here speak agreeably to the Reafon of the thing, on which, I think, it is much better to rely, than Vain and Chimerical Fancies, that have little Foundation in Reafon, Sacred Writ, or any other Authority. Mr. Smith, a Man well vers'd in thefe (a) Writings, on the Queftion, how to diftinguish between a Pfeudoprophetical Spirit, and true Revelation or Inspiration, lays thus, The Hebrew Masters bere tell us, that in the beginning of Prophetical Infpiration, the Prophets ufe to bave fome Apparition or Image of a Man, or Angel, prefenting it Jelf to the Imagination. Sometimes it began with a Voice, and that either strong or vebement, or elfe foft and familiar. And So GOD is faid first of all to appear to Samuel, who is faid not yet to have known the Lord; that is, as Maimonides, expounds it; Ignoravit adhuc, tunc temporis, Deum hoc modo, cùm Prophetis, loqui folere, & quòd hoc Myfterium nondum fuit ei Revelatum. In the fame manner, R. Albo, for otherwife we must not think, that Samuel was then Ignorant of the true GOD, but that he knew not the manner of that Voice, by which the Prophetical Spirit was wont to awaken the Attention of the Prophets. And indeed they imagin'd this fort of Revelation was fometimes ufher'd in, with fomething like the found of a Trumpet, as in the Revelations of St. John. Which Opinion of theirs, if true, plainly fuppofeth, that this Divine Voice, was very much the fame to all true Prophets, For it is spoken univerfally, as a means to awaken the Attention, not of Samuel only, but any one elfe, to whom GOD this way reveal'd, himself. So that whatfoever the Nature of this Voice to Samuel was, it feems to be the fame that was directed to other Prophets, and that this (a) Select Difcourfes, p. 203. fhould fhould be Old Eli's Voice; that GOD fhould addrefs himself to all the Prophets, both before and after Eli, in his Voice, is a strange Honour done to Eli, and what no Man can eafily fanfie. And if this Voice was intended to awaken the Attention of the Prophets at the firft Approach of the Prophetical Spirit, what a power ful Means is here fuppofed of this awful and deep Attention, to hear a Voice, like Old Eli's! This Voice denoting GOD, furely it ftands by the highest Reason, that it had fomething particular in it, that was apt to denote GOD, not fuch as in its own Nature is apt only to denote an old decrepit Man. And befides, that this Voice that Samuel heard, was not peculiar to himself, but what Abraham and other Prophets had heard before him, will receive fome Confirmation, if we frame a very eafie Suppofition, viz. an Intercourfe between a true and a falfe Prophet, in which the true Prophet fhould demand of the falfe Prophet, upon what it was he built his Opinion of his Infpiration, or Supernatural Direction: I cannot think from the Defcription of the manner of the Infpiration, or Revelation of the falfe Prophet, the true Prophet would receive any Satisfaction, or have Reafon to believe him truly Infpired, becaufe he would not fpeak agreeably to his inward Sentiments of the Thing. But furely this cannot be fuppofed between two real and true Prophets, who had both heard this Call or Voice of GOD; upon Debate of fuch a Point, they. muft discourse more intelligibly and fatisfactorily one to the other, it being on a thing, that both knew fomething of, had been both acquainted with, and felt, which could be upon no other Ground, than an Agreement, as to the manner of the Revelation. But to return to our Author. The man vine Re Author. He would have the Jewish Writers at 1 B. I am glad to hear others to have concur'd in this Thought, by which you are defended from a fingularity that would look conceited. A. It feems no lefs probable, in the fourth ner of Di Place, That when GOD raifed up any Provelation phet to the Jews, the manner of his revealing to the fame himself to him, was very much the fame. And Perfonwas this I Argue again from this Inftance of Samuel. generally As yet he knew not the LORD, the Senfe of the fame. which, I hope we have clear'd to be, that he knew not this to be the manner of GOD's revealing himself to his Prophets; and that because this was the very first time he receiv'd any Divine Revelation. But now, when Samuel knew this to be the Voice of GOD, and the manner manner of his revealing himself; at any time after, he could very readily diftinguish it, without Eli's, or any one's Inftruction. That is, upon the Suppofition that the manner of the Revelation was very near the fame, and GOD made himself known to him, as before; otherwife, furely he must be as much in the dark, as at the firft, and fhould need an Interpreter, fome outward and miraculous Atteftation, or fome other extraordinary thing to denote its Origi nal. Suppofe, for Inftance, GOD had afterwards reveal'd himfelf to this Prophet, as to the Apoftles of our Saviour, by Infpiration, with out any fuch Voice, by immediately affecting the Mind; why is it not reafonable to think, that Samuel would have been very much unacquainted with this Method of Revelation, and confequently might have needed fome Inftruction from others; the fulfilling of fome Event, or the like, to have given him perfect and entire Satisfaction about it? For is not the Cafe Pa rallel? If Samuel knew not the meaning of in vit this Voice, becaufe it was the firft time, that ever he heard it, or receiv'd a Divine Revelation; fuppofing GOD had reveal'd himfelf ****** in a different, way to him, for the fame Reafon, that muft have appear'd proportionably ftrange to him; or at leaft he could never be fuppofed, fo well acquainted with it, as with the other, unless we fay, that a Man may be as well acquainted with a Thing he never receiv'd, or had any Acquaintance with before, as with another of which he hath had Knowledge and former Experience, and fo acquainted, and unacquainted is the fame thing, which is a grofs Contradiction to common Senfe; or else that there is but one and the fame manner of Divine Revelation, which is as grofs a Contradiction C Το on, the wards. to Revelation. When therefore, it is faid, upon divers Occafions, the Word of the LORD came again to Samuel, or the LORD fpake to him, who can doubt, but it was in the fame manner of Revelation (whatsoever that manner was) as at the firft? And if this were the Cafe with Samuel, why not with other of the Prophets? Jofeph had Revelations. But were they not always in Dreams? And whofoever fhall carefully confider the way of Infpiration or Revelation, made to each Prophet, fhall find ftrong Grounds for fuch an Opinion, and few Inftances to the contrary; as I could eafily, make appear, was it needful to the Scope of my Defign. At the firft Laftly, It is clear, from this Inftance of Saapproach muel, That upon the firft Approaches of Divine of Divine Revelation, the Perfons may not be fo immeRevelati- diately certain of the Truth and Nature of it. Perfon It was evidently fo in the Cafe of Samuel, and may not be fo it may be as rationally fuppofed in other InTo fully af ftances; although there be no exprefs mention fur'dof the made of it. And we are not without an IntiTruth of it, as after mation from the Text, to this purpofe; and the LORD was with him, and let none of his Words fall to the Ground; and hence, from the fulfilling of his Predictions, all Ifrael, even from Dan to Beersheba, accounted him an Establish'd Prophet. And as this was an unquestionable Proof to the People of Ifrael, fo it must be thought of great Satisfaction to the Prophet himself, to fee his own Predictions accomplish'd; for although the Non-Accomplishment of a Prediction in all Cafes, (as is clearly fhewn by the late B. of Worcester) will not neceffarily conclude a Man a falfe Prophet; yet if a Prophet never fees one Prediction come to pass, neither is endow'd with any Miraculous Gift, to Atteft an Extraordina ry 4 |