*selves into the apostles of Christ And no marvel; for satan him"self is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great «thing, if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of right *eousness; whose end shall be according to their works." [Mar. 13. 22. 2 Cor. Fl. 13, 14, 15.]

*Now in what respect were these deceitful workers transformed into the apostles of Christ and ministers of righteousness? Nót by teaching and doing righteousness after the example of Christ and his apostles, for that would have constituted them true ministers of Christ; and to say they taught and did righteousness as the true apostles, is to say that a corrupt fountain can bring forth a pure stream, and an evil tree good fruit, contrary to the rule of Christ. Besides, their end was to be according to their works; if therefore their works were good, their end must be good also, contrary to evidénce. But the matter is plain enough, that those deceitful workers, presumed to vie with the true apostles or even to surpass them, in a fair and ostentatious appearance of piety and power, while they artfully taught things contrary to the gospel, corrupting the minds of the hearers from the simplicity which is in Christ.

Thirdly. Another necessity of this change is to check the pride and vain glory of mankind, who are prone to turn the grace of God into wantonness, and serve the purposes of a fleshly mind, by the knowledge which they obtain of the work of God; by disappointing them in their views, and carrying on his work in a mammer unknown to them, that all may be taught to wait on God, and receive of him in the present tense, that no flesh should glory in his presence, and that he may lead his people in a way which they knew not: Vain man would be wise.

Another fact relating to what are commonly called miracles, is that whatever purpose they may answer in their own place, they are not saving. Salvation is not necessarily connected with them, they save no souls, and are not a proof to any man, that those who perform them have the power of salvation, for persons may have them and not know Christ or be known.of him. Many will say to me in ❝ that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and " in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess to them, I never knew you: "depart form me, ye that work iniquity."(Mat. 7. 22, 23.)" Though "I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not chari"ty, I am become as sounding brass or a tinkling symbal. And «though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, " and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could re" move mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me no"thing." (1 Cor, 13. 1,2, 3.) Thus every thing is set aside in making proof of the christian, but that which cannot be imitated or forged charity; of which hereafter.

And "

It is therefore utterly improper, in searching for the church of God, to give these a first or main place in its character; and especially when it is farther considered that if found, they can prove nothing to the point unless accompanied by such evidence as confirms the matter without them; so that were the greatest possible external and visible miracles discovered amongst any people called christians, these would not prove them to belong to the body of 'Christ, until confirmed by those testimonies which cannot accompany any other people. Thus it is written of the prophets of old. "The prophet "who prophesieth of peace, when the word of the prophet shall "come to pass, then shall the prophet be known, that the Lord hath "truly sent him." (Jer. 28 9.) But this could only be admitted in case of promoting the worship of the true God which had been taught before, for on the other hand, it is written; "If there arise "among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a "sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder come to pass, where"of he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods which "thou hast not known, and serve them; thou shalt not hearken to "the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for the Lord "your God proveth you to know whether ye love the Lord your God «with all your heart and with all your soul." (Deut. 13. 1, 2, 3.) Thus we see that signs and wonders were no proofs of a true prophet even in that dark day when they were so common and so necessary in the true prophet, unless corroborated by the end to be promoted by them. Obedience is better than sacrifice, and to love is more than to prophesy, or to do miracles. In like manner, the false apostles mentioned above, were known, at least in part, by their wicked doctrine and works, corrupting the minds of the people from the simplicity of the gospel, and preaching, in effect, another Christ, whom Paul had not preached." (2 Cor. 11. 3, 4.)

Those miracles, therefore, which are commonly understood by the term, however necessary they have been, in their proper place, or may yet be on certain occasions, serve but an inferior part in the great work of salvation, or in characterizing the church. And it is not to be wondered at that God, the wise dispenser of his grace, should discontinue them, for the most part, in the present arrangement of things, and introduce in their room, that which is spiritual, pure and heavenly the substance instead of the outward sign; cspecially considering that the work of God increases in the ministration of light and power, becoming more spiritual in each additional dispensation; so that men who fear God, are capable of seeing his work, and understanding its nature and evidence to their satisfaction, without those figurative representations, calculated to arrest the physical man, which were necessary in former dispensations; having in addition to the weight of evidence attending those dispensations, transmitted to us by the scriptures and already prepossessed by all professed christians, the increasing light of the present day.

And it is here to be especially noticed, that introducing a new tlispensation of the gospel and testifying it to the world, are very differ

ent matters from emerging out of the dispensation of Moses and the prophets, and planting and establishing that of Christ; for as the foun dation-stone had not been laid, salvation had not appeared, or Christ been made known, all that had been in possession before, stood in meats and drinks and divers washings and carnal ordinances, which served for the time then present, as shadowy representations of a sube stance to come, there was a necessity of overturning the whole Jewish ecomony, so that, as it is written "The priesthood being changed [or transposed,] there is made of necessity a change [or trans*position,] also in the law; but in the present case there is a transi❤ tion from the corruption and darkness introduced by the man of sin, in the time of the falling away; into the life and light of Christ whichr was revealed in the beginning; so that notwithstanding there is a difference in order and economy, in several particulars, it is the same gospel, as much as a renewed portion of physic out of the same mass, with additional quantity and more perfect instruction, is of the same nature with the former; the same Christ, same self-denial and same cross, insomuch that whosoever honestly apprehends and em braces the faith and life of Christ and his apostles, and other real followers, in the first dispensation; will be in nowise difficulted. to embrace the present: the same demand therefore for miracles is not requisite in the present dispensation as in the former, because all the miracles which were wrought to establish that, contribute to the sup÷ port of this also..

Farther to elucidate this subject, let it be remembered that to do, miracles in the sight of men, is a principal characteristic of the beast, or anti-christ; «And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire. "come down from heaven. on the earth in the sight of men, and de❝ceiveth them that dwell on the earth by those miracles which he "had power to do in the sight of the first] beast." (Rev. 13. 13, 14.) It may be objected, that this is figurative language. But this answer is at least justifiable, that the things which. the figure most resembles, are most likely to be those which it represented, unless good evidence is obtained to the contrary; and it is more than justifiable, even forcible, to argue, that no good reason can be offered for reversing the figure, and concluding that it represents the body of Christ doing wonders in the sight of men and gaining them over to the truth, instead of the beast deceiving them The strongest evidence therefore is that to do miracles in the sight of men is eminently the character of the beast. And to this agree the words of Christ, which are not so metaphorical; "For there shall arise falso Christs and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, "insomuch that, if possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” (Matt. 24. 24.) Thus concurring testimonies evince, that it is the proper character of the beast, or anti-christ, to show great signs and wonders, or to work miracles, in the sight of men. And this is the character which the world try to impose on the church of God in these days, and then reproach them as deceivers and impostors, because they do no miracles and show no signs,

It is also worthy of notice, that Jesus or his disciples, never wrought a miracle to satisfy the inquiries of the curious, or to obtiate the cavils of adversaries. "A wicked and adulterous generation seek~eth a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of "the prophet Jonas;" the sign of the cross which they do not desire. But whereto shall I liken this generation ?-For John came neither ❝eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. The Son of man "came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous " and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners.” (Mat. 16. 4. and 11. 16, 18, 19.) The same generation rejected Christ demanding of him a sign from heaven, because in their carnal sense, the miracles which he wrought were not equal to those of Moses, or more truly, because the life which he lived and the doctrines which he taught were offensive to them; as they said, "This is an hard saying; who "can hear it?" (Jno. 6. 60.) He taught the destruction of the flesh, end the promotion and upbuilding of the spiritual work and kingdom of God. And for the same reason do mcn, reject the testimony of Christ in these days, because it is offensive to their nature, being for the destruction of the flesh and the edification of the Spirit.

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Were all the signs given, in support of the spiritual work of Christ, which the men of this generation ask, they would be no better satisfied, for all would tend to promote the same work of God by the cross, and they would resist still, as was abundantly proved by the first mi- • nisters of the present testimony. The Jews asked signs, but whẹn they saw them they were not relieved; these signs did not alter the nature of Christ's work, and they stubbornly resisted, saying, "What "do we? for this man doeth many miracles." (Jno. 11.47.) And when the apostles had done so notorious a miracle on the lame man that they could say nothing against it, and had no prospect of concealing it by denying, they endeavored to crush its effects by violence, for they hated the name, work and cross of Christ, as much as ever. [Acts 4. 13 to 17. In vain therefore do carnal professors call for miracles, for the nature of Christ and his work remain the same, and -ever will: But wisdom is justified of all her children: honest souls have always found evidence enough in the work of Christ to satisfy them.

That Jesus and his apostles wrought miracles in confirmation of their doctrine is a fact not to be denied, according to the testimony of those who, in many cases, were eye witnesses of the facts; but it is also undeniable that the use of them gradually subsided, no doubt, as the necessity for them ceased, and their use was superseded by the more permanent, substantial and genuine fruits and evidences of the gospel-charity, union and good works. Accordingly in the latter part of the apostle's ministry there is much less said about working miracles than in the beginning: not denying but that the church in that day had the power of miracles until the falling away. In like manner, the first ministers and witnesses of the. second appearance of Christ, wrought miracles in the gift and power of God, in confirmation of their testimony, as it is attested to us by those who were in many cases living eye witnesses of the facts, and many such wit

nesses are living to this day. But these things have greatly subsided, the use of them being superseded by the gathering together of the church, and the manifestation of those fruits and evidences which are more substantial, genuine and abiding. At the same time, every necessary gift and power remain in and with the church at this day, and she is not left destitute of that power of miracle which is able to silence the adversary and confirm the faithful.

CHAPTER IV.

More Negatives. The absence of Christ. The absence of Christ. Christians do not commit Sin.

GREAT contentions and animosities have subsisted, for ages, among professed christians, respecting the church of Christ, who they are and with what limits circumscribed; and all about sentiments and speculative doctrines, and such other things as were in all respects foreign from real christianity; and while these were carried on, professors, like the Jews who would strain out a gnat and swallow a camel, have missed the mark altogether-an humble submission and obedience to the example and precepts of Jesus Christ, in which it could be said, and in which alone, To me to live is Christ, and to die is gain Now the end of the commandment is charity, out of a C pure heart, and, a good conscience and faith unfeigned; from which some having swerved have turned aside to vain jangling.' "my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." [1 Tim. 1. 5, 6. Jno. 15. 14.}

"Ye are

While men have been saying, Lo here! and lo there and the inquiry hath been made, Who of them all are the true church? they have overlooked the simple and plain answer of Jesus Christ-None of them. "And he said to his disciples, The days will come, when << ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye "shall not sce it, And they shall say to you, See here, or see there, go not after them, nor follow them." "Then if any man shall say "to you, Lo here is Christ, or there, believe it not." [Luk. 17. 22, 23. Matt. 24. 23.] These things prove unequivocally that the days were to come, in which Christ should not be known on the earth, and no people were to be followed, or believed-not any man, because no man in those days knew the truth or kept it: for a man of truth is to be believed, and the true followers of Christ are to be followed.

Brethren, be followers together [Greek, fellow imitators,] of me, " and mark them who walk so, as ye have us for an example,' (Phil. 2. 17) Neither did Jesus ever say any thing to the contrary of this, but confirmed it: "He that heareth you, heareth me." But such were the days of the false Christs and false prophets, who say, Lo hero! and lo there! And the very nature of the language shows that all should be in confusion; no one knowing what was the truth,