them with, prior to the act of Jesus, was a few loaves and fishes; if the centurion's servant was healed at the word of Jesus, while the latter was nowhere within the sight, or hearing, or knowledge of that servant; if the man born blind was made to see by no other physical act than that of Jesus putting clay on his eyes, and his washing it off in the pool of Siloam; if Lazarus, having been dead four days, did come forth from the sepulchre at the word of Jesus, then we have facts for which no natural causes can account. They are unquestionable miracles, and we are forced to the alternative of either denying, in the face of all evidence, the truth of the statements contained in the gospel history, or else acknowledging that miracles, in the fullest sense, were wrought at the word of Christ.

2. The miracles of Christ were such as could at once be brought to the test of the senses. It is essential to a rational belief in miraculous agency, that we be presented with facts of such a nature that the senses of those present could easily decide upon their reality and their supernatural character. Now, that the senses of the most ignorant were as competent as those of the most learned; that the senses of any man or woman in Judea were perfectly competent to decide whether the son of the widow of Nain, having been dead and carried out to be buried, did arise and sit up at the word of Christ, and continue thereafter to reside, a living man, in Nain; that any one's senses were perfectly competent to judge whether thousands of men were fed with a few loaves and

fishes, or the blind received their sight, or the lepers were cleansed, or those notoriously lame from their birth were enabled to walk at the bidding of Christ, it would be folly to doubt.

3. The miracles of Christ were performed for the most part in the most public manner. It is the detracting circumstance of all the most plausible pretensions to miracles, exclusive of those of the Scriptures, that they were done in a corner, or in the presence only of those already inclined to believe them, or under favor of circumstances calculated to prevent a free examination. Just the contrary is the fact with regard to a great portion of the wonderful works of Christ. Not only were they accessible to the senses of witnesses, but to the senses of multitudes of witnesses, of witnesses with the most eager and violent enmity to the claims of Jesus; witnesses from all ranks and classes in society-the learned and mighty, as well as the ignorant and feeble-the scribes and Pharisees, the priest and the centurion, as well as the publicans and beggars. It was in the synagogues, in the streets, in the open fields surrounded by thousands, in the midst of Jerusalem, and at the time of the great annual festivals, when an immense concourse of Jews, from all parts of the world, crowded the holy city, that almost all of the mighty works of Jesus were performed. In this way, as in other ways, he could say to his persecutors, "I spake openly to the world."

His miracles were wrought upon subjects so numerous, in so many places, and in such circumstances,

that none could suspect the cases to have been previously selected and prepared. What the condition of the subject had been before the miracle, thousands knew, and all could easily ascertain. What it was, for a long time after the miracle, was equally notorious. Those who were cured of blindness, or leprosy, or lameness, or palsy, or who had been raised from the dead, did not die immediately after, nor hide themselves from public inspection; but continued to go in and out among the people, as living examples of the power of Christ. The grave of Lazarus was surrounded with unbelieving Jews. They saw him come forth. They had as much opportunity as disposition to find out whether it was Lazarus or some one else—whether the man was alive, or only pretending to be alive. Instead of being immediately snatched from their view, he was seated some time after as one of the guests at a supper in Bethany; and so well known was the fact, that "much people of the Jews" came to the place to have a sight of one who had been raised from the dead. "The chief priests consulted that they might put him to death, because that, by reason of him, many of the Jews went away and believed on Jesus."

4. The miracles of Christ and his apostles were very numerous, and of great variety. It has been a characteristic of all cases of imposture, that the wonderful works pretended to were but few in number, and of great sameness. The sect of the Jansenists, in the church of Rome, pretended to miracles at the tomb, and by the posthumous intercessions of the

Abbé Paris. But, besides the want of evidence that any of the facts recorded were miraculous, they were neither numerous nor various. Could this be said of the works of Christ, it would deprive them of one of the most palpable evidences of the fearless integrity in which they were wrought. But his history is full of miraculous works. Besides about forty that are related at large, we frequently meet with such accounts as this: "His fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatic, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them."* Similar declarations are made as to the miracles of the apostles. As, for example, in Acts 5:16: "There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits; and they were healed every one."

But the miracles of the Saviour and his apostles were also of great variety. It was not disease of one or two classes only that Jesus removed, but disease of all kinds. Not diseases only, but all kinds of human calamity, departed at his will. Even death surrendered his captives at his command. The blind from their birth, the hopeless leper, those that were lame from the womb, those that had long been bowed down with infirmity, the withered, the palsied, the insane, all were alike delivered from their affliction. On two occasions thousands were fed with a mere

*Matt. 4:24.

pittance of food. Thrice, besides the instance of his own resurrection, did Jesus raise the dead. A corresponding variety characterizes the works of his apostles.

5. It is a matter of great importance to remark, that amidst all this variety, the success in every instance was instantaneous and complete. The sick were perfectly healed. The deaf and blind and lame were perfectly delivered from their infirmities; the leper was entirely cleansed; the dead arose, not merely to life, but to health and strength. These effects were as immediate as they were perfect. No sooner was the voice spoken, or the thing done, that was required of the applicant, than all was finished. Did Jesus say, "Let there be light?" there was light; "Let there be health?" there was health. He left no time for second causes to operate-no room for human means to intervene. "He spake, and it was done. He commanded, and it stood fast.”

6. There is no evidence of an attempt on the part of Christ or his apostles to perform a miracle, in which they were accused of having failed. It is notoriously true of the wonderful works ascribed to the tomb of the Abbé Paris, for example, that the cases in which any beneficial effects resulted to the applicants were very inconsiderable in number, compared with those in which there was a manifest and total failure. But although the ministry of Christ lasted between three and four years, during which he was continually resorted to by multitudes, with a great variety of cases, seeking his miraculous aid;