So even considering the very nature of strange works may enable us to distinguish them; but the end and design of such works, together with the influences and effects of them, will farther ascertain us of their original: if they are done to abet any gross error, or to promote any mischievous purpose; if they manifestly do seduce to apostasy from God or goodness; if they naturally tend to the production of impiety, iniquity, or impurity; if they do necessarily produce any great disorder or disturbance in the world, assuredly hell is the source of them; they derive from him whose kingdom and interest they advance; by their fruits we may know the tree from which they grow. If also they discover ostentation and vanity in the actors, or serve only to gratify idle humor and curiosity in the spectators of them, tending otherwise to no good purpose; it is easy to collect whence they spring; that they come from the father both of mischiefs and vanities, who not only delights to abuse us with villanies, but to amuse us also with trifles and fond superstitions.

'As,' saith Origen, the power of those enchantments in Egypt was not, in itself, like to that admirable power by God's grace vouchsafed to Moses; so the end did convince those Egyptian feats to be jugglings, those of Moses to be divine." The portentous things done by the energy of Satan' are, as St. Paul calleth them, répara veúdovs, either false prodigies, or prodigies abetting falsehood and vanity.

But the works of the most wise and good God, as they are commonly works of wonderful majesty and grandeur, incomparable and inimitable for difficulty; so they always are holy, always useful; they ever aim at good ends, and produce wholesome fruits: hence we may discern them, and hence we are obliged to acknowlege them; they afford us ground to say with the psalmist; Unto thee, O Lord, we do give thanks; for that thy name is near thy wondrous works declare.' Such works, as they can only be effects of God's power, so they are arguments of his truth; for that he cannot lend his hand, for that he will not prostitute his assistance to the maintenance of any thing, which is not perfectly true and good; he will

* Orig. in Cels. 2.

not so tempt any man' into error. If I by the finger of God cast out devils, then indeed is the kingdom of God come unto you,' (that is, if I perform works by the divine power, then assuredly is my doctrine true,) was an irrefragable argu

ment.

We may also observe that those wicked spirits are themselves apprehensive how easily their feats are distinguished from the works of God; for hence, it seems, they chose to utter them clancularly, in obscure corners, in blind times, among barbarous and silly people; judging that persons of any wisdom or goodness will be soon able to detect them, and ready to explode them: a little light dazzles the powers of darkness, and scares away these spectres; a little goodness mates their force, enfeebleth and dishearteneth them.

We may a y also add that the Messias's works by a peculiar character should be manifestly distinguishable from such as proceeded from infernal powers; for that it should be his business to impugn, defeat, and overthrow the Devil's kingdom; all the falsehoods and superstitions, all the immoralities and impieties, which it consisted in, or which supported it: to this end all his doctrine, practice, and performances would conspiringly tend, that Satan like lightning should be thrown down from heaven;' which most evidently would evince that what he should do should only come from heaven.

Having thus showed reasons why, and signified to what purposes, the Messias was to receive special testimonies from God; let us now survey those, which were indeed by him exhibited to Jesus our Lord. There is indeed no kind or degree of attestation needful or proper, which hath not been largely from heaven afforded to him. God (so our Lord argueth) is in his own nature invisible and indiscernible to any sense of ours; neither could we endure the lustre of his immediate presence. (No man ever saw God, or can see him; there shall no man see him and live.') It must be therefore by mediation of signs and works supernatural; the causing of which can only be imputed to him, as beyond the power of any creature to effect or counterfeit; that he can assuredly signify his mind unto us; such only in approbation of any person, law, or doctrine, can be expected from him; and such, in divers

kinds and in great measures, God hath, we say, 'furnished for the authorising Jesus.'

1. God did attest to him long before his coming into the world, by presignifying and predicting concerning him, at several times, in several ways, by several persons, (even by all the prophets and eminent persons among his people of old,) many things, even all things considerable about him; in exact congruity to the circumstances of his coming into the world, (the time when, the place where, the family whence, the manner how, the condition in which he was born,) to the qualities of his person, to the doctrine and law which he published, to all his undertakings and performances and sufferings, and to the successes consequent on what he did. (This is a matter of very large consideration; which other while we have insisted largely on, and therefore shall now waive enlargement

on it.)

2. God did in attestation to him immediately send before his face, as his herald and harbinger, a prophet, or one for his admirable wisdom and sanctity of life somewhat more than à prophet;' who indeed without doing any miracle, by the prodi gious integrity and strictness of his life, by the wonderful efficacy of his doctrine and discourse, procured unto himself a reputation equalling or exceeding that of any former prophet; (whom even Josephus, an indifferent historian, reporteth a man of singular goodness and great authority,) to predispose the minds of men to receive him; by converting men to a serious reflection on their lives and amendment of their manners, to prepare his way; as also to point him out, to foretell of him as presently coming, to testify of him as being come. This was he, to whom it well agreed, and who plainly did assume to himself that which was written by Malachi; Behold, I send my angel before thy face, who shall prepare thy way before thee;" of whom Isaiah (John himself being the avoucher and inter-preter) said, 'The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight;' who was, as Malachi did again signify, to come in the spirit and power of Elias, to convert the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.' This most extraordinary

and excellent person did at several times and occasions attest unto Jesus, not only that he was incomparably, for the dignity of his person and worth of his performances, to be preferred before himself, and consequently before all other prophets, but that he was the very Christ, the Lamb of God, the Son of God, the Saviour of the world: they sent to John,' saith the text, and he bare witness of the truth.' God by him also foretold divers things concerning our Lord, which did really come to pass; as those words, uttered occasionally by many persons, do imply; John indeed did no miracle; but all things which John spake of this man were true.'

3. God attested unto our Lord by visible apparitions from heaven, at several times, in fit seasons, made in the sight and presence of very good witnesses: angels appearing warned his good father and blessed mother concerning the time and manner of his coming into the world; angels again appearing uttered tidings of his birth, joined with acclamations of praise to God, and gratulations of joy to men; angels were vigilant for his safety, ministered unto him in his temptations and needs, assisted and comforted him in the agonies of his passion, waited on him at his resurrection; an extraordinary star (like that of the morning before the sun) officiously did usher him into the world; at his baptism the Holy Ghost (in the symbolical figure of a dove) appeared descending and resting on him, in the presence of St. John the Baptist, (that most just and holy person, so taken and acknowledged by all men, even by his enemies and murderers; and a most competent witness, as who dared with utmost peril before the greatest persons to assert the truth;) He testified thereof, and said, I saw the Spirit of God descending from heaven as a dove, and resting on him.' Moses and Elias also (those most eminent instruments of God, and illustrious representatives of the Messias) did from heaven in a most glorious and splendid manner attend on him, in the presence of three most credible witnesses, Peter, James, and John, the Apostles; one of whom doth himself thus, with the due confidence of an eye-witness, report the fact; For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and presence of our Lord Jesus Christ, but

were spectators of his majesty-being with him in the holy mountain.'

4. God also by vocal attestation did expressly at several times own and approve Jesus: at his baptism, in the audience of St. John the Baptist and others present there; when, 'Behold there was a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased:' the like heavenly voice was heard at the transfiguration; This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear him:' so the gospels report it; and thus St. Peter himself, a more immediate witness and attendant there; He received from God the Father honor and glory, a voice being brought unto him from the magnificent glory; This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice, which came from heaven, we heard, being with him in the holy mount.' Again, a little before his death, in presence of a multitude, on Jesus's prayer, that God would by him glorify his name, an audible return was made from heaven; 'There came,' saith the text, ‘a voice from heaven,' saying, 'I have both glorified it, and will again glorify it.'

5. God attested to our Lord in that he was endued with a power constantly resident in him of performing miraculous works, for nature and quality such, as could only proceed from a most divine power; not only thwarting the course of nature, but transcending the strength of any creature, and especially contrary to what any evil creature could or would perform: this was a testimony beyond any human testimony, and which our Lord insisted on as such; I,' saith he, have a greater testimony than that of John; for the works which the Father hath granted me, that I should perform them, those very works which I do, they testify about me, that the Father hath sent me.'

Works indeed be performed of a stupendous greatness and difficulty; all the creatures (the most unruly and boisterous, the most malignant and rebellious) beside their natures, and against their wills, did obey his commands: in a tempest he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there became a great calm so that men did marvel, saying, What manner of man is this, for even the winds and the sea obey him!' the sea