Power of fupernatural Evidence to make them plainer. But when Men know their Duties, fomething farther will be neceffary to influence their Practice. And in this refpect Miracles, I apprehend, were of great Ufe, as they were a Means to controll Appetite, which is the Inlet to all Mifchief, and first of all perverts the Will, and then corrupts the Understanding. St. Paul speaking of the unbelieving Gentiles fays, that they had their Understanding darkened, - through the Ignorance, that was in them, because of the Hardness of their Hearts. And whence came this? Why from the Power of fleshly Appetite. For (as it presently follows) they had given themselves over unto Laf civiousness, to work all Uncleanness with greediness, Eph. iv. 18, 19. This was the general Cause of Corruption in the Heathen World. Attending (like Brutes) to the Things before them, and not having God in all their Thoughts, they funk below themselves, and were filled with all Unrighteousness, till at last they became, as vain in their Imaginations, as they were wicked in their Works, and changed the Glory of the uncorruptible God, into an Image made like to corruptible Man, and to Birds, and four footed Beafts, and creeping Things, Rom. i. 23. It is evident from these Words, that the fingle Thing wanting to enlighten the Understanding, was to reform the Heart; and that to this End nothing more was neceffary, than to awaken them them into a true Sense of God, whom they had well nigh forgotten. And what was fo proper to effect this, as fuch vifible Inftances of his Power, and Prefence among them, as Miracles were ? When Paul (with Barnabas) had cured the Lame Man at Lyftra, the People no fooner faw the Work, than they cryed out, The Gods are come down to us in the Likeness of Men; observe now the Effects of this Perfwasion. They brought Oxen, and Garlands, and would have done Sacrifice; and by all that Paul, and Barnabas could fay, fcarce were they reftrained, Acts xiv. 11, &c. Their Devotion was ill placed, but no doubt it was fincere; for when God is prefent, how shall not finful Man be afraid? "Tis true, God is prefent every where, and at all Times, by the Works of his Providence. The Sun, which warms, and enlightens the Earth; The Moon, and the Stars which garnish the Heavens; The Rain, and the fruitful Seafons; Ourselves, and all, that we fee about us, are the Heralds, which proclaim his Power, and Presence among us. And when we fee the Power of God, we fee all, that is to be feen of him, for he is a Spirit, and we cannot fee him otherwise, than by his Power, and Operations. Why then does not this make us fearful to offend? Why it ought to do fo, and will do so, if Men are wife, and confiderate. But careless Men overlook thefe Things, because they are common, and familiar; like idle, and unfaithful Servants, Servants, who, tho' they know their Place in the Family, and what the Mafter expects from them, yet neglect their Bufinefs, and will never be brought to order, till by fome fpecial Act of his Authority the Mafter gives them to understand, that he takes Notice of and will punish their ill Behaviour. Miracles have the Nature of a Special Call; and all Men, who see the Hand of God in the Works, will naturally understand themselves, as admonished to take Notice of them at their Perils; which is the Meaning of what St. Paul says, Acts xvii. 30. And the Times of this Ignorance God winked at, but now commandeth all Men every where to repent. God is faid to have winked at thofe Times of Ignorance, not because he at any Time approved, or was pleased with the Vices, and the Follies of Mankind; but he winked, as a Mafter doth, when he will not hear the Faults of his Servant, whom for Reasons of Prudence he does not think fit to rebuke. But God's Call by the Gofpel was a Rebuke to Sinners, and Miracles were the Evidence of it, just as the ordinary Works of Nature are the Evidence of that general Authority, which he challengeth over us, as the Creator, and Governor of the World. You fee then, that Miracles were an Application to the Fears of Men as under the special Notice of God, and liable to his Correction; in which there was great Wisdom as well as Good nefs nefs. For when Reason has loft its Sway (which was the Cafe here) there is but one Way left to govern Men, which is by setting Paffion against Paffion, the Stronger against the Weaker, which Experience fhews us, will do in many Cafes, where nothing elfe will. Covetoufnefs will make a fottish Man fober, and temperate; and Pride the Niggard open, and generous. But Fear is a Paffion of univerfal Extent, and the Fear of God is the Strongest of all Fears; and where it takes deep rooting, will undermine, and overturn every ftrong hold of Sin. For it is the Fear of infinite Wisdom, and of infinite Power; the Fear of him, who perfectly understandeth, what we are; who scanneth all our ways, and feeth all our backflidings, and is able to punish us for ever. It was this, that gave the Apoftles the Advantage over the best, and wifeft of the Heathen Philofophers. Socrates and Plato were good Moralifts, and fo were many more. They could shew Men, what is Right, and what is Wrong, and for the moft Part fo they did. But they could not shake Terror over the Heads of Sinners, nor bring God, as it were down from Heaven, to give his Sanction to their Instructions. This was the great Thing wanting; and if God had not thought fit thus to interpofe, the whole World would have lain under Darkness to this Day. But you will obferve, that this Method ufeful, and neceffary, as it was in its Time, and Seafon, was not in the very Nature of it fit to be made common, and familiar. Miracles are proper for great Emergencies, when the Ends of Providence, and the Wants of Men cannot be ferved by common Means. But when these Purposes are answered, the World must be left again to common means; for a wife Providence can do nothing Superfluous, nothing in Vain. And this was, and is the Cafe in Fact. For when God withdrew the Power of Miracles from the Church (which he foon did) this was leaving Religion to be carried on by human Means; And this must be understood, as a Call upon Mankind, to fet forward the Work of Religion, by the reasonable, and proper Methods of human Skill, and Wisdom. For you will not fay, I prefume, that it was the Intention of Providence, that when Miracles ceased, there fhould be an End of Religion too. It will be fit therefore to confider, what are those reasonable Methods of carrying on Religion, to which human Prudence directs us. The Subject is of large Extent, and therefore I shall only touch upon a few general Points. As a Foundation for all then let it be observed, 1. That the Chriftian Practice is fupported by the Chriftian Faith; and that as the Miracles wrought by Chrift, and his Apostles are the Ground-work of our Faith; fo there ought always to be a reasonable Evidence constantly subfifting, and publickly known, that fuch Miracles were |