into a strong man's houfe, and fpoil his goods, unless he first bind the ftrong man, and then he will spoil his house ?" Had he been confederate with Satan, he would not have endeavoured to have spoiled his house; and had He not been armed with a power fuperior to that of Satan, He could not have bound him with that defign. But now that He hath both bound, and "reserved him in everlafting chains under darkness to the judgment of the great day;" and hath alfo deprived him of his principality and influence; doubtless this was the Son of God; who (we are told) "was manifested for this very purpose, that He might destroy the works of the Devil." Indeed all the miracles which He wrought plainly enough tended to this great and good end. His defign in them was to convince unbelievers, and lead fuch to repentance and falvation by these manifestations of Himself; not merely as they were forcible evidences of his supreme

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preme authority, but fo many expreffions likewife of his benignity and love to mankind. He went about doing good to all through those marvellous means, in which He at the fame time displayed the divinity of his miffion. Hence that free confeffion of the Jewish Ruler who came to Jefus by night"Rabbi, we know that thou art a Teacher come from God; for no man can do the miracles which thou doeft, except God be with him." The goodness as well as the greatness of the operations proclaimed their heavenly original, and confequently the Divine Commiffion of Him who wrought them.

But what deserves a particular reflection under this head, is that most fignificant and important of all the miracles of Jefus, (viz.) his rifing again from the dead,

It was, we know, clearly typified and predicted of old time concerning the promised

promised Meffias, that though He should do the works which no other man did, and speak as never man fpake; yet that He must suffer many things, and be put to a cruel and ignominious death. The fame which Jesus himself also foretold to his Disciples; and which accordingly came to pass, to the temporary exultation of his malicious enemies, and the despondency even of his zealous followers, notwithstanding all that they had seen and heard: So great was the offence of the Crofs ! And truly could matters have rested here, the Devil and his wicked inftruments might have had fome fpecious pretence for glorying. But the decifive teftimony was yet to come"He rose the third day from the dead." A proof fo abfolutely demonftrative of his divine authority, that it is no wonder the judgments of Heaven were in a moft fearful manner executed upon that incorrigible people, who obftinately shut their eyes against it. How much foever D 4 they

they might prefume aforetime to difbelieve, and cavil at, the words and actions of their heavenly inftructor; idly alledging that he eat with finners; healed on the fabbath; fpake blafphemy, and therefore could not be of God, but did his mighty works through the affistance of evil fpirits; every objection was now anfwered, every calumny refuted, by fuch an immediate atteftation from Heaven, as at once confirmed beyond a posfibility of error all his former miracles, together with the truth of his doctrines, and the divinity of his perfon. In a word, fuch is the irrefragable argument from the refurrection of Jefus Chrift, that as certain as are our natural notions of the power, the goodness, and veracity of God, fo fure are the fundamentals of the Chriftian Faith.

What then remains but that we faithfully and obediently fubmit our conduct, to the guidance of a Revelation fo ama

zingly attefted to have come from God? 'Tis true, we never faw the miracles wrought by Jefus, as neither did numbers of thofe who lived in the very days of his appearance; they too muft depend on others, who were eye-witneffes to the facts. But it is ridiculous in any cafe to require greater evidence than the nature of the thing will admit of. Our Blessed Lord not only condemned the Jews who had feen and repented not; but rebuked his Difciples alfo for not believing those who had feen Him after that He was rifen from the dead: And took occafion from thence to pronounce a peculiar bleffedness upon those, who "had not seen and yet had believed." And this is the comfort of us all, if we reject not the counsel of God against ourselves. We are poffeffed of every rational proof in favour of our most holy religion, which can be defired. 'Tis obvious to common fenfe, that the only means of coming to the knowledge of