terms and conditions. Look, as tlie devil comes and indents with Christ r Mat. iv. 3, ' If thou he the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread ; ' he would have him do a miracle, else he would not believe him. And the Jews would indent with Christ : Mat. xxvii, 40, ' If thou be Christ, come down from the cross and we will believe.' So carnal men indent with God. We think if God did speak by miraculous inspiration, then things would not be so doubtful. Oh, let us be contented with ouv light ! the Lord hath stated our salvation in" an excellent way. Cbrysostom saitli, The saints do never complaia- of the darkness of the word, but of the darkness of their own heart :• Ps. cxix. 18, ' Open thou mine eyes that I may behold wondrous things- out of thy law : ' David doth not say, Lord make a plainer law ; but, . Lord, open mine eyes. If things be dark to you, do not accuser the- scriptures, as if they were an uncertain rule, but desire the Lord tO' open your eyes that you may look into them. We would have Christ speak to us from heaven, as he did to Paul. Men that neglect ordi- nances require miracles ; they would have all things decided by voice, oracles, and miracles, because they would save the pains of study, pra3^er, and discourse. If men were not drowned in lusts and pleasures, all would be clear. AVhen the church was destitute of outward helps, God used the way of miracles and oracles ; but that dispensation is not continued, because we have a better way : providence, the Spirit, and the word, take them all together, do exceedingly open the mind of God to us. We have the advantage of the revelations and miracles of former ages, and we have a supply by ordinary and standing means. Instead of new miracles, we have the testimony of the church, who hath had experience of the power and force of the word for many ages, and invites us to believe. Observe, every age of the church hath sufficient means so proportioned to the diversity of times that no age could have better than the present; but we affect the extraordinary signs and revelations of former generations. In this case, it is all as God will ; and God's wisdom knows what is best for us. When miracles were most rife, they were not exercised at the will of man. The apostle saith : Heb. ii. 4, ' God bearing them witness with signs and wonders, and diverse miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will ; ' it was not as the apostles would. The Lord is a wise God, and he knows what dispensation is fit for every age. There are a great many reasons why God should use the way of miracle and oracle then ; as that there might be some external motive to draw the world to hearken to the doctrine of the gospel. The apostles' work was to lay the canon and foundation, but we do but explain it. Saith St Paul, 1 Cor. iii. 10, ' As a wise master-builder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereupon.' We only explain what the apostles had laid down ; our duty is only to build upon the apostles' foundation. Now we know explication and inference need the confirmation of reason and discourse rather than of miracle. It is true, for the apostles ' part of their work was to explain the old testament ; but that was somewhat obscure, and that was not acknowledged of all nations, only received among the Jews ; therefore there was need of miracle to make their interpretation authentic, and that they might lay a clear founda- tion of faith for all nations : and besides, the church then was not armed
182 SERMONS UPON HEBREW.-J XI. [SeR. XXXV.
with magistracy, and therefore much of the coercive discipline which (xodthen used was by miracle. Ananias was struck dead with a miracle : Acts V. 5, ' And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost.' But now, when magistrates should be nursing-lathers, the dispensation ceaseth. Besides, this should be a consideration to content us. Those that had miracles were not merely converted by the miracle, but by the hearing of the word ; the miracle was only the occasion, not the cause of conversion. The bells may call the people together to hear the word, but the word converts. Miracles were as bells to draw the heart to hearken to the doctrine of Christ. The fowler's pipe may allure the birds, but they are caught by the net. Let it suffice, then, that j^ou have the word of God confirmed by miracle, sealed by the blood of so many martyrs, manifested to your consciences by such divine force. All the miracles we have now are either inward and spiritual ; they are miracles of grace in changing the heart. The children of God have testimony enough within themselves ; they feel the force and power of the word upon their consciences : John viii. 32, ' You shall know the truth, and the truth sliall make you free.' When the word doth help to disentangle us from lust, we cannot have a more clear revelation and warrant from God concerning the truth of it : John xvii. 17, ' Sanctify them by thy truth, thy word is truth.' When God sanctifies the heart by the word, then we know it is truth, or else outward miracles ; God's wonderful providence in maintaining the church by suffering and martyrdom, not by the power of an out- ward sword. This is the finger of God : Neh. vi. 16, ' It came to pass, when all our enemies heard thereof, they were much cast down in their own eyes ; for they perceived that the work was wrought by our God.' These are the miracles and oracles we are to expect.