thou hearest me always; but because of the people that stand by, I said it that they may believe that thou hast sent me. (John xi. 14, 15, 41, 42.) It is furthermore observable, that when Jesus had demonstrated by miraculous interposition, or the carrying of common causes beyond their usual working, that he was in truth the blessed Son of God, one in omnipotence with his eternal Father, he never goes one step beyond the essential attestation which the working of miracles gave to his high pretensions. When by a word He had restored to life the daughter of Jairus, the Jewish governor, He immediately resorts to the natural and usual means of supporting it for He straightway commanded that something should be given her to eat. (Mark v. 43.) On Lazarus, at his command, coming forth from out his tomb, bound hand and foot with grave clothes, miraculous interference is carried on no further: Jesus only says to those who were about him, Loose him and let him go. We make not these remarks in the supposition that the great Author and Origin of all things could not by a word ordain and create new causes, or work by innumerable ones, quite past our finding out. But as the general analogy which pervades Almighty operations throughout the visible creation supplies a glorious manifestation of the excellency of that counsel which hath appointed the causes by which the undeviating process which marks the works of nature are regularly produced; it does, we conceive, appear probable, that so far as these powers will go, the wise

Supreme may evermore employ them. Should they fall short of accomplishing his purposes, we are fully assured that He by a single word can bring to pass whatever is his pleasure; and that it must be equally easy to that great and blessed Being, in whom we live, and move, and have our being, to recal us into life, as originally to call us into existence: nor can we discover any thing more wonderful in the one than in the other. Why, then, should it be a thing incredible that God should raise the dead? But this we must remember is not all; Christ also empowered the first preachers of his gospel to give like evidence of the truth of their assertions as He himself had done through the power of his Father. Accordingly, we find recorded in the Acts of the Apostles, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, Peter restored unto the use of his feet a man that had been lame even from his mother's womb. (iii. 2, 6.) In the eighth chapter we are told, that the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake unto them, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. Again, we find Peter declaring unto Eneas, who was sick of the palsy, "Jesus Christ maketh thee whole;" and further exercising the power with which he had been invested by his blessed Master, by raising Dorcas from the dead. Neither was the prefigurative religion left unattested by miraculous interposition. The ways of God are uniform if it was essential for the establishment of the one, it was so for the other. Accordingly we find that God on the first creation of his crea

ture man, immediately manifested himself unto him.

We read of a series of signs and wonders in our progress through the Old Testament that are too well and generally known to need particularizing, and which even include that greatest of all miracles, raising the dead to life. This, in the case of the poor widow's son, who had nurtured Elijah, was effected through the prophet's prayer to God. Another instance likewise stands on record, 2 Kings iv. 32-37. "When Elisha was come into the house of the good Shunammite who had ministered unto him, behold, the child was dead, and laid upon his bed. He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the Lord. And he went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands and he stretched himself upon the child ; and the flesh of the child waxed warm. Then he returned, and walked in the house to and fro; and went up, and stretched himself upon him and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. Then he called in the mother, and said, Take up thy son. And she went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground, and took up her son." This miracle appears to have been wrought by, as it were, a combination of supernatural causes, as well as natural means; for though by the prophet's prayers he first secured miraculous interposition, yet the method he afterwards used for obtaining resuscitation did not very widely differ from that

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which is continually and successfully employed by the Humane Society. Christ, therefore, we thus see left not his worthies under the primeval dispensation destitute of the power of proving that they were in truth the servants of the living and true God. And in this miracle, as in those of Christ immediately subsequent to its performance, recourse is had to the common means of preserving life, for the child was straightway consigned to the care of its mother. Dr. Johnson, however, very justly remarks, that" the Christian revelation is not only proved by miracles, but by their being connected with prophecies, and with the doctrines in confirmation of which the miracles were wrought."*

We have heretofore had occasion to observe, that the leader of the powers of darkness, and his confederate fiends, must be invested with a certain degree of power to fit them for the exercising their malicious plans against probationary beings; and that they are thus fitted, even to the extent of working signs and wonders, is abundantly proved by Scripture. When the rod of Moses was turned into a serpent, Pharaoh directly called the wise men, sorcerers, and magicians of Egypt, and they also did in like manner with their enchantments. For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents. But the power of light over darkness was quickly manifested; for Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods. Again, when Moses smote the waters, and turned them to blood, the magicians did the same with their enchantments. When Moses brought up frogs, the magicians brought up frogs; but when the * Boswell's Life of Johnson, vol. iii. p. 264..

dust of Egypt was turned into lice, and covered man and beast, the power of God over Satan was fully manifested; for when the magicians attempted with their enchantments to to bring forth lice, they could not. For there was lice upon man and upon beast. Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God. (Exod. viii.) And when the plague of boils was sent on the Egyptians, the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boil was upon the magicians. We find that strange and inconsistent character, Balaam, who, though doubtless honoured with revelations from the Lord Most High, still dealing with the devil, but forced at last to acknowledge the impotence of his infernal ally. Surely, he exclaims, there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel, for the Lord his God is with him. (Numb. xxii.) Again, we find a very extraordinary relation in 1 Samuel xxviii. For subsequently to Saul, in obedience to God's commands, having put away those that had familiar spirits and wizards out of the land; and having through future transgression lost the favour of his God, became afraid, "and his heart greatly trembled. And when Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets. Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her and inquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor. And Saul disguised