Wesley Corpus

He may, or he may not; I cannot affirm or deny. I have no light, and I have no desire either way. “It is the Lord, let him do what seemeth him good.’ I desire only to be as clay in his hand. “3. But what, if there were now to be wrought ever so many ‘real and undoubted miracles?’ (I suppose you mean, by undoubted, such as, being sufficiently attested, ought not to be doubted of) ‘Why, this, you say, “would put the controversy on a short foot, and be an effectual proof of the truth of your pretences. By no means. As common as this assertion is, there is none upon earth more false. Suppose a Teacher was now, on this very day, to work real and un doubted miracles; this would extremely little shorten the con troversy between him and the greatest part of his opposers: For all this would not force them to believe; but many would still stand just where they did before; seeing men may harden their hearts against miracles, as well as against arguments. “So men have done from the beginning of the world, even against such signal, glorious miracles, against suchinterpositions of the power of God, as may not be again till the consummation of all things. Permit me to remind you only of a few instances, and to observe, that the argument holds a fortiori; for who will ever be empowered of God again to work such miracles as these were? Did Pharaoh look on all that Moses and Aaron wrought, as an effectual proof of the truth of their pretences P even when the ‘Lord made the sea to be dry land, and the waters were divided; when the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea, and the waters were a wall on the right and on the left?’ (Exod. xiv. 21, 22.) Nay, The wounded dragon raged in vain; And, fierce the utmost plagues to brave, Madly he dared the parting main, And sunk beneath the o'erwhelming wave. Was all this an effectual proof of the truth of their pretences to the Israelites themselves?