A Discourse Upon the Powers of the World to Come, Discourse · Chapter 4
CHAP. IV. Of the Reaſons, or ends of Miracles, as they are generally Aſſign'd by thoſe, who have Writ upon them.
I Come now to ſhew the Ends, and great Uſes, and Purpoſes of God in Miracles, what he intends towards the Children of men by them.
And I will Argue the thing Freely, both on the one ſide, and the other; becauſe I know, the generality of Chriſtians, and of the Interpreters and Teachers of the Doctrine of Miracles, almoſt of all Judgments, and perſuaſions, are very narrow, and confined in their Apprehenſions concerning the Reaſons, or ends of Miracles; and have not conſider'd this great End of them, their relation to the World to come, or to the Kingdom of Chriſt.
Far be it from me to take upon me, but I ſay; By evidence from the Word of God, it will appear, that this is the far greateſt End of Miracles, which hath been Overſeen, not conſidered, nor looked into, altho the Head of the Corner; and yet other Ends or Reaſons of them are to be duly conſidered alſo.
1. A great end of Miracles is to call Men to an immediate Conſideration of God; For Men can put off God in Ordinary Things, and ſay, Nature did it; this or that Natural Cauſe; Did you not ſee, ſay they, how this, or that Natural Cauſe wrought; and take away (ſay they) the Natural Cauſe, and the Effect will not be produced. As if a Man▪lies ſtill, and does nothing, he doth not grow Rich, if he had not Riches, and an Eſtate before; and ſo let a man be under a Diſeaſe, if he does not ſend for a Phyſician, then Nature, and the Diſeaſe muſt Conteſt it, and diſpute it together; and it is odds againſt Nature, it will be overcome; if you take away the Fire, ſay they, there ſhall be no Warmth; if you take away the Sun, there can be no Light; ſo men leave God out; and therefore to awaken Bruitiſh Men, that do not conſider God is at the Spring of all, and that he concurs with all, that Reaches any End; God very often croſſes, and thwarts what we count the Courſe of Natural Cauſes, The Race is not to the Swift, nor the Battle to the Strong, nor Bread to the Wiſe, nor Favour to the Men of understanding, but the Wiſe, and their Works are in the Hands of God, the God of Nature; Eccleſ. c. 9. v. 1. 11.
All this notwithſtanding, moſt men do not perceive; God therefore hath not been wanting to the World to give ſome extraordinary Appearances, and to make himſelf known by a Hand, and Arm ſtretched out, and made bare; and it is a great Aggravation, if Men do not take notice hereof. This was the great ſin of Pharoh, that he harden'd his Heart againſt all thoſe mighty Works of God done before him, and upon him. This ſin highly provoked God againſt the Iſraelites, That they ſaw his Works forty years, and yet always Err'd in their Hearts, and did not know the ways of God, Heb. 3. 9▪ 10. So ſays Chriſt, If I had not come, and done among them the works, that no other Man did, They had had no ſin, but now they have both ſeen and hated, both me, and my Father, John 15. 24.
From all this, It is very Evident, Miracles ought to be vehement Perſuaſions to Faith, Love, Obedience, Self-Reſignation, according to any Manifeſtation of God to Men, with which Miracles go along; But yet conſider on the other ſide, That though this is one great end of Miracles, yet it is not worthy to be the chief, or Adequate End of Miracles; For let theſe two or three things ſtand in Counter-ballance to ſuppoſing ſo.
1. That the general Works of God, and thoſe in ordinary, or Conſtancy, are ſo great, that Men are without excuſe, in not Fearing God, and Loving, and Obeying him, altho there had never been a Miracle in extraordinary in the World; as I have ſhewn from Rom. 1. 20. The inviſible things of God, even his Eternal Power, and Godhead are ſo manifeſt from the Creation; All Men who do not Glorify him as God, and who ſerve the Creature, more than the Creator bleſſed for ever, are without excuſe; if God had not done enough without Miracles, then indeed there would certainly have been Miracles upon this only account, that men might have no juſt Reaſon to complain of God.
And ſo let us conſider that of Jerem. 10. 6. Who would not fear thee? Oh Lord, King of Nations; For to thee doth it appertain; For as much as there is none like unto thee; For thou art Great, and thy Name is great in might: When he uttereth his Voice, There is a multitude of Waters in the Heavens; And will ye not fear me, ſaith God, who have placed the Sand for a Bound to the Sea, that though the Waters toſs themſelves they cannot paſs over; Are ye ſo Bruitiſh, ſo inconſiderate, ſo unreaſonable, that ye will not fear me? Every day God doth Great Things and Miracles, and that without number.
It is not therefore, that God hath not given Evidence enough, for he hath given abundantly enough; yea, though Men had not the Light of his Word, They are without Excuſe; How much more are they without Excuſe, who have the Light of that, even of the Goſpel of Glory!
I do not deny, that God makes a greater Offer of himſelf by Miracles, conſidering Mens great Stupidity; They are to excite them, who Believe not, I grant; yet I am much perſwaded, there is ſo much, enough and to ſpare of Evidence and Aſſurance of God, that if that h…d b…en the ſole end of Miracles to offer a further Evidence or Motive of acknowledging God; if there had not been a greater End, than that, There had never been a Miracle in the World ſhewn on that Account.
2. Let it be well weighed, that as Chriſt ſays, If I had not done among them, the Works that no other Man did, they had had no ſin: So he ſays, If I had not come and ſpoken to them, they had not had ſin, but now they have no Cloak for their Sin; tho he ſhould have done no Miracle.
That alſo weighs much with me; That the great End of Miracle is not to Convince Men, or move them home to God, Luke 16. ult. They have Moſes and the Prophets, if they will not believe them, neither will they be perſwaded, though one Roſe from the Dead.
I do moſt ſincerely, and with All clearneſs, and fairneſs deſire to Reaſon theſe things, that I may ſee, whether the things, I deſign in this Diſcourſe, will hold, or not.
I am very confident, Take any man of the Family, where there has been a great deal of Wickedneſs, and Prophaneneſs, and looſneſs of Living; and ſo the Courts, where there has been ſucceſſive Debauchery, careleſſneſs of all Religion, abundance of Pride, Luxury, and Senſuality; and if God ſhould bring back any of thoſe Princes, or Co…rtiers, or Family-Relations, from the Dead, and he ſhould ſay, I was within ſuch a Space of time, as you are now, Walking in the ſame Vanity of Mind, giving my ſelf over to work all Ʋncleanneſs, with greedineſs, running into all exceſs of Riot, All for the preſent Enjoyment, never thinking what would come after, what would become of me for ever, but now I feel the Torment▪ and Woe of it; and have obtain'd Liberty to come to Adviſe you, that you would Repent, and Reform, that you may not come into the ſame ſtate of Torment; we ſhould be ready to think, this would certainly move us, and reclaim us; but you ſee, what he ſays, that Knew all Men, and that knew, what was in Man, and needed not, that any one ſhould Teſtify to him of Man, what he would do in ſuch a Caſe; he Aſſures us This would not perſwade; Now the very ſame thing, by all proportion of Senſe, Reaſon, Experience, may be ſaid concerning the Works of God, the Providence of God, the Word of God: If Men are not perſwaded by theſe, neither would they be perſwaded by Miracles, wer… they never ſo great and many; this there…ore Argues to me; To move Men to Converſion, and Repentance is not the proper, and Adequate Reaſon of Miracles.
2. I would further ſtrengthen this by the obſervation of the Behaviour of thoſe, to whom Miracles were more immediately Directed; and we may find, how they ſtood up like Rock againſt the Force of them, as we ſee in Pharoh; Would any one think God ſhould ſend upon him Ten Miraculous Plagues, one after another, to take him down, and bring him into Subjection to God; and that at laſt we ſhould find him Driving into the Heart of the Sea, after the People of God, and then overwhelmed; the ſin God had ſo often warn'd him of, and Plagued him for; and yet thus it was: I acknowledg God magnified his Power, and got himſelf a great Name in his Deſtruction; but we may ſee there was a further Relation to the World to come, by the Recalling the Song of Moſes at the Red Sea, the place of his Periſhing, and Joyning it with the Song of the Lamb; and by the paralel Courſe of the ſeven Vials deſtroying Spiritual Egypt, as was before intimated, Rev. 15.
In the ſame manner the Miracles of Chriſt, and of the Apoſtles were Directed firſt, and immediately on the Jews of That time; But how little they Avail'd to Converſion, we know beyond Doubt; I do not deny, God Juſtified himſelf more abundantly thereby in their utter Deſtruction by the Romans, about forty years after; But the Intereſt the Kingdom of Chriſt prevail'd beyond that▪ End of Converſion, For It Faild; But when that was firſt Propoſed, How Proper it was to make ſo glorious an appearance of that Kingdom that ſhall fully appear in its own time (tho not then, that not being the proper Time) in a like, but much greater and more Illuſtrious Efficacy of Miracles.
3. The moving men home to God cannot be the adequate end of Miracles: God hath been pleaſed to bring ſome Home ſuddenly without Miracle; as Matthew the Publican, Matt. 9. 9. and the Apoſtle prefers, 1 Cor. 14. 23. Prophecy or Powerful Preaching the Goſpel, as above Miracles for the End of Converſion or a more Spiritual, Inward, Miraculous Power above a Miracle that ſeems more wonderful to ſenſe, viz. a Speaking with all manner of Tongues, or …anguages; And indeed That great and mighty Work of Converſion, whatever ſervice it may receive from Miracles, yet is much more to be acknowledged to the Spirit of God powr'd out, and laying hold on thoſe Ordain'd to Eternal Life, than to Miracles; which much aſſures, This working upon the Hearts of Men to a ſenſe of God is not the End of Miracles in a full, direct Adequation to it.
2. It is aſſigned, as a much more Agreable, and Commenſurate end of Miracles, that they are Given as a Teſtimony from Heaven of the truth of any Divine Revelation from Heaven, of the will, and mind of God▪ Touching any Law, or Rule of Faith, worſhip and Life in order to Eternal Life, eſpecially when the Points of that Revelation are above, over, and ſuper-added to the Law and Light, which we Call, of Nature; or to any former Manifeſtation, and Declaration of the Will of God, that had been fixed and ſetled in the Church, and among the People of God throughout their Generations; ſuch Miraculous Power is therefore given into the Hand of ſuch Miniſters of Divine Pleaſure, as he hath Choſen for it.
Thus a great Preſence of Divine Power was with Moſes, the Servant of God, in the fixing that whole Frame of the Ceremonial Law; Thus the Tabernacle, and Service of it was fill'd with the glorious coming down of God into it; ſo Solomons Temple was, as we may ſay, Conſecrated by God himſelf.
And thus Eſpecially, and much more That ſupreme Revelation of the Goſpel, for the Excellency of the Declaration it ſelf, for the Glory of the Lord, by whom it began to be ſpoken▪ for the ſake of ſo great and Antient a Sanction, as that of the Moſaick Law; which it gave a Ceſſation to, not ſo much by Abrogation, as fulfiling it; was ſo Seal'd; in all theſe Regards God bare Witneſs to Chriſt, and to the Apoſtles by Divers Signs, Wonders, Miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to his Will.
In the aſſured Knowledg hereof, Ch…iſt ſaid, The Works, which the Father hath given me to do, bear Witneſs of me, Believe me for the Works ſake; John 5. 36, c. 14. 11. The Apoſtle Peter ſignifies the Boldneſs in ſpeaking the word of God ariſing from the ſigns, and wonders, that were done by the Name of the Holy Child Jeſus, Acts 4. 30. Paul, and Barnabas ſpake the word of God boldly, the Lord giving Teſtimony to that word of his Grace, and granting Signs, and Wonders to be done by their Hands, Acts 14. 3. Theſe moved men to Believe, This beginning of Miracles did Jeſus in Cana of Galilee, and manifeſted forth his Glory, and his Diſciples believed on him. John 2. 11. Chriſt makes it the great Aggravation of the unbelief of the Jews, that he did the Works among them, that no man elſe ever did, John 15. 24.
Now from all theſe Scriptures Joyn'd with the Reaſon of the thing it ſelf, It is undeniable, The Confirmation of the Truth of the Goſpel, was a principal end of Miracles; and that hereby men might be made obedient by Word, and Deed, through mighty Signs, and Wonders, by the Power of the Spirit of God, Rom. 15. 19.
But all thi… notwithſtanding, which I moſt Fully and Humbly Ackn…wledg; I have yet many things to obſerve upon, by which it may Appear; This is not the Adequate end of Miracles.
Now that wherein, It appears, The confirmation of the Doctrine of the Goſpel is not the chief end, or Reaſon of Miracles, is, That Miracles need a Confirmation from the Doctrine Preached, with which they go along and are Joyn'd, as well as the Doctrine needs a Confirmation from Miracles; Nay, Doctrine may Prove it ſelf by it ſelf, when Miracles cannot prove themſelves without the Doctrine; This appears from many Great Scriptures, as Deuteronomy. 13. 1. If there Ariſe among you a Prophet, and He giveth thee a ſign or a wonder, and the ſign, or wonder come to paſs, whereof he ſpake unto thee, ſaying, Let us go after other Gods, which Thou haſt not Known, and let us ſerve them; Thou ſhalt not Hearken to the words of that Prophet, &c. For the Lord your God proveth you, &c. You ſhall therefore walk after the Lord your God, &c. If any Doctrines then be not according to wh… God hath before ſpoken in his word, and to thoſe main points of the Love, and Fear of God and the Rewards he hath pro…ed, and Puniſhments he hath Threatened; Although ſuch a Contrary Doctrin be Confirm'd with ſuch Appearances of a ſign, or wonder, as cannot be D…ſtinguiſhed by very Judicious obſervers from a Real Miracle; This will not Juſtify the perſon that turns aſide from the Commands or Doctrines that are indeed from God, which ought to be weighed by all the Juſt Rules, and Characters of Trying truth.
According to this Grand caution thus Given by God, The Jews might have been excuſed in Refuſing to withdraw from the Moſaic Law; or to receive Chriſt as the Meſſiah and Son of God, notwithſtanding all the Miracles wrought by our Lord, and by his Apoſtles; if the Doctrine, and Action, and high Acknowledgment of God, of All holineſs; if the Excellencies alwaies moſt Bright, and ſhining from our Lord, &c. If the Divineſs of all his Preach…ng, His cleareſt dicovery of eternal Life, and everlaſting Puniſhment upon all unholyneſs had not vindicated, and demonſtrated it ſelf to be of God; Chriſt therefore ſays, as before obſerved: John 15. 22. If I had not come, and ſpoken to them, they had no ſin; but now they have no Cloake for their ſin; and ſo John 14. 10. Chriſt ſaith. The words I ſpeak unto you, I ſpeak not of my ſelf, but the Father that dwelleth in me, He doth the works Certainly our Lord Implyes, His very Doctrine was all Miracle, All works; the works of his Father as well as the very Miracles, or Works ſtrictly ſo called.
Thus Chriſt Argues from the Direct …endency of all his whole Miniſtry, and deſign, ſo manifeſtly tending to the Ruine of Sathans Kingdom, that he could not be ſuſpected of Acting by way of Colluſion with Sathan; except Sathan could be ſuppoſed to be Divided againſt Himſelf, and to Deſtroy his own Kingdom; Elſe the Pretence had been plauſible, if all the Doctrine of Chriſt had not been Infinitely Holy, and Infinitely pure; Deſtructive to Satan and his Kingdom Matt. 12. Mark 3. an… Luke. 11.
The Apoſtle Petet Comparing the Miraculous viſion of our Lords Transfiguration, Prefers the Word of Prophecy, as more ſure, 2. Pet. 1. 19.
And the Apoſtle Paul makes the powerful Preaching of the Truths of the Goſpel, more Convincing of the mighty preſence of God in Church Aſſemblies, then Miracles, or miraculous Gifts of Tongues were, 1 Cor. 14. 26. For hereby, ſaith he, the Secrets of mens Hearts will be Diſcovered, and they will Fall down, and worſhip God, and ſay, He is among his Servants of a Truth.
From all this, It is moſt manifeſt; The Confirmation of the Truths o… the Goſpel is not the Adequate end of Miracles, or a Reaſon of them Commenſurate to them; Becauſe they do not ſufficiently ſerve that end, nor anſwer that Reaſon; If therefore They had been ſupremely to that end, or Reaſon of them; There is no doubt They ſhould to the very utmoſt, and laſt point of effect have produced that Confirmation; For ſuch mighty works of God Cannot be once ſuppoſed to be in vain; as they muſt be, if they do not Attain their End, or are-not Principal in Attaining it: As it hath been made out, They are not.