themselves as the total destruction of Jerusalem and the temple during that generation of men; and the extensive conversion of the Gentiles to a religion which took its rise from a despised and hated people, and contradicted the prejudices and passions of man. kind.

Though an impostor would not have prophesied of events just at hand, that he might avoid a speedy detection, before the worldly advantages proposed by him could arise from his imposture; yet there may be wise reasons why a true prophet chose to predict not only approaching but distant facts. Thus the evidence for his religion becomes a growing one : and it appears that the prophecies were inserted in the history before their completion. We have indeed the strongest proof from historical evidence, from internal marks, and from the character of the writers, that all our Lord's prophecies were actually uttered at the very time represented by the evangelists: but when we know that some of them were accomplished after the existence of the four gospels, and when we see them accomplishing at this day, we need no proof that the accomplishment is posterior to the time of the writer who records the prediction.

The clearness of our Lord's prophecies is another point which deserves to be insisted on. They are generally delivered to his disciples in plain historical language. Where figures occur, which happens very b rarely, they are such as the easterns were accustomed to in their discourse and sacred writings.

b Matt. xix. 28. Luke xxii. 30. Matt. xxiv. 29, 30, 31. and p. p.

There is nothing obscure or ambiguous, like the ancient oracles; except where he purposely concealed his meaning from the Jews under figure or parable. To his disciples he spake with great plainness and perspicuity.

What our Lord said to his immediate followers may well be considered as addressed to all mankind. "Now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe." A wise man may foresee some events, relating to an individual or a nation, which depend on a formed character and a connected train of circumstances. But reason and experience shew that there are likewise events of so contingent and improbable a nature, that the foresight of them exceeds the greatest human sagacity : and that it is infinitely above the knowledge of man to point out a variety of such facts, and the circumstances of them, whether near or distant, with a certainty which has not failed in a single instance. This belongs to God, and to those whom he inspires: and accordingly the great Searcher of hearts and Disposer of events thus challenged the false heathen deities by his prophet Isaiah: "Shew the things which are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods."

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As John ii. 19. ib. vii. 38. d ib. xiv. 29. See also c. xiii. 19. xvi. 4. The Mohammedan doctors insist on the following general prophecy as a convincing proof that the Koran came down from heaven. "The Greeks have been overcome by the Persians, in the nearest part of their land; but, after their defeat, they shall overcome the others in their turn, within a few years. Sale's Koran, c. xxx. p. 330, 1. f c. xli. 23.

SECTION II.

OF OUR LORD'S MIRACLES: AND OF SOME OTHER PROOFS THAT HE WAS SENT FROM GOD.

MY subject now leads me to shew how wisely our Lord's miracles were circumstanced; and how convincing a proof of his divine mission arises from them.

The Jewish history is full of miracles from the time of Abraham to the Babylonish captivity. But, after the restoration of that people, to the birth of Christ, there was an intermission of them for more than five centuries. John the Baptist was " a prophet, yea, and more than a prophet;" but it is expressly said of him that he "wrought no miracle." After so long an interval, it was reserved for our Lord himself to raise the attention of his people by miraculous operations which, though at all times awful and astonishing, must have struck men with additional force by the novelty of their appearance.

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Our Lord's miracles were of various kinds. He converted water into wine: he made the blind to see, the lame to walk, the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak he restored one who had been bent together, he cleansed lepers, made the maimed whole, and healed epilepsy, lunacy, madness, and every human malady: "he communicated such miraculous powers to his disciples as filled them with exultation and

a Matt. xi. 9. b John x. 41. Jesus liberalis miraculorum.

Grotius on John ii. 19. calls

d Matt. x. 8. Luke x. 17.

astonishment: he blasted a fig tree by his word, caused astonishing draughts of fishes to be taken, fed thousands with the subsistence of a very few, walked on the waves, stilled the winds and the sea, and raised the dead.

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And, under some of these kinds, his miracles were so many, that their number exceeds the sum of all which are recorded in the Hebrew scriptures as performed by God's prophets. Besides those distinctly transmitted down to us, there are numerous acts of supernatural power which are referred to in general terms. At the first passover many believed in Jesus's name, when they saw the miracles which he did." In his first circuit about Galilee, "he & healed all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people. And his fame went throughout all Syria and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those who were possessed with demons, and those who were lunatic, and those who had the palsy ; and he healed them." In Capernaum "when the even [of the sabbath] was come, [for the Jews scrupled thus to employ the sabbath itself,] they brought unto him many that were possessed with demons; and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick." Before he taught his disciples on the mount, a i great multitude of people came to be healed of their diseases; and they that were vexed

Dr. Benson reckons about fifty places in the gospels where we have a distinct account of different miracles. Life of Christ, p. 351. f John ii. 23. 8 Matt. iv. 23, 24. hib. viii. 16. and p. p.

Luke vi. 17, 18, 19.

with unclean spirits; and they were healed. And the whole multitude sought to touch him for there went power out of him; and he healed them all.” When two of John's disciples came to him,

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that same hour he had cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and to many blind he had given sight." He pronounced a wo on Chorazin and Bethsaida for remaining impenitent, notwithstanding" the mighty works which he had done in them:" and yet the evangelists are silent on the miracles performed in Chorazin, and record the performance of only a single miracle near Bethsaida. During his second perambulation of Galilee, he "healed every sickness and every disease among the people." There were "many other women" besides Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Susanna, who followed Jesus and "ministered to him of their substance, because they had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities." Before he fed the five thousand, Jesus "was moved with compassion towards them, and healed their sick." When he and his disciples came out of a ship into the land of Gennesaret, they "ran through that region round about, and began to carry about in beds those that were sick, where they heard he was. And whithersoever he entered, into villages or cities or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment and as many as touched it were made

Luke vii. 21. "Matt. ix. 35.

Mark vi. 54, 5, 6.