As our SAVIOUR difcourfed after this manner with his difciples, fo he confirmed his doctrine by working miracles, which Spinoza himself, no niean reprefentative of infidels, confeffed, that if he could have believed the matter of fact, of Lazarus's being raised to life again, after he had been really dead and buried, he would have given up his fyftem of infidelity, owned our SAVIOUR'S miffion to have been from GoD, and embraced the chriftian faith. And that Celfus and Porphyry, the most inveterate adverfaries of chriftianity, did really believe this miracle, among others, was true and certain, it is plain from their manner of writing against them, and that they did own them to be fuch.

After the miracle of the loaves and two fishes wherewith our SAVIOUR fed five thousand men, befides women and children, the people would needs lay hold on him, and make him a king by force; whereupon he made his difciples enter into a fhip, and pafs over the fea, while he fent the multitude away; but the ftorm arifing, they were toffed up and down the whole night, in the midst of the waves. Day appearing, he drew towards them, walking on the furface of the waters, which made them cry out for fear, thinking him a fpirit; but our SAVIOUR bid them not fear; and the first that felt the efficacy of this divine word, was Saint Peter, whofe heart being full of affurance, faid to him,

"If it be thou, LORD, command me to come upon the waters to thee." Our LORD bid him come, and, he immediately leaped into the sea; but the wind arising, fear overwhelmed his spirits, and his faith failing, he began to sink. Then he addreffed himfelf to our Saviour, intreating him to fuccour him: Jesus stretching out his hand, took hold of him, : and blaming the weakness of his faith, bid him not be afraid; and when they were entered into the ship, the wind ceafed at his command, and they were presently at land, whither they went.

Our faviour leaving Judea, to avoid the rage of. his enemies, who began openly to declare themfelves against him, departed the coafts of Tyre and Sidon, where a Canaanitish woman came by a fecret instinct to CHRIST, intreating him to have pity on her daughter, who was tormented with a devilOur bleffed SAVIOUR, to try her faith, feemed deaf to all her complaints: but, fuch is the prevalency of prayer, the ftood ftedfaft in her hope, petitioning with fuch a moving and humble confeffion, that he cried out, "Oh woman, great is thy faith,". granting what fhe defired."

Being alone with his difciples, and having paffed with them over the coafts of Cæfarea Philippi, he afked them, "What the world faid of him?" They answered, fome thought he was John the Baptift, others Elias, and others Jere-: miah, or one of the ancient prophets; but our LORD faid Who think you that I am?" Saint

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Peter, without hesitating, answered, "Thou art CHRIST, the fon of the living God." CHRIST called him bleffed, because his father had revealed unto him this truth; and affured him, that he would fo firmly establish his church upon this kind of revelation, that the gates of hell fhould never prevail against it. Eight days after, he took three of his difciples, viz. Péter, James, and John, (who ever seemed to be the chiefeft favourite, and to whom he shewed most tenderness, and led them up to a high mountain apart; and when he had prayed there, his countenance fhined like the fun, and his garments were as white as fnow. At the fame time, Mofes and Elias appeared, and difcourfed with JESUS, about what was to happen to him at Jerufalem; during which his difciples fell afleep, but awaking, were furprized at the glory of our LORD, and the fight of the two prophets; and Saint Peter being overjoyed, proposed to build three tabernacles; instantly a voice from a cloud, faying, "This is my beloved fon, hear ye him." The difciples fell to the ground with aftonifhment but JESUS bid them arife and not be afraid; and then they faw none but CHRIST alone, who charged them to tell no body, what they had feen and heard, this transfiguration was one of the means, which our SAVIOUR ufed to ftrengthen the faith of his difciples; and by this anticipation. of his glory, to fhew what they themfelves fhould be, at the refurrection of the dead ;and that after

the labors, trials, and fufferings of this life, they should certainly enjoy the glory of which they had now been eye-witneffes: and it was this fight which made them ftrong in the greateft conflicts, troubles, and tribulations.

When they were come down from the mountain, our LORD found his difciples encompaffed with a great croud of people, attempting to caft an evil fpirit out of a young man, which they were not able to effect; CHRIST with a word performed the cure, and tells them, their unbelief was the cause they could not do it. He then orders Saint Peter to pay the tribute money; and finding that the difciples had been difcourfing upon the way about pre-eminence, he took a little child, and placed him in the midst. saying, "That if they did not endeavour to be like that, they could not enter into Heaven.

He then retiring to the mount of Olives to pray, came early in the morning to the temple, where the pharifees, whilst he was preaching, laid a fnare for him, by prefenting a woman taken in adultery, to the end that they might charge him as a breaker of God's law. Jesus knowing their defign, ftooped down and wrote upon the ground; and they perfifting to know his opinion, he lift up his head, and faid, He amongst you that is without fin, caft the firft ftone at her." The pharifees being convicted in their confciences, withdrew, and the woman was left alone, whom our SAVIOUR

afked, where her accufers were, and if any man had condemned her? who anfwered, no: Neither, faid he, do I condemn thee, fin no more, and fo fent her home in peace.

Our bleffed LORD did not only felect twelve apostles, but likewife feventy two difciples, whom he fent by two and two before him, wherefoever he was to go. To thefe he gave power to caft out devils, at which they extremely rejoiced; but he tells them, it ought to be a greater joy to them that their naines were writ in Heaven, after which he went into a village, where a woman named Martha, received him. She had a fifter named Mary who fitting at his feet, heard attentively his holy words, while Martha was bufy in making preparations for the entertainment; and being diflatisfied that her fifter did not help her complained thereof to CHRIST, who told Martha, that while fhe was employed about feveral matters Mary had chofen the better part, which fhould never be taken from her. After this JESUS drawing near to Jericho, Zaccheus a publican, of low ftature, being defirous to fee him, got up into a fycamore tree; which our SAVIOUR perceiving, bid him come down, for he would abide that day in his houfe. Zaccheus readily obeying, immediately came down and received him gladly, being thoroughly converted, prefented himfelf to him with an humble confidence, and gracious libera

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