Any signs of power given by the latter would have overthrown the doctrine of Jehovah's prophets, and infringed his prerogative as the sole author and sovereign of nature. If he was Jehovah, there could be no other sovereign of nature: and if there was any other sovereign of nature, he was not Jehovah, or the only living and true God. Accordingly we find in fact, that in the contest between the Israelites and Egyptians, and in every succeeding contest, the question was, Is the God of Israel Jehovah, in the full and proper sense of that expression? In this there was another question involved, Are any of the reputed gods of the Heathens truly Gods? or do they possess any of that power and dominion ascribed to them by their worshippers? And how was this question to be decided, but by miracles? A power and dominion over nature cannot be more effectually established, than by changing or suspending the course of its operations. Accordingly Pharaoh demanded of Moses a sign, as a proof of his mission from Jehovah. And in the grand contest beween Elijah and the prophets of Baal; as the question was, Who is God, Jehovah or Baal? so both sides agreed to have it determined by a single miracle. Elijah had no conception that Jehovah and Baal could both of them be gods, one of them greater than the other. On the contrary, he supposes one of them only could be God, or have any dominion over nature, or power of working a miracle, and consequently a title to worship, when he says, If Jehovah be God, follow him: * Exod. vii. 9. but but if Baal, follow him*. The proposal he afterwards made of deciding the controversy by a single miracle, (not by the greater in number or degree,) The God that answereth by fire, let him be God, whether Baal or Jehovah †; is a demonstration that Elijah had no expectation that both Baal and Jehovah could interpose in this miraculous manner; because this would rather have proved both of them to be gods, than that Jehovah alone was God; which was the point to be decided. And had Baal answered by fire, this point had been determined against Elijah, and he must have acknowledged that Baal was God; answering by fire being, in his opinion, a valid proof of a divine interposition; the very touchstone by which he himself had desired the claims both of Jehovah and Baal might be tried, in order effectually to distinguish which were genuine, and which were counterfeit. Elijah allowed the priests of Baal to make the experiment first, and to try to engage him to answer them by fire; firmly assured of his utter impotence, and desirous of exposing him in the presence of his deluded worshippers. All application to Baal being ineffectual, Elijah prayed for fire from heaven, not to. manifest the superiority of the God of Israel, but his sole Divinity, that it might be known that Jehovah was God in Israel, and Jehovah God. When the fire of Jehovah fell and consumed the sacrifice, the people acknowledged, Jehovah, he is God; Jehovah, he is God §. This conclusion was just, upon the * 1 Kings xviii. 21. + Ver. 24. principle principle maintained above*, that, the laws of nature being ordained by God, their operation and effects cannot be controlled by any superior beings besides him. If this principle be false, could a single miracle confute the claims of the Heathen deities, and demonstrate Jehovah to be the only sovereign of nature? But it is, I hope, needless to shew that revelation confirms the dictates of reason on this subject. Here we have no other view than to illustrate the state of the antient controversy between the prophets of God and idolaters; and by that means to confirm what has been already urged to shew that the Scriptures represent all miracles as the prerogatives of the one eternal Divinity, and as proofs of his being Jehovah, and God alone. They do this in a manner that plainly shews their having no apprehension that any superior beings whatever, besides God, had a power of producing these effects. SECTION ví. The Scriptures uniformly represent all miracles as being, in themselves, an absolute demonstration of the divinity of the mission and doctrine of the prophets, at whose instance they are performed; and never direct us to regard their doctrines as a test of the miracles being the effect of a di vine interposition. WHEN God commissioned Moses to deliver the Israelites out of Egypt, he at the same time enabled him to perform signs and wonders, to procure him Ch. ii. sect. iii. * credit both with the Israelites and the Egyptians †. Miracles were the only testimonials urged with either, in proof of his mission from Jehovah. And it was also upon this evidence alone that the laws of Moses were afterwards received by the Israelites as divine injunctions, and his authority supported amongst them; though they were too much disposed to disobey the one, and murmur against the other §. They did not however try his miracles by his laws; nor dispute the divine original of the former, merely because many of the latter were expensive and painful, and had no intrinsic excellence to recommend them. Nor did Moses, when he proved by miracles his commission to require of Pharaoh the release of the Israelites, appeal to the equity of his demand, in confirmation of the divinity of his works; though he might have shewn that the bondage of the Israelites was the highest reproach to the gratitude of the Egyptians, whose country had been saved by Joseph, and a violation of all the laws of hospitality, and of all the promises of protection and kindness made to the Israelites when they first came into Egypt. But Moses rested the proof of his authority upon the sole * Exod. iv. 1-5, 8, 9. See also Numb. xvi. 23-30. Deut. iv. 39. + Exod. vii. 8. ‡ Exod. xix. 3—8. ch. xxiv. 3. When the Israelites charged Moses with ambition and usurpa-` tion, he appeals to a miracle in proof of his divine commission, Númb. xvi. 13, 28, 29, Hereby ye shall know that the Lord has sent me. -If the Lord make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, &c. It was by a miracle likewise that Samuel convinced the Israelites of their fault in asking a king, 1 Sam. xii, 16—19. evidence evidence of his works, as plainly discovering the hand of God. The succeeding prophets * under the Old Testament proceeded upon the same principle; and appealed to miracles alone, as an unquestionable demonstration of their mission from God. Elijah in particular thus prays to God to answer him by fire, Let it be known this day, that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy wordt. The very same use is made of the miracles of the New Testament. But this being a point which has been controverted both by the adversaries and advocates of the Christian revelation, (the former sometimes denying that the miracles of the Gospel were designed to attest Christ's divine mission, and the latter often asserting that they are urged only as conditional attestations of it,) I will examine distinctly the passages which speak of the author and end of the Gospel miracles; especially as I do not remember to have seen them collected together, much less placed in (what appears to me to be) their true light. The miracles of Christ and his apostles shall be considered separately. 1. With regard to our Saviour, just before he entered upon his public ministry he was qualified for the discharge of it by receiving the Spirit of God without *Josh. iii. 7. ch. iv. 14. 1 Sam. x. 1-7. ch xii 16-18. 1 Kings xiii. 3. ch. xvii. 24. 2 Kings v. 15. In like manner with regard to prophecies, by their accomplishment it, shall be known that a prophet has been amongst them, Ezek. xxxiii. 33. Jerem. xxviii. 9. 1 Sam. iii. 19, 20. Compare Deut. xviii, 22. 1 Kings xviii. 36. measure, |