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the Mind. And this Term Supernatural, has not only a regard to the manner of the conveying of thofe Truths, but likewife to the Truths themselves; thefe muft be Supernatural likewife; I do not fay abfolutely fo, but in respect to the State and Condition the Man is in, that receives them. Many Truths may be the Object of Revelation, which may not abfolutely, and in their own Nature, furpass the natural Faculties of Men to acquire, but they must be above the prefent Knowledge of the Perfon who receives them, otherwise they will not be Supernatural, there will be no Revelation or Infpiration in the Cafe. And if a Man judges of the Truth of his Infpiration, by the Contents of it, he is certainly to confider, whether what he supposes himself Infpired in, exceeds the prefent Abilities of his Mind and Understanding. If not, there appears no certain Proof of his Infpiration, from the things Reveal'd or Infpired. Thus for Inftance, fhould the Contents of a Man's Infpiration amount to this, That GOD is fuft, and Good, &c. Although these are great Truths, yet how doth it appear, that thefe Truths derived themfelves from immediate extraordinary Infpiration? Doth not natural Reafon and Scripture teach Men this of GOD? And why may not a Man derive this from thefe mediate Fountains of Divine Knowledge? What need of recurring for this, to immediate Revelation? If a Brute, I confefs, delivered those Truths, that is unacquainted with Reafon or the Scripture, it would look Miraculous; but it is no great. Marvel, I think, to hear fuch Truths from Man? And yet if you remark, what Men deliver under Raptures, &c. They are Truths much of this Nature.

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B. I wish you may have as great Effect upon others, as on me. I have but one thing more to ask, and I promife you, I will trouble you no more on this Head. Why may not thofe common Truths be more ftrongly imprinted on the Mind, the Attention more awaken'd to them, by Infpiration?

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4. I believe it most firmly. But this is not the Infpiration we are treating of for the prefent, although we fhould have the Misfor tune to oppofe other Men, if we have Reafon and Scripture on our fide, I hope you will not want Authority.

B. As much of the latter as you please.

A. To proceed therefore, you know, (a) Sacourage muel was a great Prophet, how he became fuch, ment the is defcribed, The Lord call'd Samuel, and be anScripture gives to fwered, Here am I. Now Samuel thought Eli had the forego called him, and ran to him; Eli deny'd any ing Propo- fuch thing, and fo the fecond and third time. It fitions.

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is faid in the Text, Samuel yet knew not the Lord, neither was the Word of the Lord yet revealed to him. And it is farther faid of Samuel; And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and did let none of his Words fall to the ground. And all Ifrael, even from Dan to Beersheba, knew, that Samuel was eftablish'd a Prophet of the Lord. From hence we may obferve thefe following Things.

Revelati- I. That the Revelations we often read were ons of old, made to Men in the Old Teftament, were direwere directed to them, in a way refembling a fenfible and audible Voice; appeared at leaft to them, as from without, as the Voice of a Man to the Organ of hearing, Why, or how elfe fhould Samuel apprehend this Call or Voice of GOD to pro

Senfes.

(4) 1 Samuel 3.

ceed

ceed from Eli? But this may not be fo material.

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II. I think, this Voice that was made by The Voice GOD, upon strict Examination, will be found, or Call that not to refemble Old Eli's Voice. It may be ded to Sathought indeed otherwife, becaufeSamuel mistook muel, did it for Eli's. But this might be,becaufe Samuel knew not refemno one else there but Eli, and then who fhould ble Old E. li's Voice, call him but Eli?" He was call'd, and he wentto Eli, as he thought him only in the Place, as any Body elfe would. But thence I fuppofe, can it not be infer'd, that this Call refembled the Voice and Tone of Eli; fo that had Samuel then known the Lord, he could not have diftinguifh'd it from the Voice of Eli. For it being the Purpofe of GOD to reveal himself to Samuel, why fhould he affume Eli's Voice? Į know not, whether this would not look like too much trifling to be imagin'd of GOD. But befides, it is faid, as yet the Child knew not the LORD; and this is given as a Reason, why he ran to Eli; but fuppofing he had known the Lord, as well then, as afterwards, would he have ran to Eli? The Text implies the contrary. And yet if the Voice or Call refembled that of Eli, he would certainly have ran to Eli, notwithstanding his Knowledge of GOD, if the Voice of GÖD had been no ways diftinguishable from the Voice of Eli. If therefore, this be the Reafon, why Samuel ranta, Eli, becaufe he knew not the LORD, had he known GOD, he would not have ran to Eli, and confequently, that Voice was diftinguifh'd from the Voice of Eli.

More ftriIII. I advance, as probable, that these fenfi- aly of the ble Voices or Calls, whereby Divine Revelations Nature of were made to Men, had in them fomewhat fo peculiar, that no Human Voice could eaf

thefe Calls or Voices.

ly imitate. It is highly probable, as I fhall farther endeavour to fhew hereafter, notwithftanding Samuel, when call'd of GOD, ran to Eli; yet that this Voice or Call did not refemble the ufual Voice of Eli. And amongst other Reafons, becaufe then Samuel might have been liable to ftrange Impofitions, and it might be in Eli's Power, very eafily to impofe on him his own Words or Fancies, for Divine Revelations. This Eli would not do. I believe it. But if Eli would not do it, why might not others? Many knew Eli, and might easily have counterfeited his Voice; and I ask, upon this very poffible Suppofition, if they had done it, what may a Man rationally imagine, as to the Conduct of Samuel? Would he have heard, would he have acknowledg'd this Call? Or to difcourfe of this Matter in general, admitting we allow the Suppofition; that these Revelations were convey'd to Men, in the manner the litteral Senfe imports, by a fenfible Voice or Speech; I would fain know or have any Man confider, whether it be reasonable to fuppofe, a true Prophet capable of being impofed on by any Artifice of Contrivance of Men, and oftaking that for a Divine Call or Miffion, which was nothing but a meer Trick, or Deceit of others? If any Man can think this poffible, or confiftent, he will fubject a true Prophet to the Delusions and Fanatical Conceits of common Men, and open a way to expofe his Authority, if others attempted it, to Contempt and Ridicule. If he afferts the latter, (which furely is most reasonable) that a true Prophet, unless when GOD givës him up to Delufion, is liable to no fuch Impofitions, this Call, fenfible Voice, or Speech of GOD, muft have fomewhat fo particular in it, muft ftrike the Sense and Understanding of the Prophet

or

phet fo peculiarly, that nothing Human or Diabolical could do the like; fo that on any' Attempts of this Kind, the true Prophet readily and eafily difcovers the Deceit, difowns the Call or Voice, acknowledges it not Divine. Thus we often read of Abraham, that GOD call'd to him out of Heaven, and Abraham acknowledges the Call Divine: Now in this Cafe, I would propofe it to be confider'd, if any Attempts had been made to abufe Abraham, (as how eafily might a Voice have been contriv'd to affect him from a Perfon unfeen) would Abraham have acknowledg'd, rever'd this Call as Divine? I can, for my part, believe no fuch thing. I have a better Opinon of Divine Revelation, and True Prophets. And if others are of the fame Opinion, the Reafon will be, becaufe no Human Voice could excite the fame Senfe or Perception in a True Prophet, as the Voice and Call of GOD did, and confequently could not appear the fame to one, us'd to Extraordinary and Divine Revelation.

B. I must confefs, if this prove true, you abundantly fecure a True Prophet, from all Impofition, make a wide Difference indeed, between true Revelation, and meer Fancy and Delufion.

A. To conceive otherwife of thefe Calls of GOD, feems to me a very fuperficial and vulgar Apprehenfion of them; and of this Opinion have been very curious and diligent Searchers into the Jewish Antiquities, of whom I fhould take no Notice; (for I look upon the Fountains, from whence thefe Authors drew, Philo, Maimonides, and other Rabbies, to have no better contained and preferved the unwritten Doctrines of the Prophets, than the Church of Rome hath fince done thofe of the Apoftles) did they not

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