Here is an objection. It is said : Acts ii. 17, ' It shall come to pass, that in the last days I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh : and 3^our sons and daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams,' &c ; so that it seems God would still continue the dispensation in the last days, that he will give us visions, dreams, and oracles again,
I answer, These are but figurative expressions, to signify the gifts of the Holy Ghost, which we receive by virtue of Christ's ascension, abundance of knowledge, faith, and holiness , for mark, the words are quoted out of a prophet. Now the prophet speaks according to the dispensation of his own age, or else how should he be understood by the men of his time. Dreams and visions were the ordinary means wb.ereby God then revealed himself to his prophets, and therefore the prophet useth words calculated to the Jewish dispensation. In the prophetical writings, whenever they spake of the worship in the new testament, they used words suited to the then present worship ; as altars, sacrifices, incense, and the like, which are words proper to the legal rites; so when they speak of the gifts of the new testament, then they use the words — prophecy, vision, and dreams. All the meaning is, God in the latter days would give them abundance of light and knowledge, for, take the words literally, they were not made good in the case to which he applyeth the prophecy. The apostle applies it to take off the reproach of the people that said they were filled with
VeR. 7.] SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. 183
new wine. Now they could not be said then to see visions and dream dreams ; but the words set out the excellent gifts of the Spirit in the new testament. But if you would more particularly know why the Spirit of God should use these words of prophecy, visions, and dreams ; that sons and daughters should prophesy, &c., I answer then, By pro- phecy you may understand the gifts of illumination ; by vision, gifts of consolation ; and by dreams, the gifts of sanctification.
1. By prophecy, the gifts of illumination, or a clear understanding of God's will in Christ, which should be in the new testament above the old testament — ' Your sons and daughters shall prophesy ; ' that is, the little boy and girl shall be able to understand the mysteries of salvation in scripture ; they need not run to the prophet for the mean- ing of such a ceremony and rite.
2. Then by vision understand a more intimate apprehension of the truth, or a manifestation of things to the conscience, gifts of consolation. We have a kind of vision here, when we have a lively sense of divine grace : here we see as in a glass ; hereafter we shall see face to face.
3. Then by dreams you may understand the more inward instincts and motions of the Holy Ghost, by which the soul, being severed from worldly desires and objects, is raised to the contemplation of heaven and spiritual things; as dreams are the thoughts and commotions of the soul, which are framed when the outward senses are shut up. AVhen a man neither seeth, heareth, smelleth, toucheth, nor tasteth, then the soul worketh on things at the greatest distance ; so, possibly, it signifies those spiritual instincts, those sanctifying motions, by which the soul is raised up to the contemplation of heavenly mysteries : then there is such a distribution of the persons to amplify the clause that went before — ' I will pour my Spirit upon all flesh.' * Old men,' to show that no condition is excluded from the communion of the Spirit, your ' sons and daughters,' that is, your children, they shall have their memory sanctified to retain prophecy ; your ' young men ' shall have visions, their consciences sanctified, to feel the force of what is in their heads ; and your ' old men' shall dream dreams ; they who are deadened to the world shall have their affections raised to heaven, and God will clearly manifest himself to them.
SERMON XXXVI.
By faith Noah, being ivarned of God of things not seen as yet. —
Heb. xi. 7.
Fourthly, I observe that this warning was of a judgment to come— ' Being warned of things not seen as yet ; ' that is, of the horror of the flood. From whence I note that the threatening as well as the promise is the object of faith ; not only the mercy of God in the promise, but the judgment of God in the threatening, is to be applied bv fhith. I shall confirm the doctrine in hand with some reasons.
184 SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. [SeR. XXXVI.
1. Because every part of divine truth is worthy of belief and reverence, because it is the word of the same God ; and that is the reason why we read of faith in the promises, faith in the command, faith in the threatening. There is faith in the promises: Ps. cxix. 49, ' Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope ; ' there is faith in the commandment : Ps. cxix. 66, ' Teach me good judgment and knowledge ; for I have believed thy commandments ; ' that is, I have believed them to be of divine authority, and to be just, equal, and good; and there is faith in the threatening, ' By faith Noah, being warned of God,' &(*. It is true, belief in the threatening is not so much pressed in scripture, because guilty nature of itself is presagious of evil : Rom. i. 31, ' Knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death.'