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II.

He brought to Life the Widow's Son of the City of Naim, only by bidding the dead Carcafe arife. So did he Jairus's Daughter, only by faying unto her Talitha Cumi, Damfel, I say unto thee, arife; Mark 5. 41, 42. And here by the word Ephphata, he rebuk'd a deaf and dumb Spirit, and reftor'd the Hearing and Speaking to one that was depriv'd of both. This is the Miracle here related, together with what went before it. I proceed, in the

Laft Place, to what follow'd after it; and that was,

If, Our Saviour's Charge, That they should tell no Man of it, tho the more he charg'd them, fo much the more a great deal they publish'd it.

2dly, The Effect that the Miracle had upon them, They were beyond meafure aftonish'd.

3dly, The Confeffion it drew from them, saying, He hath done all things well, he maketh the Deaf to hear, and the Dumb to fpeak. For the

ift, Our Saviour straitly charg'd them, That they should tell no Man of it, ver. 36. He did not affect Vain-glory, in exerting his miraculous Power, nor did he court the Applause or Admiration of the World in any thing that he did; he was above all fuch Vanity, and us'd all poffible Ways and Means to prevent it. Here he charg'd the deaf and dumb Man, whom he had cur'd, not to use his Tongue in fpeaking of it to any; and thofe that faw it, not to publish or make words of it. When he cleans'd a Leper of his Leprofy, at his coming down from the Mount, he faid unto him, See, thou tell no Man, but go and shew thy felf to the Prieft, and offer the Gift that Mofes commanded for a Teftimony unto them: Mat. 8. 2, 3, 4. And the fame he frequently did upon other like occafions. Sometimes he withdrew out of Crouds and Throngs of People, to avoid their Hofannas and Acclamations. After his Miracle of the Loaves, the Multitude came about him, and would have made him a King; but he took occafion from thence to divert their Thoughts from earthly Glories, and directs them to mind more Heavenly Matters, John 6. He never exercis'd his Power for vain or worldly Purposes, but only for the Good of Mankind, as their Wants and Neceffities did require. The Jews indeed expected Signs and Shews in the Heavens to raise Admiration, fome wonderful and prodigious Appearances in the Air and in the Clouds, to draw the Eyes of the World upon him; but he rather

check'd

check'd than gratify'd their vain Curiofity. His Miracles were all falutary and healing, tending to the benefit of Mens Bodies, and the faving of their Souls; fuch good Offiees he did with all Privacy, and without Levity or Of tentation, commanding thofe that receiv'd the Benefit of them to conceal it, and to tell no Man: but these great and good things could not be hid, like the Sun they difcover themselves, and break out of the Cloud that covers them. Their Breafts could not contain a Secret fo worthy to be known, neither could they forbear publishing what tended fo much to the Publick Good; for the more he charg'd them, fo much the more a great deal they publish❜d it. Which will lead,

2dly, To the Effect the Miracle had upon the Minds of the People, which was Wonder and Aftonishment; ver. 37. They were beyond measure astonish'd. And that,

1. For the ftupendous Greatness of his Works, fuch as the healing all manner of Difeafes, making the Lame to walk, the Blind to fee, the Deaf to hear, cleanfing the Lepers, raifing the Dead, cafting out evil Spirits, and difpoffeffing Legions of Devils out of Perfons cruelly tormented by them. These are aftonishing Acts, fuch as none but a Divine Omnipotent Power could effect, and fuch as might well enough poffefs the Spectators of them with Wonder and Amazement: confidering,

2. The wonderful manner of doing of them; for he effected these things as well abfent as prefent, and that in an inftant too, as well as by fenfible Degrees, by applying of his Hand, by the Touch of his Garment, by the Word of his Mouth, by the Motion of his Will; to fhew (as one hath obferv'd) that any Means would ferve, that no Means were neceffary, and that all Times and Places were alike to the Sovereign Almighty Power of the Son of God: which could not but fill them with Admiration and Aftonishment. Confidering farther the End and Defign of all his wonderful Works, which was nothing but the Good and Welfare of Mankind; he fought not his own Glory, or the Praife of Men, but the Health and Happiness of all that came to him His mighty Works were fo many Miracles of Mercv, which furpriz'd the Beholders, and excited Wonder and Aftonifhment in all that heard of them.

3dly, And this drew that Confeffion from them in the clofe of this Gospel, faying, He hath done all things well, he maketh the Deaf to hear, and the Dumb to Speak, the laft

thing to be spoken to in it. Wonder and Aftonishment commonly break out into Praifes and Thanksgivings; the Breaft cannot long contain fuch deep Refentments, which often force their way out, and vent themselves in Confeffions and Commendations. After the Miracle of the Loaves, 'tis faid, the People were amaz'd, and cry'd out, faying, Of a truth this is that Prophet that was to come into the World; John 6. 14. and others, upon the fight of his mighty Works, faid among themselves, Surely this is the Son of God. And here upon his healing the deaf and dumb Man, they faid, He hath done all things well; that is, there is no Fault or Defect to be found in him, and nothing but the height of Charity and Goodness appear in all his Actions, for he maketh the Deaf to hear. He put his Finger into the Ears of many that were troubled with Deafnefs, and thereby remov'd all the Impediments of Senfe, and their Hearing came to them: And likewife the Dumb to fpeak, he loofen'd the Tongues of many that were fpeechlefs and tongue-ty'd, and thereby their Speech was restor'd unto them, and they spake plain.

Thus is the Miracle of the Text briefly open'd and explain'd to you, together with what was previous, and what fubfequent to it: It remains only to apply it, by inferring fome ufeful Leffons from it. And,

1. From our Saviour's going about doing good, we may learn to imitate him, and to do likewife; not that we are to imitate him in doing Miracles, or in that ftupendous manner of benefiting Mankind, as our Saviour did, thefe things are out of the reach of our Power; but as far as we may, to be helpful and ferviceable to the Good of one another. We cannot raife the Dead, but we may help, comfort, and counfel the Living: We cannot give Sight to the Blind, or Feet to the Lame, by any miraculous way of removing thofe Infirmities, but we may be, in fome fenfe, Eyes to the Blind, by inítructing the Ignorant, and Feet to the Lame, by helping them to walk in the ways of Righteoufness. 'Tis not (as one hath well obferv'd) the doing Good juft in the fame Inftances, or af ter the fame wonderful manner that this Example directs us to, but only to a like Willingness and Readiness to do good upon all fit Occafions, as far as our Power and Activity will reach. It obliges us in our feveral Stations, as much as in us lies, to promote the Welfare and Profperity,

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the Eafe and Happiness of our Neighbours; and, as Opportunity offers, to do Good unto all Men. We are, according to our Abilities, to better the State of their Bodies and Minds, that others may blefs God for our imparting thofe Bleffings unto them, which he hath more liberally bestow'd upon us.

2. The Miracle in the Text, as well as the reft recorded in Holy Scripture, may ferve to confirm us in the Belief of Chrift's Doctrine, that he was the true promis'd Meffias, the Son of God, and the Saviour of the World. So we find Nicodemus confeffing, I know (faith he) that thou art a Teacher come from God; for none could do the Works that thou doft, except God were with him: John 3. 2. He fpake as no Man fpake, and did the Works which no Man ever did or could do; for which many believ'd on him. That the Meffias or Saviour of the World was to do Miracles when he came, is evident from that Prophecy of Ifaias, Chap. 35. ver. 4, 5, 6. Be strong (faith he) and fear not, behold your God fhall come and fave you: then the Eyes of the Blind fhall be open'd, and the Ears of the Deaf hall be unftopp'd; then fhall the Lame leap as an Hart, and the Tongue of the Dumb fhall fing. All which things were punetually fulfil'd and done by our Bleffed Saviour, who made the Blind to fee, the Deaf to hear, and the Dumb to fpeak. Hence we find him often urging the Teftimony of his Miracles for the Truth of his Meffiahfhip. When St. John fent fome of his Disciples to him, with this Queftion, Art thou he that should come, or must we look for another? His Anfwer was an Appeal to his Miracles, Go tell John (faith he) thofe things which ye do hear and fee; the Blind receive their Sight, the Lame walk, the Lepers are cleans'd, the Deaf bear, the Dead are rais'd up, and the Poor have the Gospel preach'd to them, and blessed is he, whosoever shall not be of fended in me: Mat. 11.4, 5, 6. Miracles are the Seal of a Divine Commiffion, as being the Effects of a Divine Power; and he that brings this to atteft his Doctrine, may be well enough fuppos'd to come from God: And therefore we find our Saviour thus reafoning with the Jews, If I do not the Works of my Father, that is, fuch as manifest a Divine Power, and a Commiflion from Heaven, believe me not; but if I do, tho ye believe not me, believe the Works, that ye may know and believe that the Father is in me, and I in him: John 10. 37, 38. So that from this Evidence we may fafely take him for our Saviour, and repofe our whole Truft and Confidence in him. 3. From

3. From Chrift's looking up to Heaven before he did the Miracle, as was before obferv'd, we learn to begin all our Works with Prayer, and to implore the Divine Blef fing in all our Enterprizes. This we, who have no power of our felves to help our felves, have far more Need and Reason to do, than he who had all power given him both in Heaven and Earth; and if the Son of God, in his Fulnefs of Power, crav'd the Aid of his heavenly Father, how much more ought we, in our State of Impotence and Inability, to look up to him for Affiftance in all our Undertakings? To this we are directed in Phil. 4. 6. In every thing by Prayer and Supplication, with Thanksgiving, let your Requests be made known unto God.

Laftly, From the folemn Acknowledgment here made of Chrift's Power and Goodness, in curing this deaf and dumb Man, faying, He hath done all things well, he maketh the Deaf to hear, and the Dumb to Speak; let us learn to own the Hand of God in all his merciful and wonderful Works, afcribing nothing to our felves, but all to his Power and Glory. This Leffon we are taught not only here, but throughout the whole Book of Scripture. The Pfalmift especially calls upon us to magnify and extol the Works of the Lord, and in all Conditions and Neceffities to have our whole Truft and Dependance upon him; and thus by beginning all our Works with Prayer, and ending them with Praife, we fhall find the Comfort and Reward of both: Which God grant, &c.

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