The religion of Christ must have been from heaven, or it never could have prospered and overspread the earth as it has done. It is vain for infidels to attempt to answer this argument. It cannot he answered. A re- ligion which did not flatter the rich, the great, and the learned, — a religion which offered no license to the carnal inclinations of man's heart, — a religion whose first teach- ers were poor fishermen, without wealth, rank, or power, — such a religion could never have turned the world upside down, if it had not been of God. Look at the Koman emperors and the heathen priests with their splendid temples on the one side ! Look at a few unlearned working men with the Gospel on the other ! Were there ever two parties so unequally matched ? Yet the weak proved strong, and the strong proved weak. Heathenism fell, and Christianity took its place. Christianity must be of God.
Let us notice in the last place tlie general cJiaracter of the miracles hy ivhicli our Lord confirmed His mission. Here we are told of them in the mass. Hereafter we shall read many of them described particularly. And what is their character ? They were miracles of mercy and kindness. Our Lord " went about doing good."
These miracles are meant to teach us our Lord's power. He that could heal sick people with a touch, and cast out devils with a word, is " able to save to the uttermost all them that come unto God by Him." He is almighty.
These miracles are meant to be types and emblems of our Lord's skill as a spiritual physician. He before whom no bodily disease proved incurable, is mighty to cure every ailment of our souls. There is no broken
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heart that He cannot heal. There is no wound of conscience that He cannot cure. Fallen, crushed, bruised, plague-stricken as we all are by sin, Jesus by His blood and Spirit can make us whole. Only let us go to Him.
These miracles not least are intended to show us Christ's heart. He is a most compassionate Sckviour. He rejected no one who came to Him. He refused no one, however loathsome and diseased. He had an ear to hear all, and a hand to help all, and a heart to feel for all. There is no kindness like His. His compassions fail not.
May we all remember that Jesus is " the same yester- day, to-day, and for ever \" High in heaven at God's right hand. He is not in the least altered. He is just as able to save, just as willing to receive, just as ready to help, as He was 1800 years ago. Should we have spread out our wants before Him then ? Let us do the same now. He can " heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease."