Hhalôm, a Dream, or
Hezyon Hallaiyelah, a Nocturnal Vision. But what is either or both these to the Intuition of the Divine Presence? There is as much Difference, as there is between a great Courtier and a Favourite, who when he pleases, enjoys the Presence of his Prince, and one who is now and then sent by him on an Errand. And yet to such a degree of Enthusiasm have some gone, as our Author here in particular, and several more of the same strain in those former Ages, and the Quietists and other Mysticks and Enthusiasts in our times, that nothing will down with him less than the Intuition of the Divine-Being, and they despise Meditation[39], as a mean thing, and too much below one that aspires to Perfection. And this, it seems, is attainable by Application and continued Exercise; whereby they have at once set all Mankind in a Capacity of out-doing infinitely the ancient Prophets, who if they had known any thing of this way, certainly would not have been so sparing of it in their Writings, especially when their Business was to labour for the Benefit and Instruction of Mankind. But there is not one word in all their Writings which favours this Opinion, from whence we may safely conclude, that they had no such Notion; and yet it must not be in the least doubted, but that they were throughly acquainted with the Will of God, and knew more of his secret Counsel than any other Men in the World whatsoever.
§ 9. It must needs be acknowledg'd by us Christians, as well as by the Jews, that Moses was, without Controversie, the the greatest Prophet that ever appear'd upon Earth before our Saviour's time, and had the most frequent and greatest Revelations of the Divine Will. For tho' it was a singular Favour which God vouchsafed the other Prophets, in communicating to them some of the Secrets of his Purposes; yet Moses was the Man whom God chose to be the Instrument of the Deliverance of his People Israel, by such convincing Signs and Wonders, as were undeniable Evidences of the Divine Power by which they were wrought, and who was not only to be God's Messenger to his People in some few Particulars, but the immediate Receiver of that Law, and all the Oeconomy, both Ecclesiastical and Civil, by which God's People were to be governed without any Addition or Diminution, so many hundred Years, till the Coming of the promised Messias. God himself bears Witness to this, Numb. xii. 6. If there be a Prophet among you, I the Lord will make my self known unto him in a Vision, and will speak unto him in a Dream. My Servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine House. With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark Speeches, and the Similitude of the Lord shall he behold. Now Moses had not been faithful in God's House, if he had not reveal'd the whole Will of God to his People, as it was deliver'd to him; which most certainly he did. But how? Why, he commands the People thus, Deut. vi. 17. You shall diligently keep the Commandments of the Lord your God, and his Testimonies and his Statutes which he hath commanded thee; which were, no doubt, the very same which he had received upon Mount Sinai. Nor did this Holy Man, this faithful Servant in God's House, ever recommend, or so much as hint any such Service of God, as is dream'd of by our Mysticks, or give the least Encouragement for any to hope for the Gift of Prophecy, or an Intuition or beholding the Divine Being in this State. And yet it is certain that both Moses himself, and Multitudes of others after him, were Heavenly-minded Men, and did that which was acceptable in the Sight of God, and shall be Partakers of Everlasting Glory.
§ 10. Nor did any of the Prophets, which came after him, ever advance any such refin'd way of Worship; but constantly blam'd the People for not observing the Law of Moses, and neglecting the Statutes and Ordinances which he had left them. And the Sum of their Prophecies consists, either in Exhorting, Reproving, Promising or Threatning, and some Hints of the Messias. But not one Syllable concerning any such abstracted Worship, nor any Mention made of Mens attaining the Beatifick Vision. Notwithstanding which, there have been, and still are, a great many deluded Souls, who imagine that the warm Conceptions of distemper'd Brains, are a great Measure of that Holy Spirit by which the old Prophets spake; and pretend to such a Familiarity and intimate Conversation with God; such an entire Communication and Intercourse, that they might, if what they said were true, seem to be glorified Spirits, rather than Prophets, subject to the like Infirmities with other Men; and to have left the Church Militant to take their place in the Triumphant. Not considering, that all this is only a pleasing sort of an Amusement, a Fool's Paradise, and grounded upon no better Reason or Foundation, than the Man that was distracted had to fancy himself an Emperor, and all that came about him his Subjects. These Men do not consider that we live in such an Age of the World, as we are not to expect such extraordinary Effusions of the Spirit: All that we can reasonably expect, or that God has promis'd, is, to give his Holy Spirit to those that ask it of him; that is, so to guide them by his gracious Assistance, as that they may overcome their Spiritual Enemies, and be crown'd hereafter with Glory and Immortality; which certainly ought to content any reasonable Man, without aspiring to Immediate Revelation, Prophecy, obtaining the Vision of God, and such like Things,which God has deny'd to us, whilst in this State.
§ 11. Indeed, if it were in Religion, as in Arts and Sciences, it might with a great deal more Reason have been expected; that considering the vast Distance of Time since the first planting of the Christian Religion to this present Age, we might have been improved to a Degree of Prophecy. For Arts and Sciences receive their Beginnings from very small Hints at first, and are afterwards improved proportionally to the Industry and Capacity of those who cultivate them; and therefore we may reasonably expect, that the longer they continue, the more they will be advanc'd. But the case is vastly different in Religion, which is always best and purest at its first setting out. And there is a very good Reason to be given, why it should be so; for after the first Covenant made by God with Mankind in the Person of Adam: every other Dispensation has found Men under a State of Corruption, and in the actual Possession of Errors, diametrically opposite to those Truths which it came to instruct them in; and therefore it was requisite that the means to remove these at first, should bear Proportion with the Difficulties they were to encounter. Upon which account, at the Beginning of any new Dispensation, those Persons whom God was pleas'd to employ to publish it to Mankind, have been endu'd with more Zeal and greater Abilities, than the Professors of the same Religion in after Ages. And as no Person can doubt, but that the Jewish Religion was much more perfect in the Days of Moses, and those which immediately succeeded him, than in after Times, when it was obscur'd and mudded by Pharisaical Inventions and Traditions: So must it also be confess'd, that the Christian Religion was much more perfect in the Days of the Apostles, and the Ages immediately succeeding them, than since it has been obscur'd by the Interest of the Designing on the one hand, and the Prejudice and Ignorance of the Unlearned on the other. And this is what is plainly confess'd by the Practice of most contending Parties amongst the Professors of Christianity; who constantly make their Appeals to the earliest Writers of the Primitive Christian Church, and use all means to bring them over to their own Side; which is an evident Concession that they value their Authority, and look upon them as the most competent Judges of their Controversies. Now, if I shall make it appear, that there was no such thing as is contended for by our Enthusiasts, in those early Times, when the Holy Spirit must be confess'd on all hands to be more plentifully pour'd out than in the succeeding Ages; I hope it will appear evidently to any unprejudic'd Person, that it is not at all to be expected under the Christian Dispensation.
§ 12. To begin therefore with our Blessed Saviour himself. It is evident that he never recommended any such way of worshipping God, as is contended for by the Mysticks, nor promised to reward the most sincere of his Followers with the Vision of God whilst in this State. As for his own Life, which is certainly the most perfect Pattern, it was Active to the greatest Degree; and bating some times of Retirement, to pray or the like, was wholly spent in Conversation, and doing Good to others. Then as to the Substance of his Doctrine, it consisted in acquainting the Jews that he himself was the Messias, whose Coming was so long ago, and so often foretold by the Ancient Prophets. He also acquainted them with the Nature of his Office and Mediatorship, and shew'd them how mightily they were mistaken in their Interpretations of the Prophets concerning him. He let them know, that, contrary to their Expectation, his Kingdom was not of this World; but that his Business was to bring Men out of Darkness to Light, and from the Bondage and Slavery of Sin, to the Liberty of the Sons of God. He taught them to abandon all ungodly Lusts, and to set their Hearts upon Things above; assuring them, that if they continu'd in his Love, they should be rewarded with everlasting Happiness. And lest his Disciples,and those Churches which should be planted by their Ministry, should be destitute of necessary Encouragement and Assistance, he assures them, in most endearing Terms, of his Love towards and Care over them, and promises speedily to send them the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth[40], which should not only assure them of his own, and the Father's Love towards them, but also enable them to work such Miracles as should be sufficient to confirm the Truth of their Mission. But no where promises the Enjoyment of the Beatifick Vision here; but bid them to expect their Reward hereafter; assuring them, that whither he went they could not follow him now, but should follow him afterwards[41], and that he went to prepare a place for them. Nor did he even mention his having purchas'd for Mankind such a Privilege, as that they might, by diligently improving what was given them, come to God without any other Means, but rather the quite contrary: For he says, No Man cometh to the father but by me[42]; now certainly the way to come to Christ, is to believe in him; which, according to the Apostle S. Paul, presupposes, hearing him preach'd.
§ 13, And as our Blessed Saviour did never promise to reward the Endeavours of sincere Persons, with such a Power whereby they might attain, without any External Means, all Things necessary to Salvation, much less the Intuition, or beholding the Divine Presence whilst in this Life; so neither do we find that they either expected or enjoy'd it. The Method of God in teaching his People, was still the same as it ever had been, viz. by revealing his Will to some few, in order to the having it communicated by their Ministry to others. And I desire any one that thinks otherwise, to produce me one single Instance of any Person that came to the true Knowledge of God, and the necessary means of Salvation, but by this way. The contrary is evident from the Example of the Eunuch (Acts viii.) who was a devout Person, and well dispos'd; and we find his Zeal and Sincerity rewarded by God's sending to him a proper Person to instruct him.
§ 14. Which is still further confirmed by the Example of Cornelius(Acts x.) who being a devout Man, and one that fear'd God with all his House, and gave much Alms to the People, and pray'd to God always, was so far accepted by God, that he was graciously pleas'd to provide Means for his further Instruction in his Duty, and sent Peter to instruct him. Whereby he has plainly pointed out to us the way by which he would have us seek for the Knowledge of him, viz. by applying our selves to such as he has appointed to teach his People. Accordingly we find that Cornelius's Alms and Devotions, and incessant waiting upon God, did neither advance him to the Beatifick Vision, nor so far as to have those Truths presented to him by way of Object, immediately, which were necessary to be believ'd by him in order to his Salvation; neither is he at all encourag'd to look for or depend upon Vision or Intuition, but is sent to a Man like himself, to hear with his outward Ears, those things which concern'd his Eternal Welfare. Whereas, if God had ever granted to Mankind a Power whereby he might, by due Application and Attention, attain to a sufficient Knowledge of God, and Things necessary to Salvation; or, if such a Privilege, though deny'd before, had been purchas'd by Jesus Christ; there is no question, but Persons so extraordinarily well qualified as these two good Men, Cornelius and the Eunuch, were, would have enjoy'd the Benefit of it; and then the Event would have been, that by their constant attending upon God, and unwearied Diligence in meditating and practising good Things, they would have increas'd in Spiritual Knowledge, and made nearer Approaches to God, till they had attain'd to Perfection. But we find nothing like this, but that on the contrary they were oblig'd to be instructed by the same means which God had appointed for other Men.