itatue or vellel of water at iome aiitance”.

Now, though Chrift took no pains to establish the reality of thofe miracles which he performed upon demoniacs, yet the people, at the fight of them, (deluded as they had hitherto been by the artifices of their countrymen) are filled with the greatest astonishment, and freely ac

But it is a thing utterly incredible in itself, as well as deftitute of all manner of proof, that the power of fuperior spirits should give way to that of men ; or that God fhould fucceed the attempts of fuperftition and impofture. A remarkable inftance of the failure of fuch attempts, is related Acts xix. 19. See fome other proofs of the inefficacy of the Jewish exorcifms, Differt. on Mir. p. 394. note'. Nor is this inconfiftent with Mat. xii. 26, 27, as is fhewn p. 388, &c. The Chriftian exorcists alfo, who fwarmed in the primitive church, and were too much countenanced by the Fathers of it, had as little fuccefs as their predeceffors amongst the Jews and Pagans. The cure of the demoniac, if it ever took place, was a work of time. See Middleton's Free Inquiry, p. 92. Dr. Jortin's conceffions, in his Remarks on Ecclefiaftical Hift. vol. I. p. 242. and Mr. Jof. Mede, p. 30.

See above, P. 391.

What

it that occafioned this extraorprize, and was esteemed quite xample till this time? It could ne bare expulfion of demons; ufe this, abftractedly confidered, tward and fenfible effect; and t was no more than what they heir own exorcifts were able to h. What then was it, or could at they had never feen before, and t now. fee, without the strongest of mind, but the outward and Eracle, the cure of thofe terrible s which were anciently afcribed offeffion of demons, together with reign manner in which this mias performed by Chrift, without natural means?

of

any

u confider more particularly the ture of this miracle, you will fee fon, both of the great ftrefs laid in the New Teftament, and of the Ful effect produced by it upon the ix. 33. Compare Mark ii. 12.

Spec

lent degrees; and their madness was, in some cases, attended with confirmed epilepfies. These terrible maladies (the symptoms of which are obvious to all) affect the mind as well as the body, and were thought by the ancients greatly to exceed the power of natural caufes. Under thefe disorders, fome were known to have laboured for a great number of years, others from their very childhood. Some at the instant of their being cured by Chrift fuffered the most violent paroxyfms of thefe disorders. To heal fuch maladies, and reftore thofe afflicted with them to perfect foundnefs both of body and mind, in an inftant, without the use of natural remedies, and with the fame voice of authority, as when Chrift rebuked the winds and the fea, or called forth the dead, is one of the greatest of miracles, not only an outward and fenfible, but a moft illuftrious and aftonishing, difplay of the power and prefence of God.

No

pileptic youth, who was lunavexed with a demon, (that is, ileptic and a maniac,) we are ne fpectators were all amazed at power of God. When he redemoniac, who was blind and is fight and fpeech, the people e miracle as the very character ir Meffiah, crying out, Is not n of David? language which at, to their apprehenfion, the nimfelf could not perform a iracle. So bright an impreffion inity did it bear upon itself, that ur, (in answer to his enemies, n mere malice, difparaged it;) entering upon a vindication of was needlefs; only expofes the of their cenfure of it, upon their nciples. Like one who knew viction it was fitted to carry to

i. 43.

ii. 23. Compare John vii. 31.

. on Mir. p. 392.

the

the Spirit of God, then is the kingdom of God come unto you: "If I reftore demoniacs to their right mind by a divine power, the kingdom of the Meffiah is certainly erecting amongst you." Chriftians need not be afhamed to acknowlege, that they regard the ejection of demons, if truly explained, as one of those auguft proofs of the miffion of their Redeemer, which were defigned to recommend him to the reverence of mankind in all ages. It is well adapted to answer the fame benevolent end with all the other miracles of the Gofpel, which were both performed and recorded, that we might believe that Jefus is the Chrift, the Son of God, and that believing we might have life through his name.

Mat. xii. 28.

John xx. 31.

THE END.