more also to me, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day."

One story more to our purpose out of the Jewish writings, 2 Kings vi. 11-13, but wherein a foreigner is concerned. The king of Syria is at war with Israel. Elisha informs the king of Israel of all his enemies' steps. The king of Syria is amazed, and complains to his servants that they discover his secrets: "Will ye not show me, which of us is for the king of Israel? and one of his servants said, None, my lord, O king; but Elisha the prophet, that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber." This king of Syria believed what his servant said, otherwise he had not concerned himself about Elisha. But it follows there: "And he said, Go and spy where he is, that I may send and fetch him. And it was told him, Behold he is in Dothan. Therefore sent he thither horses and chariots, and a great host, and they came by night and compassed him about." So that it is plain, miracles do not always fill wicked men with such awe and reverence, but that they can still hate and persecute, and break forth into rage against the authors of them.

This Jew says, p. 49: That it is certain, according to ' christian commentators, that some of them did not believe 'the miracle.' Again he says, p. 51: It is plain from the 'story in John, that there was a dispute amongst the by'standers at Lazarus's resurrection, whether it was a real 'miracle or not.' I presume to say this is a false account. It is not plain, that there was any dispute among the bystanders, whether it was a real miracle. It is plain those people, who went to the pharisees, told them of a real miracle. And the pharisees, when met in council, say: "What do we? for this man doth many miracles."

Nor do I know, that any christian commentators say, that 'some of them did not believe the miracle.' They did not believe in Jesus indeed, but they knew the miracle. "Many of the Jews that came to Mary," says St. John, "believed on him." But some of them (which were present, who did not believe in Jesus notwithstanding the miracle) “went their ways to the pharisees." This is the sense of the place.

Grot. ad ver. 46. Impios hos fuisse necesse est; quod genus hominum ne conspectâ quidem mortuorum resurrectione resipiscere solet. Luc. xvi. 31. Omnia enim potius, etiam absurdissima, comminiscuntur, quam sua commoda aut hominum gratiam (quam istos venatos apparet) amittant. Et ad ver. 47. Multa signa facit.' Adeo excoecati erant invidiâ animi, ut quod argumentum esse debuerat, quo ipsi crederent, eo in ipsius perniciem incitarentur.

So the Jews in the wilderness did not believe God, but no Jew sure will say, they disputed whether the things done by Moses were miraculous.

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Perhaps,' says this Jew, they discovered some frag'ments of the food, that for four days in the cave, he had 'subsisted on.' There is no ground here for a perhaps. How should a man take any food," who was bound hand and foot with grave-clothes; and whose face was bound about with the" so often mentioned "napkin ?"

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As it is plain,' (says the Jew again,) from the story in John, that there was a dispute among the by-standers at 'Lazarus's resurrection, whether it was a real miracle; so it is the opinion of us Jews, which is of the nature of a 'tradition, that the chief priests and civil magistrates of Bethany, for the better determination of the dispute, re'quired that Jesus should repeat the miracle upon another 'person, there lately dead and buried. But Jesus declining this test of his power, the whole multitude questioned 'the resurrection of Lazarus. And this was one reason of 'that vehement and universal outcry and demand, at Jesus's trial, for his crucifixion.' p. 50, 52,

There is no reason to believe, that this is the opinion of the Jews; but supposing it to be so, it is groundless. And here a present opinion is advanced into a tradition. This tradition is set up against authentic history, written by witnesses and other well-informed persons, who lived near the event. Is that a good cause that needs such a defence? will any man of sense and reason engage, other case, in so desperate a cause?

in any

There are innumerable proofs in the evangelists, not only that the raising of Lazarus was a real miracle, but also that the pharisees knew it to be so. Their not putting Lazarus or any other person to death, as an accomplice with Jesus, is demonstration that this and the other miracles of Jesus were known to be real, and not impostures. It is apparent from the trial of Jesus, that the truth of his miracles could not be called in question. If they had, the evangelists, who have recorded so many charges against Jesus, and so many spiteful, scurrilous reproaches on him, would not have omitted this.

CHAP. III.

THAT THESE THREE MIRACLES ARE WELL CIR

CUMSTANCEd.

I AM now to show, that the histories of these three miracles are well circumstanced, and have in them the marks and tokens of credibility. But I have here very little to say. Scarce any thing can be added to the perspicuity of the evangelists' several relations.

I shall however make two or three general observations, and then go over the particulars of the relation of each miracle.

SECTION I.

THE general observations I would mention are these: 1. There are in these relations proper circumstances of time and place, and the names and characters of persons. Of the miracle on Jairus's daughter, the time and place are sufficiently specified by St. Mark and St. Luke. It was soon after his crossing the sea of Galilee after Jesus had cured the men possessed with devils in the country of the Gergesenes," And when Jesus was passed over again by ship unto the other side, much people gathered unto him, and he was nigh unto the sea. And behold there cometh one of the rulers," &c. Mark v. 21. "And it came to pass that when Jesus was returned, the people gladly received him. And behold there came a man," &c. Luke viii. 40.

The character of the person on whom the miracle was performed is particularly described. She is the daughter of a ruler of a synagogue, whose name was Jairus. Matthew says, ch. ix. 18. "There came a certain ruler." Mark, "Behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name." Luke, "Behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was the ruler of the synagogue." And by Mark she is said to have been of the "age of twelve years.'

Of the next miracle, related by Luke only, it is said to have been done the day after the cure of the Centurion's servant at Capernaum. The place is the city of Nain, the person is the only son of a widow there. Luke vii. 11, 12. "And it came to pass the day after, that he went into a city called Nain. Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow."

Of the last miracle related by St. John only, the person on whom it is said to have been done is Lazarus, of the town of Bethany, nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off, brother of Mary and Martha: friend of Jesus and his disciples; and on occasion of the death of Lazarus, Jesus came up from beyond Jordan to Bethany, and then retired into a city called Ephraim. Moreover it appears to have been done not long before our Saviour's death.

This specifying of time, place, and names or characters of persons, is an argument of a real story and not a fiction : for, if it had been a fiction, it might have been easily discovered.

2. These miracles were done at the usual place of the residence of those persons on whom they were performed; a much greater security, in this case, against cheat and imposture, than if they had been done on travellers, who were strangers in the places where such things are acted on them.

3. They were all very public miracles, as is apparent from the relation. It may be difficult to say, where there was the greatest concourse; but I am inclined to think, that the company at Lazarus's resurrection was the fewest; and also, that the company which attended Jesus to the house of Jairus was the greatest concourse of the three. There were not indeed so many present at speaking the word, when his daughter was restored to life. Nor could the young woman's corpse be brought out of her chamber, and placed before the house, in order to raise her there before all the people, without ostentation: which is entirely unbecoming the character of Jesus; but all the numerous company then attending our Lord had full evidence of her death, and of her restoration to life, as has been shown in part already, and may further appear presently.

SECTION II.

WE will now go over the particulars of the relation of each miracle, from which it will appear that these persons had been dead, and were raised to life by Jesus.

Jairus, ruler of a synagogue, came to Jesus and " worshipped him;" or as Mark, and Luke, " fell down at his feet, saying, My daughter is even now dead," or, " at the point of death, but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live."

It is not reasonable to suppose, that a ruler of a 'synagogue would come to Jesus, and ask him to heal his daugh

ter in so earnest a manner, and with such signs of high esteem and respect, and that before great numbers of people, unless his daughter's case was desperate, and past all hopes of remedy in an ordinary way. It was dishonourable to pay any respect to Jesus. There were few or none of Jairus's character who publicly owned him for the Christ. His application to him must be very offensive to his brethren; and therefore we may be assured, he had no prospect of help for his daughter any other way but this.

Moreover, the manner in which he comes to Jesus, shows an uncommon concern and earnestness. While Jesus is speaking in public, he comes and falls down at his feet, and besought him greatly-I pray thee come and lay thy hands on her."

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The expressions he uses concerning his daughter, represent her to be in the utmost extremity; so that she must be near expiring when he left her.

Upon his earnest entreaty," Jesus arose, and followed him, and so did his disciples," Matthew: and much "people followed him and thronged him," Mark: and from St. Luke it appears, that "a multitude thronged and pressed him." From all the three evangelists, who relate this matter, it is plain, that when Jairus came to Jesus, much people was round about him. The request of Jairus, so noted a person, to come and heal his daughter, would also doubtless increase the number of people that were before gathered together about him. It was impossible for Jesus, surrounded by so great a crowd, to go in great haste to Jairus's house.

Moreover all these three evangelists are agreed, that as Jesus was going along, there came behind him a woman who had an infirmity of twelve years' standing, who touched the hem of his garment and was made whole. St. Matthew assures us also, that Jesus had then some discourse with this woman: St. Mark and St. Luke, that Jesus perceiving virtue to have gone out of him, stood still, looked round him, asked who touched him. The disciples then express their wonder that he should ask such a question. The woman tells her case at length before him and all the people; and Jesus bids her go away in peace. This affair took up considerable time; and if Jairus's daughter lay dying when he left her, she may be supposed to be worse by this time, if not quite dead.

And accordingly, we are assured by Mark and Luke, "that while he yet spake" with this woman, there came one or more persons from Jairus's house, saying, " Thy daugh

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