ss and particularly on Mt. Sinai when
the Law was promulgated, nevertheless, in a month's time while Moses
tarried on that mountain, they made themselves a golden calf and hailed
it as Jehovah who had led them out of the land of Egypt (Ex 32:4-6).
Again, it is plain from the miracles done later in the land of Canaan;
nevertheless the people fell away time and again from the prescribed
worship. It is equally plain from the miracles which the Lord did before
their eyes when He was in the world; yet they crucified Him.

[2] Miracles were done among the Jews and Israelites because they were
altogether external men and had been brought into the land of Canaan
merely to represent a church and its eternal verities by the
externalities of worship--something a bad man as well as a good man can
do. For the externals are rituals which with that people signified
spiritual and celestial things. Indeed Aaron, although he made the golden
calf and ordered worship of it (Ex 32:2-5, 35 ), could still represent
the Lord and His work of salvation. As the people could not be brought by
the internal things of worship to represent them, they were brought to do
so by miracles--in fact, were driven and forced to it.

[3] They could not be led by internals of worship because they did not
acknowledge the Lord although the entire Word which they had treats of
Him alone. One who does not acknowledge the Lord cannot receive anything
internal in worship. But miracles ceased after the Lord had manifested
Himself and was received and acknowledged as eternal God in the churches.

133. The effect of miracles on the good and on the evil differs, however.
The good do not desire miracles, but believe those in the Word. If they
hear of some miracle, they regard it only as a slight indication
confirming their faith; for they draw their thought from the Word and
thus from the Lord, and not from a miracle. It is different with the
evil. They can be driven and compelled, of course, to belief, to worship,
too, and to piety, but only for a little while. For their evils are
enclosed, and the lusts of those evils and the enjoyments of the lusts
continually press against the outward worship and piety; and in order
that the evils may come out of their confinement and burst forth, the
wicked ponder the miracle, finally call it ridiculous and a ruse or a
natural phenomenon, and so return to their evils. One who returns to his
evils after having worshiped profanes the t