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Dead. Which Promife was fulfilled to.them at the Feaft of Pentecoft, when Men from all parts of the World were made witneffes to it. For they were commanded by our Saviour not to depart from Jerufalem, but to wait for this promife, and he affured them, that they should be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days after his being taken up from them into Heaven, and that they fhould receive power after that the Holy Ghoft was come upon them, and fhould be witneffes unto him both in Jerufalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the Earth, Acts i. 4, 5, 8. And this miraculous power was visibly beftowed not only upon the Apostles themselves, but upon the hundred and twenty mentioned, As i.15.

I have already fhewn, that the Apostles were effe&tually qualified to be witneffes of what they delivered concerning Chrift, and that they could neither be deceived themfelves in it, nor could propofe any advantage to themselves by deceiving others; and that if they had defigned any deceit, they alledged fuch circumstances as made it impoffible for them to have pafs'd undiscovered. All which will be exceedingly confirmed, by confidering the miraculous Gifts which the Apostles received by the defcent of the Holy Ghost, according to this promife of our Saviour. I fhall therefore fhew, how the Apoftles were enabled by the defcent of the Holy Ghost upon them, to become witnesses to Christ. 1. By the Miracles which they wrought them felves. 2. By that Power which was conveyed by them to others of working Miracles. 3. By their fupernatural Refolution, Courage, and Patience under their Sufferings.

1. the Apostles were enabled to become witneffes to Chrift, by the Miracles which they wrought them

• Monftrabatur locus, ubi fuper centum viginti credentium animas Spiritus Sanctus defcendiffet. Hieron. Epitaph Paulæ. Vid. Dr. Lightf. Exercit, on Acts ii. 1. p. 643T 2

felves,

felves. This power of Miracles qualified them most effectually to be witnesses of the Refurrection, and Afcenfion, and other Articles of our Faith: for they could neither deceive nor be deceived in these miraculous Gifts, which were bestowed upon them, to be an affurance to themselves, and an evidence to others, that it was the Caufe of God in which they were engaged, and his Truth which they delivered.

They could not be deceived themselves undoubtedly in a thing of this nature, they could not be ignorant, whether they were real Miracles, which they wrought or not; they must needs know whether their own pretences were true or falfe; and whether they could fpeak the Languages, and do the Wonders, which the World believed them' to do and speak; and they could not but know by what power and means they were enabled to perform all their miraculous Works.

And these Works were of that nature, and done in that manner, that they could impofe upon no Man by them; they could not make Men believe that they fpoke all kinds of Languages, if they did not speak them, nor that they cured all forts of Diseases, if they had not cured them: nothing is more eafie than for a Man to know a Language that he understands, when he hears it, or than for Men that were fick to know that they are recovered, when they feel themselves well. And the manner of their performing thefe Miracles, was the most publick and notorious in refpect of the time and place, and the perfons on whom they were wrought.

Our Saviour had been crucified at the Feast of the Paffover in the fight of the Jews and Profelytes, who were met together from all parts of the World at that Solemnity and but fifty days after at the next folemn Festival of the Jews, in the very fame City where he had been crucified, in the prefence of mul- . titudes of people of all Nations and Languages, which

came

came to keep the Feast of Pentecoft, the Apostles declared to them in all their feveral Tongues; that this fame Jefus was by the Almighty Power of God rais'd from the dead, and that they were impower'd by him to speak all thofe Languages. The Apostles were at the fame time taken notice of to be Galileans, Men of low Birth, and of no Education. St. John in particular was known to the High-Prieft himself, and the rest were all known to many that heard them; their Parentage, and place of Abode, and manner of Life might easily be enquired into; for they were no Strangers, nor in a far Country: And from all thefe it appear'd, that it was impoffible that they should be capable of speaking any of thofe Languages, but by Infpiration; and to fpeak all Languages, is a thing which no Man ever could hope to arrive at by Study or Conversation, though he should make it the whole Business of his Life. And therefore this could leaft of all be fufpected of Men of mean Employments, and who got their Livelihood by their daily Labour and Industry.

The Miracles which the Apoftles wrought, were likewife in the most publick places of the City, and in the most publick manner, upon perfons who had been most remarkable, and generally taken notice of for their Infirmities. St. Peter, by pronouncing only these words, In the name of Jefus Chrift of Nazareth, rife up and walk, cured a Man of above forty years of Age, who was known to have been lame from his Birth, and was carried and laid daily at one of the Gates of the Temple, where there was wont to be the greatest Refort of People, to ask an Alms of them, that entred into the Temple; and this Man being immediately cured, went with St. Peter and St. John, into the Temple, and all the people faw him walking and praifing God, and they knew that it was he, which fat for alms at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple, Acts iii. 9,10. And the Rulers of the Jews enquired into the matter,

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and

and upon Examination, when they faw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled, and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jefus; and beholding the man which was healed ftanding with them, they could fay nothing against it, but confefs'd among themfelves, that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them, is manifeft to all them that dwell in Jerufalem, and we cannot deny it, Acts iv. 13, 14, 16.

By this and other evident and publick Miracles, the miraculous Power of the Apostles became fo much admired and magnify'd by the People, that they brought forth the fick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter paffing by, might over-fhadow fome of them. There came alfo a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerufalem, bringing fick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean Spirits, and they were healed every one, Acts v. 15, 16. And in this manner the Apostles continued feveral years in Jerufalem, doing Miracles upon all occafions, and before all people. And the fame miraculous Power manifested it felf at Ephefus, where God wrought Special Miracles by the hands of Paul, fo that from his body were brought unto the Sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the difeafes departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them, Acts xix. 11, 12. So impoffible was it for the Apostles to deceive thofe, before whom their Miracles were fo frequently and publickly wrought. And yet it must be much more impoffible, if any thing more impoffible can be fuppofed, to deceive thofe, upon whom their Miracles had the effect of reftoring to them the ufe of their Feet, their Sight, and their Health, and even of raifing them again from the dead.

And indeed, none of the Adverfaries of old of the Chriftian Religion ever denied, but that Miracles were wrought by the Apoftles, they only difputed the Power, by which they were wrought; they never queftion'd

queftion'd the Reality of the Miracles themselves. The Books of the New Teftament, which give an account of thefe wondrous works, were written foon after the things related had been done, and thefe Books were in the hands of Heathens and Jews, as well as of Chriftians; and neither the Jews nor the Heathens could deny but that fuch Works had been done; they only cavill'd at the Power and Authority, by which they were wrought; which, how groundlefs and unreasonable foever it were, yet was the only Evasion they could have, when there were so many Christians, if they had denied the Matter of Fact, who did the like Miracles every day to confute them. For,

2. The Apostles not only wrought Miracles themfelves, but convey'd to others a Power of working them. Thus when St. Peter was fent for to Cornelius, the Holy Ghoft fell on all them which heard the word, and they fpake with Tongues, and magnified God, A&t. x. 44, 46. And fo at Ephefus, the Holy Ghost came on those whom St. Paul had laid his hands upon, and they Spake with Tongues, and prophefied, Acts xix. 6. And this miraculous Power was in that evident manner receiv'd by the laying on of the hands of the Apostles, that Simon Magus offer'd them Money to purchase it, Acts viii. 18. Now as the Apostles could neither be deceiv'd themselves, in the Miracles which they did, nor deceive thofe, before whom they were perform'd, and upon whom they were wrought; fo certainly they could never deceive fuch as they conferr'd this Gift upon. When they not only did all forts of Miracles, and spoke all Languages themfelves, but convey'd a Power likewife upon others, of fpeaking and doing, as themselves did; this was ftill a farther Evidence that all their Pretences were real beyond all poffibility of Deceit.

Deceivers would never have done their Miracles fo openly, and fo frequently, at fuch a time and place; they would never have pretended to a Gift of Tongues

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