Before I dismiss this Story of the Figtree, I can't but adore the Providence of God, that the Miracle has been hitherto placed in the withering away of the Tree. If the Miracle had been a plain Story of a dead and wither'd Tree's being made to bring forth Leaves and Fruit on a sudden; this would have been such a manifestly supernatural Work, and so agreeable to modern Notionists about Miracles, that Mens Thoughts would have been so absorpt in the Consideration of the Letter, as they would never have extended them to the Contemplation of the Mystery. And our Divines would have made such a Noise, in our Ears of the Excellency and Marvellousness of such a Miracle, as that there would be no bearing of it. But But as the _Evangelists_ have in a good Measure suppress'd all mention of the after Fruitfulness of the Tree; and the Story, by Misconstruction, is clog'd with the foresaid Difficulties and Absurdities, we are of Necessity driven to the search after Mystery for good Sense and Truth in it. And thus have I spoken enough to the Miracle of _Jesus_'s cursing the Figtree, which according to the Letter is a foolish and absurd Story: But the mystical Operation, of which the Letter is a Shadow, will be ravishing, marvellous and stupendous; and not only a Proof of _Christ_'s Power, and Presence in his Church, but a Demonstration of his _Messiahship_, in as much as an infinite Number of Prophecys upon Prophecys, will thereupon be discern'd to be accomplish'd, or the Church can't bring forth the Fruits of the Spirit, that is Spiritual Interpretations of the Scriptures, like ripe Figs. And so I pass to an 8. _Eighth_ Miracle of _Jesus_, and that is,[182] "of his healing a Man of an Infirmity, of thirty eight Years Duration, at the Pool of _Bethesda_, that had five Porches, in which lay a great Multitude of impotent Folk, blind, halt, withered, waiting the troubling of the Waters, upon the Descent of an Angel, who gave a Sanative Virtue to them, to the curing of any one, be his Distemper of what kind soever, who first stept down into them." This whole Story is what our Saviour calls a _Camel_ of a monstrous Size for Absurdities, Improbabilities and Incredibilities, which our _Divines_, and their implicit Followers of these last Ages, have swallowed without chewing; whilst they have been straining at _Knats_ in Theology, and hesitating at frivolous and indifferent Things of the Church, of no Consequence.