Thus, when St. John fent to him to inquire expressly whether he was the Christ, or no, he shewed the meffengers his works, and bade them relate to John what they had feen; referring it to him to judge by his works, which were the only proper evidence, whether he were the Chrift, or no.

The truth then of Christianity resting upon the authority of miracles, I fhall endeavour in the following discourse to shew,

First, Wherein the true force of this argument from miracles confifts, and what it is that they prove.

Secondly, What fort of works are to be admitted for miracles in proving the truth of any religion.

First, I fhall endeavour to fhew wherein the true force of this argument from miracles confifts, or what it is that they prove.

Miracles are not intended to prove the being of God, nor the doctrines of morality: for natural religion is fupported by natural reason, and has for its evidence the works of nature. Thus St. Paul argues in his firft chapter to the Romans, declaring that what was to be known of God was manifeft to men, God having fhewed it unto them: For the invifible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly feen, being underflood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead. And in the moft corrupt and degenerate times God did not leave himself without witness, continuing to do good, to give rain from heaven and fruitful feasons, filling the hearts of men with joy and gladness. These are the standing proofs of the being and goodness of God: and men need but open their eyes, and look

round them, to fee the wonderful and ftupendous works of nature, which lead directly to the knowledge of God. And what greater evidence can man have than this? for, if the making one world will not prove the being of a God, the making of ten thousand will not. And therefore this is a principle of religion not learnt from revelation, but which is always fuppofed as the foundation of revelation: for no revelation can bring greater works to prove its authority, than the works by which the clear and unexceptionable dictates of natural religion are proved: for the diftinction between miracles and works of nature is no more than this, that works of nature are works of great power, produced conftantly and in a regular course, which course we call nature; that miracles are works of great power alfo, wrought in an unufual way: but they are both confidered in the fame light, and with equal advantage, as effects leading to the knowledge of a great, though invifible, power. Thus we muft acknowledge great power to be shewn in the Sun's conftant rifing and fetting; and as great in his ftanding ftill, fhould we fee him ftopped in his course for the space of a whole day. That we have all eyes to fee, and ears to hear, is an effect of as great power, as giving fight to one born blind, or hearing to one born deaf. Upon this account it is impoffible that any true revelation should contradict or evacuate any clear dictate of natural religion, which ftands at least upon as good a bottom as any revelation can do. And therefore the principles of natural religion must be supposed for the foundation of revealed: which is intimated by

the writer to the Hebrews: He that comes to God, muft believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently feek him; that is, he must bring this belief with him: for a revelation is not to prove the being of a God, or that he loves virtue, and hates vice. God never wrought miracles for this purpose, having fufficiently evidenced himself from the beginning of the world by the vifible things of the creation and had any one asked our Saviour to fhew a proof that there was a God, I am apt to imagine he would have turned him over to the works of nature, as he did the rich man's brethren to Mofes and the prophets for a proof of a future ftate.

But, to ascertain the use of miracles, it will be proper to confider when and for what purpose they were introduced. In early times we meet with none : nor was there any occafion for them, fo long as men preserved a right notion of God as maker and abfolute Lord of the univerfe, and were acquainted with him, (I had almost faid, personally acquainted with him,) and knew his voice when he spoke to them; for fo long they received his commands without doubt or hesitation: and, being perfectly fatisfied that the command came from God, what weight or authority could the multiplying figns and wonders add to their perfuafion? for figns and wonders could only fhew that the command came from God, to whom all nature obeyed and was fubject: and, as they wanted no fuch proof, there was no room or occafion for the introducing of miracles.

But, when idolatry prevailed in the world, and every nation had its peculiar deity, to whom they gave the name of God, it became neceffary, in

order to prefervê true religion in the world, to diftinguish between the true God, and the pretended deities adored by the heathen. The great works of the creation were standing proofs of the being of a God, and common to all nations; and therefore the belief of a Deity was the common perfuafion of the world: for, though men in general were become idolaters, yet they were not atheifts: but then the true God was forgotten or almoft loft in the multiplicity of falfe gods, to whom the blindness of the world afcribed the honour and power due to the one Supreme only.

In this ftate of things God thought proper to exert himself in such acts of power as should demonftrate his fuperiority above all gods of the heathen, and to affume a character of diftinction, that the hand might be certainly known from which the mighty works proceeded: and it is very obfervable, that God did publicly affume such a character, and work miracles, at one and the fame time. The firft miracles, of which we have any account, were those wrought by Mofes in Egypt; and at the same time God declared himself to be the God of the Hebrews. And this was the firft declaration of himself to the world under fuch a character: for we do not read he ever styled himself the God of Noah, or the God of Shem, or of any other person, till after the call of Abraham; for to him he appeared at first, and said, I am the almighty God, Gen. xvii. 1. And, though in the family of Abraham he was known by the name of the God of Abraham, yet was not that relation understood in the world, till Mofes had exprefs command to make it known to Pharaoh and

his people. And the accuracy with which the meffage was delivered, is obfervable: for, though God commanded Mofes in speaking to the children of Ifrael to fay, The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Ifaac, and the God of Jacob, hath fent me; yet in speaking to the king of Egypt, who probably might know little of Abraham, Ifaac, and Jacob, his orders are to say, The God of the Hebrews hath met us, &c. Exod. iii. 15, 18. and v. 3.

It may appear strange to us to hear the great God, the creator of heaven and earth, affuming to himfelf a character that seems to limit the right of his dominion for why does he, who is God of all the world, ftyle himself the God of the Hebrews? Is he not the God of all nations? Or, why does he appeal to miracles wrought under the character of God of the Hebrews, when the great works of the creation (of all miracles the greateft) are a conftant and perpetual evidence of his almighty power and universal dominion?

To account for this, you must confider the state of religion in the world at the time when God affumed this character, and fent Mofes to fhew figns and wonders in the land of Egypt. All the nations of the earth had at that time their feveral local deities; and, as every nation is naturally inclined to think their own the best, a message delivered in the name of the deity of any one people could have no effect upon another. And therefore, when Mofes delivered a meffage to Pharaoh in the name of the God of Ifrael, Pharaoh's answer was, Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice to let Ifrael go? I know not the Lord; neither will I let Ifrael go,

Exod.