false miracles are wrought by creatures. For God to do only that which any creature can do, is no miracle; because, by doing what creatures are able to do, he does not discover his own power or interposition. And to suppose that creatures can perform miracles, is to suppose that there is no real perceptible difference between a miracle and a common action. For upon this supposition, a miracle, as well as a common action, is per formed by that power which is natural to creatures. And one exertion of mere natural power is no more a miracle than another. Hence, there is nothing that men can do by their natural power, which deserves the name of a miracle. And for the same reason, nothing can be called a miracle which Satan idgebias is able to do by his natural power. So that no creatures whatever can work miracles. But if no creatures can work mira-though cles, then miracles must be such effects as are wrought by the d dat immediate power and agency of God, out of the usual course of his operation. Accordingly we find that the scripture distinguishes true miracles from false, by ascribing true miracles to God, and false miracles, or lying wonders, to created agents. The miracles of Moses are ascribed to God; but the miracles of the magicians to their enchantments. And the magicians themselves made the same distinction. When lice were produced, they said unto Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God." Paul ascribes the false miracles of the Man of sin to the agency of Satan. "And then shall that wicked be revealed whose coming is after the working of Satan, with all power, and signs, and lying wonders." And the apostle John ascribes these same signs and lying wonders to the operation of the devil. "And I saw three unclean spirits, like frogs, come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils working miracles." Now if there be a distinction between true miracles and false; and if all miracles and signs which are wrought by wicked men or devils are false miracles, or lying wonders; then it necessarily follows that all true miracles are the immediate production of the Deity, or effects wrought by God himself, out of the common course of nature. The way is now prepared,

II. To point out the professed purpose for which miracles were wrought. We must suppose that God had some important purpose to answer, by stepping out of the usual course of his operation, and suspending the laws of nature. And if we

look into the Bible, we shall find that the great design which God expressly proposed in working miracles was, to attest the divine mission of those whom he authorized to bear his messages to mankind. Here we may observe,

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1. This purpose was expressly proposed at the time when miracles were wrought. God promised Moses and Aaron that he would attest their divine mission to Pharaoh, whenever he should call for their credentials. "And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, saying, When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Show a miracle for you; then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod and cast it before Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent." And when God came down upon mount Sinai, with majesty and great glory, it was to give a clear and striking testimony to the divine mission of Moses. "And the Lord said unto Moses, Lo I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever." After Elijah had publicly professed to be a true prophet, he prayed to God to confirm his profession by a special miracle. "And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Jacob, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word." God heard this his request, and attested his divine mission, before all the people, by miraculously consuming the sacrifice prepared. The miracles of Christ are expressly said to be attestations of his divine authority. "Ye men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you, by miracles, and wonders, and signs, which God did by him, in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know." When Peter went to Cornelius, he again asserted that God had borne public testimony to the divine mission of Christ by miracles. Then Peter opened his mouth and said, The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ; (he is Lord of all;) That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judea, and began, in Galilee, after the baptism, which John preached; how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power; who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him." And as God attested the divine mission of Christ by miracles, so Christ gave the same kind of attestation to the divine mission of the apostles. "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. So then, after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following." With this agrees the account given of Paul and Barnabas, while they continued at Iconium. "Long time, therefore, abode they, speaking boldly in the Lord, who

gave testimony unto the word of his grace, and granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands." Hence it appears that the professed purpose for which miracles were wrought, under both the Jewish and Christian dispensations, was to attest the divine mission of those whom God authorized to reveal his will to the children of men. And this leads us to observe,

2. That the prophets, Christ, and the apostles, appealed to miracles, as the highest credentials of their divine mission. We have already seen that Moses and Elijah appealed to miracles, to prove that they were sent of God, to reveal his will and plead his cause. Our Saviour likewise appealed to his miracles, as the highest credentials of his mediatorial character and conduct. When John sent two of his disciples to Jesus, to inquire whether he was the promised Messiah, instead of saying in so many words, that he was the Christ, he referred them to his miracles, as the highest proof of it. "And John calling unto him two of his disciples, sent them to Jesus, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another? Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached." When the scribes questioned his authority to forgive sins, he wrought a miracle to prove it. "And Jesus knowing their thoughts, said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? For whether is easier? to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. And he arose and departed unto his house. But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, who had given such power unto men." When the Jews accused him of blasphemy, for claiming to be the Son of God, he appealed to his miracles to prove the propriety of his claim. "If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works." And to confirm the same truth, he said again to the Jews: "Believe me, that I am in the Father, and the Father in me; or else believe me for the very works' sake." Upon the occasion of his curing the impotent man on the Sabbath, he once more vindicated his divine authority and mission, by appealing first to the testimony of John, and then to the testimony of his miracles. "But I have greater witness than that of John; for the works that the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me." Peter and John appealed to a miracle wrought in their favor, to confirm the divine authority by which they

preached the gospel, and acted in the name of Christ. "Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, if we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole; be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole." When this stopped the mouths of their adversaries, who durst only threaten them, they took courage, and prayed that the testimony of miracles might still attend their preaching. "Now, Lord, behold their threatenings: And grant unto thy servants that with all boldness they may speak thy word, by stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus." Paul, the last of the apostles, appealed once and again to his miracles, as the infallible evidence of his apostleship, which was frequently called in question. To the Romans he says, "I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient, by word and deed, through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ." And to convince the Corinthians of the reality of his divine mission, he was obliged to appeal to his miracles, the proper and acknowledged signs of an apostle. "I am become a fool in glorying: Ye have compelled me: For I ought to have been commended of you; For in nothing am I behind the very chiefest apostles, though I am nothing. Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds."

It is now sufficiently evident, we trust, that miracles were wrought for the professed purpose of proving the divine mission of those whom God sent to reveal his will to the children of men. This appears from the plain declarations of scripture, and from the conduct of the prophets, of Christ, and of the apostles, who constantly appealed to miracles as the highest credentials of their divine mission and authority to speak and act in the name of the living and true God. It only remains to make it appear,

III. That miracles answer the end for which they were designed.

What we mean by this proposition is, that miracles carry such evidence of the truth and divinity of the scriptures, as ought to convince us that they are the word of God. It is true, the evidence of miracles, as well as any other external evidence of the inspiration of the scriptures, may be disregarded, and of

consequence disbelieved. It is not pretended, therefore, that miracles give irresistible evidence of revealed religion; but only such evidence as is sufficient to convince every one who examines it with attention and candor. But before we proceed to illustrate this point, it seems necessary to meet the enemies of divine revelation in the threshold, and to premise that the miracles which are recorded in scripture are as credible, or worthy to be believed, as any other facts, which are related in the Bible, or in any other ancient history. They were addressed to men's eyes, and ears, and understandings. They were performed in the face of day, in the most public places, and in the most public manner. And they were of such an uncommon and extraordinary nature, as to excite the curiosity and attention of both friends and foes. These circumstances put it into the power of the spectators to examine their reality. The miracles of Moses were exhibited before the king, and court, and wise men of Egypt; which gave them the fairest opportunity of satisfying themselves whether they were realities, or mere delusions. The miracle of Elijah was wrought before the prophets, and priests, and people of Israel, who, with one consent and with a loud voice, proclaimed their belief of the fact. The miracles which were wrought in favor of Daniel and the three worthies were exhibited in the most public manner, and before vast multitudes of spectators. Our Saviour's miracles were performed on public and solemn occasions, and in the presence of friends and enemies. He raised Lazarus and the widow's son from the dead, before large collections of people. And Peter cured the impotent man at the gate of the temple, in the midst of the rulers and people of Israel. And in all these instances, the beholders were constrained to acknowledge the reality of the miracles. Besides, there was another circumstance which greatly increased the credibility of the miracles that are recorded in the Bible. They were never wrought on slight or trivial occasions, but only when some end, worthy of the Deity, required his immediate interposition and exertion. By leaving out this single circumstance, a late writer has endeavored to destroy the importance, and consequently the credibility of miracles. He has this shrewd remark: "Suppose I were to say, that when I sat down to write this book, a hand presented itself in the air, took up the pen and wrote every word that is herein written; would any body believe me? Certainly they would not." It is granted they would not believe him; and for this plain reason occasion did not require the interposition of the Deity. But this cannot be said in respect to the miracles which are recorded in scripture. They were wrought on important occasions, which required the interposition of the immediate hand of

-the