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And fo likewife the Divinity of Sermon our Saviour and his Doctrine is IV. refolved into the Evidence of his Miracles. This is the Evidence Chrift gives of himself, when John fent his Difciples to enquire whether he was the Meffias, Mat. 11. 2. Now when John had heard in the pri Jon the works of Chrift, he fent two of his difciples, and faid unto him Art thou he that should come or do we look for another? Jefus answered and faid unto them, Go and fhew John again those things which je do hear, and fee. The blind receive their fight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleanf ed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the GoSpel preached unto them. And blessed is he whofoever shall not be offended in me. So John 5. 36, But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the fame works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. Chap. 10. 25. Jefus answered them, I told believed not: the works that I do in my Fathers Name, they bear

you,

witness

of

and ye

2

of me. Verf. 37, 38. If I do not the Volume works of my Father; believe me XII. not: but if I do; though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know and believe that the Father is in me, and I in him. Chap. 14. 11. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me or elfe believe me for the very works fake. Chap. 20. 30, 31. And many other figns truly did Jefus in the prefence of his difciples, which are not written in this book. But thefe are written, that ye might believe that Jefus is the Chrift the Son of God, and that believing, ye might have life through his Name. And from hence our Saviour aggravates the Unbelief, and Impenitency of the Jews, because they refifted this highest Evidence, Mat. 11. 20, 21, 22, 23, 24. Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not. Woe unto thee Chorazin, woe unto thee Bethfaida. For iff the mighty works which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in fackcloth and afbes: But I fay unto you, it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the

day

1

E

And

day of Judgment, than for you.
thou Capernaum which art exalted un-
to heaven, shalt be brought down to
bell. For if the mighty works which
have been done in thee, had been done
in Sodome, it would have remained
until this day. But I fay unto you,
That it shall be more tolerable for the
land of Sodome in the day of Judg-
ment, than for thee. John, 15. 24.
If I had not done among them the
works which none other man did; they
had not had fin: but now have they
both feen, and hated both me and my
Father. And fo the Apostle tells
us, That Miracles are the great con-
firmation of the Gofpel, and are fo
clear an Evidence of the Truth of
it, that they render all Unbelievers
inexcufable, Heb. 2. 2, 3. For if the
word Spoken by Angels was stedfast, and
every tranfgreffion and difobedience re-
ceived a juft rocompence of reward:
How shall we efcape, if we neglect fo
great falvation, which at the first be-
gan to be Spoken by the Lord, and was.
confirmed unto us by them that heard
him!

~ Sermon IV.

In particular, The great weight

of

of the Gofpel is laid upon the Miracle, Volume of Chrift's Refurrection from the XII. dead, which our Saviour mentions as the only fign that should be given to that generation, that is, the cleareft. And the Apostle, Rom. 1. 4. faith, That he was declared to be the Son of God, with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the refurrection from the dead. This put it out of all question. And St. Paul in his Sermon to the Athenians, Acts 17. 30, 31, infifts upon this as the great Evidence; And the times of their ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousness, by that man whom he hath ordain'd, whereof he hath given affurance unto all men, in that he hath raifed him from the dead. And this was the proper work of the Apoftles, to be Witneffes to the World of this great Miracle, Acts 1. 21, 22. Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jefus went in and out among us, beginning from the Baptifm of John, unto that fame day that he was taken up

10

up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his refurrection. Sermon So St. Peter in his Sermon, Acts 2. 32. IV. Him hath God raised up, whereof we all are witneffes. And to mention no more, Acts 10. 38, 39, 40, 41. God anointed Jefus of Nazareth with the holy Ghoft and with Power, who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppreffed of the Devil: for God was with him. And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Hierufalem; whom they flew and banged on a tree: Him God raifed up third day, and fhewed him openly; not to all the people, but unto witnesses chofen before of God, even to us who did eat and drink with him after he rofe from the dead.

the

2. What affurance of Miracles is fufficient to perfwade men to believe the Revelation or Teftimony, for the confirmation of which they are wrought. Of this affurance there are three degrees, all which do oblige men to believe the Divine Revelation for which they are wrought.

(1.) If we have the evidence of our own Senfes for it, that is, if we fee them wrought. This Evidence the Difciples of our Lord had, and the Fews, and therefore their unbelief was

H

inex

.