SERM. I. abstracted Reasonings operate but flowly and languidly in Comparison. He, who could raise the Dead, and fufpend the Laws of Nature, would convince the Generality of Men much fooner, than if he brought feveral Demonstrations to support, what he advanced.

I cannot then believe, that God would permit evil Beings to work confiderable Miracles, without afferting the Superiority of his Power; because this would una voidably mislead the Grofs of the Species into Error. I cannot likewife believe it, for another Reafon, because it would invalidate and weaken the strongest Proofs of his Providence.

For either we must say, that no finite Effects whatever bear the Imprefs of the Deity, and prove an infinite Being at the Helm, (which is to difcard all the Arguments a pofteriori;) or fuch astonishing Notices of Power, as our Saviour and Mofes, and others gave, bid as fair for the Proof of it, as any Phænomena.

For why may we not as well believe, that finite Beings are empowered to make the Sun, or rather Planets, revolve in their Orbit, and go their everlasting Round; as

that

that they are empowered to arreft the SERM. I. Course of the Sun (or the Earth,) make it go backwards, or eclipfe it, when the Moon, is at the full? Let us confider the Cafe of Joshua ftopping the Sun. If the Laws, by which the material World is governed, be nothing, as is generally agreed, but God's ftanding and uniform Operation upon Matter, I afk, did God fufpend his Action upon the Sun, when it was stopped; or did he not? If he did, then he wrought the Miracle; for the Miracle was nothing but the Sufpenfion of the Laws of Nature: but if he did not, if he ftill continued his regular Action; then it seems, there was another Being concerned, who over-ruled his Power, or at leaft kept it at a Bay; and thus Polytheism will be unavoidable.

The fame Kind of Reasoning may be applied to other miraculous Facts. I could as foon believe, that evil Spirits might call me into Being, and fet the Springs of Nature a going at firft; as that they can raise me when dead, reanimate a Lump of fenfless Matter, and remand my Soul, when it is in the Hand of God, to it's former Lodging refitted up. No Creature can come into, or be restored to Being, VOL. II.

R

but

SERM. I. but by him, who is the Fountain of all Beings. (.

He that had Power to create Bread two feveral Times, to fatisfy fome thousands, might have Power to create the whole World; there being no more Impoffibility in the one, than in the other. Either then creative and providential Powers are no divine Powers; or elfe thefe Effects likewife bear the Stamp of the Deity.

If the Sick may be healed, and the Deaf made to hear by an inferior Being; can the Maimed be made whole; (Matthew xv.

31.) or a loft Limb reftored? He, who produced and preferves that infinitely complicated Engine, the human Body, can alone form or restore any Member of it. For in each Member of it there is a curious Interweaving of endless Fibres, there are continual Streams running to and from each Part of it, through an Infinity of Canals, to convey Nutrition throughout Each Member maintains a conftant Correfpondence with the Head and the Heart; it is the Inftrument or Occafion of exciting certain Senfations in the Soul, and is enabled, by an incredible Activity, to execute her Orders, as foon as the iffues them out, and

wills the Motion of the Hand or Foot, or SERM. I any other Part: A Power to be derived only from Him, who commands, and it is immediately done.'

It may be of fome Importance to inquire, whether it be confiftent with God's Wisdom to intruft any Beings, much less evil ones, with fuch ample Powers, as to referve to himself no diftinctive Characters of his own Power; whether this be not to give up the most valuable Branches of his Prerogative, and in Effect to unking himfelf: Whether this would not be the Cafe, if evil Spirits might perform all the Miracles recorded from Genefis to the Apocalypse. For if no fuch fupernatural Notices, no fuch undeniable Change of Nature, carry evident Marks and Impreffions of the Deity; then the confiftent uniform Workings of God, according to established Laws, cannot prove the Deity; and if they cannot prove it, then we are left, to all Appearance, in a fatherless and forlorn World. We may then be as fure that fuch Miracles could be wrought by none but God, as we are, that the World is governed by God.

SERM. I.

But farther, the Argument for the Unity of God is this, that one Being is fufficient to produce all the Phænomena in Nature, and therefore we have no Occafion to suppose any more than one: Which Argument is enforced by the

fimilis Ratio,

which,

which runs

Analogy, and Harmony,
throughout Nature, as far as the Sphere of
our Obfervation extends. But if another
Being can give as glaring Indications of
Power, in a fupernatural Manner, as are
fhewn in the ordinary Courfe of Nature,
if he can break through that fimilis Ratio
and Harmony; then this Argument must be
difmiffed as inconclufive. For the Manifefta-
tion of two diftinct equal Powers muft lead
us to the Acknowledgment of two distinct
equal Beings.

The standing Miracle of the Sabbatical or feventh Year, well deferves our Confideration; when the Land lying uncultivated, the Produce of the Earth in one Year (the fixth,) according to Mofes's Promife, Lev. xxv. 21. was to be thrice as much as ufual, or Provifion for three Years. Now either this Miracle was performed, or not. If not, then the whole Body of the Jews must have a flagrant Proof, that : A

their