A Discourse Upon the Powers of the World to Come, Discourse · Chapter 3
CHAP. III. Giving yet a more Strict, and Exact Deſcription of Miracles, in Five Particulars.
I Find it neceſſary to come up yet cloſer and nearer to the Nature of Scripture-Miracles, or its Account of them; and that ſo, that I may ſhew how cloſe they lead up to that World to come. And herein I ſhall obſerve moſt particularly the Words the Spirit of God uſes to expreſs Miracles by. I will to this purpoſe inſiſt on theſe Five Particulars.
1. The Firſt Thing that ſpeaks Miracle, and that is indeed the moſt Proper and Eſſential Deſcription of Miracles, is, That in Miracle God acts by an immediate Hand, and does not work by any Second or Subordinate Cauſe, whatever Inſtrument, Conveyance, or Miniſter of his Power, he may uſe: When he works perfectly, as the Creator, he is alone, and there is no other with him in his Work: He ſhews himſelf immediately by his own Hand, and ſtretched out Arm: If God bleſſes Phyſick, and the ſick man is recovered, This is indeed Miracle, if we conſider the Firſt Spring▪ God is at the Fountain of All M…ans; For he is the Firſt Cauſe. When a Man by Diligence in his Calling grows Rich; This Men ſay is no Miracle; He was a Diligent, and an Induſtrious, Laborious Man; and he had, beſides, theſe and theſe Opportunities: But if we believe the Scripture, This is not to be attributed to the Second Cauſe, but to the Firſt; and in that, it is Miracle; For The Bleſſing of the Lord maketh Rich; and The Lord maketh Thee to grow R…ch, as we Read in Moſes; and a man to whom God giveth Riches, ſaith Solomon. But yet the Scripture it ſelf does not call this Miracle, becauſe a Train of Second Cauſes waits upon the Firſt, and to a common Eye hides it: In Miracle God does All; and he works like himſelf, ſuddenly, and not according to the Leiſure and Slowneſs of the Second Cauſe; He heals immediately; He pour'd Riches on Solomon, like the moſt High Poſſeſſor of All; He commands, and the Effect ſtands up together, in the ſame moment he commands: If a Man hath Cataracts on his Eyes, and goes to a Skillful Oculiſt, and he Couches them, as we ſpeak; we do not call this Miracle, becauſe an Hand of Natural Cauſe waits upon God here for Concurrence; But when by the Power of Chriſt Men had their Eyes op…ned, without the uſe of Means, Then Every One agrees It is the Hand of God, and calls it Miracle.
I ſay therefore, This is One Thing in Miracle; and I beſeech the ſerious Conſideration of it, becauſe there is ſuch aſſurance in Scripture, God will come to do great Things immediately by his own Hand; He will do them, as he ſaid, he would Anſwer the Idolatrous Enquirers in Ezekiel, by Himſelf, by his own immediate Power.
According to this we are inſtructed, Exod. 7. 5. When I ſtretch out my Hand, ſaith God, upon Aegypt. Miracle is the ſtretching out of God's Hand; and Chap 8. 19. when the Magicians could not do what Moſes did, They then ſaid, This is the Finger of God.
Here then is the Nature of Miracle; It is God's ſhewing his own Finger: The Magicians acted by a Power, as we ſay, behind the Curtain; They acted by the Devil. But when Aaron ſmote the Duſt of the Earth, and it became Lice, Then the Magicians themſelves acknowledged, This is the Finger of God; becauſe they tryed to do ſo with their Enchantments, and could not. This therefore pla…nly declares Miracle, when it comes to that, that no Angelical Power can do it, nor can he truſted to do it, as God's Commiſſioner; Then it is Miracle; Then it is a Power of the World to come, which God hath not put into Subjection to Angels, either Good or Bad. The Magicians acting by the Intervention, and utmoſt Power of Bad Angels, did ſome Things, as Moſes and Aaron, ſo long they did not own Miracle: But when they come to that, They acting by, Created Power could not do, nor were any way Commiſſion'd to do; Then they cryed out, The Finger of God. And it is very obſervable, our Lord makes uſe of the very ſame word, in arguing the Truth of that ſo great Miracle of Caſting out that Potent Devil, Luke 11. by the Power of God, and not as the Magicians, by the Power of Belzebub, or the Devil, as the Magicians did. If I by the Finger of God caſt out Devils, ſaith Chriſt, then no doubt the Kingdom of God is come upon you; Where are Two Things moſt Remarkable concerning Miracles.
1. That Miracles are by the immediate Power of God Patrated, or Effected.
2. That there is a certain, undoubted, and inſeparable Connexion between the Kingdom of God, or the World to come, and Miracles, or Effects of the Immediate Divine Power, or Finger, which ſhall indeed bring it in; All in it being Higheſt Power, and ſo is All, that works for it.
There is therefore a peculiar Word choſen by the Spirit of God in the New Testament, to Expreſs Miracle by; and it is foreign, or Power; ſo very often in Scripture; and moſt Remarkably Miracles are call'd, Heb. 6. Powers of the World to come. Now I find by the Conſent of the moſt Sage Interpreters, Thoſe Powers of the World to come, are underſtood of Miracles; They are Powers Demonſtrative of Immediate Divine Power, and Powers proper to the World to come, prepar'd for all manner of Service to it; and which ſhall in the Due and Juſt Time introduce it; and, as I obſerved before, we find the ſame Expreſſion taken out of Exodus, and ſo Acts 4. They are the Hand of God ſtretched out, and his Arm, as Scripture ſpeaks, made Bare.
When the Hand and Arm of God have Natural Means or Second Cauſes to attend and wait on their Motion, then his Hand is not ſtretched out to the utmoſt Length or Line of Action, reaching that Effect; but it adds the Line of the Action of thoſe Second Cauſes, though but a Cypher without him; yet he being before them, in them, with them, they are of Value; and ſo his Hand and Arm are Cloathed, Shrowded, with theſe, as we call them, Natural Cauſes, and not Naked and Bare. There is another Expreſſion, whereby alſo this Immediate Power is made known to us; and that is uſed, Dan 2. 34, 45. and Dan. 8. 21. Without Hand; And ſo it is uſed in Caſes of Cloſe Connexion with the World to come, 2 Cor. 5. 1. and Heb. 9. 11. of that Houſe, and State of Sa…nts and Spirits in Heaven, that they may not be found Naked; till they are Cloath'd upon with their Houſe from Heaven, Glorious Bodi…s of the Reſurrection, in the New Jeruſalem, coming down from Heaven. And that Houſe Now in Heaven, is the ſame Tabernacle Chriſt is entered into. So that it is ſaid, in regard to Saints, even as to Chriſt, (but of him as Principal and Supreme) It is made without Hands; That is, It is the Work of the Immediate Power of God. In the ſame manner it is us'd of a Circumciſion made without Hands, Col. 2. 11.
Now in All Theſe, it is moſt Evident, This manner of ſpeaking is on purpoſe choſen by the Divine Spirit to impart to us Immediate, Divine, and Miraculous Power; ſo it Equally imports Things not of This World, not of This Frame, not of This Building, but that have intimate and undivided Connexion with the Kingdom of Chriſt, and World to come.
As our Lord Chriſt therefore, when he Opened the Eyes of the Blind, when he Healed the Sick, when he Reſtored the Lame, when he ſent out Apoſtles to Preach in All Languages, he did not call for the Curious Oculiſt, the Learned Phyſician, the Skillful Chyrurgion, the Learned Linguiſts to help him, or to haſten to inſtruct in all Tongues: He wrought all without Hands: When he works by his Grace, in the Hearts of his Servants, to make them New Creatures by that Circumciſion made without Hands; when he prepares the place of his Servants, Builds the Palace of his Kingdom; when he breaks his Enemies, He does All without Hands.
Now you know, as among Men, One of the Chief Meaſures for Every Building, is by Fingers and Hands, and ſo on; and for Every Enterpriſe, and Undertaking, we ſtill account, how many Hands are prepared to work in it; So the Wars that are carried on in the World, They are wag'd by the Hands of the Men of Might; They finding their Hands, as David ſpeaks, the Hands Taught to VVar, and the Fingers to fight. And they that have Moſt, and Ableſt Hands; we fore-ſpeak to them the Greateſt Succeſs. At this Day we are ready to ſay, ſuch a Prince is ſo mighty, has ſo many Hands; who is able to contend with him? How Significant therefore is this Expreſſion of Almighty Power working without hands?
Remember therefore, This is One of the Eſſentials of Miracle; It is the Finger of God; it is the Hand of God ſtretched out; it is the Arm of God made Bare; it is working without Hands, or that (as ſome Learned interpret of the Stone cut out of the Mountains) is not in any Hands; the Managements as to him are not entruſted to any Humane Created Hand; he works all by himſelf without Hand.
Thus in All theſe Expreſſions it appears Miracle is foreign, Power, Naked Power, Pure, Perfect Power.
But becauſe I have before urg'd, That however we are Blind, and cannot ſee a-far off, we cannot ſee back into the Retiring Room of Things; yet if we could, we ſhould find, that all the Springs of Motion, and Action, of Life, yea, of very Being, are without Hand; and ſo Miracle is in Every Thing, Power is in Every Thing; and ſo here what we call Miracle, and no Miracle, does not differ; till Things come more into the Great Hall of this World, where Millions of Hands, or Second Cauſes, are at work; So that the Difference upon the whole, in what we call Miracle, and not Miracle, is, That in Miracle Power without Hand goes all the way; In Things not Miracle, Created Hands take from God their ſhare of Action and Appearance; and hereupon we attribute All; through our Stupidity, Carnality and Unbelief, to Created Hands; and God is hidden, his Hand Covered and Shrouded: God therefore ſtretches out his Hand in Miracle, He lifts up his Hand, and makes Bare his Arm, and Forces Men to ſay, This is the Finger of God. But becauſe God does not this Every Day, but ſeldom hitherto, therefore a Second Character of Miracle ariſes.
2. Miracle is properly ſomething, that in regard of the Newneſs, and unuſualneſs of it, makes Men Gaze, and look upon it with Wonder and Admiration; and from this Paſſion it raiſes in Men, it is call'd, Wonder, or Miracle; and becauſe Men are Alarm'd, and Expect ſome Great Event upon it, it is call'd Sign, or Portent, in the Sacred Language of both the New and Old Teſtament. Two Words in the Hebrew denote Signs, and another expreſſes VVonder; and ſo in the Greek, ſometimes Miracles are remark'd to us by a Word properly rendered Sign, and ſometimes by a Word ſignifying VVonder and ſurpriſe.
And though I have before Aſſerted, That herein alſo the Works of God, though conſtant and perpetual, are yet alſo New and Freſh; our Life, Health, Freedom, All we Enjoy, are Freſh Mercies and Compaſſions, New Every morning, every moment: They are not the Mercies we had yeſterday, but New mercies: I deſire this Remark may be upon all our Hearts, to raiſe us to Thankfulneſs, Dependence, ſelf Reſignation, and Obedience; yet becauſe theſe Every-days mercies of God, we ſeem to hold by a more conſtant Tenure of Providence, that exerciſeth Lovingkindneſs on the Earth, Scripture it ſelf calls Miracles of Mercy or Judgment, New Things; what God does in Mercy or in Diſpleaſure ordinarily, we are ſo acquainted with, and they look ſo like one another, that we look not upon them, as new; but when God does thoſe great things, we call Miracles, we are in a Wonder, at an Amaze, we ask what is this a ſign of? nay if things unuſual fall out, and appear, although we account the things not Miracles, but Wonders; as a Comet in the Heavens, great Eclipſes, ſtrange Inundations, Earth quakes; we are Alarm'd, and Mov'd, and are ready to look for ſome extraordinary Things coming upon the Earth; And unuſual Events in Providence, either of Mercy or Affliction, make great Diſcourſes among Men as to their expectations.
And herein, ſo far as God permits him, the Devil is as often as he can, doing Wonders, or ſtrange Things; and ſo are his Miniſters, either by, or without his known help, of which ſort are all the Antichriſtian Signs and Lying Wonde…s; and hereunto alſo may be reduced the many Policies and curious Deſigns of Men of Power, and great Motion in the World, that amuſe ordinary Beholders; but all theſe, with the Artifices of men of lower Figure, are no mo…e, than greater or leſſer Puppet play, moving things by Wires unſeen, and unobſerv'd; but God does, indeed th…ngs truly great▪ and New, and puts thereby a New Song of Praiſe into the mouths of his Servants; for they are indeed Signs and Wonders and mighty Acts.
And they are indeed New, becauſe, as I have ſaid they are all Peices, Parcels, Portions of that New Creation, the New Heaven and New Earth; that New World, the World to come, the Reſtitution of All things whereof we ſpeak, as is further to be ſhewn.
But at the preſent, I reſt upon that, which hath been already nam'd, as the ſteaddy Repreſentation of a Miracle, in ſtrict ſpeaking to us; it is the Lords Creating a New Thing in the Earth; I only add, that proportionably to the New Heaven, and the New Earth …od makes in the Souls of his, what he calls, A new Creation, a new Heart, and a New Sp…rit, Old things paſſing away, all becomes New.
3. The more proper, and Adequate Character of Miracles is, that they are P…rtions, and Parcels, Pledges, and aſſurances of the World to come, and of the Kingdom of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, of the New Heaven, and of the New Earth, of the New Creation of God; whoever looks cloſely, and Intentively into them, ſhall find; that becauſe the Old Creation as under the Curſe, through Sin and Apoſtaſy of the First Adam, will not, cannot ſerve the Ends of the Glory of God, of the Creator, and of Jeſus Chriſt, the Lord and Heir of All; by whom, and for whom they were all made; and of his Body, the Church, the fulneſs of him that filleth All in All. Therefore a new Creation, is to be brought in, and it is to be brought in by a Diſſolution of the Old, a Total Diſſolution of the Old Creation, the World of the Firſt Adam; and a Reſtitution of all things, and even an Exaltation into a far Higher, and more excellent State than the firſt:
Now this is to be done by Immediate Power in both Parts; of Mercy, and Judgment, elſe neither Could be done; No Hand but that, which put together this Frame, can Diſſolve it; no Hand, but that which holds it together, can either let it go, or ſtir up thoſe Tumults, and Combuſtions, that ſhall bring it to its End; which is a further Argument, that Creation and dayly Suſtentation are Miracle, Effects of immediate Power; for elſe ſome, however unknown to us, Diſorders, and Cr…ſs, and Counter Motions of Second Cauſes, had Defeated the Frſt Creation, or long ſince brought this Frame to Ruine; if there had been none to Guide, or Suſtain them, but themſelves. And hereby it is alſo Evident, the low State, in which the Creation is, is Miracle or Immediate Power of Juſtice; for elſe the Goodneſs of the Creator had undoubtedly kept it up to its firſt Being in all things Good, and very Good; Infinite, Immediate Power hath let it down ſo low, and no lower.
Again, on the ſide of Mercy, and Grace; ſo far, and ſo much▪ as the Creation is gone down, and fallen from it ſelf through Divine Juſtice, Retiring the Omnipot…nt Conſerving Hand of Power, that would have kept it up; or ſuffering thoſ… Deſtructive Counter-Motions in the Parts of it, or in the Principles of Motion; Omnipotency alone can Repair, and Fill u… thoſe Gaps, and Hollows in the Preſent State, and effect a Reſtitution of All Things, and Deliver the Creation now in Bondage, from that Servitude under which it hath ſo long, and yet Grones; and much more That Almighty Hand alone can Raiſe it above what it was at Firſt; ſo that Miracle runs through all. Now ſeeing ſuch a Bo…h Diſſolution, and Reſtitution, and Exaltation of the Creation is Decreed by God; It becomes him, by whom are All Things, and for whom are All Things; and by whom, and for whom, this very Diſſolution▪ and Restitution is; to give warning, to make Credit, and Aſſurance of Theſe, even of Both; and therefore, as I have already Argued, and ſhall much further Argue in the Part of this Diſcourſe allotted to it; That Miracles are Powers of the World to come, every way proper and peculiar to it.
4. Miracles are therefore Conjoyned with ſome Eminent, and Notable Appearance of the World to Come; As at the bringing of the People of Iſrael out of Egypt, and into the Land of Canaan, the Promiſed Land; and ſo when Chriſt was here in the World, and the Apoſtles ſo Preaching the Goſpel of the Kingdom, as if it had been immediately to appear; and ſo much more when that Kingdom ſhall indeed appear; For elſe Miracles would be as Seals to a Blanck; This therefore Detects all Falſe Miracles, and Lying Wonders, that they are not in purſuance of the Kingdom of Chriſt; And this is moſt Evident, as was ſaid before, by our Saviours Inference from the Truth of that mighty work of Caſting out the Deaf and Dumb Devil, and that is was done by the Finger of God; that no doubt, the Kingdom of God was come upon them, as he ſhews: Luke 11. For Miracles cannot be without the Kingdom of God in Eminent Appearance.
5. Miracles muſt, being Parts, and Peices of the World to come, give greateſt Aſſurance of themſelves to be the mighty works of God; this Aſſurance muſt be given to the whole man, to the Mind, Underſtanding, inward and outward Senſes; for this is Aſſurance to the whole Man. The Underſtanding is oft under Error, and miſtake, wherein it is not Serv'd, and Miniſtred to by Senſe; Senſe is oft deluded, when the mind does not make a Judgment. When both make a full Judgment, This is as great Aſſurance, as the Intellectual, ſenſible Being of Man is capable of; and therefore Reſiſtance to ſuch Light is Blaſphemy againſt the Holy Spirit, which is Blaſpheming againſt full Conviction of Divine Power, and Appearance, Mat. 12. 31. Mark. 3▪ 18. Luke 12. 10. The Miracles therefore proper to the Kingdom of Chriſt, are Armed at all Points by Infallible Proofs, as that grand Miracle of the Reſurrection of Chriſt was, Acts 1. 3. And thus they ought to be from their Relation to the Kingdom of Chriſt, which ſhall give all aſſurance of it ſelf to the whole Man, and for ever remove all poſſibility of doubt from Saints, who ſhall ſee then Eye to Eye; and from wicked Men, who would not ſee, but ſhall ſee in that day.