A Discourse Upon the Powers of the World to Come, Discourse · Chapter 9
CHAP. IX. An Enquiry upon ſome late Miraculous Appearances of God according to his own Will, that look like a Beginning of Miracles Returning; and how far they give Encouragement to wait upon God in any Caſe of Extremity to do for us above his ordinary Courſe of Providence, or Government of the World.
TOuching the late Miraculous Appearances, I will not ſay, The Fr. maid. Mrs. Salvage. The Shepherd near Hitchin, Hertfordſhire. Sir D. C. of Gloceſterſhiremore than we generally know of them, that ſuch things then were.
1. Becauſe the particular Inſtances, altho an Atheiſt does not know (I Believe) what well to ſay to them; yet they do not Riſe to ſo great a Heighth as to Argue upon them alone.
2. Becauſe I do not obſerve, God is pleas'd to go on, and joyn them with others in a continued Series, or Courſe, that ſhould ſtrengthen one by the other, and make All together more conſiderable, remarkable and demonſtrative of Divine Power.
3. Becauſe altho I ſee no more Reaſon to doubt of them, than of any Miraculous Appearances of God, that Reſt on Human Teſtimony only; yet I cannot, but put a great difference between all Human Judgment on Miracles; and thoſe, which the Holy Spirit hath Recorded, as ſuch.
I ſhall therefore Place no other ſenſe upon them, than this only; that they are Providential Awaknings, and Alarms of ſuch a Returning Power of Miracles, as upon all the fore-going Diſcourſe, and the Arguments of it, we have Reaſon to expect.
As to the Queſtion therefore propos'd, I will give an Anſwer in Four Aſſertions how far we may in any Caſe ground Expectation of a Miraculous Power.
1. The Time of the Return of Miracles is not yet; becauſe the Days of the Four Monarchies, and particularly the Time, Times, and Half Time of the laſt State of the Fourth Monarchy, or Roman Papal Apoſtaſy, are not yet expir'd; nor the Kingdom of Chriſt yet in its Succeſſion. So that though our Time, as the Lord ſpeaks, is always ready, we have great need, in all regards, of the Miracles of Mercy; But his Time is not always; It is not yet. If that Time be not yet, we cannot look for any Miracle in our particular caſe, with any certain Aſſurance we ſhall receive it. This is a Rule in all Caſes, not to meaſure Chriſt's Time, God's Time by ours, John 7th. v. 6.
2. The Time of Miracles Returning may be very near, and yet no Miracles till that very Time, be wrought: John the Baptiſt was the immediate Forerunner of Chriſt, and yet it is expreſly recorded to us, John did no Miracle. That was no Argument the Miracles of Chriſt, and of the Apoſtles, were at a diſtance; No more is it that the Return of Miracles is far off; Becauſe we may at the preſent be without Ground, or Encouragement, that any ſhould be wrought for us, as yet.
3. That Great Admonition of our Lord's, concerning Miracles, ſhould be alway on our Thoughts, Luke 4. 25. I ſay unto you, there were many Widows in the Time of Elijah the Prophet; but to none of them was Elijah ſent, but to her in Sarepta, a City of Zidon. And there were many Lepers in the days of Eliſha the Prophet, but unto none of them was he ſent, but unto Naman the Syrian. This Chriſt ſpake, as the Anſwer that the Great Phyſician gave, when call'd upon; Phyſician, heal thy ſelf: Whatſoever thou haſt done any where elſe, do in thy own Countrey and City. We may not think, on any Account, to oblige this Miraculous Power of Chriſt to us, becauſe he hath pleas'd to extend it to any other; yea, though it be of a Time of Mira…les.
3. Even in a Time of Miracles, Chriſt in doing great Things for his Servants, will not be Limited to Miracles. He expreſſed ſome Diſlike, when he ſays, John 4. 48. Except you ſee Miracles, you will not Believe; To Thomas, Deſiring ſenſible Aſſurance; He ſaid with Inſinuation of Reproof; Becauſe thou haſt ſeen, thou haſt Believed; bleſſed are they, who have not ſeen, and yet have Believed: Chriſt, as I have obſerved, before, drew many Souls to himſelf without any Miracle; Epaphrodotus was not, when ſick, and Nigh to Death, Healed Miraculouſly by Paul, from whoſe Body Aprons, and Handkercheifs were carryed, and had Healing Virtue in them; and yet God had mercy on Epaphroditus, and on Paul alſo in him, and Healed him; God does great and Wonderful things for his Servants, and yet without Miracles: This is our great Conſolation; he Works Miracles, and ſaves; He Works not Miracles, and yet ſaves; according to his own Will, he does All.
4. When all ordinary Means Fail, and the thing looks Deſperate in Relation to all ſuch Ordinary means; when the Figtree does not bloſſom, &c. yet we may Truſt in the Lord, and Glory in the God of our Salvation; even at ſuch a Time, our Feet ſhould be Like Hinds Feet, and walk on our high places; In the Mount of the Lord it ſhall be ſeen; we may then come unto God; Oh thou that heareſt Prayers, unto thee ſhall all Fleſh come; And tho we cannot Find by Senſe, we have the Petitions we have asked of him; yet by Faith we may know it; and he will give us outward Teſtimony of his hearing; for rather than his Servants ſhould not find him a God Hearing Prayers, he will either put the working of Second Cauſes ſo together, that ſuch putting together ſhall be next to Miracle; or rather than theſe Things ſhould not be done for them, he will ſtep out of the way of his preſent Ordinary Government of the World, and work a Miracle for them.