(c) hundred and twenty mentioned, Ads (c) Mon

1. 15...

ftrabatur

locus, ubi

ti creden

rus fanctus

A&t. ii. I.

P. 643.

I have already fhewn that the Apostles fuper cenwere effectually qualified to be witneffes tum viginof what they delivered concerning Chrift, tium aniand that they could neither be deceived mas fpirithemselves in it, nor could propofe any defcendifadvantage to themselves by deceiving o- fetHieron. thers; and that if they had defigned any Paula.vid. Epitaph deceit, they alledged fuch circumstances Dr. Lightf. as made it impoffible for them to have exercit. on paft undiscovered. All which will be ex ceedingly confirmed by confidering the miraculous Gifts, which the Apostles reIceived by the defcent of the Holy Ghost, according to this promife of our Saviour. -1 fhall therefore fhew how the Apostles were enabled by the defcent of the Holy Ghost upon them to become witneffes to Chrift. 1. By the Miracles which they wrought themselves. 2. By that power which was conveyed by them to others of working Miracles. 3. By their fupernatural Refolution, Courage, and Patience. under their fufferings.

I. The Apostles were enabled to become witneffes to Chrift, by the Miracles which they wr they wrote themselves. This power of ught Miracles qualified them most effectually to be witneffes of the Refurrection and Afcen tion, and other Articles of our Faith: for they could neither deceive nor be de

ceived in these miraculous Gifts, which were bestowed upon them, to be an affurance to themselves, and an evidence to others, that it was the Caufe of God in which they were engaged, and his truth which they delivered.

They could not be deceived themselves undoubtedly in a thing of this nature, they could not be ignorant, whether they were real Miracles, which they wrought or not; they must needs know whether their own pretences were true or false; and whether they could speak the Languages, and do the Wonders, which the world believed them to do and speak; and they could not but know by what power and means they were enabled to perform all their miraculous Works.

And these works were of that nature, and done in that manner, that they could impofe upon no man by them; they could not make men believe that they spoke all kinds of Languages, if they did not (peak them, nor that they cured all forts of Difeafes, if they had not cured them: no. thing is more eafy than for a man to know a Language that he understands, when he hears it, or than for men that were fick to know that they are recovered, when "they feel themfelves well. And the manner of their performing thefe Miracles, was the most publick and notorious in refpect

of

of the time and place, and the perfons on whom they were wrought.

Our Saviour had been crucified at the Feast of the Paffover in the fight of the Jews and Profelytes, who were met together from all parts of the World at that Solemnity and but fifty days after at the next folemn Festival of the Jews, in the very fame City where he had been crucified, in the prefence of multitudes of people of all Nations and Languages, which came to keep the Feast of Pentecoft, the Apostles declared to them in all their several Tongues, that this fame Jefus was by the Almighty Power of God raised from the dead, and that they were impowered by him to speak all thofe Languages. The Apoftles were at the fame time taken notice of to be Gallileans, men of low Birth and of now Education. St. John in particular was known to the High Priest himfelf, and the reft were all known to many that heard them; their Parentage, and place of Abode, and manner of Life might eafily be enquired into: for they were no ftrangers, nor in a far Country: and from all these it appeared that it was impoffible that they should be capable of speaking any of these Languages but by inspiration, and to fpeak all Languages, is a thing which no man ever could hope to arrive at by ftudy or converfation, though he

fhould

fhould make it the whole bufinefs of his Life and therefore this could leaft of all be suspected of men of mean Employments, and who got their Livelihood by their daily labour and industry

The Miracles which the Apoftles wrought were likewise in the most publick places of the City, and in the moft publick manner, upon perfons who had been moft remarkable, and generally taken notice of for their Infirmities. St. Peter, by pronouncing only these words, In the name of Jefus Chrift of Nazareth rife up and walk, cured a man of above forty years of Age, who was known to have been lame from his Birth, and was carried and laid daily at one of the Gates of the Temple, where there was wont to be the greatest resort of people, to ask an Alms of them, that entred into the Temple; and this man being immedi ately cured, went with St. Peter and St. John into the Temple, and all the people faw him walking and praifing God, and they knew that it was he, which fat for Alms at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple, Acts iii. 9, ro. And the Rulers of the Jews enquired into the matter, and upon examination, when they faw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were un learned and ignorant men, they marvelled, and they took knowledge of them,that they had been with Jefus, and beholding the man which

M

was

3

was healed ftanding with them, they could fay nothing against it, but confeffed among themselves, that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifeft to all them that dwell in Jerufalem, and we cannot deny it, Acts iv. 13, 14, 16.

By this and other evident and publick Miracles the miraculous Power of the A postles became fo much admired and magnified by the people, that they brought forth the fick into the Streets, and laid them on Beds and Couches that at the least the Shadow of Peter paffing by, might over shadow Some of them. There came alfo a multitude out of the Cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing fick Folks, and them which were vexed with unclean Spirits, and they were healed every one, Acts v. 15, 16. And in this manner the Apostles continued feveral years in Jerufalem, doing Miracles upon all occafions, and before all people. And the fame miraculous power manifefted it felf at Ephefus, where God wrought Special Mi racles by the hands of Paul, fo that from his Body were brought unto the Sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the difeafes departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them, Acts xix. II, 12. So impoffible was it for the Apostles to deceive thofe, before whom their Miracles were fo frequently and publickly wrought. And yet it must be much more impoffible, if any thing more