to this Marriage of Cana in Galilee our Saviour was more particularly oblig❜d to go, as being either a Relation, or intimate Acquaintance to the Parties efpoufed, and therefore could not, without a breach of good Manners, as well as neglecting an Opportunity of doing much good, decline their Invitation; fince, in his miraculous Production of Wine upon this occafion, the Quantity was not fo large, as our Tranflation represents it; or, if fo large, was not intended for one Day's Subfiftence only, but to laft out the Remainder of the Feftival, and all that time to supply the whole Company, which usually came in great Numbers; and, laftly, fince the Reply which our Saviour made his Mother, was, at the moft, but a gentle Rebuke for her intruding into Matters, which did not properly concern her, but depended upon his infinite Wisdom only to determine: Since thefe Things are fo, I fay, then was there plainly, neither any Levity in our Saviour's going to this Marriage; nor any Encouragement of Excefs, in his fupplying the Company with Wine; nor any Signs of Neglect or Difefteem, and much lefs, of any worse Cause, in the Reply he gave to his Mother: And, that the Miracle itself (which comes next to be vindi

cated)

cated) was not perform'd by any artful Trick of his own, or Collufion with others, the Circumftances attending it are fufficient to convince us.

this Mi

For, tho' the fame Almighty Power, No Trick which, every Year, turns Water into or Collu Wine by the impregnating Warmth of fion in the Sun, concocting the Juices of the racle. Earth, and the Sap of the Trees, which produce it, could have done fo by this in a moment of time, without any Helper; tho' he could, with the fame Eafe, have created Wine out of nothing, and fill'd the empty Veffels with a Word of his Mouth; yet was he pleased to use the Miniftry of others, the Servants of the House, and fuch as could not be thought in any Confederacy with him. These pour'd the Water in with their own Hands; these therefore were fo many unexceptionable Witneffes, that, what themselves knew to be common Water, was quickly after, by the fame Hands, drawn out generous Wine.

Without the Privity of thefe Servants, 'tis hard to fuppofe that he ever could be able (allowing he were fo abandon'd) as to convey any fpirituous Liquor into fo many different Water-pots: hard to suppose, that he would refer this mix'd and adulterated Liquor to the Taste and Approbation of the Ruler of the Feast,

Y

whofe

But a De

his divine Power.

whofe Judgment and Palate were known to be lefs vitiated, and, confequently, lefs liable to be imposed on, than those of common Guests: hard to fuppose, that this Ruler of the Feaft, a Man of Sobriety and Gravity, and who (as the Text informs us) knew not whence the Wine was, fhould give it fo large a Commendation, if he perceived to be no more, than a little Water dafb'd: and ftill more hard it is to conceive, that this fham Miracle fhould have fuch an Effect upon the Difciples, who, (as it was the first) were doubtlefs inquifitive enough about the Particulars of it, as to engage their Faith and Adherence to him for ever after.

These are some of the Difficulties that monftra- attend the Suppofition of an Imposture tion of in this Cafe: but, on the contrary, the Teftimony of the Servants, the Judgment of the Ruler, and the Conviction of the Difciples, plead very ftrongly for the Reality of this Miracle. And well indeed might his Difciples be convinced, * when they faw the Creatures of this lower World fo abfolutely at their Mafter's disposal, as to make them start from their fix'd Laws of Being, and change their Natures and Qualities in an inftant. He only, they knew, could repeal

Stanhope, ibid. p. 76.

repeal those Laws, who made them: He only could alter their Forms, who at first appointed them: And when this they faw done, without invoking the Aid of any higher Power, they could not but efteem it an Evidence, that there was no higher Power to have recourse to, and, confequently that his Power and Authority was Supreme.

SECT. XX.

Of his Curing the Paralytick at
Capernaum.

T

HE Story of this Miracle, The Ob(which even furpaffes that of jection. "the Pool of Bethesda) is fo full of mon"ftruous and palpable Abfurdities, that "it requires no great Sagacity to detect "them. For (not to ask for what "poffible Reason there fhould be fuch << a mighty crouding about the House, "where Jefus, who was far from being "refpected in the Place, chanced to be) "if the Mob was fo great, that there "was no coming at him, the Paralytick "and his Bearers, one would think, "fhould have waited a little, until the Y 2 66 Mul

"Multitude was difperfed, rather than "be at the Trouble of getting Ropes "and Pullies, to hoift him up to the "top of the Houfe, and Hammers and "Hatchets to uncover the Roof, and "make an Hole large enough, for the "Man and the Bed to be let through. "This fhews a great Zeal and Eager"nefs indeed; but, if the Cure was in "fuch hafte to be done, it would have "look'd much better in Jefus, either to "have healed the Patient at a Distance,

or ordered the People to make way "for him, than to have fuffered fuch "Waste and Havock to be made in the "Houfe. In fhort, had there been fuch 66 a Multitude about the Doors, as is "pretended, it would have been next "to impoffible, for the poor Man and "his Couch to be hoifted over their "Heads, and raised to the Top of the "Houfe; highly unreafonable, that "the Mafter of the House should fuffer "its Roof to be broken up without "fome Refentment; but most of all so, "that Jefus fhould not give forth the "healing Word, or, by his divine Power, "disperse the People, that the Paraly"tick might have prefent Access to "him."

Both