" buked the winds and waves" in a violent storm, " and there was a great calm; " " walked upon "the waves of the sea:" and, to complete the whole, he shewed that he had "power to lay down "his life and power to take it again." This last miracle was the grand sign given to that generation. It was predicted by the prophets; and so clearly foretold by Jesus himself, from the beginning of his ministry, that it was well known to the scribes, priests, and rulers: yet all their precautions were in vain; the body was gone, and their silence, after the bold and explicit testimony of the apostles to his resurrection, with the unqualified accusation of them, as the murderers of the Messiah, "the Prince of life," was a clear confession that they could adduce nothing against it. The testimony of twelve men of sober minds, good characters, and most evident disinterestedness; who had intimately known him for several years, and ate and drank with him after his resurrection, and saw him ascend towards heaven; was enough to prove any fact, not wholly impossible in the nature of things. In this testimony they all persevered, without one discordant voice, amidst labours, hardships, and persecutions, even until death; and most of them sealed it with their blood. Besides their testimony, very many others bare witness also; and the apostle Paul, several years after, could appeal to "to the greater part" of " five hundred" persons, who saw Jesus after his resurrection. But it was deemed proper to put the matter beyond all reasonable doubt : therefore, as if no human testimony was sufficient in such a cause, "God himself bare witness with ۱ 1 "signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, "and gifts of the Holy Ghost." The gift of tongues, enabling unlearned men to speak fluently, and understand readily, the languages of all the nations to whom they addressed themselves; every miracle which the apostles wrought " in the name " of Jesus of Nazareth;" every instance in which, by the laying on of their hands, they conferred on others the gift of tongues and the power of working miracles, not only increased the number of witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus, but was the attestation of God himself to their testimony. Either the resurrection of our Lord must be disproved; or it must stand confirmed, I had almost said, beyond demonstration, that "Jesus is the "Christ, the Son of the living God." Impostors have made many vain pretensions; but did any man, from the beginning of the world to this day, having rested the proof of his mission on this ground, 'Put me to death; and if I do not rise again on the third day, I am a deceiver:' I say, did any man ever establish such a demonstration of his mission, except Jesus of Nazareth? Why talk of magic and enchantment? What could these do in such a case as this? It appears then, that miracles, public, undeniable miracles, wrought in the name of God, (as an express proof and confirmation of a doctrine not manifestly contrary to preceding revelations in essential matters; and not only destitute of human support, but even vehemently opposed by the powerful, sagacious, and learned, and by Heb. ii. 4. 1 the multitude,) are one grand evidence that God sent him who wrought them, and by them God himself authenticates the testimony; that they introduce and make way for all other proofs ;and that, when such changes as Christianity introduced, are to be effected in consequence, by unarmed instruments, and without human power or violence, they are almost, if not absolutely, indispensable. When only a few of our Lord's miracles had been performed, they drew from a ruler and teacher in Israel the confession, in his own name and that of his companions, "Rabbi, we know "that thou art a teacher come from God: for no 2 man can do the miracles that thou doest, except "God be with him." "Many of the people," also, " believed on him, and said, When Christ "cometh, will he do more miracles than this man "doeth?" And the man born blind spoke unanswerably, when he said, "Herein is a marvellous "thing, that ye know not 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." 3 The council also felt the force of this proof, after Jesus had called Lazarus out of the grave. "What "do we? for this man doeth many miracles; and, " if we let him thus alone, all men will believe on " him." 4 After his resurrection, the testimony of the apostles produced the most embarrassing ' John iii. 1, 2. John ix. 29-34. 2 John vii. 31. 4 John xi. 47, 48. difficulties to the opposing rulers: and they were induced to put the cause on another kind of trial, when Gamaliel had counselled, after introducing apposite examples, "Refrain from these men, and " let them alone; for if this counsel and work be " of men, it will come to nought; but if it be of "God, ye cannot overthrow it: lest haply ye be "found to fight against God." 1 According to the reasoning of this prudent opponent, trial has been made for much above seventeen hundred years; and, because Christianity is " of God, " neither Jews nor gentiles, neither open enemies nor treacherous friends, have been able to overturn it, to this very day. After all, no other religion, from the beginning of the world, except that of Moses, and that of Jesus, ever claimed to have been introduced and established by public miracles, as the testimony of God to the teacher and his doctrine. Popish miracles, heathen miracles, and Mohammedan miracles, accord in this, that they were wrought, or asserted to be wrought, in favour of a religion already established and possessed of authority, or public favour; were wrought privately, among friends; or at most before those, who dared not, or were not able, or were not inclined, to investigate their pretensions. There are, therefore, no other claimants in this cause; though some men speak as if such claims were quite common things! The miracles of Moses and of Jesus were as much superior to all the effects of magic and enchantment, as well as to those of human imposture, "as the heavens are above Acts v. 33-40. "the earth." They stand on the same ground, and must be supported by the same arguments, and share the same fate. So that, if either Jew or Christian could succeed in discrediting the miracles of Moses or of Jesus, as God's attestation to the divine mission of either of them; every shrewd opposer of both, would perceive his advantage, and fight him with his own weapons: nay, the attempt itself would tend to universal seepticism. P. 46. 1. 18. The authority,' &c. The quotations, though inaccurate, on this page do not affect the main question. But, if the Messiah is to be only an earthly, and not a spiritual Deliverer ; what connexion can his coming, and the restoration of Israel, have with "the circumcision of the " heart to love the Lord?" (p. 47. 1. 12.) Is not this a spiritual blessing? Or what does Mr. C. suppose to be meant by it? Does he, with many writers concerning Christian baptism, suppose the sign and the thing signified to be the same, or inseparably connected with each other? P. 47. 1. 20. 'Let every one observe,' &c.The law of Moses, undeniably, contains three distinct kinds of precepts, moral, ceremonial, and judicial. The moral law is contained in the ten commandments; summed up in the two great commandments of loving God with all the "heart," and "our neighbour as ourselves;" and explained and enforced by every precept or exhortation in scripture, requiring piety, justice, temperance, inward purity, truth, and love. The 1 |