disciple; but we are Moses' disciples. We know that God spake unto Moses; As for this fellow, we know not from whence he is. The man answered and said unto them, Why, herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes. Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind. If this man were not of God he could do nothing." Christ raised Lazarus from the grave, after he had been dead four days, with a view to make men believe his divine mission, and he actually accomplished his purpose. The account is this: "Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I know that thou hearest me always: But because of the people which stand by, I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. And when he had thus spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes; and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go. Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him. But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done. Then gathered the chief priests and the pharisees a council, and said, What do we? For this man doth many miracles. If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him; and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation." The miracles of the apostles carried equal conviction to the specta

And

tors, who were equally prejudiced against them. The Jewish council, who arraigned Peter and John before them for healing the man lame from his mother's womb, were fully convinced of their divine mission, by the evidence of that miracle. "Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled, and they took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus. And beholding the man that was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, saying, What shall we do to these men? For that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it." There is another instance of the convincing evidence of miracles which is related in the eighth of Acts. "Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.-Then Simon himself believed also; And when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done." It appears from these facts, that the miracles of the prophets, Christ, and the apostles, did actually convince both friends and foes, that they were teachers come from God.

3. Their miracles carried such evidence of their divine authority, as none of their powerful and subtile enemies could gainsay or destroy. Men of corrupt minds used all their power and art to destroy their credentials; but they were unable to accomplish their malignant purpose. The magicians, at first, confronted the miracles of Moses with their enchantments; but they were finally constrained to acknowledge the finger of God in favor of the prophet. The prophets of Baal attempted to destroy the authority of Elijah; but the miracle which they labored in vain to produce, and which he actually wrought, completely destroyed their credit, and established his own. The miracles of Christ put to silence both men and devils. And though some presumed to imitate the miracles of the apostles, yet they met with that shame, reproach and disappointment, which they justly deserved. Let us read the account. "And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul; so that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them. Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits, the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth. And there were seven sons of

And

one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so. the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? And the man in whom the evil spirit was, leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of the house naked and wounded. And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord was magnified. And many that believed came, and confessed, and showed their deeds. Many also of them which used curious arts, brought their books together, and burned them before all men; and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. So mightily grew the word of God, and prevailed." Thus effectually did miracles answer the purpose for which they were wrought. They triumphed over all opposition, exposed the delusions of Satan, and constrained even diviners and sorcerers to believe the truth and divinity of the gospel.

4. Miracles pledge the divine veracity, and therefore infallibly prove the divine mission of those in whose favor they are wrought. We have shown that they are produced by the finger of God, and for the professed purpose of confirming the divine mission of those whom he authorizes to reveal his will. Hence miracles have the nature of a testimony, and do actually pledge the divine veracity. God assured Moses, when he sent him to Pharaoh, that he would confirm his mission by miracles. And Christ gave the same assurance to his disciples when he sent them to preach the gospel. "Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick." All the true prophets and apostles had the promise of God that he would work miracles to manifest to the world that he sent them. Accordingly, they had a right to call upon God to work miracles, to confirm their divine mission. This right Elijah exercised, when Ahaziah sent a band of soldiers to apprehend him. "Then the king sent unto him a captain of fifty, with his fifty. And he went up to him. And behold he sat on the top of an hill. And he spake unto him, Thou man of God, the king hath said, Come down. And Elijah answered, and said to the captain of fifty, If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty." Elijah called upon God to fulfil his promise, and confirm his mission. This miracle was the fulfilment of God's promise, and pledged his veracity that Elijah was his prophet. Just so, when God wrought a miracle in favor of any prophet or apostle, he said,

by his conduct, which spake louder than words, "This is my servant; hear ye him." Hence, God is said to bear witness to the divine mission of Christ and of the apostles, by giving them his own testimony of miracles. Christ says, "I have greater witness than that of John; for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me." And of the apostles it is said, that " God did bear them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles." A witness pledges his veracity. And when God witnessed the divine mission of Christ and of the apostles, he pledged his own veracity. Hence the evidence of miracles is the most plain, obvious and infallible proof of the divine mission of the prophets, of Christ, and of the apostles, that an infinitely wise and powerful and faithful God could give to them, and to those to whom they were sent. It is now necessary to observe once

more,

5. That this infallible proof of revealed religion is perpetual, and justly claims the belief of all who enjoy the Bible. Some who seem to allow that miracles might be a temporary proof of revealed religion, yet deny that they can be a standing evidence of divine revelation. A late retailer of infidelity presumes to say," A miracle could be but a thing of the moment, and seen but by a few; after this, it requires a transfer of faith from God to man, to believe a miracle upon man's report. Instead, therefore, of admitting the recitals of miracles as evidence of any system of religion being true, they ought to be considered as symptoms of its being fabulous." This representation is extremely unjust and fallacious, because it confounds ideas which ought to be kept entirely distinct. The existence of miracles is one thing, and the evidence which their existence affords in favor of revealed religion is another. Our belief that miracles did really exist must depend upon human testimony; but our belief that they prove a divine mission must depend upon divine testimony. We must believe the reality of miracles upon the report of those who saw them performed; and they believed the existence of the miracles which they saw performed, upon the testimony of their own eyes, and ears, and other senses. The belief of the existence of miracles in both these cases is wholly founded upon human testimony, without any transfer of faith from God to man. Now this being true, it is easy to see that miracles afford us precisely the same evidence of a divine mission that they afforded the spectators themselves. The sacred writers have told us what miracles were wrought in favor of the prophets,