DISCOURSE XXXI.

CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS.

JOHN XX. 30, 31.

And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

We have been permitted, my brethren, by the favour of God to complete an extended series of Discourses on the principal Miracles of our Lord Jesus Christ. Many important and instructive observations have, I trust, been suggested in the various stages of our progress; nor am I without an encouraging conviction, that the Divine blessing has accompanied the endeavours which have been made to promote the glory of God, and to advance the interests of the Redeemer's kingdom. If, indeed, these paramount objects have been simply and sincerely pursued, then, assuredly, our labour has not been in vain in the Lord.

It may be profitable, however, to devote a concluding Discourse to the purpose of fixing our attention again, in a more especial manner, on the important design of our Saviour's miracles, and on the benefit which may result from a serious examination of them. Taking then the words of the text as the basis of the observations now to be advanced, and imploring the blessing of Divine guidance in this our closing effort, let us proceed to consider,

I. THE TESTIMONY OF THE EVANGELIST CONCERNING CERTAIN MIRACLES OF JESUS, WHICH HE

HAS NOT RECORDED:

II. THE REASONS WHICH HE ASSIGNS FOR RECORDING THOSE WHICH HE HAS RELATED.

We notice, then,

I. THE TESTIMONY OF THE EVANGELIST CONCERNING CERTAIN MIRACLES OF JESUS, WHICH HE

HAS NOT RECORDed.

"And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book." The "many other signs "here mentioned, are distinguished from those of which John has given an account. It appears, therefore, that this Evangelist has furnished no more than an epitome, or abstract, of the wondrous works which our Saviour openly performed in the view of his constant attendants. This declaration, moreover, we cannot doubt,-and that for a reason which will shortly be assigned,-is equally applicable to the accounts of the other Evangelists, though they have

related many striking instances of our Saviour's manifested power, which are not noticed by St. John. Of the most remarkable of these, we have taken an extended survey, and have found that they are numerous, various, benevolent and instructive.

As to those signs, then, or wonderful works of Jesus, which our Evangelist has not recorded, we may observe, in the first place, that they were many. Doubtless, there were many facts of an extraordinary nature connected with the childhood and youth of our Lord, and with that period of his manhood which elapsed before he entered upon his public ministry. We have no certain evidence, however, of his having performed any miracles antecedently to the commencement of that ministry; and that the Evangelist is here speaking, not only of miracles, but of those which were wrought when our Saviour had emerged from the obscurity of his early years, is evident from the immediate sequel, which clearly intimates that his disciples, that is, those whom he had selected as his constant attendants when he entered upon his important work, were with him when those miracles were performed. If then we consider the uninterrupted activity of his public life, -his constant journeyings from place to place,-the multitudes who resorted to him from every quarter,and the readiness with which he attended to their various applications, we shall not only suppose it probable, but shall assuredly believe (independently of the assertion before us) that a multiplicity of wonderful works must have been performed

by him, of which no account has been transmitted

to us.

The Evangelist further testifies that the many signs of which he speaks, were done or exhibited by Jesus "in the presence of his disciples; " among whom he himself was numbered. To them therefore these signs were equally notorious and equally convincing, so far as they were connected with the character and mission of our Lord, as those of which we also have received information.

Here, perhaps, the sceptic, or some cavilling and disputatious objector, may be disposed to ask, 'If then so many other signs were actually wrought by the Founder of the Christian religion, and that in the presence of his disciples, why are they not recorded?-why have not those disciples favoured us with an account which would have tended so much to enhance the reputation, and to establish the character, of their Master?'-To such an objector it may be sufficient to answer, in the apparently hyperbolical language of our Evangelist at the very close of this Gospel, that "if they should have been written every one, the world itself could not have contained the books that should have been written." Now, supposing this language to be hyperbolical, we must bear in mind that the sacred penmen frequently avail themselves of the same figures of speech which are more or less adopted by other writers, and that their expressions are therefore to be understood with the same limitations which we are accustomed to attach to similar expressions when they occur in