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curious and elaborate dissertations and criticisms, the effects of his pursuits were evident in the clearness and correctness of his views on such subjects, in the occasional illustrations of scripture which he placed before his audience from the pulpit, but especially in a long and interesting course of lectures which in the year 1785, he began to deliver to the younger part of his congregation.

These lectures were delivered once a fortnight, and occupied several years. Having given a general view of his very extensive plan, he proceeded to state the arguments for the existence of a God, and to enumerate and illustrate the attributes of the great first cause, Of the common distribution of these attributes into natural and moral, he disapproved. This appeared to him an inaccurate division, founded on an improper pursuit of the analogy of human nature, and he therefore represented all the divine perfections as alike natural to the divine essence. From the consideration of the providence of God, the transition was easy and natural to the consideration of the nature, frame and expectations of man; and several lectures were employed in a full and ingenious

investigation of this highly favoured creature; first, as a sentient, and secondly, as an intelligent being. To these succeeded an enquiry concerning morals; the various systems both of the ancients and moderns, were impartially stated and discussed, their merits and defects ably and candidly pointed out, and the truth, as far as it could be obtained, established. The future destiny of man was of course the next object that claimed the lecturer's attention: and the deficiency of natural religion upon a topic so intimately connected with the dignity and happiness of the human species, naturally led him to examine the evidence of revelation, from which alone any certain knowJedge concerning a life to come can be obtained. Having, as is usual, stated the presumptive argu ments in its favour, he advanced to those which are more direct, both internal and external; the former of which, though essential, not being of themselves sufficient, his principal enquiry turned upon the latter. The external proofs are miracles and prophecy, and to an examination of these many lectures were judiciously appropriated. But at the very outset a considerable difficulty occurred, What

is a miracle? Various definitions have been given, not one of which appeared to the lecturer perfectly satisfactory. These he recited to his class, and stated his objections to each; and having remarked that the difference and the error arose from writers having, in this instance, pursued the a priori method of invesgation; first settling the character of a miracle from what they supposed to be the established nature of things, and then applying the facts to this preconceived idea; he determined to try the better method by induction, the method so universally and successfully adopted by all natural philosophers. We have a number of facts, he observed, which lay claim to the character of a miracle related in the sacred writings; the only method of proceeding with certainty, in our investigation of the subject, is to take a view of them all, and to observe what is the particular circumstance in which they differ from events which are confessedly not supernatural. He accordingly collected and arranged, in four classes, all the miracles recorded in the New Testament. The first class consisted of those in which Christ is represented as the agent, as, the cure of diseases,

acute and chronic; the production of things, as of wine at Cana; influence exerted on the minds of men; as in the case of the clearing of the temple; and self-preservation in dangerous circumstances. Of the two latter kinds of miracles of the first class, doubts may be entertained whether such ever occurred, and of the two former Mr. Wood conceived it evident that the agency of Christ extended no further than to predict the event. The second class consisted of those miracles which had a clearly express reference to Christ, and pointed him out to mankind as a divine instructor, in which, however, he did not appear in any respect as the agent; as the circumstances at his baptism, his transfiguration, &c. The connection of these with a person who laid claim to a divine revelation, constituted their miraculous nature; without such a connection they would have been wonders not miracles. In the third class were placed those miraculous events in which the apostles appeared in some degree as agents, similar to those of the first class; and to the fourth were assigned those in which they were not the agents, but the subjects. From this classification he was led to divide miracles in

general into two kinds, perfect and imperfect.

Perfect miracles he defined to be those in

which the person who is invested with a special divine commission is considered in a popular sense as an agent. These (with the single exception of Christ's walking upon the water, which may perhaps be more properly referred to the other kind) are in no respect different from prophetic gifts, a perfect miracle being a prophecy instantaneously fulfilled. Nothing is more determinate than the powers of the human mind with respect to future events, nothing can be certainly foreknown which is not a continuation of a long series of uninterrupted facts. It is of no consequence whether the event thus foretold or pre-signified be agreeable or contrary to the regular course of nature, it is sufficient that it cannot be foreknown by any man without a divine revelation.

Imperfect miracles he defined to be those of which the person who is invested with a special divine commission is only the object.They are imperfect because the evidence which they afford arises entirely from their connexion. with the other, and because it is not easy always to determine their nature. With respect to

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