THE Miracles OF JESUS CHRIST EXPLAINED ACCORDING TO THEIR SPIRITUAL MEANING, in the way of QUESTION AND ANSWER. BY THE REV. J. CLOWES, M.A MANCHESTER: Printed for a SOCIETY of GENTLEMEN, by J. GLEAVE, 196 DEANSGATE. 1816 and 1817. Republished at www.BibleMeanings.info © I.J. Thompson, 2005. Table of Contents Introductory Remarks on Miracles..............................................................................................3 The Leper Cleansed.....................................................................................................................6 The Centurion's Servant Healed................................................................................................10 Peter's Wife's Mother Healed....................................................................................................14 The Devils Cast Out..................................................................................................................16 The Wind and Waves Rebuked.................................................................................................19 The Possessed With Devils Coming Out of the Tombs.............................................................23 The Sick Of The Palsy Healed..................................................................................................26 The Ruler's Daughter Raised.....................................................................................................30 The Bloody Issue Cured............................................................................................................33 The Two Blind Men Restored To Sight.....................................................................................36 The Devil Cast Out From the Dumb Man.................................................................................39 The Withered Hand Restored....................................................................................................43 The Devil Cast Out From the Blind and Dumb........................................................................47 Miracle of the Five Loaves and Two Fishes..............................................................................50 Jesus Walking on the Sea..........................................................................................................56 The Sick Healed in the Land Of Gennesareth...........................................................................61 The Devil Cast Out From the Daughter of the Woman of Canaan...........................................64 The Lame, Blind, Dumb, Maimed, and Many Others Healed..................................................69 The Miracle Of The Seven Loaves And Fishes.........................................................................72 The Transfiguration...................................................................................................................75 The Lunatic Healed...................................................................................................................81 The Piece of Money Found in the Fish's Mouth.......................................................................85 Sight Restored a Second Time to Two Blind Men....................................................................89 The Barren Fig-Tree Cursed......................................................................................................92 The Miraculous Draught Of Fishes...........................................................................................95 The Widow's Son Raised.........................................................................................................100 The Woman Who Had A Spirit Of Infirmity...........................................................................103 The Dropsy Cured...................................................................................................................107 The Ten Lepers Cleansed.........................................................................................................111 The Water Turned Into Wine...................................................................................................115 The Impotent Man at The Pool of Bethesda...........................................................................120 Sight Restored To The Man Blind From His Birth.................................................................124 Lazarus Raised from the Dead................................................................................................129 The Resurrection And Ascension Of Jesus Christ...................................................................134 The Miracle of Pentecost.........................................................................................................143 Conclusion...............................................................................................................................150 Prayer......................................................................................................................................154 Translations from Original Text..............................................................................................155 - 2- Introductory Remarks on Miracles Q. What do you mean by a Miracle? A. A Miracle is the manifestation of a supernatural Power controlling, in some degree, the Common or established laws of nature. Q. How many kinds of Miracles are there? A. Miracles in general may be referred to two classes, Divine Miracles, and what may be called magical or infernal Miracles. Q. What do you mean by a Divine Miracle? A. A Divine Miracle is the exertion and effect of a supernatural agency, exercised by the ALMIGHTY HIMSELF for the benefit of Mankind. Q. And what do you mean by a magical or infernal Miracle? A. A magical or infernal Miracle is the exercise and effect of magical and infernal agency, separated from Divine Agency, and in opposition to it. Q. Can you tell me any instances of this latter agency, as recorded in the WORD of GOD? A. It is written in the book of Exodus, that when Moses lifted up the rod, and smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants, all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood; and the fish that were in the river died, and the river stunk, etc. And it is then added, that the Magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments, (Exod. 7:20, 21, 22). Again, it is declared by JESUS CHRIST, that in the latter days there shall arise false Christs and false Prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, insomuch that) if it were possible, they shall deceive even the very elect, (Matthew 24:24). The beast also in the Revelation is described as doing great wonders, so as to make fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, and deceives them that dwell on the earth by those Miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the Beast, (Matthew 13:13, 14). Q. Can you see any reason why the ALMIGHTY should permit his enemies to exercise a miraculous power in opposition to HIMSELF and to his kingdom? A. Yes: there is every good reason to suppose that the ALMIGHTY grants this permission for the sake of His own children, or with a view to the trial of their faith, and to its further confirmation in consequence of such trial. For the necessary effect of an infernal or magical Miracle on the mind of a well-disposed person must be to induce doubt respecting the truth of a Divine Miracle, - 3- and the result of that doubt would be a clearer discrimination between the two classes of Miracles, and thus finally a rejection of the infernal or magical Miracle, and an establishment of the power and validity of the Divine Miracle. Q. And what do you conceive to be the discrimination between these two kinds of Miracles? A. The discrimination is grounded, not so much in the external aspect or form of the two kinds of Miracles, as in their internal characters and qualities. For the internal quality and character, which distinguishes the Divine Miracle is, that it is representative and expressive of the Divine and Spiritual Principles which give it birth. Thus, when JESUS CHRIST raised the dead to life, this Miracle contained in its inward bosom a Divine and living Principle, and was thus expressive of the operation of that Principle, not only in imparting new life to a dead body, but also in imparting new and spiritual life to a dead soul, by raising it from the death of sin to the life of righteousness. This was the case too with all the other Miracles worked by that INCARNATE GOD, every one of which was thus figurative of a divine operation exercised, not on matter only, but on spirit also, producing in the latter an effect corresponding to that which was produced in the former. But in the case of magical or infernal Miracles, no such internal principle was operative, and of course no such principle could be expressed, and therefore the Miracle was a mere outward and dead form, without animation from any spiritual principle of life whatever. Q. What then would you suppose was the immediate design of the LORD'S Miracles? A. In the first place, his Miracles were incontestable proofs to all his followers of a divine supernatural agency, and not only so, but of a divine mercy and loving-kindness. Thus they produced a double effect on all his penitent disciples, convincing their understandings, in the first place, of the divinity of their LORD and MASTER; and, in the next place, operating on their wills, by making them sensible