to them--- Shew a Miracle for You, i. e. fhew me fome convincing token that you come from God, upon this Errand

then thou shalt say to Aaron, take thy Rod, and caft it before Pharaoh, and it shall become a Serpent. This was a fairer way by much than it would have been, to have wrought his Miracle first, and then to have made ufe of its Authority to gain belief to what he should afterwards deliver; because, perhaps, this Miracle might have been accidental, and then it need not have been thought wrought to give him credit; and the King might have replied→→→ You only take the Advantage Q

of

of this strange Event or Tranfmutation, and think to recommend your self to Us, on its account; how does this prove you came from God? I have only your bare word for it: Had you first faid you came from God, and to convince me of it, had told me God would work a Miracle, to witness your Commiffion; this Miracle had been a Seal of it; but now I may as well fay, you take occafion from this Event, to come upon your own Errand, as you fay, it teftifies you came from God. Mofes therefore firft delivers his Errand, and then, upon demand, proves his Miffron from God upon that Er

rand,

rand, by undeniable Evidence. And thus it was with our Lord Jefus. The firft time of his publick manifeftation, when he entred on his Office He began to preach and to fay, Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. Or as it is, Mark i. 16. Repent Te and believe the Gofpel. And Matth.iv.23. Jefus went about all Galilee, teaching in their Synagogues, and preaching the Gofpel of the kingdom; and healing all manner of Sickness, and all manner of Disease among the People. He firft declared the purpose of his coming, and laid down his Pretences in the general, and then convinced them by Miracles, He Q 2

was

was the Perfon he said he was, and was to be believed. I do not mean, that He took this Course on every particular occafion he found to work a Miracle, but that he took it at his first setting out, which was the fairest way that he could take.

A. I had not obferved this enough, before this time; but the more I think on it, the more I like it, because (as you obferv'd) it prevents and excludes all manner of Abuses, and undue Advantages, that crafty, and pretending People, might make of accidental Miracles, or, if you will, providential

ones.

B. If it might be allowed me, I would fain distinguish all Miracles into Providential, and Evidential ones; those fhould be Evidential ones, which God enables Men to work in order to gain belief, and which they know beforehand, they shall work; these are fuch Miracles as Mofes and our Saviour wrought, and other Prophets, and fuch as we have all along been fpeaking of. And thofe Providential ones, which are wrought, we know not certainly why, neither did the Inftruments that wrought them, know any thing of them, before they were actually done, as I before said. Q3 B. But