And these are some of those accidents of prophetical revelations which are recorded in the Scripture; and it is jDossible that some other instances of the like nature may be observed. And all these belong to the '^roXvrpo'Tria rrig ^uag sTiXuffsug, or manifold variety of divine revelations, mentioned Heb. i. 1.
But here a doubt of no small difficulty nor of less importance pre- sents itself unto us, — namely, whether the Holy Ghost did ever grant the holy inspirations, and the gift of prophecy thereby, unto ,• men wicked and unsanctified ;^ for the apostle Peter tells us that "holy men spake of old as they were moved by the Holy Ghost," 2 Pet. i. 21, which seems to intimate that all those who were in- spired and moved by him, as to this gift of prophecy, were holy men of God.^ And yet, on the other hand, we shall find that true pro-
' "Prophetoe erant Baal, et prophcttc confusionis, et alii oifensionum, et qiioscuuqiie vitiosospropbetasScripturacorumemorat." — Hierou. Comment. in Epist. adTitum. cap. i.
ffiui a^ioy IffTiv, I'lyi jiaf/S fitra t>jv l-jr) rod Ohf'iov uficc^riav tuXaSovfiivos aipaipt^rivKi
aCTT
140 OPERATIONS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT [BOOK II.
phecies have been given out by men seeming utterly void of all sanctifying grace. And, to increase the difficulty, it is certain that great predictions, and those with respect unto Christ himself, have been given and made by men guided and acted for the most part by the devil. So was it with Balaam, who was a sorcerer that gave himself to diabolical enchantments and divinations; and, as such an one, was destroyed by God's appointment. Yea, at or about the same time wherein he uttered a most glorious prophecy concerning the Messiah, the Star of Jacob, being left unto his own spirit and in- clination, he gave cursed advice and counsel for the drawing of the people of God into destructive and judgment-procuring sins, Num. xxxi, 16. . And in the whole of his enterprise he thought to have satisfied his covetousness with a reward for cursing them by his en- chantments. And yet this man not only professeth of himself that he "heard the words of God," and "saw the vision of the Almighty," Num. xxiv. 4, but did actually foretell and prophesy glorious things concerning Christ and his kingdom. Shall we, then, think that the Holy Spirit of God will immix his own holy inspirations with the wicked suggestions of the devil in a soothsayer? or shall we sup- pose that the devil was the author of those predictions, whereas God reproacheth false gods, and their prophets acted by them, that they could not declare the things that should happen, nor show the things that were to come afterward? Isa. xli. 22, 23. So, also, it is said of Saul that " the Spirit of the Lord departed from him, and an evil spirit terrified him," 1 Sam. xvi. 14; and yet, afterward, that the " Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied," chap, xix. 23. The old prophet at Bethel who lied unto the prophet that came from Judah, and that in the name of the Lord, seducing him unto sin and destruction, and j)robably defiled with the idolatry and false worship of Jeroboam, was yet esteemed a prophet, and did fore- tell what came to pass, 1 Kings xiii. 1 1-29.
Sundry things may be offered for the solution of this difficulty; for, — 1. As to that place of the apostle Peter, (1.) It may not be taken universally that all who prophesied at any time were person- ally holy, but only that for the most part so they were. (2.) He seems to speak particularly of them only who Avere penmen of the
aiiTOV TO ayiDV wiZftoi (pwri. To •rvivf/./z to uyiov aov (/.n avTaviXris cc-x tfcov .... Ouru di
^tlTiicrius cc^iov iiTTi TO mp) tou ecyiov ■^vii/uaTOf ti luvaTai ilvcci kcci Ik aftapTuXw '^'''XV '
Origen. Conmientar. iu Johan. torn. 30.
" Prophetioc mysteiio usi sunt ctiam qui exorbitaverant a vera religione, quia et illis dedit Deus verbum suum ut mysteria futura pronunciarent hominibus." — Hieron. Com- meut. in Job. cap. xxxiii.
"Nam et proplietare et da;monia excludcre et virtutes magnas in terris facei-e sub- limis utiquc et admirabilis res est, non tamcn regnura coeleste con.sequitur quisquis in his omnibus invcnitur, nisi recti et justi itincris observatione gradiatur." — Cyprian, de Unitat. Ecclesiae.
CHAP. T.] PEEPARATORY TO THE NEW CREATION. 141
Scripture, and of those 'prophecies which remain therein for the in- struction of the church ; concerning whom I no way doubt but that they were all sanctified and holy. (3.) It may be that he under- standeth not real inherent holiness, but only a separation and dedi- cation unto God by especial office; which is a thing of another na- ture. 2. The gift of prophecy is granted not to be in itself and its own nature a sanctifying grace, nor is the inspiration so whereby it is wrought ; for whereas it consists in an affecting of the mind with a transient irradiation of light in hidden things, it neither did nor could of itself produce faith, love, or holiness in the heart. Another work of the Holy Ghost was necessary hereunto. 8. There is, there- fore, no inconsistency in this matter, that God should grant an im- mediate inspiration unto some that were not really sanctified. And yet I would not grant this to have been actually done without a just limitation; for whereas some were established to be prophets unto the church in the whole course of their lives, after their first call from God, as Samuel, Elijah, Elisha, Jeremiah, and the rest of the prophets mentioned in the Scripture, in like manner I no way doubt but they were all of them really sanctified by the Holy Spirit of God. But others there were who had only some occasional dis- coveries of hidden or future things made unto them, or fell into some ecstasies or raptures, with a supernatural agitation of their minds (as it is twice said of Saul), for a short season. And I see no reason why we may not grant, — yea, from Scripture testimonies we must grant, — that many such persons may be so acted by the Holy Spirit of God. So was it with wicked Caiapha^;, who is said to " pro- phesy," John xi. 51; and a great prophecy indeed it was which his words expressed, greater than which there is none in the Scripture. But the wretch himself knew nothing of the importauce of what was uttered by him. A sudden impression of the Spirit of God caused him, against his intention, to utter a sacred truth, and that because he was high priest ; whose words were of great reputation with the people.^ And as Balaam was over-ruled to prophesy and speak good of Israel, when he really designed and desired to curse them ; so this Caiaphas, designing the destruction of Jesus Christ, brought forth those words which expressed the salvation of the world by his death. 4. For the difficulty about Balaam himself, who was a sor- cerer, and the devil's prophet, I acknowledge it is of importance. But sundry things may be offered for the removal of it. Some do contend that Balaam was a prophet of God only; that indeed he