More men and worthier -have seen miracles than ever were in a condition to prove by testimony the descent of meteoric stones. Does water never freeze because universal experience in Africa knows nothing of such a phenomenon ?
Hume argued that miracles are incredible, that even if they occurred they could not be established on the evidence of human testimony. Stauss, and the German Pantheists generally, main-
CHARACTERISTICS OF NEW TESMAMENT MIRACLES. 55
tain that miracles are impossible. They hold nature to be an eternal and necessary development of God, it, therefore, can not be suspended or violated. A miracle, therefore, being a suspen- sion of the laws of nature, is impossible.
8. How far do miracles, when the fact of their occurrence is clearly established, avail to authenticate a divine revelation ?
Some object that miracles may be wrought by evil spirits in support of the kingdom of darkness, Matthew xxiv., 24 ; 2 Thes- salonians ii., 9 ; Kevelations xiii., 13. To this class they refer witchcraft, sorcery, spirit-rapping, etc., (see Trench on Miracles, Preliminary Essays, chap, iii.) But surely the genuine miracle, being an act of God, can always, as every other divine act, be dis- tinguished from the works of Satan. The marks are, the charac- ter of the person and of the doctrine in authentication of which the miracle is wrought, and the character of the miracle itself. Jesus constantly appeals to the miracles which he wrought as conclusive evidence as to the divinity of his mission. — John v., 36 and.xiv., 11 ; Hebrews ii., 4.
9. In ivhat essential qualities is the unquestionable genuine- ness of the New Testament miracles made manifest. ?
1st. The dignity, power and benevolence of the works them- selves.
2d. The peerless dignity and purity of the men whose missions they authenticated.
3d. The purity and spiritual power of the doctrines they ac- company.
4th. Moreover, God's revelation constitutes one system, evolved gradually through seventeen centuries from Moses to the Apostle John, every step of which mutually gives and receives authentica- tion from all that precedes and follows. Taking the two dispen- sations in their historical, typical and prophetical relations, the miracles performed in their several epochs mutually confirm one another.
Besides all this, the gospel miracles were definite, and unques- tionably supernatural events, and were easily seen and recognized as such by all intelligent witnesses ; they were performed in the sight of multitudes in various places, and on different occasions ;
56 EVIDENCES OF CHRISTIANITY. — PROPHECY.
they were accurately recorded by several witnesses who, while varying as to details, corroborate each other ; and they were never disproved by early enemies, nor doubted by early friends.
10. What is a prophecy, and hoiv does it avail to authenticate a revelation claiming to be divine ?
Prophecy has been well described as a miracle of knowledge, as those works of God, commonly so called, are miracles of power. A prophecy is a communication by God of supernatural knowl- edge concerning the future, with the design of proving thereby the divine origin of a message claiming to be from God.
A miracle of power proves itself such at once, and is then handed down to future generations only by the testimony of eye- witnesses. A prophecy, or miracle of knowledge, proves itself to be such only subsequently by its fulfillment, while, on the other hand, it has the advantage of always remaining a monument of its own truth, cotemporaneous with every succeeding generation.
Besides verbal prophecies, the Old Testament is full of types, or prophetical symbols, which have their exact fulfillment in the person and works of Christ.
11. What are the discriminating marks which must neces- sarily concur in any unquestionably authentic prophecy ?
1st. It must have been uttered as a prophecy from the begin- ning. A happy coincidence must not be allowed to occasion such a claim as an after-thought.
2d. The prophecy must have a definite meaning, which is brought to light and put beyond question by the fulfillment. The more definite the statement, and the greater number of de- tails corresponding between the prophecy and the event, the more conclusive is the evidence.
3d. The prophecy must not be of such a character that it can lead to its own fulfillment, by way of suggestion to the human agents engaged therein.
4th. It must be worthy of God, as to dignity and purity, both in its own character and in the system of faith and practice with which it is associated. — Dr. McGill in University Lectures.
12. State some of the more remarkable instances of fulfilled prophecy.
CONSTITUTION OF SCRIPTURE. 57