§ 4. This was the Means which the Generality of the People of God had to know his Will. They receiv'd it from the Prophets, who had it immediately from God. So that the Difference of their Knowledge consisted in the Manner of their receiving of it, not in the Things receiv'd, which were the same both to the Prophets and the People. Only the Prophets receiv'd it immediately, but not the People: for then consequently they would all have been Prophets, which it is plain they were not.
§ 5. And when it had pleas'd God to give a clearer and fuller Revelation of his Will to the Prophet Moses; what was deliver'd to him, was committed to the Care of the Priests, of whom both King and People were oblig'd to learn their Duty. Deut. xvii. 18. And it shall be when he sitteth upon the Throne of his Kingdom, that he shall write him a Copy of this Law in a Book, out of that which is before the Priests the Levites, and it shall be with him, and, he shall read therein all the Days of his Life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, to keep all the Words of this Law, and these Statutes, to do them. And Malachi xi. 7. The Priests Lips should preserve Knowledge, and they should seek the Law at his Mouth, for he is the Messenger of the Lord of Hosts. So that they were not to seek after any other more perfect manner of Worship, than what was deliver'd in that Book, nor to expect that those Truths or Precepts which were contained in it, should be reveal'd to them anew, either by any Prophet living in their time, or by immediate Revelation; but to draw all their Instructions from the aforesaid Helps. And accordingly we never find any of the Prophets making any Alteration in the Law, or calling the people to a more perfect way of Worship. From whence 'tis plain that they were well assur'd of its Sufficiency, till the Messias, who was to compleat it should come; and their never bidding the People to look for any other way of teaching than what was to be had from that Book, and the Mouth of the Priests, proves evidently that they knew those means to be sufficient.
§ 6. Thus we have seen which way the generality of the People of God were taught; let us now examine by what means the Prophets attain'd their Faculty of Prophesying and wherein it did consist. Now it is most certain that the Faculty of Prophesying cannot be attain'd by any Application or Improvement of our Abilities whatsoever, but depends wholly and entirely upon the positive Will of God, who upon important and weighty Occasions, in his own due time, and to such Persons as seem best in his infinite Wisdom, does send such as he is pleas'd to set apart and qualifie for that Service, by the Inspiration of his Holy Spirit. For Prophecy came not in old time by the Will of Man; but holy Men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost[34]. It must not denyed, but that a sober, righteous and godly Life, a Heavenly Conversation, and the keeping our selves pure both in Body and Spirit, are excellent Means to invite the Holy Spirit to dwell in and abide with us. And this is agreeable to right Notions of the Purity of God, and his Love of that which is Good, and Abhorrence of that which is Evil: It is confirmed by right Reason, the Testimony of ancient Churches and Holy Scripture it self. But then the Question is, How does God dwell in those that are his? Certainly, not so as to make Prophets of them, but to strengthen them in their Holy Resolutions, and enable them to perform such Things as tend most to his Glory, and their own Salvation. And upon a due Examination, we shall find that this is all which the greatest number by far of Godly Men ever attain'd; who notwithstanding must by no means be accus'd of Slothfulness in not approving their Talent, nor of being wanting in their Endeavours to make the nearest Approaches to God that they were capable of.
§ 7. This will appear further, if we consider that those means which were us'd by Holy Persons of Old, in order to the Improvement of themselves or others, in the Exercise of Piety and Religion, cannot upon any account be reckon'd as means of their becoming Prophets. Tho' Samuel was dedicated to the Service of God from his Birth, and it pleas'd God to chuse him for a Prophet; yet there is no question to be made, but that there were several others so dedicated, which did never prophesy.
Tho' Daniel was heard from the first day that he did set his Heart to understand, and to chasten himself before God[35], and had an Angel sent to him with a Revelation, yet cannot that disciplining of himself be in any wise accounted a Cause of that Revelation; for if it were, the same Method would produce the same Effect in another Man. And tho' there were particular Advantages in being a Member of the College of Prophets; as the Prophet Amos[36] intimates, where he says, I was no Prophet, nor A Prophet's Son (which must be interpreted The Scholar of a Prophet, for the Scholars of the Prophets are always call'd Sons of the Prophets in Scripture) yet none of these Means were sufficient to help Men to the Gift of Prophecy. The pious Parents thought it a very good way of improving their Children in the Fear and Love of God, and the Knowledge of his Will, to have them brought up under those Holy and Exemplary Men the Prophets; and accordingly they waited upon them, went on Errands and did their Service; at the same time enjoying the great Advantage of their Example and Discourse. And according to their Example, even after Prophesy was ceas'd among the Jews, the eminent Men and chief Doctors of the Law had their Scholars and Disciples, more or fewer, according to the Credit and Esteem of the Matter. So that our Blessed Saviour's chusing his twelve Disciples, was no new thing among the Jews, but had been practis'd all along, since those Schools of the Prophets. But never did any one imagine, that these means of Discipline, or any other, were Steps to the attaining the Gift of Prophecy, which always depended, not upon Mens Acquirements or Improvements in that which is good, but upon the positive Will of God.
§ 8. Now, if, as appears from what is already said, God has not afforded to Man, any Means whereby he can attain to the more inferior Degree of Prophecy, which consists in having only some part of his Will reveal'd; and that not constantly or habitually, but as occasion serves: How vain and fond is it then for any one to imagine that he has given him a Capacity of enjoying his Presence as he is, and of seeing all things in him?[37] Which is as much above the Attainments of the greatest Prophets, as theirs is above the weakest of Men. For if we consider we shall find that the Prophets Business consisted in delivering a particular Message to one or more; the Contents of which sometimes they receiv'd by Day[38], which sort of Vision is call'd
Machazeh, or,
Mareeh, or else by Night in a Dream, and this was call'd