The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1823-07-29

lfiiHs, 4faDakuks Z eIllaHia uT nA-'fs VI"
several Others whom coaid MINE, per
form, in. order 30 convince the people that
they weret The true messcnFe,s OF Jehovah 2
MOI sineie aie Ihai know Of Will yeu,
Therefore. -is.frr that they were isnpasloTs,
because they did ret eviae with miracles
| In their hands 2 Had you lived IL their
day, you might with as good reason Iase
oljecied 10 fheif single testimony ct their
ewn div ,e mission. - yhu INV do . that
of Barun Swedebborg. With equal FRO.
pritty, you might have said 10 Jonah, when
he was proclainii,,g the destruction Of Nj
ncsah, g unless you VIII convince me By .
miracle, thai you are s.nt OF God VIII not
believe a word you say Had Vie Niuc-
vitcs reasoned in tins manner, is ~ proba-
biliiy. they would not ha,elned to lament
their folly.
Again, what did John the Baptisf do, to
con, ince thu Jews that he WIS more than a
prophet, as being the immediate forernnaer
OF our Lord Z How happened il, that John,
whose commission aud character were more
digniied than those OF any former prophets,
did not display the necessary requisites for
commanding The public attention II To
gain credit, simply asa prophet, IL is indis-
ptnsabIy necessary TO work miracle !;
what may wenot expect Of him who comes
TO us as more than propItet7 John the
Baptist. however, performed 30 miracle rs
n pieof of his mission, and yet he was pro-
nounced by the Lord himself TO be greater
than Moses, or any of the prophets, not
withstspding al the miracles which they
performed. In proof these assertions,I
shall just beg leave to trauseribe the follow
ing passage from Matthew. Speaking of
john the Baptist, Jesus says, what went
ye out to see prophet yen, say un-
to you, and more than propha. Among
them that are born of women, there hath
not risen greater than John the Baptist"
tIatt. XII. 0, II. And in John X. Al, ~, ii
is said, John did no miracie but all
things that John spake Of this mau tJesus)
were true. And many believed him there"
The truth is, rational evidence is stronger
than any miracle, because IT reaches the
understanding, which 40 miracle ever did
or can do. am therefore surprised, how
any man that calls himself louer Of truth,
and n searcher after truth, can yet turn his
buck on truth, together with sound reason,
the proper eridence Of truth, and call out
for a miracle
F Now, having seen that several ofthe pro-
lflets gave no proof of their divine mission
10y working miracles, that their testimony
~ many Eases is admitted merely on their
bare assertions lei US nov enquire whc-
iher II has been the general custom of
mankind togive implicit credit % those who
had the power of working miracles. II is
true the Lord enabled Moses TO perform
many miracles before lliscouptrymen land
also Pharoah) in order 10 convince them
that God had STINT him. But that this con
yiction Of theirs, was a mere superficial inn
preston upon their outward senses, and
carried with il nothing ofrationot cridence
TO their understandings, is plain, almost
from every part Of their history. As soon
as ever they had farly escaped from the
Egyptians, and were got into the wilder
ness, the people neutrality-suspicious.
Moses and .7nron, who had performed the
miracles, and thereb, brought them into a
situation where they dreaded being de-
stroys,l by hanger and thirst. See Exod.
xg. "a, chap. XVI. ., 8. They even accu-
sed Moses of design and nteltion To kill
them, and were on that account on the point
ofstoning him to death. Exod. xvi. 4. If
the miracles which Moses and Aaron peg
formed, had really operated upon their
minds, full aud rational conviction that
they were sent by God, how is il possible
they could 50 soon .crget them, notwith-
standing thea greatn' IS and frequency p
The truth is, they only believed Tor rather,
were compelled against their wills TO ac-
knowledge) the miracles for the moment,
while they were present Sefore their senses.
How else are We To account for their sue
cesslsely, and almost continually rehelling
against Jehovah, in whose name all the mi
racles were performed ? II was from a
principle Of selfshness and fear only, that
they followed Moses out of Egypt and
through The wilderness selfshness, because
they expected at last 10 arrive in land Of
plenty and fear, least they should be de-
stroycd by that power which had so Won
wonderfully manifested itself IN the mira
cies. But no sooner did this fear subside,
an consequence of their temporary cessa-
ton, than they turned To- the natural hard
ness OF their hear, and fell into the gros-
ssst species OF idolatry, namely, that of
wursldpplng molten calf, the work of
their own hands +; and what is singular,
even Aarou, Win himself had performed
the miracles, joined with the people who
were witnesses of them, in ascrihing all the
power 10 the cali, and saying, These be
my Gods, O Isredi, iohich brought Mee up
ont otthe land Of Egypt" Exod xxi. i.
N"tfnng then can be produced as more
PLAIN and undeniable fact, than that the
miracles which were performed before the
children of Israel, We're considered by them
as downright act OF eompnisiye auihorify,
and that the conviction arising from them
was mere superiieim Impression upon
Their ontadrd senses, and carried with il
netting ofrationdL evidence to their under-
standings.
You also seem 10 intimate in your letter,
.na',"our Saviour did notcIpeci to be beliey-
La 4