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 truths and goods of worship,
and the lot of profaners after death is the worst of all fates. They are
meant by the Lord's words in Matthew (12:43-45) about those whose last
state is worse than the first. Besides, if miracles were to be done for
those who have no faith from the miracles in the Word, they would have to
be done constantly and before their eyes. It may be plain from all this