one of the individuals present, would not be afterwards recognised as miraculous, merely by the use of that language. This would appear only like the regular result of such an acquirement, however obtained.

This essential character of a miracle, as an interposition of God, in which the worker was only the performer of the ceremony attached to it, is important in one point of view, which deserves our notice. It can hardly be doubted by one who attentively reads the Gospel history, that our Lord on some occasions studiously represented the performance of miracles by himself, as a case differing from this-as if he, in short, were himself the divine interposer. Take, for example, his cure of the child possessed by a dumb spirit, as related in St. Mark's Gospel", where he is represented as performing the miracle without prayer and fasting; and yet accounting for the failure of his apostles in their attempt to do so by the assertion, "this kind can come forth by nothing but by prayer and fasting." The same may be observed of the emphatic way in which he called Lazarus from the tomb, and bade

b Chap. ix. 14-29. also in Matthew xvii. 14-21.

the widow of Nain's son awake to life," Lazarus, come forth." "Young man, I say unto thee, Arise." His design is the more apparent too, if we contrast with his words the opposite disavowal of the apostles, such as is exhibited in the language of Peter when he healed a man of the palsy,

Æneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole":" and again, when with John he healed the lame man at the Beautiful gate of the Temple, " Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk? The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go. But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; and killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses. And his name, through faith in his

Acts ix. 34. In the miracle of raising Tabitha, the same acknowledgment was implied by his first kneeling down and praying. See ver. 40, of the same chapter.

name, hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know; yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all." The more we study the inspired character of God's various messengers to mankind, the more irresistible is the impression, that Jesus alone was not a mere inspired man, but "God manifest in the fleshe."

§. 5. The nature and extent of supernatural qualifications for each different purpose.

THE miraculous qualification of an inspired agent of the Almighty must, it is plain, have varied greatly, not only according to the character of the revelations he received, but still more according to the kind of service in which he was to be engaged. The recorder of events must have required a different Spiritual preparation from the legislator or the warrior; and the legislator or warrior again must have received powers and capacities totally distinct from those conferred on one whose office was to instruct foreigners of various languages in the divine messages. e 1 Timothy iii. 16.

Acts iii. 12-16.

There must have been a different class of intellectual faculties enlightened, when the servant of the Most High was appointed to unfold the mystic roll of prophecy, and when his sacred errand was to bear testimony to facts which were matters of ordinary observation and comprehension.

The wide difference between the various kinds of inspired agency would oblige us to take this view of a corresponding variety in the nature and extent of inspiration, supposing there were no express Scriptural assertions of the fact. But Scripture is not silent on the subject. Inspiration is spoken of by inspired authors themselves, as given severally and not collectively; the single exception being that of him, who only "took on him the form of a servant.” To Christ_alone, who was God as well as man, the Father gave not the Spirit "by measure"," (or partially ;) in the case of all others, there has been a measurea grace sufficient for them and their agency. ،، The manifestation of the Spirit," writes St. Paul," is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given, by the Spirit, the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge, by f John iii. 34.

the same Spirit; to another faith, by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing, by the same Spirit; to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: but all these worketh that one and the self-same Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will :" and again; "God hath set some in the Church; first, apostles; secondarily, prophets; thirdly, teachers; after that, miracles; then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret ?"

ge

Reason and Scripture lead us further to recognise, besides these various inspired qualifications, a distinct divine superintendence; the object of which was, to supply any occasional deficiency in those qualifications; or, I should rather say perhaps, to prevent any defective or improper application of them. The reasonableness of this additional provision rests on the

f 1 Corinth. xii. 7—11.

Ibid. ver. 28-30.