fed, James 5. 14, 15. Is any fick among you? let him call for the Elders of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the Name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith fall fave the fick, and the Lord ball raise him up. This miraculous Power we find likewife mentioned to be conferred on the Apostles in our Saviour's lifetime, when he firft gave them Commiffion to Preach the Gofpel to the Jews, Mark 6. 12, 13. where it is faid, that They went out, and preached that men fhould repent. And they caft out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were fick, and healed them. And now that this miraculous Gift is ceased, there is no reason why the meer Ceremony of anointing with oil fhould continue; which yet is ftill ufed in the Church of Rome, and made a Sacrament; tho' it fignifie nothing: for they do not pretend to heal men by it; nay they pretend the contrary, because they never use it, but in exA a tremity Sermon XII. tremity, and where they look upon Volume the Ferion as paft recovery; and if XII. they did not think fo, they would not use it. But befides the healing, with this folemnity of anointing with Oil and with Prayer, which feems to have been used by the Elders of the Church, only upon those who were members of the Church, there was likewise a general Gift of healing, which the Apoftles exercised upon all occafions where ever they came; and this was performed only by laying their hands on the fick. And this we find promifed by our Saviour to his Apostles, when he gave them Commiffion to Preach the Gofpel to all the World, immediately before his Afcenfion; and not only to the Apoftles, but to those who fhould believe upon their preaching, Mark 16. 17, 18. These figns Shall follow them that believe: in my name fhall they caft out devils, &c. And then it follows, they shall lay hands on the fick, and they shall reco yer. Fourthly, Fourthly, The Power of raifing the Sermon dead, which hath always been efteem- XII. ed one of the greatest and most unqueftionable Miracles of all other. A principal part of the Apoftles Office was to be witneffes of our Saviour's Refurrection from the dead, whereby he was fo powerfully demonftrated to be the Son of God. But because this was a ftrange Relation, and not eafie to be credited, by those who were ftrangers to the Apoitles, and had never known them before; therefore that they might witnefs this with more Authority, God was pleased to endow them with a miraculous Power of all kinds; and particularly with a power of raifing the dead: and then there was no difficulty in receiving their teftimony concerning our Saviour's Refurrection, when men faw them in his name raife others from the dead. And of this we have two instances in the Acts of the Apoftles; of St. Peter's raifing Dorcas, Acts 9. and St. Paul's raifing Eutychus, Acts 20. And Ireneus, who lived in the Age after the Apoftle's tells us, that A a 2 in Volume in his time this power continued among Chriftians. Fifthly, Another miraculous Gift was that of difcerning Spirits; the principal ufe of which was, to try and judge who were true Prophets. And of this the Apostle fpeaks, 1 Cor. 14. 29. Let the prophets Speak two or three, and let the other judge. And, ver. 32. The Spirits of the prophets are Subject to the prophets. And this is likewife call'd by the fame Apoftle, the gift of difcerning fpirits. 1 Cor. 12. 10. To another is given the dif cerning of Spirits. Those who pretended to this Gift, were tryed by the Bishops and Elders of the Church, as the Prophets were tryed among the Jews, by the Sanhedrim. And of these kind of Affemblies among the Chriftians, for the tryal of Prophets, Eufebius fpeaks particularly in his 5th. Book. And it fhould feem likewife that this gift of discerning Spirits, extended alio to the discovery of the fecrets of mens hearts; by the revealing whereof, times M Sermon as whereof unbelievers were many fuddenly ftruck and convinced; may very probably be collected from I Cor. 14. 24, 25. But if all prophefie, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned; he is convinced of all, he is judged of all. And thus are the fecrets of his heart made manifeft, and fo falling down on his face, he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth. And upon this miraculous Gift of knowing the fecrets of mens hearts, it seems to be very probable, that that which is commonly call'd the power of the Keys did depend, I mean the power of remitting or retaining fins : for they who had the priviledge of knowing mens hearts, might do this upon certain grounds, and were fecured from mistake in the exercife of their power upon particular Perfons; which the Priefts and Minifters of the Church now are not, nor can be; because they cannot not fee into mens hearts, whether they be truly penitent and qualified for forgiveness or not. For I cannot easily believe but A a 3 that XII, |