LECTURE V. ACTS ii. 22. Jefus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you, by miracles, and wonders, and figns. HAVING confidered the confiftency of the Mofaic and Chriftian revelations, I now propofe to offer a few remarks on the miracles and prophecies which connect the two difpenfations. To begin with the fubject of miracles; a fpecies of evidence, in which it must be allowed that there is no analogy to a general providence; for these are deviations from that ordinary course, by which he is pleased to conduct the works of nature. This evidence is much disputed, and reluctantly received, not only by those who poffefs an evil heart of unbelief, but by those who can comprehend that only which immediately operates on the external fenfes. As St. Paul asked, when plead ing before Agrippa a, Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you that God Should raife the dead? the fame mode of interrogation may be applied to those who deny this extraordinary interpofition in his moral government. Why should it be thought incredible that God fhould work a miracle for any special purpose? In both cafes it muft obviously strike us, that the cause is more than equal to the effect. In the mechanism of nature, as well as of art, we can always suppose an effect, to which an adequate cause can be affigned. This will apply to miracles. There are none affirmed in the Scriptures to have been performed which are beyond the power, or inconfiftent with the attributes of God. To cause a temporary suspension, or derangement, or inverfion of the laws of nature, is a lefs effort of Omnipotence than creation, or the appointment of thofe laws. He who gave life, and contrived fo exquifitely all its functions, may, if he please, arreft their operation, or restore it when destroyed. This admits of no difpute; and therefore the objections of fceptics are rather raised against the probability than the poffibility of a miracle. Now the a Acts xxvi. 8. most obvious answer to this may be, that, fince the poffibility is granted, we cannot refuse afsent to the probability, provided the occafion or the object of any miraculous interference of the Deity be of fuch importance as to require. a particular fufpenfion or diverfion of the ordinary course of providence, and if the object alleged be confiftent with those great and effential attributes, wifdom, mercy, and juftice. It has been urged with fome appearance of plaufibility, that our own experience of the regularity of nature is fufficient to invalidate any teftimony that may be brought in favour of a miracle. This however is to oppose particular experience to universal; a portion of existence to all the ages of mankind. of mankind. For what may not have been perceived by one individual, may have been experienced by many; what may not have occurred in one generation, may frequently have been witneffed in others antecedent. Of collective experience it is impoffible to speak decidedly, because that may be well known to an individual, or to many individuals, which has never been communicated to others; and there is no universal register of experience. Nor is it a fufficient confutation of any fact, to affert that it has not been fubmitted to particular obfervation. We have no means of ocular teftimony for any hittorical circumftance, and for the truth of fuch circumftances we must truft to the records of former ages. Volcanos have existed in many parts of the globe, which are now extinct: yet here the phenomena of nature concur to establish our belief in their existence. Our faith is here determined by analogy, by confiderable probability, but altogether without particular expe rience. They who oppose the credibility of a miracle feem to forget that the origin of all created things must have been miraculous ; that is, contrary to human experience. For the origin of the creation of man, either we must trust to imaginary fpeculation, or to the declarations of the Scriptures: for nothing is more clear, than that the original parent could not have exifted from infancy to maturity without fupernatural aid; for of all animals man is the moft helpless in the early part of existence. The human mind too is progreffive, and collects and forms all its ideas gradually, and could therefore only arrive at understanding by fome miraculous interpofition of almighty wifdom. It is evident therefore, that the first parents of the human fpecies could not have fubfifted in a state of infancy, unless by fome particular interference of Providence; it is therefore certain that they must have been created, as the Scriptures represent, in a state both of corporeal and mental maturity. The fame obfervation will apply to many fpecies of animals. Here then we have an abfolute demonstration of the existence of miracles; and thus we may fafely conclude, that God, having at first produced all the creation by miracles, might have fucceffively employed fimilar interpofitions. Both the Jewish and Christian difpenfations have been subject to difcuffion of the fame kind. Their miracles, and indeed all their evidences, meet with objectors of the same temper. They were equally difputed and dif-, trusted. Their authority was equally called in queftion. But the fame remark may be made on both, that from their nature they could not have been the effect of any collufion. On the fubject of miracles it is impoffible to enter into a detail; but their general neceffity in ages antecedent to the establishment of Christianity muft be obvious. When events proceed in a natural course, they produce little effect on the human mind. Thus the rifing |