FromthatwhichIhaveheresetdown，ofthenatureanduseofamiracle，wemaydefineitthus：amiracleisaworkofGodbesidesHisoperationbythewayofnature，ordainedintheCreationdoneforthemakingmanifesttoHiselectthemissionofanextraordinaryministerfortheirsalvation。
Andfromthisdefinition，wemayinfer：first，thatinallmiraclestheworkdoneisnottheeffectofanyvirtueintheprophet，becauseitistheeffectoftheimmediatehandofGod；thatistosay，Godhathdoneit，withoutusingtheprophetthereinasasubordinatecause。
Secondly，thatnodevil，angel，orothercreatedspiritcandoamiracle。Foritmusteitherbebyvirtueofsomenaturalscienceorbyincantation，thatis，virtueofwords。Foriftheenchantersdoitbytheirownpowerindependent，thereissomepowerthatproceedethnotfromGod，whichallmendeny；andiftheydoitbypowergiventhem，thenistheworknotfromtheimmediatehandofGod，butnatural，andconsequentlynomiracle。
TherebesometextsofScripturethatseemtoattributethepowerofworkingwonders，equaltosomeofthoseimmediatemiracleswroughtbyGodHimself，tocertainartsofmagicandincantation。As，forexample，whenwereadthataftertherodofMosesbeingcastonthegroundbecameaserpent，“themagiciansofEgyptdidthelikebytheirenchantments“；*andthatafterMoseshadturnedthewatersoftheEgyptianstreams，rivers，ponds，andpoolsofwaterintoblood，“themagiciansofEgyptdidlikewise，withtheirenchantments“；*2andthatafterMoseshadbythepowerofGodbroughtfrogsupontheland，“themagiciansalsodidsowiththeirenchantments，andbroughtupfrogsuponthelandofEgypt“；*3willnotmanbeapttoattributemiraclestoenchantments；thatistosay，totheefficacyofthesoundofwords；andthinkthesameverywellprovedoutofthisandothersuchplaces？AndyetthereisnoplaceofScripturethattellethuswhatanenchantmentis。Ifthereforeenchantmentbenot，asmanythinkit，aworkingofstrangeeffectsbyspellsandwords，butimpostureanddelusionwroughtbyordinarymeans；andsofarfromsupernatural，astheimpostorsneednotthestudysomuchofnaturalcauses，buttheordinaryignorance，stupidity，andsuperstitionofmankind，todothem；thosetextsthatseemtocountenancethepowerofmagic，witchcraft，andenchantmentmustneedshaveanothersensethanatfirstsighttheyseemtobear。
Foritisevidentenoughthatwordshavenohavenoweffectbutonthosethatunderstandthem，andthentheyhavenootherbuttosignifytheintentionsorpassionsofthemthatspeak；andtherebyproducehope，fear，orotherpassions，orconceptionsinthehearer。Thereforewhenarodseemethaserpent，orthewatersblood，oranyothermiracleseemethdonebyenchantment；ifitbenottotheedificationofGod’speople，nottherod，northewater，noranyotherthingisenchanted；thatistosay，wroughtuponbythewords，butthespectator。Sothatallthemiracleconsistethinthis，thattheenchanterhasdeceivedaman；whichisnomiracle，butaveryeasymattertodo。