Quote one of the remarks of Jesus [24] showing the object of his miracles. John v: 36. What, then, was that object? Had he not wrought miracles, would unbelief have been a sin? John xv: 24. What, according to John, was the object of recording the miracles? John xx: 30, 31. Why are miracles necessary as proof that Jesus is the Son of God? Ans.--Because, if he had the power to do nothing more than man can do, he, could not have proved himself to be any more than a man.

      How do modern infidels answer the argument from miracles? Ans.--They say there is no sufficient proof of them, because the people who witnessed them were not scientific, and did not know how to test them. Is it true that those people were not scientific? Ans.--Yes; for nearly all of the sciences have been developed since then. How, then, can you decide whether the infidel objection is valid or not? Ans.--by examining the miracles to see whether a knowledge of science was necessary to testing their reality, and by observing how they were tested by the enemies of Jesus.

      For an example, describe the healing of Peter's mother-in-law. Matt. viii: 14, 15. Did it require any knowledge of science to know that she was at first sick with the fever, or that when Jesus rebuked the fever it left her and she was well? Could a modern physician have tested the case any better than those persons who saw it?

      Describe the stilling of the tempest. Matt. viii: 23-27. Did it require any science to know that there was a tempest, and that it ceased when Jesus rebuked the wind and the sea? Was there any room for mistake about the reality of this miracle? [25]

      Describe the raising Lazarus. John xi: 39-44. Could there have been a mistake as to his being dead? 39. Could there as to his resurrection? 44. Could there as to the fact that Jesus raised him by his word? 43. Would science have been of any service at all in testing this miracle?

      Did the enemies of Jesus deny that he wrought miracles? John xi: 47. Did they try to disprove the reality of any of them? Ans.--Yes; especially of the one recorded in the ninth chapter of John. Describe this miracle. John ix: 1-7. When the man's neighbors and others found that he could see what did they do? 13. For what purpose? Ans.--To see what the Pharisees could say about the proof which it contained in favor of Jesus. What was the first question of the Pharisees? 15. What evidence had they thus far that the man had ever been blind? Ans.--That of the neighbors who brought him. Was not this evidence sufficient? But what further evidence did the Pharisees demand? 18-21.

      Would it have been possible to get more or better evidence than they now had? How did they try to get around it? 24. Does not this verse show that they really believed the miracle had been wrought? How would scientific men of the present day have proceeded in this case? Ans.--Just as the Pharisees did. Knowing that the man could see, and being told that he was born blind, they would first inquire about the process of healing, to see whether the treatment employed could account for it. That being settled, they would demand satisfactory proof that the man was born blind, and when this was given they would [26] be through with the investigation, and would know that a miracle had been wrought.

      State the various kinds of miracles wrought by Jesus. Ans.--Healing diseases; imparting sight, hearing, etc., to those who had never had them; casting out demons; controlling winds and water; raising the dead; prophesying, and telling the secrets of men's lives and thoughts. Why so great a variety? Ans.--To show himself able to save men from every possible evil, and to be in possession of divine knowledge.

[FBL 24-27]