For which reason the Falfe Gods are challenged to foretell thefe Things; Shew the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are Gods, Ifai. xlii.

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But because Things foretold may fometimes come to pass by chance, or it may be in the Power of Evil Spirits to foretell them when they are in Design and Agitation, and just ready for Action; or to discern things done at diftant places, and to make probable Gueffes, which may prove true, from the various Circumstances of Affairs which they obferve in the World: we may therefore be affured, from the confideration of the Divine Attributes of Goodness and Truth, that God will not suffer falfe Religions to be impofed upon the World, under his own Name, by Diabolical Predictions, without affording Means to discover them to be fuch. When a Prophet Speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the Prophet hath Spoken it prefumptuofly, thou fhalt not be afraid of him, Deut. xviii, 22. This is the Mark of Diftinction between a Falfe and a True Prophet, That whatever the latter foretold in the Name of the Lord, fhould come to pafs; but whatever the first foretold in his Name, fhould not come to pafs: which implies, that God will disappoint fuch Predictions, and not suffer. them to come to pafs; otherwife the coming

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to pass of Things foretold, could be no cer tain Mark of a true Prophet, because they might come to pafs by chance. The Prophet which prophefieth of peace, when the word of the Prophet fhall come to pass, then shall the Prophet be known that the Lord hath truly fent him, Jer. xxviii. 9. But if the Prophecy were not pretended to be in the Name of the True God, but were given out with a pro fels'd Design to entice Men to the Worship of False Gods; then God might fuffer it to be fulfilled, to prove his People, Deut. xiii. 1,2,3. For this was confiftent with God's Truth and Goodness, especially after Warning given, and after fo clear a Revelation both by Prophecies and Miracles: if any Man, in this cafe, would be feduced by any Wonder, or Prophecy, to follow other Gods, it must be great Perverseness in him. But when Prophecies are delivered by many Prophets, in divers Ages, and different Places, all teaching the fame Doctrine, and tending to the fame End and Design in their several Revelations, and that End is the difcouragement of all Wickedness, and the maintenance of all Vertue and true Religion, thefe Prophecies have all that can be requifite to affure us that they are from God; and God, by fuffering them to pass so long in the World, under his own Name, and with all the Characters of his Authority upon them, has given us all poffible Affurance that they are his, and engaged

gaged us, in Honour to his Divine Attributes, to believe that they really are by his Authority.

And the Certainty of Prophecies being thus grounded upon the Divine Attributes, befides the direct Evidence which they afford to whatever is delivered by them, they add an undeniable Confirmation to thofe Miracles which have been foretold, and are wrought at the Time, and in the Manner, and by the Perfons foretold by the Prophets; and the Prophecies likewise receive as great a Confirmation from fuch Miracles. For

Prophecies and Miracles, which are fingly a fufficient Evidence of Divine Revelation, do mutually fupport and confirm each other; and hereby we have all the Affurance that can be expected of any Divine Revelation: And therefore, as Prophecy is in it self a most fitting and proper way of Revelation; fo, in conjunction with Miracles, it is the most certain way that can be defired.

2. The futableness and efficacy of Miracles, to prove a Divine Revelation. It is an extravagant thing to conceive, that God Ihould exclude himself from the Works of his own Creation; or, that he fhould establish them upon fuch inviolable Laws, as not to alter them upon fome occafions, when he forefaw it would be requifite to do it: For unless the course of Nature had been thus alterable it would have been defective in regard to D

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one great End for which it was defign'd; viz. it would have failed of being serviceable to the Defigns of Providence upon fuch Occafions. The fame Infinite Wisdom which contrived the Laws for the Order and Course of Nature, contrived them fo, as to make them alterable, when it would be neceffary for God, by fufpending the Powers, or interrupting the Courfe of Nature, to manifeft his extraordinary Will and Power; and by the fame Decree by which he at first established them, he fubjected them to fuch Alterations as his Wifdom forefaw would be neceffary.

We can as little doubt, but that He who made the World, has the fole Power and Authority over it; and that nothing can be done in it, but by his Direction and Influence, or at least by his Permiffion; and that the Frame and Order of Nature which he at first appointed, can at no time be altered, but for great Ends and Purposes. He is not given to change, as Men are, and can never be disappointed in his Eternal Purposes and Defigns. But when any thing comes to pafs above the Course of Nature, and contrary to it, in confirmation of a Revelation, which, for the Importance and Excellency of the Subject of it, and in all other respects, is moft worthy of God, we may be fure that this is this doing; and there is still further Evidence of it, if this Revelation were prophefied of before, by Prophets who fore

told

told that it fhould be confirmed by Miracle. As, when Men born blind, received their Sight; when others were cured of the most desperate Diseases, by a Touch, or at a Diftance; when the Dead were raised, and the Devils caft-out; these were evident Signs of a Divine Power and Prefence, which gave Testimony to the Doctrine delivered by those by whom fuch Miracles were wrought, and the Divine Commiffion and Authority was produced for what they did and taught. For what could be more fatisfactory and convincing to Men, or more worthy of God, than to force the Devils themselves to confels and proclaim his Coming? to cause the most infenfible things in nature to declare his Power, by giving way, as it were, and starting back in great confufion and disorder, at his more immediate and peculiar Prefence, to inform Men that the God of Nature was there? This gave Teftimony to the Things revealed, and challenged the Belief of all I Men, in a Language more powerful than any Humane Voice, whilft God fhewed forth his Glory, and made known his Will, by exercifing his Sovereignty over Nature, in making the whole Creation bow, and tremble, and obey. All which was performed according to exprefs Prophecies concerning Christ, that there might be a vifible concurrence both of Prophecies and Miracles in Teftimony of him. And this Difpenfation of Miracles

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