第56章

AllwhichwaysHeusedalsointheNewTestament。TotheVirginMary，byavisionofanangel；toJoseph，inadream；againtoPaul，inthewaytoDamascusinavisionofourSaviour；andtoPeterinthevisionofasheetletdownfromheavenwithdiversesortsoffleshofcleananduncleanbeasts；andinprison，byvisionofanangel；andtoalltheApostlesandwritersoftheNewTestament，bythegracesofHisSpirit；andtotheApostlesagain，atthechoosingofMatthiasintheplaceofJudasIscariot，bylot。

Seeingthenallprophecysupposethvisionordream(whichtwo，whentheybenatural，arethesame)，orsomeespecialgiftofGodsorarelyobservedinmankindastobeadmiredwhereobserved；andseeingaswellsuchgiftsasthemostextraordinarydreamsandvisionsmayproceedfromGod，notonlybyHissupernaturalandimmediate，butalsobyhisnaturaloperation，andbymediationofsecondcauses；thereisneedofreasonandjudgementtodiscernbetweennaturalandsupernaturalgifts，andbetweennaturalandsupernaturalvisionsordreams。Andconsequentlymenhadneedtobeverycircumspect，andwary，inobeyingthevoiceofmanthat，pretendinghimselftobeaprophet，requiresustoobeyGodinthatwaywhichheinGod’snametellethustobethewaytohappiness。Forhethatpretendstoteachmenthewayofsogreatfelicitypretendstogovernthem；thatistosay，ruleandreignoverthem；whichisathingthatallmennaturallydesire，andisthereforeworthytobesuspectedofambitionandimposture；andconsequentlyoughtbeexaminedandtriedbyeverymanbeforeheyieldthemobedience，unlesshehaveyieldeditthemalreadyintheinstitutionofaCommonwealth；aswhentheprophetisthecivilsovereign，orbythecivilsovereignauthorized。Andifthisexaminationofprophetsandspiritswerenotallowedtoeveryoneofthepeople，ithadbeentonopurposetosetoutthemarksbywhicheverymanmightbeabletodistinguishbetweenthosewhomtheyought，andthosewhomtheyoughtnottofollow。Seeingthereforesuchmarksaresetouttoknowaprophetby，*andtoknowaspiritby；*(2)andseeingthereissomuchprophesyingintheOldTestament，andsomuchpreachingintheNewTestamentagainstprophets，andsomuchgreateranumberordinarilyoffalseprophetsthanoftrue；everyoneistobewareofobeyingtheirdirectionsattheirownperil。Andfirst，thatthereweremanymorefalsethantrueprophetsappearsbythis，thatwhenAhabconsultedfourhundredprophets，theywereallfalseimpostors，butonlyoneMicaiah。*(3)AndalittlebeforethetimeoftheCaptivitytheprophetsweregenerallyliars。“Theprophets，“saiththeLordbyJeremiah，“prophesyliesinmyname。Isentthemnot，neitherhaveIcommandedthem，norspakeuntothem：theyprophesytoyouafalsevision，athingofnaught，andthedeceitoftheirheart。“*(4)InsomuchasGodcommandedthepeoplebythemouthoftheprophetJeremiahnottoobeythem。“ThussaiththeLordofHosts，hearkennotuntothewordsoftheprophetsthatprophesytoyou。Theymakeyouvain：theyspeakavisionoftheirownheart，andnotoutofthemouthoftheLord。“*(5)

SeeingthentherewasinthetimeoftheOldTestamentsuchquarrelsamongstthevisionaryprophets，onecontestingwithanother，andasking，“Whendepartedthespiritfromme，togotothee？“asbetweenMicaiahandtherestofthefourhundred；andsuchgivingofthelietooneanother，asinJeremiah，14。14，andsuchcontroversiesinthenewTestamentthisdayamongstthespiritualprophets：everymanthenwas，andnowis，boundtomakeuseofhisnaturalreasontoapplytoallprophecythoseruleswhichGodhathgivenustodiscernthetruefromthefalse。Ofwhichrules，intheOldTestament，onewasconformabledoctrinetothatwhichMosesthesovereignprophethadtaughtthem；andtheother，themiraculouspowerofforetellingwhatGodwouldbringtopass，asIhavealreadyshownoutofDeuteronomy，13。1，etc。AndintheNewTestamenttherewasbutoneonlymark，andthatwasthepreachingofthisdoctrinethatJesusistheChrist，thatis，theKingoftheJews，promisedintheOldTestament。Whosoeverdeniedthatarticle，hewasafalseprophet，whatsoevermiracleshemightseemtowork；andhethattaughtitwasatrueprophet。ForSt。John，speakingexpresslyofthemeanstoexaminespirits，whethertheybeofGodornot，afterhehadtoldthemthattherewouldarisefalseprophets，saiththus，“HerebyknowyetheSpiritofGod。EveryspiritthatconfesseththatJesusChristiscomeintheflesh，isofGod“；*thatis，isapprovedandallowedasaprophetofGod：notthatheisagodlyman，oroneoftheelectforthisthatheconfesseth，professeth，orprea