Looking unto Jesus a view of the everlasting gospel, or, the souls eying of Jesus as carrying on the great work of mans salvation from first to last / by Isaac Ambrose ...

SECT. IV. Of Christs Miracles.

2. THe Miracles of Christ this year were many; now what were these Miracles, but a pursuance of the Doctrines delivered in Christs Sermons? One calls them A ve∣rification of Christs Doctrine, a signal of Christs Sermons; If we observe, we shall find him to work most of his Miracles in actions of mercy; indeed once he turned water in∣to wine, and sometimes he walked upon the waters, but all the rest were actions of re∣lief according to the design of God, who would have him manifest his power, in shew∣ing mercy and relief to men.

Amongst all his Miracles done this year, now was it that at Cana, where he wrought the first Miracle, he does a second; a certain Noble man, or Courtier, or little King (as some would have it) came to Jesus, and besought him to come down to his house, and to heal his Son, who was at the point of Death. We do not find Christ often attended with Nobility, but here he is; Not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called, yet God forbid but that some are, and may be; this noble Ruler listens after Christ in his necessity; happy was it for him that his Son was sick, for else he had not been so well acquainted with his Saviour; O we are loth to come to Christ till we see a need, a necessity for it, and hence it is that Christ sends weakness, sicknesses, in∣firmities, oppositions, and many afflictions, that he may be sought unto: Come then, are we afflicted? whither should we go but to Cana to seek Christ? whither should we

go but to that Cana of Heaven, where our water will be turned into wine, where our Physitian lives that knows how to cure souls, and bodies and all; that we may once say, It is good for me that I was afflicted. The first answer Christ gives this Nobleman is a word of reproof, Except ye see signs and wonders ye will not believe: Incredulity was the common disease of the Jews, which no receipt could cure but wonders, A wicked and Adulterous generation seeks after signs; the Doctrine of Christ, and all the Divine words that he spake, must be made up with Miracles, or they will not believe; it was a soul fault, and a dangerous one, Ye will not believe. What is it that condemns the world but unbelief? Here's a Noble Capernaite that probably had heard many a Sermon of Je∣sus Christ; and yet here is Taxed with unbelief; if such as we that live under the clear Sun-shine of the Gospel shall not believe, O what a sin is this? Christs next answer to this Nobleman is a word of comfort, Go thy way, thy Son liveth: Oh the meekness and mercy of Jesus Christ! when we would have looked that he should have punished this Suitor for not believing, he condescends to him that he may believe: as some tender mo∣thers that give the breast to their unquiet children instead of the rod; so usually deals Christ with our perversness, Go thy way, thy Son liveth; with one word doth Christ heal two Patients, the Son and the Father; the Sons feaver, and the Fathers unbelief; we can∣not but observe here the steps of Faith, he that believed somewhat ere he came, and more when he went, he grew to more and more saith in the way, and when he came home he enlarged his faith to all the skirts of his family. And the man believed the word that Je∣sus had spoken unto him, and he went his way; and in the way one meets him and tells him, Thy Son liveth; which recovery he understands to be at the same time that Christ had spoken those Salutary and healing words, and himself believed and his whole house.

2. Now was it that a Centurion came unto Christ, beseeching him, and saying, my servant lyeth at home sick of the palsie grievously Tormented. Many Suitors come to Christ, one for a Son, another for a daughter, a third for himself, but I see none come for his ser∣vant but this one Centurion; and if we observe Christs answers to his suit, we see how well pleased is Christ with his request; And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. When the Ruler entreated him for his Son, Come down ere he dye, Christ stirr'd not a foot, but now this Centurion complains only of his servants sickness, and Christ offers himself, I will come, and heal him; he that came in the shape of a servant, would rather go down to the sick servant than to the Rulers Son: He is no respecter of persons, but he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted of him: It may be this poor sick servant had more grace, or very probable it is he had more need, and therefore Christ (to chuse) will go down to visit this poor sick servant. Nay sayes the Centu∣rion, I am not worthy Lord, that thou shouldst come under my roof, q. d. Alas Lord, I am a Gentile, an Alien, a man of blood, but thou art holy, thou art omnipotent; and there∣fore only say the word, and my servant shall be whole; Mark this, O my soul, it is but a word of Christ, and my sins shall be remitted, my soul healed, my body raised, and soul and body glorified forever. The Centurion knew this by the command he had over his own servants, I say to this man go and he goes, and to another come and he comes, and to a third do this and he doth it: In way of Application; Oh that I were such a servant to my heavenly Master. Alas, every of his commands sayes, Do this, and I do it not; every of his inhibitions sayes, Do it not, and I do it: He sayes, Go from the world, and I run to it; He says, Come to me, and I run from him. Wo is me, this is not service, but enmity; Oh that I could come up to the faith and obedience of this exemplar, that I could serve my Christ as these Souldiers did their Master! Jesus marvels at the Centurions faith; we never find Christ wondering at Gold, or Silver, or costly and curious works of humane Skill, yea when the Disciples wondered at the Magnificence of the Temple, he rebuked them rather, but when he sees the grace or acts of Faith, he so approves of them that he is ravished with wonder; he that rejoyced in the view of his Creation, rejoyceth no less in the reformation of his Creature, Behold thou art fair my love, behold thou art fair, there is no spot in thee: my sister, my spouse, thou hast wounded my heart, thou hast wounded my heart with one of thy eyes, Cant. 4.7, 9. To conclude, he that both wrought this faith, and wondered at it, doth now reward it; Go thy way, and as thou hast believed, so be it unto thee, and his servant was healed in the self same hour.

3. Now it was, even the day after, that Jesus goes into the City of Naim. The fruitful clouds are not ordained to fall all in one field, Naim must partake of the bounty of Christ as well as Cana, or Capernaum. Thither come, he no sooner enters in at the gate

of the City, but he meets a funeral; a poor widow, with her weeping friends, is fol∣lowing her only Son to the grave; Jesus observing her sad condition, he pities her, com∣forts her, and at last relieves her: here was no Sollicitor but his own compassion; in his former Miracles he was sought and sued to; his Mother at the Marriage-feast begged a supply of Wine, the Ruler came to him for a Son, the Centurion came to him for a ser∣vant, but now Christ offers a cure, to give us a lesson, that whiles we have to do with the Father of mercies, our miseries and afflictions are the most Powerful Suitors. Christ sees and observes the Widow's sadness, and presently all parts of Christ conspire her good, his heart melts into Compassion of her, his tongue speaks chearfully and comfortably to her, Weep not; his feet carry him to the Bier, his hand toucheth the Coffin, and he said, young man I say unto thee, arise; see how the Lord of Life speakes with Command; the same voice speaks to him, that shall one day speak to us, and raise us out of the dust of the earth; neither sea, nor death, nor hell can detain their dead, when he charges them to be delivered; we see not Christ stretching himself on this dead Corpse, as Eliah, and Elisha upon the Sons of the Shunamite, and the Widow of Sarephta; nor see we him kneeling down and praying, as Peter did for Dorcas; but we hear him so speaking to the dead, as if the dead were alive, and so speaking to the dead, that by the word he speaks, he makes him alive, Young man, I say unto thee, arise, and he that was dead sate up, and began to speak. So at the sound of the last Trumpet, by the Power of the same voice, we shall arise out of the dust, and stand up Gloriously; This mortal shall put on immortality, and this corruptible shall put on incorruption. And least our weak faith should stagger at the assent of so great a difficulty, by this he hath done; Christ gives us tastes of what he will do; the same Power that can raise one man, can raise a thousand, a million, a world; Christ here raised a Widows Son, and after Jairus's Daughter, and then Lazarus, and lastly at his resurrection he raised a many at once; he raised one from her Bed, another from his Bier, another from his grave, and many at once from their rotteness, that it might appear no degree of death can hinder the efficacy of his Almigh∣ty Power.

4. Now it was that in the Synagogue he finds a man that had a Spirit of an unclean Devil. This, I take it, is the first man that we read of as possessed with a Devil. And he cryed let us alone, what have we to do with thee? &c. In these words the devil dictates, the man speaks; and whereas the words are plural, Let us alone, it is probable he speaks of him∣self, and the rest of the men in the Synagogue with him. So high and dreadful things are spoken concerning the coming of Christ, (Mal. 3.2. Who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth?) that the Devil by this takes opportu∣nity to affright the men of the Synagogue with the presence of Christ; he would dis∣swade them from the receiving of Christ, by the terrors of Christ, as if Christ had come only to destroy them: Thou Jesus of Nazareth, art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the holy one of God.

And Jesus rebuked him, saying, hold thy peace, and come out of him. The word hold thy peace, is in the original 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, be muzled; it was not a bare command of silence, but there was such Power in it, that it cast a muzzle upon the mouth of Sathan, that he could speak no more; and when the unclean Spirit had torn him, not with any gashes in his flesh, or dismembring of his Body, for he hurt him not, but with some Convulsion fits (as it is supposed) then he threw them in the midst, and made an horrid cry, and so came out.

From this Miracle, they all take special notice of the Doctrine attested by so great a Miracle, What a word is this? or as the other Evangelist, What a thing is this? what new doctrine is this? surely this was the great design of all the Miracles of Christ, to prove his mission from God, to demonstrate his Power unto men, to confirm his Gospel, to en∣dear his Precepts, to work in us faith to help us Heaven-ward: These signs are written that we might believe,—and that believing we might have Life through his Name.

I have given you several instances of the Miracles of Christ in this second year of his Ministry; only a few words on this Doctrine of Miracles for our informa∣tion, as

• 1. What they are?
• 2. Why they are?
• 3. Whether they are chained and continued in this great transaction of our souls salvation? and I have done.

For the first, what they are? Miracles are unusual events wrought above the course or possibility of Nature; such were the Miracles of Christ, and such were the Miracles of the Prophets, and of the Apostles of Christ; for what they did was above Nature; and all the difference betwixt their Miracles and the Miracles of Christ was only in this, viz. they wrought them not in their own Name and Power as Jesus Christ did; Thus when Elisha with twenty loaves and some full ears of corn fed an hundred men, Give unto the people (sayes he) that they may eat; and his servitor said, what should I set this before an hundred men? He said again, give the people that they may eat, for thus saith Lord, they shall eat and shall leave thereof.

And when Peter cured Aeneas, which had kept his Bed eight years, and was sick of a Palsie, Peter said unto him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole. And when he cured that man that was lame from his Mothers womb, whom they laid daily at the gate of the Temple, Silver and gold have I none, (said Peter) but such as I have give I thee; in the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazzareth, rise up, and walk. But our Saviour comes in an higher strain to the dead damosel, I say unto thee, arise: and in an higher strain to the stormy Winds and Seas, Peace, and be still: and in an higher strain to the raging De∣vil in the possessed, Be muzzled, and come out of the man. Heres the difference betwixt the Lord and his servants; but in this they agree, their miracles were not miranda, but miracula; not only wonders, but miracles indeed; they were unusual events wrought above nature, or the course of nature.

For the second, why they are? Many Reasons are given, of which I hinted before, but in reference to Scriptures, (which is the great controversie) this is the main and the only true Reason; Miracles are wrought for the grounding or confirming of some di∣vine truth or doctrine at its first setling. To this purpose Miracles were as the Trumpets or Heralds, by which the Gospel was first commended unto us; as the Law of Moses was first authorized by manifold Miracles wrought in Sinai, and in the Desert, which afterward ceased when they came to, and were setled in the promised Land; so the Go∣spel of Christ was first authorized by manifold Miracles, but the sound thereof having now gone through all the world, these Miracles cease: if new additions of Miracles for the confirmation of Scriptures should be expected in every Age, the former Miracles of Christ and his Apostles would be slighted of all; indeed, Christ tells us of great signs and wonders that shall be in the last dayes; but withall, he tells us of false Christs, and false Prophets, that must work them; it may be disputed, whether those are true miracles, or meer deceptions and magical pretences, but because they are such as the People cannot discern them from miracles really such, therefore it is all one as to them; here then is Christ's Rule, Believe them not,—behold I have told you before; he that foretold us of the man, foretold us also of the imposture, and commanded us not to trust him; in this respect it had been more likely for Antichrist to have prevailed upon Christians by doing no miracles, than by doing any; for if he had done none, he might have escaped with∣out discovery; but by doing miracles, or wonders, he both verified the Wisdom and prescience of Christ, and he declared to the Elect that he was the very enemy of Christ. As all the Prophets that speak of Christ, bade us believe him for his Miracles; so all that foretold of Antichrist, bade us disbelieve him for his Miracles; which occasioned Au∣gustine to say, Against such Miracle-mongers God hath armed me to take heed. Go not forth unto such, saith Christ, Matth. 24.26. and therefore Brethren stand fast, saith Paul, 2 Thes. 2.15. The great Beast deceiveth them that dwell on the earth, by means of miracles; these are the words of John, Rev. 13.14. but if any man have an ear let him hear (i.e.) let him beware, Rev. 13.9. True miracles that proceed from God, are wrought for the grounding of Doctrine at the first setling; but being once grounded, and setled, and a plat-form described for the right continuing of it, then we are left to the Scripture, and are not to expect any new miracles for the confirming of it.

For the third, whether they are chained and continued in this great transaction of our souls salvation? I answer, yea; in this respect miracles cease not; it's without contro∣versie that Jesus Christ in carrying on our souls Salvation is adding miracle to mi∣racle; there is a chain of miracles in the matter of our salvation from first to last: As.—

1. It was a miracle that God in his Eternity, before we had a being, should have once thought of us; especially that the Blessed Trinity should sit in councel, and contrive that most admirable and astonishing plot of the Salvation of our souls: Oh what a mira∣cle was this!

2. It was a Miracle that God for our sakes should create the world, and after our fall in Adam, that God should preserve the world, especially considering that our sin had unpin'd the whole frame of the Creation; and that God even then sitting on his Throne of Judgment, ready to pass the doom of death for our first Transgression, should un∣expectedly give a promise of a Saviour, when justly he might have given us to the de∣vil, and to Hell, according to his own Law, In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye the death.

3. It was a Miracle that Gods Son should take upon him our nature, and that in our nature he should Transact our peace; that he should Preach Salvation to us all if we would believe; and to the end that we might believe, that he would work so many signs and Miracles in the presence of his Disciples, and of a world of men: was not Christs Birth a Miracle? and Christs Life a Miracle? and Christs Death a Miracle? and Christs Resurrection a Miracle? and Christs Ascension a Miracle? was not Christs Ministry a miracle? and was it not a miracle, that Christs Word should not be credited without a world of miracles to back it, and confirm it to the Sons of men? Without controversie great is the miracle, as well as mystery of godliness, God manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of Angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the World, received up into glory.

4. It was a Miracle that God should look upon us in our blood; what a sight was it for God, when thy navel was not cut, when thou wast not salted at all, nor swadled at all when thou wast cast out in the open field to the loathing of thy person? yet that then, even then the Lord should pass by thee, and see thee polluted in thy own blood, and should say unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, live; yea, say unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, live. O miracle of mercies! If creation cannot be without a miracle, surely the new creature is a miracle indeed. So contrary is our perverse natures to all possibilities of Salvation, that if Salvation had not marched to us all the way in a miracle, we should have perished in the ruines of a sad eternity. Election is a miracle, and Creation is a miracle, and Redemption is a miracle, and Vocation is a miracle; and indeed every man living in the state of grace, is a perpetual miracle; in such a one his reason is turn∣ed into faith, his soul into spirit, his body iinto a Temple, his earth into heaven, his water into wine, his Aversations from Christ into intimate Union with Christ; and Adhesions to Christ. O what a Chain of Miracles is this? Why Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean; say thus, you that are yet in your blood, why Lord, if thou wilt thou canst make me clean. O Lord I believe, help thou my unbe∣lief.

After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem: Some would have this feast to be Pentecost; and to speak truly, the most of our Commentaries run that way: others take this for the feast of the Passover, and the rather, because the Evangelist John reckons the time of Christs publick Ministry by the several Passovers; now if this feast were not a Passover, we cannot find in the Gospel so ma∣ny Passovers as to make up Christs Ministry three years and an half. On this ground I joyn with the latter Opinion; and so here I end the second year of Christs Ministry, and come to the third, and to his Actings therein in reference to our souls Sal∣vation.

Notes

• John 4.47.
• 1 Cor. 1.26.
• John 4.48.
• Ver. 50.
• Ver. 51.
• Ver. 53.
• Mat. 8.5, 6.
• If I mistake not in the year, I shall not contend, because in this year on∣ly I shall men∣tion his mira∣cles.

  Ver. 7. Acts 10, 34, 35.
• Ver. 8.
• Ver. 9.
• Ver. 10.
• Cant. 4.7, 9.
• Luke 7.11.
• ver. 14.
• ver. 15.
• Luke 4.33. ver. 34.
• Mal. 3.2.
• Ver. 34.
• Ver. 35.
• Mark 1.26.
• Ver. 35.
• Ver. 36. Mark 1.27,
• John 20.31.
• Ʋse.
• 2 Kings 14.42, 43.
• Act. 9.34.
• Acts. 3.6.
• Mark 5.41.
• Mark 4.39. Luke 4.35.
• Matth 24.24.
• Ver. 23, 25.
• Contra mira∣bularios istos cautum me fecit Deus me∣us, Aug. in Jo∣han. tract. 3.
• Gen. 2.17.
• 1 Tim. 3.16.
• Ezek. 16.4.5, 6.
• John 5.39