The Grounds of the Christian Faith, Book 2 · Chapter 6
CHAP. VI. The tryal of Prophetical Predictions and Miracles.
The great difficulty of the trying the truth of Prophetical predictions from Jerem. 18. 7, 8, &c. Some general Hypo…heses premised for the clearing of it. The first concerns the grounds why predictions are accounted an evidence of divine revelation. Three Consectaries drawn thence. The second, the manner of Gods revelation of his will to the minds of the Prophets. Of the several degrees of prophecy. The third is, that God did not alwayes reveal the internal purposes of his will unto the true Prophets. The grand question propounded …ow it may be known when predictions express Gods decrees, and when only the series of causes. For the first, several rules laid down. 1. When the prediction is confirmed by … present miracle. 2. When the things foretold exceed the probability of second causes. 3. When confirmed by Gods oath. 4. When the blessings fore-told are purely spiritual. Three rules for interpreting the prophecyes which respect the state of things under the Gospel. 5. When all circumstances are foretold. 6. When many Prophets in several ages agree in the same predictions. Predictions do not express Gods unalterable purposes, when they only contain comminations of judgements, or are predictions of temporal blessings. The case of the Ninivites, Hezekiah and others opened. Of repentance in God, what it implyes. The Iewish objections about predictions of temporal blessings answered. In what cases miracles were expected from the Prophets, when they were to confirm the truth of their religion. Instanced in the Prophet at Bethel, Elijah, Elishah, and of Moses himself; Whose divine authority that it was proved by miracles, is demonstrated against the modern Iews, and their pretences answered.
THe next thing which the rules of tryal concerned, was Sect. 1.the predictions of the Prophets. Concerning which God himself hath laid down this general rule, Deut. 18. 22. When a Prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the Prophet hath spoken it presumptuously; thou shalt not be afraid of him. Grotius understands this place of the Prophets telling the people he would do some miracles to confirm his doctrine, but, saith he, if those miracles were not done as he said, it was an evident demonstration of a false Prophet. It is certain it was so; for then his own mouth told him he was a lying Prophet; but these words seem to referr rather to something future then present, and are therefore generally understood concerning the truth of predictions; which was a matter of very difficult tryal, in regard of the goodness or the justice of God so frequently interposing between the prediction and the event. That place which makes it so difficult to discern the truth of a prediction by the event, is Ierem. 18. 7, 8, 9, 10. At what instant I shall speak concerning a Nation, and concerning a Kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and destroy it: If that Nation against whom I have pronounced, turn from evil, I will repent of the evil I had thought to do unto them; And at what instant I shall speak concerning a Nation, and concerning a Kingdom, to build and to plant it; if it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then will I repent of the good wherewith I said I would benefit them. By which place it seems clear, that even after the predictions of Prophets, God doth reserve a liberty to himself, either to repent of the evil or the good that was foretold concerning any people; how then can the fidelity of a Prophet be discovered by the event, when God may alter the event, and yet the Prophet be a true Prophet? This being a case very intricate and obscure, will call for the more diligence in the unfolding of it: In order to which, we shall first premise some general Hypotheses, and then come to the particular resolution of it. The general Hypotheses will be concerning the way and method of Gods revealing future contingencies to the Prophets, without which it will be impossible to resolve the particular emergent cases concerning predictions.
The prediction of future events is no further an argument of Prophetick spirit, then as the fore-knowledge of those things Sect. 2. 3. Hypoth.is supposed to be out of the reach of any created understanding. And therefore God challengeth this to himself in Scripture, as a peculiar prerogative of his own, to declare the things that are to come, and thereby manifests the Idols of the Gentiles to be no Gods, because they could not shew to their worshippers the things to come, Isaiah. 44. 6, 7. From this hypothesis these two Consectaries follow.
1. That the events which are foretold, must be such as do exceed the reach of any created intellect; for otherwise it could be no evidence of a Spirit of true Prophecy; so that the foretelling of such events as depend upon a series of natural causes, or such as though they are out of the reach of humane understanding, yet are not of the Diabolical, or such things as fall out casually true, but by no certain grounds of prediction, can none of them be any argument of a Spirit of Prophecy.
2. That where there were any other evidences, that the Prophet spake by Divine Revelation, there was no reason to wait the fulfilling of every particular Prophecy before he was believed as a Prophet. If so, then many of Gods chiefest Prophets could not have been believed in their own Generations; because their Prophecies did reach so far beyond them, as Isaiahs concerning Cyrus, the Prophet at Bethel concerning Iosias; and all the Prophecies concerning the captivity and deliverance from it, must not have been believed till fulfilled, that is, not believed at all; for when Prophecies are accomplished, they are no longer the objects of faith, but of sense. Where then God gives other evidences of Divine inspiration, the credit of the Prophet is not suspended upon the minute accomplishment of every event foretold by him. Now it is evident there may be particular Divine revelation of other things besides future contingencies, so that if a reason may be given why events once foretold may not come to pass, there can be no reason why the credit of any Prophecy should be invalidated on that account; because every event is not exactly correspondent to the prediction. It is most certain that what ever comes under Divine knowledge, may be Divinely revealed; for the manifestation which is caused by any light, may extend its self to all things to which that light is extended; but that light which the Prophets saw by was a Divine light, and therefore might equally extend it self to all kind of objects; but because future contingencies are the most remote from humane knowledge, therefore the foretelling of these hath been accounted the great evidence of a true Prophet; but yet there may be a knowledge of other things in a lower degree then future contingencies which may immediately depend upon Divine revelation; and these are,
1. Such things which cannot be known by one particular man, but yet is certainly known by other men; as the present knowledge of things done by persons at a remote distance from them: thus Elisha knew what Gehezi did, when he 2 King. 5. 26.followed N…aman; and thus the knowledge of the thoughts of anothers heart depends upon immediate Divine revelation, whereas every one may certainly know the thoughts of his own heart; and therefore to some those things may be 1 Cor. 14. 25.matters of sense or evident demenstration, which to another may be a matter of immediate revelation.
2. Such things as relate not to future contingencies, but are matters of faith exceeding the reach of humane apprehension; such things as may be known when revealed, but could never have been found out without immediate revelation; such all the mysteries of our religion are, the mystery of the Trinity, Incarnation, Hypostatical union, the death of the Son of God for the pardon of the sins of mankind. Now the immediate revelation of either of these two sorts of objects speaks as much a truly Prophetical spirit as the prediction of future contingencies. So that this must not be looked on as the just and adequate rule to measure a spirit of Prophecy by; because the ground of judging a Prophetical spirit by that, is common with other things without that, seeing other objects are out of the reach of humane understanding as well as future events, and therefore the discovery of them must immediately flow from Divine revelation.
3. The revelation of future events to the understanding of a Prophet, is never the less immediate, although the event may not be correspondent to the prediction. So that if it be manifest that God immediately reveal such future contingencies to a Prophet, he would be nevertheless a true Prophet whether those predictions took effect or no. For a true Prophet is known by the truth of Divine revelation to the person of the Prophet, and not by the success of the thing, which as is laid down in the hypothesis, is no further an evidence of a true Prophet then as it is an argument a posteriori to prove Divine revelation by. If then the alteration of events after predictions be reconcileable with the truth and faithfulness of God, there is no question but it is with the truth of a Prophetical spirit, the formality of which lies in immediate revelation.
The Prophets could not declare any thing more to the people Sect. 3. Hyp. 2.then was immediately revealed unto themselves; What was presently revealed, so much they knew and no more, because the spirit of Prophecy came upon them per modum impressionis transeuntis, as the Schools speak, and not per modum habitus; the lumen propheticum was in them not as lumen in corpore lucido, but as lumen in aëre, and therefore the light of revelation in their spirits depended upon the immediate irradiations of the Divine Spirit. The Prophets had not alwayes a power to Prophecy when they would themselves; and thence it is said when they Prophesied that the Word of the Lord came unto them. And therefore the Schools determine that a Prophet upon an immediate revelation did not know omnia prophetabilia (as they speak in their barbarous language) all things which God might reveal; the reason whereof Aquinas thus gives; the ground saith he, of the connexion of diverse objects together is some common tie or principle which 2. 2. 9. 171. A…t. 2.—4.joynes them together; as charity or prudence is in moral vertues, and the right understanding of the principles of a science, is the ground why all things belonging to that science are understood; but now in Divine revelation, that which connects the objects of Divine revelation is God himself; now because he cannot be fully apprehended by any humane intellect, therefore the understanding of a Prophet cannot comprehend all matters capable of being revealed, but only such as it pleaseth God himself freely to communicate to the Prophets understanding by immediate revelation. This is further evident by all those different degrees of illumination and Prophecy which the Iews and other writers speak so much of, viz. of dreams and visions, the inspirations of the Holy Spirit, the gradus Mosaicus, the external voyce, &c. Now in every one of these degrees the Prophet could go no further then his present revelation extended; and therefore Aquinas determines that the understandings of the Prophets were instrumenta deficientia respectu principalis agentis, i. e. that in prophetical 2. 2. 9 173. art. 3.illumination the mind of the Prophet was so moved by the Spirit of God, as an instrument in the hand of an Artificer, which bears no proportion with the skill of the workman: And therefore the mind of a Prophet is moved, sometimes only to apprehend the thing represented (which they call instinctus divinus, of which they say a Prophet may have no certainty whether it comes from God or no) sometimes it is moved so far as to know certainly that this revelation is from God (this they call lumen Propheticum) sometimes a Prophet may be moved to speak those things which he fully understands; so it was with most of the true Psophets; but sometimes men may be moved to speak that which they understand not, as is plain in Caiaphas, and probable in Balaam. Sometimes a thing was represented to the fancy of one without any possibility of understanding the meaning of those imaginary species, as in Pharaohs and Nebnchadnezzars dreams; and to another may be given the true judgement of those motions of fancy without the representation of the things to them, as in Ioseph and Daniel. Now in these and many other different impressions of this prophetical spirit, the Prophets to whom the things were revealed, could go no further then the degree of the revelation made to them did extend.
God did not always reveal to the Prophets the internal counsels and decrees of his own will, but often only the method and Sect. 4. 3 Hyp. …series of his providence in the administration of things in the world. Which is the ground of that three-fold distinction of Prophecy in the Schools into prophetia praedestinationis, prophetia praescientiae, and prophetia comminationis; which is taken from the ordinary gloss upon Matth. 1. where they are thus explained; the Prophecie of Predestination is when the event depends wholly upon Gods will without any respect to ours, as the Prophecie of the Incarnation of Christ; the Prophecie of Praescience is of such things as depend upon the liberty of mans will; and the Prophecie of Commination only denotes Gods denunciations of heavy judgements against a people. But Aquinas doth better reduce the two former to one, and so the ground of the difference is to be fetched from the different ways whereby God knows things in the world; which is either as they are in their causes, and so they note the order and series of things in the world, with the mutual respects and dependencies they have one upon another, and this refers to Gods administration of things in the world; or else God looks upon them as they are in themselves, or according to his own positive determinations of them; and now in this sense they are unalterable; but in the other they are not; but God may alter those respects of things when he pleaseth. Now though this different manner of knowledge can never be conceived separate from one another in the Divine understanding, yet in the revelation made to the mind of a Prophet, they may be disjoyned from each other, because God doth not always reveal things in the highest degree to the Prophets; for no free agent doth always act as far as he can. And therefore prophetical revelation is sometimes a representation of Gods internal decrees, and then they always take effect, and sometimes only the order of causes and effects, and they may admit of an alteration, and the prophecie nevertheless be true, because then it referred only to the series of causes in the world according to which the events would follow if God himself did not interpose. These things being thus premised, we come to particular resolutions, which must arise from the evidences that may be given when prophetical predictions did express Gods internal purpose and decree, and when only the order of causes in the world; for in these latter it is apparent that events might not answer predictions, and yet the Prophet be a true Prophet: which is a matter of greater difficulty, viz. to find out the exact differences of these two, till the event hath made it apparent which came from Gods unalterable purpose, and which not. But though it be a subject little spoken to either by Iewish or Christian Writers, yet we are in hopes there may be some such clear notes of distinction discovered between them, even à priori, which may sufficiently clear Gods faithfulnes, and the Prophets truth, though the event be not always correspondent to the words of a prediction.
I begin then with the evidences that may be given when Sect. 5.predictions do flow from internal purpose and decree.
Every prediction confirmed by a present miracle, doth not express meerly the order of causes, but the determinations of 1.Gods will, because there can be no sufficient reason given why the order of causes in nature should be altered to express the dependences of things on each other; for herein a miracle would rather ten d to weaken then strengthen faith, because the end of the miracle would be to confirm their faith as to events following upon their causes; but now the medium used for that end seems to prove the contrary, viz. that God can alter the series of causes when he pleases himself by working miracles, and therein going contrary to the course of nature; and therefore a miracle seems to be a very incongruous argument in this, because its self is an evidence that may be, which it comes to prove shall not be. But when Prophets come to declare the internal purposes of the will of God concerning future contingencies, no argument can be more suitable to demonstrate the truth of what is spoken then the working of a present miracle; for this demonstrates to the senses of men, that however unlikely the event may be to them which is foretold, yet with God all things are possible, and that it is very unlikely God would send such a messenger to declare a falshood, whom he entrusted so great a power with as that of working miracles. Thus it was in that remarkable prophecie concerning Iosias by the man of God at Bethel, 260 years before his birth, which though it were to come to pass so long after, God confirmed it by a sign, which 1 Kings 13. 3.was the renting of the altar, and the pouring out of the ashes upon it, and the withering of Jeroboams hand. We cannot therefore in reason think that God would set so clear a seal, to any deed which he did intend himself to cancel afterward.
Praedictions express Gods inward purpose when the things foretold do exceed all probabilities of second causes; in which 2.case, those words of Tertullian seem very harsh, credo quia impossibile; yet taking that impossibility as relating to second causes, and the ground of faith to be some divine prediction, we see what reason there may be for them: For the more unlikely the thing is to be effected by second causes, the greater evidence is it that the Prophets in foretelling it did not respect the meer order of things in the world, but the unalterable counsels of the will of God, which therefore would certainly have their timely accomplishments. When therefore any Prophets did foretell things above the reach of natural causes, and those things did not come to pass, it was a certain evidence of a false Prophet, as the contrary was of a true one; for none could know so long before-hand such things as were above all humane power, but such to whom God himself, who alone was able to effect them, did reveal and communicate the knowledge of them. And hence we see in Scripture those predictions which have seemed to carry the greatest improbabilities with them, have had the most punctual accomplishments, as the Israelites returning out of Aegypt at the end of the 430 years; their deliverance by Gal. 3. 17.Cyrus after the captivity in Babylon, which seemed so improbable a thing, that when God speaks of it, he ushers it in Isa. 44. 25, 26, 28.with this preface, that he frustrateth the tokens of the lyars, and maketh the diviners mad, but confirmeth the word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers, that saith to Ierusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited, &c. The more unlikely then the thing was to come to pass, the greater evidence there was in so clear a prophecie of it so long before (above 100 years) and so exact a fulfilling of it afterwards precisely at the expiring of the L X X years from the first Captivity.
Predictions concerning future events, which are confirmed by an oath from God himself, do express the immutable determinations Sect. 6. 3.of Gods will. For which we have the greatest assurance we can desire from that remarkable expression of the Apostle to the Hebrews, Heb. 6. 17, 18. Wherein God willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lye, we might have a strong consolation, &c. Wherein the Apostle obviates and removes all doubts and misprisions, lest God after the declaring of his will, should alter the event foretold in it, and that he doth, both by shewing that God had made an absolute promise, and withall to prevent all doubts, lest some tacite condition might hinder performance, he tels us that God had annexed his oath to it, which two things were the most undoubted evidences of the immutability of Gods counsel. The word foreign here used, doth in Scripture often note the frustrating of mens hopes and expectations; so it is used Habak. 3. 17. foreign, we render it the labour of the Olive shall fail. So Osea 9. 2. foreign, and the new wine shall fail in her. Thus the meaning here is, that by two immutable things in which it is impossible that God should frustrate the expectations of men, or alter the events of things after he had declared them. For Gods oath is an evident demonstration of the immutability of his will in all predictions to which this is annexed, and doth fully exclude that which the Scripture calls repenting in God, that is, doing otherwise then the words did seem to express, because of some tacite conditions understood in them. So we find Psal. 89. 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36. If they break my statutes, and keep not my commandements, then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes; nevertheless my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail; my Covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. Once have I sworn by my holiness, that I will not lye unto David. His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the Sun before me. Wherein we see what way God takes to assure us of the immutability of his Covenant with his people, by the oath which he adjoyns to his promises; whereby God doth most fully express the unalterable determinations of his own will, in that he swears by his own holiness that he would not lye unto David, i. e. that he would faithfully perform what he had promised to him. And therefore Tertullian well saith, Beati sumus quorum causa Deus jurat, sed miseri & detestabiles si ne juranti quidem credimus. It is happy for us unbelieving creatures, that God stoops so low as to confirm his Covenant with an oath; but it will be sad and miserable for such as dare not venture their faith upon it, when God hath annexed his oath unto it. It is thought by expositors, that there is a peculiar emphasis in those words foreign Once have I sworn, thereby noteing the irrevocable nature of Gods oath, that there is no need of repetition of it as among men, because when once God swears by himself, it is the highest demonstration that no conditions whatever shall alter his declared purpose. And therefore the Council of Toledo well explains the different nature of Gods Oath and his repentance in Scriptures; Conc. Tol…t. 8. c. 3.Iurare namque Dei est à se ordinata nullatenus convellere; poenitere vero eadem ordinata cum voluerit immutare; God is said to swear when he binds himself absolutely to performance; and to repent, when things fall out contrary to the declaration of Gods will concerning them; for so it must be understood to be only mutatio sententiae, and not consilii, that the alteration may be only in the things, and not in the eternal purpose of God. But since it is evident in Scripture, that many predictions do imply some tacite conditions, and many declarations of Gods will do not express his internal purposes, it seemed necessary in those things which God did declare to be the irrevocable purposes of his will, there should be some peculiar mark and character set upon them for the confirmation of his peoples faith; and this we find to be the annexing an oath to his promises. Thus it is in that grand Instrument of Peace between God and his people, the Covenant of Grace, wherein God was pleased so far to strengthen the faith of his people in it, that he ratifies the articles of peace therein contained, but especially the Act of Grace on his own part with an oath, thereby to assure them it was never his purpose to repeal it, nor to fail of performance in it. For we are not to think that an Oath layes any greater obligation upon God for performance, then the meer declaration of his will; it being a part of immutable justice, and consequently necessarily implyed in the Divine nature to perform promises when once made; but Gods Oath respects us and not himself, viz. that it might be a testimony unto us that Gods will thereby declared, is his eternal and unchangeable will, and so the mercies thereby promised are sure mercies; such as are foreign without any repentance on Gods part.Isa. 55. 3,
Predictions made by the Prophets concerning blessings meerly spiritual, do express Gods internal purpose, and therefore must Sect. 7. 4.have their certain accomplishment in the time prefixed by the Prophets. The grand reason of this Proposition, is, that the be stowing of blessings meerly spiritual, doth immediately flow from the grace and favour of God, and depend not upon conditions on our part, as procuring causes of them; and therefore there can be no account given why God should suspend the performance of such promises, which would not more strongly have held why he should not have made any such promises at all. And therefore when we see that notwithstanding the highest demerits, God made such free promises, we can have no reason to think that any other demerits interposing between the promises and performance, should hinder the accomplishment of them; unless it be inserted in the promises themselves, which is contrary to the nature of free promises: Upon this ground all the promises relating to the Gospel state, and to the Covenant of grace therein contained, must have their due accomplishment in the time and manner prefixed by the Prophets; and therefore the Iews are miserably blind when they suppose the reason why the promise of the Messias is yet deferred after so long expectation of him, is, the sins of their people; for this seems to suppose that Gods promise of the Messias did depend upon their own righteousness and worthiness above all other people, which if it doth, they are like to be the most miserable and desperate people the world hath; and besides, if Gods intuition of sin makes him deferr the coming of the Messias, his foresight of sin would have hindred him from ever promising a Messias to come; but this was so far from being a hinderance of Gods promise, that the main end of the coming of the Messias was to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to make an end of sin, and to bring in everlasting righteousness. And we see whereever Dan. 9. 24.the Prophets insist on the Covenant of grace, the great promise contained in it is the blotting out of transgressions, and remembring sins no more, and that meerly on the account of Gods free love and for his own names sake: This can be no reason then why predictions concerning spiritual blessings should not have their exact accomplishment, because there can be no bar against free Love, and the bestowing of such mercies which do suppose the greatest unworthiness of them, as Gospel blessings do.
The great difficulty lyes in explaining the Prophetical phrases concerning the Gospel state, which seem to intimate a Sect. 8.greater advancement and flourishing of peace and holiness therein, then hath as yet been seen in the Christian world; which gives the Iews the greater occasion to imagine that the state so much spoken of by the Prophets, is not yet established in the world. But all the difficulty herein ariseth from the want of consideration of the Idiotisms of the Prophetical language, especially where it respects the state of things under the Gospel, concerning which, we may observe these following rules.
The Prophets under the old Testament, when they speak of things to come to pass in the New, do set them forth by the representation 1.of such things as were then in use among themselves; thus the spiritual worship of the Gospel is prophecyed of, under the notion of the legal worship among the Iews; the conversion of Aegypt to the Gospel, is foretold Isaiah 19. 19, 21. by the setting up of an Altar, and offering sacrifice to the Lord; and the Conversion of the Gentiles in general, by the offering up of incense, Malach. 1. 11. and the service of God under the Gospel, is set forth by going up to Jerusalem, and keeping the feast of Tabernacles there, Zach. 14. 16. and the plentiful effusion of the spirit of God in the miraculous gifts which attended the preaching of the Gospel, is set forth by the Prophet, Ioel 2. 28 by prophecying, and dreaming dreams, and seeing visions; not that these things should really be under Gospel times; but that the Prophets meaning might be the better understood by those he spake unto, he sets forth the great measure of gifts and Gospel light under those things which were accounted as the highest attainments among themselves. So the great measure and degree of holiness which was to be under Gospel times, is set forth by the Prophet Zachary, Zach. 14. 20. by the placing of the motto which was among the Iews only upon the High Priests fore-head, that this should be so common under the Gospel, that even the bells of the horses should bear it, i. e. those things which seem most remote from a spiritual use, should be devoted to it, as the bells were, which were commonly hanged upon their war-horses in those mountainous Countries; and in the latter part of that verse, the height and progress of Gospel holiness is described under that phrase, that the pots in the Lorás house should be as bowls before the Altar, i. e. should be advanced from a lower and more ignoble service, to a higher and more spiritual degree of holiness. Now the Iews when they observe these and many other Prophetical passages relating to the time of the Messias to run in the old strain of the Law, they presently conclude that the Messias must not innovate any thing concerning their way of worship, but only be some great Prince to give them temporal deliverances, and so expound all these texts in a litteral sense, which were only expressed in such a strain, the better to help the capacities of those they spake them to.
Things absolutely foretold to come to pass in Gospel times in 2.a general manner, are to be understood comparatively in reference to what was before. For when the measure of either grace or knowledge was so far above what was then among the Iews, that there was scarce any proportion between them, the Prophets made use of such expressions to set it forth by, which might raise up the dull apprehension of the Iews to conceive the just measure and fullness of it. Thus when the Prophets fore-tell the grand increase of spiritual knowledge in Gospel times, they do it in this phrase, th…y shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord; for all shall know me from the least to the greatest, Ierem. 31. 33, Where it was far from the Prophets meaning to exclude all use of teaching under the Gospel, (which is contrary to the end of all the Ordinances of the Gospel) but because teaching doth commonly suppose great Ignorance, he sets forth the abundance of knowledge which should be then, by the exclusion of that which doth imply it. So when it is said that they shall all be taught of God, the meaning is not, that every one that lives in the Gospel state, should be thus effectually taught by the Spirit of God; but that the number of such under the Gospel, should so far exceed those under the Law, that they could hardly apprehend the disproportion between them, unless it had been set forth in so large an expression. Which leads me to the next rule.
Things fore-told as universally or indefinitely to come to 3.pass under the Gospel, are to be understood as to the duty of all, but as to the event only of Gods chosen people. Thus when there is so great peace prophecyed to be in Gospel times, that then men should beat their swords into plow-shears, and spears Isa. 2. 4.into pruning-hooks; that the Woolf should lie down with the Lamb, and Leopard with the Kid; that Nation should not lift 11. 6, 7.up sword against Nation, nor learn war any more; with many others to the same purpose; all these speeches are to be understood of what the nature and design of the Gospel tends to, and what is the duty of all that profess it, and what would effectually be in the Christian world, did all that profess the Christian doctrine, heartily obey the dictates of it; and so far as the Gospel doth prevail upon any, it so far cicurates their wild and unruly natures, that of furious Wolves they become innocent Lambs, and of raging Lyons, tender Kids; so far from hurting and injuring others, that they dare not entertain any thoughts of ill will or revenge towards their greatest enemies. And thus we may see, that notwithstanding the seeming repugnancies of the prophecyes of the Old Testament concerning the state of the New, with the events which have been observed in it, yet that all those predictions which concerned the bestowing of the spiritual blessings which concerned the Gospel state, have had their punctual accomplishment in the sense they were intended.
Predictions concerning future events where not only the thing its self is foretold but the several circumstances of persons, Sect. 9. 5.time, and place enumerated, are to have their due accomplishment, and consequently express Gods inward purposes. For those promises or comminations which are capable of alteration by some tacite conditions implyed in them, do most commonly run in general terms; or else are spoken by way of immediate address to the persons concerned in order to the stirring them up the more to the duty God aims at by those comminations; as when Ionas limited the Ninivites d… struction to forty dayes. But when Prophecies are recorded, not by way of commination but meer prediction, and particular circumstances set down, it stands to reason that such Prophecies must have their certain accomplishment; and that first, because God by setting down the circumstances would give them greater evidences that the predictions came from himself; as when the Prophet at Bethel not only foretold the destruction of the Altar there, but particularly named the man that should do it, viz. Iosias. So when God by Isaiah called Cyrus by name, it was doubtless a great confirmation to them, that the deliv…rance of the Iews should be by that person. Secondly, because these circumstances are intended for Landmarks to know the certainty of the accomplishment of the Prophecy. For when they finde the circumstances fall out exactly according to prediction, they have no ground to question the accomplishment of the substance of the Prophecy. And hence it was that in the grand Prophecy of the coming of the Messias all particular circumstances were so long before foretold. The first dawning of his day being to Adam after his fall, when the nature he should be born of was foretold, viz. not Angelical but humane, of the seed of the woman. To Abraham it was further revealed of what Nation of mankind, viz. from his posterity; to Iacob at what time, when the Scepter should be departed from Judah; and from what tribe, viz. Iudah; to David of what Family in that tribe, viz. his own; to Isaiah of what Person in that Family, a Virgin; to Micah in what place, viz. Bethlehem; and to Daniel, at what precise time, toward the expiring of his seventy weeks; which according to to the most probable computation of them did comm…nce from the seventh year of Artaxerxes Longimanus, and so the 490. years expired near upon our Saviours passion. Now certainly the particular enumeration of all these circumstances spoken of so long before, and falling out so exactly, they could not but give the greatest conviction and evidence, that our blessed Saviour was that person so much spoken of by the Prophets, in whom all these several lines did meet as in their center.
Lastly, Predictions then express divine purposes when many 6.Proph…ts in several ages concur in the same predictions; because it is hardly seen but all those tacite conditions which are supposed in general promises or comminations may be altered in different ages; but when the conditions alter and the predictions continue …he same, it is a stronger evidence it is some immutable counsel of God which is expressed in those predictions. And in this case one prediction confirms the foregoing, as the Iews say of Prophets; One Prophet that hath the testimony of another Prophet, is supposed to be true; but it must be with this supposition, that the other Prophet was before approved to be a true Prophet. Now both these meet in the Prophecyes concerning our Saviour; for to him bear all the Prophets witness; and in their several ages they had several things revealed to them concerning him; and the uniformity and perfect harmony of all these several Prophecyes by persons at so great distance from each other, and being of several interests and imployments, and in several places, yet all giving light to each other, and exactly meeting at last in the accomplishment, do give us yet a further and clearer evidence that all those several beams came from the same Sun, when all those scattered rayes were at last gath…red into one body again at the appearance of the Sun of righteousness in the world.
Thus have we now cleared when predictions are expressive Sect. 10.of Gods internal purposes, by observation of which rules we may easily resolve the other part of the disficulty when they only express the series and dependencies of things which would have their issue and accomplishment if God by his immediate hand of providence did not cut off the entail of effects upon their natural causes. Now as to these Prophecyes which concern things considered in themselves, and not precisely as they are in the counsel of God, we are to observe these rules.
1. Comminations of judgements to come do not in themselves speak the absolute futurity of the event, but do only declare what the persons to whom they are made are to expect, and what shall certainly come to pass, unless God by his mercy interpose between the threatning and the event. So that comminations do speak only the debitum poenae and the necessary obligation to punishment; but therein God doth not bind up himself as he doth in absolute promises; the reason is because comminations confer no right to any, which absolute promises do; and therefore God is not bound to necessary performance of what he threatens. Indeed the guilt, or obligation to punishment is necessary, where the offence h… been committed to which the threatning was annexed; but the execution of that punishment doth still depend upon Gods arbitrarious will, and therefore he may suspend or remove it upon serious addresses made to himself in order to it. For since God was pleased not to take the present forfeiture of the first grand transgression, but made such a relaxation of that penall Law, that conditions of pardon were admittable, notwithstanding sentence passed upon the malefactors, there is a strong ground of presumption in humane nature that Gods forbearance of mankind notwithstanding sin, doth suppose his readiness to pardon offenders upon their repentance, and therefore that all particular threatnings of judgements to come do suppose incorrigibleness in those they are pronounced against: Upon which the foundation of hope is built, that if timely repentance do intervene, God will remove those judgements which are threatned against them.
And this was certainly the case of the Ninivites upon Ionas his preaching among them. For when the threatning Sect. 11.was so peremptory, Yet forty dayes and Ninive shall be destroyed, all the hope they could have of pardon must be from Jonah 3. 4.the general perswasions of mens souls of Gods readiness to remove judgements upon repentance. For otherwise there had been no place for any thing but despair, and not the least encouragement to supplicate the mercy of God, which we see they did in a most solemn manner after they were convinced these comminations came from God himself by the mouth of his Prophet. Some think that Ionas together with the threatning of judgement did intermix exhortations to repentance; but we can finde no probability at all for that on these two accounts; first, Ionas then would not have been so unwilling to have undertaken this message; for as far as we can see, the harshness of it was the main reason he sought to have avoided it by flying to Tarshish. Secondly, Ionas would have had no pretence at all for his anger and displeasure at Gods pardoning Ninive; which is most probably conceived to have been, because the Ninivites might now suspect him to be no true Prophet, because the event answered not his prediction. Now there had been no reason at all for this, if he had mixed promises together with his threatnings; for then nothing would have falln out contrary to his own predictions. And therefore it seems evident that the message Ionas was sent with, was only the commination of their speedy ruine, which God did on purpose to awaken them the sooner and with the greater earnestness to repentance, when the judgement was denounced in so peremptory a manner; although it seems Ionas had before such apprehensions of the merciful nature of God and his readiness to pardon, that he might suppose Gods intention by this Ionah 4. 2.severe denunciation of judgement, might be only to take occasion upon their repentance to shew his goodness and bounty to them. But this was no part of his instructions, which he durst not go beyond in his Preaching, what ever his private opinion might be: for the Prophets were to utter no more in their Preaching or particular messages then was in their commission, and were not to mix their own words with the Word of the Lord.
And by this we may further understand the denunciation of death to Hezekiah by the Prophet Isaiah, Set thy house in Sect. 12. Isa. 38. 1.order, for thou shalt dye and not live. I question not but the Prophet revealed to Hezekiah as much as God had revealed to him (for to say as Molinaeus doth, that the Prophet spake Vates l. 1. c. 6.these words of his own head before he fully understood Gods mind, is very harsh and incongruous) but God might at first discover to Isaiah not his internal purpose, but what the nature of the disease would bring him to (unless his own immediate hand of providence interposed) which message he would have Isaiah carry to Hezekiah for the tryal of his faith, and exciting him to the more lively acts of grace, and for a further demonstration of Gods goodness to him in prolonging his life beyond humane probability and the course of second causes. Now what repugnancy is there to the truth and faithfulness of God, that God should conceal from his Prophets in their messages the internal purposes of his will, and in order to the doing good to men should only reveal what would certainly have come to pass unless himself had otherwise determind it. And thus the repentance which is attributed to God in reference to these denunciations of judgements, is far from importing any real mutation in the internal purposes of God (a rock some have split themselves upon) but it only signifies the outward changing of the Scene towards men, and acting otherwise then the words of the Prophets did seem to import; and all the alteration is in the outward discovery of his will, which is certainly far from being any collusion in God: Unless we must suppose God so bound up that he hath no liberty of using his own methods for bringing men to repentance, or for tryal of his peoples graces, but must in every instance of his Word declare nothing but his own internal purposes, which is contrary to the general method of Gods dealing with the world, which is to govern men by his own Laws, and thereby to awaken them to duty, and deterre from sin by his annexed threatnings, without revealing any thing of his internal purposes concerning the state and condition of any particular persons at all: which threatnings of his though pronounced with the greatest severity, do not speak Gods inward resolutions as to any particular person, but what all must expect if they continue impenitent and incorrigible. For the only condition implyed in these threatnings being repentance, it necessarily follows that where that is wanting, these hypothetical comminations are absolute predictions of what shall certainly come to pass on all those who are destitute of the condition supposed in them.
So that where any comminations are pronounced by any in a prophetical way concerning any person or people, and no Sect. 13.alteration happen at all in them, but they continue impenitent and incorrigible, there the not coming of them to pass may be a token of a false Prophet. For in this case the only tacite condition implyed in these threatening Prophecies is supposed to be wanting, and so the comminations must be understood as absolute predictions: Now in those comminations in Scripture, which are absolutely expressed, but conditionally understood, we find something interposing, which we may rationally suppose was the very condition understood. As Abimelechs restoring of Sarah was the ground why the sentence of death after it was denounced, was not executed upon him: So Ahabs humiliation, Hezekiah his earnest prayer, the Ninivites Gen. 20. 7. 1 Kings 21. 19.repentance, all interposed between sentence and execution, whereby we may be fully satisfied of the reason why these denunciations did not take effect: But where the persons continue the same after threatnings that they were before, there is no reason why the sentence should be suspended, unless we should suppose it to be a meer effect of the patience and long-suffering of God, leading men to repentance and amendment of life: Which is the ground the Iews give, why the not fulfilling of denunciations of judgement was never accounted sufficient to prove a man a false Prophet; to which purpose these words of Maimonides are observable in his Iesude Th…rah, where he treats particularly on the subject of prophecies. If a Prophet foretel sad things, as the death of any De sund. legis cap. 10. s. 6.one, or famine, or War, or the like, if these things come not to pass, he shall not be accounted a false Prophet; neither let them say, hehold he hath foretold, and it comes not to pass; for eurblessed God is slow to anger, and rich in mercy. and repenteth of the evil; and it may be that they repent, and God may spare them, as he did the Ninivites, or defer the punishment, as he did Hezekiah's. Thus we see that Prophetical comminations do not express Gods internal purposes, and therefore the event may not come to pass, and yet the Prophet be a true Prophet.
2. Predictions concerning temporal blessings, do not always Sect. 14.absolutely speak the certainty of the event, but what God is ready to do if they to whom they are made continue faithful to him: For which we have sufficient ground from that place of Ieremiah, 18. 9, 10. At what instant I shall speak concerning a Kingdom, to build and to plant it; if it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then will I repent of the good wherewith I said I would benefit them. So Isaiah 1. 19, 20. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the Land; but if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. Whereby we see it evident, that all promises of temporal blessings are not to be taken absolutely, but with the condition of obedience. But this the Iews can by no means digest, whose rule is, that all prophecies of good things to come must necessarily come to pass, or he was no true Prophet who spake them: For saith Maimon. Whatever good thing God hath promised, although Ibid…. 7, 8.it be promised under a condition, he never revokes it; and we never find that God repented him of any good thing promised, but in the destruction of the first Temple, when God had promised to the right…ous they should not die with the wicked; but it repented him of his words. But it is very plain to any one that considers the Iewish Interpretations of Scripture, that in them they have always an eye to themselves, and will be sure not to understand those Scriptures which seem to thwart their own interest, as is most apparent in the present case; for the grand reason why the Iews insist so much on the punctual accomplishment of all promises of good to be the sign of a true Prophet, is to uphold their own interest in those temporal blessings which are prophecyed of concerning them in the old Testament; although one would think the want of correspondency in the event in reference to themselves, might make them a little more tender of the honour of those Prophecies which they acknowledge to be divine; and have appeared to be so in nothing more then the full accompllshmen… of all those threatnings which are denounced against them for their disobedience, even by the mouth of Moses himself, Deut. 28. from the 15. to the end. Can any thing be more plain and evident, then that the enjoyment of all the priviledges conferred upon them, did depend upon the condition of their continuing faithful to Gods Covenant? The only place of Scripture produced by them with any plausibility, is that, Ierem. 28. 9. The Prophet which prophecieth of peace, when the word of the Prophet shall come to pass, then shall the Prophet be known that the Lord hath truly sent him. For reconciling of which place with those already mentioned, we are to understand that here was a particular contest between two Prophets, Hananiah and Ieremiah; Ieremiah he foretold evil to come, though unwillingly, v 6. Hananiah he prophecied peace. Now Ieremiah, according to Gods peculiar directions and inspiration, appeals to the event to determine whose Prophecie was the truest: Now saith Jeremiah, if the Prophecy of Hananiah concerning peace be fulfilled, then he is the true Prophet and I the false. And in this case when two Prophets Prophecy contrary things, it stands to reason that God will not reveal any thing by the mouth of his own Prophet which shall not infallibly come to pass, that thereby the truth of his own Prophet may be fully manifested. Besides Ieremiah refers not meerly to the event foretold, but gives a sudden specimon of his own truth in another Prophecy concerning the death of Hananiah, which was punctually accomplished the same year, ver. 17. And which is most considerable to our purpose, both these Prophets considered the same people under the same circumstances, and with the same conditions; and so Ieremiah because of their incorrigibleness foretells desolation certainly to come; notwithstanding this, Hananiah foretells peace and safety, which was contrary directly to Gods method of proceeding, and so the falsity of his Prophecy would infallibly be discovered by the event. So that notwithstanding this instance it appears evident that predictions of temporal blessings do suppose conditions, and so have not alwayes the event fulfilled, when the people do not perform their condition of obedience. And thus we have now laid down the rules whereby the truth of Prophecyes was to be judged; by which it appears what little need the constant Prophets had to appeal to miracles to manifest the certainty of Divine revelation in them. So we have finished our first proposition concerning the manner of trying Divine revelation in the Prophets God sent among his people.
We now come to the second general proposition concerning Sect. 15. 2. Prop.the Prophets. Those Prophets whom God did imploy upon some extraordinary message for confirming the truth of the religion established by him, had a power of miracles conferd upon them in order to that end. So that we must distinguish the ordinary imployment of Prophets which was either instruction or prediction of future events among Gods own people, from their peculiar messages when they were sent to give evidence to the truth of that way of religion which was then setled by Gods own appointment. Now the Prophets generally did suppose the truth of their religion as owned by those they were sent to, and therefore it had been very needless imploying a power of miracles among them to convince them of that which they believed already. For we never read among all the revolts of the people of the Iews that they were lapsed so far as totally to reject the Law of Moses, (which had been to alter the constitution of their Commonwealth) although they did enormously offend against the Precepts of it, and that in those things wherein the honour of God was mainly concernd, as is most plain in their frequent and gross Idolatry: Which we are not so to understand as though they wholly cast off the worship of the true God, but they superinduced (as the Samaritans did) the worship of Heathen Idols with that of the God of Israel. But when the revolt grew so great and dangerous that it was ready to swallow up the true worship of God, unless some apparent evidence were given of the falsity of those Heathen mixtures, and further confirmation of the truth of the established religion, it pleased God sometimes to send his Prophets on this peculiar message to the main instruments of this revolt: As is most conspicuous in that dangerous design of Ieroboam, when he out of a Politick end set up his two calves in opposition to the Temple at Ierusalem; and therein it was the more dangerous in that in all probability he designed not the alteration of the worship it self, but the establishment of it in Dan and Bethel. For his interest lay not in drawing of the people from the worship of God, but from his worship at Ierusalem, which was contrary to his 1 King. 12. 27.design of Cantonizing the Kingdom, and taking the greatest share to himself. Now that God might confirm his peoples faith in this dangerous juncture of time he sends a Prophet to Bethel, who by the working of present miracles there, viz. the renting the Altar and withering of Jeroboams hand, did manifest to them that these Altars were displeasing to God, 1 Kin. 13. 2.and that the true place of worship was at Ierusalem. So in that famous fire-Ordeal for trying the truth of religion between 1 King 18. 38.God and Baal upon mount Carmel by Elijah, God was pleased in a miraculous way to give the most pr…gnant testimony to the truth of his own worship, by causing a fire to come down from heaven and consume the sacrifice, by which the Priests of Baal were confounded and the people confirmed in the belief of the only true God; for presently upon the sight of this miracle the people fall on their faces and say the Lord he is God, the Lord he is God. Whereby we plainly 1 King. 18. 39.see what clear evidence is given to the truth of that religion which is attested with a power of miracles. Thus the widdow of Sarepta which was in the Country of Zidon, was brought to believe Elijah to be a true Prophet by his raising up her son to life. And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the Word of the Lord by 1 King. 17. 24.thy mouth is truth. So we see how Naaman was convinced of the true God by his miraculous cure in Iordan by the appointment of Elisha, Behold now I know that there is no God in 2 Kings 5. 15.all the earth but in Israel; by which instances it is demonstrable that either the faith of all these persons was built upon weak and insufficient grounds, or that a power of miracles is an evident confirmation of the truth of that religion which is established by them. For this we see was the great end for which God did improve any of his Prophets to work miracles, viz. to be as an evident demonstration of the truth of what was revealed by him. So that this power of miracles is not meerly a motive of credibility, or a probable inducement to remove prejudice from the person, as many of our Divines speak, but it doth contain an evident demonstration to common sense of the truth of that religion which is confirmed by them.
And thus we assert it to have been in the case of Moses, the truth of whose message was attested both among the Sect. 16.Aegyptians and the Israelites by that power of miracles which he had. But herein we have the great Patrons of Moses our greatest enemies, viz the present Iews; who by reason of their emnity to the doctrine of Christ which was attested by unparalleld miracles, are grown very shy of the argument drawn from thence: In so much that their great Dr. Maimonides layes down this for a confident maxime De sund. leg…s c. 8. s. 1.foreign The Israelites did not believe in Moses our Master for the sake of the miracles which he wrought. Did they not? the more shame for them: and if they did, the more shame for this great Rabbi thus to bely them. But the reason he gives for it is, because there may remain some suspition in ones mind, that all miracles may be wrought by a power of Magick or Incantation: Say you so? what when Moses confounded all the Magicians in Aegypt, and made themselves who were the most cunning in these things confess it was the finger of God, and at last give out as not able to stand before Moses? might one still suspect all this to be done by a Magical power? Credat Iudaeus Apella, non ego. This is much like what another of their Doctors sayes, whom they call the Divine Philosopher, that Elisha his raising the child Albo. l. 1. cap. 18.to life, and curing Naamans leprosie; and Daniels escaping the Lions, and Ionas out of the Whales belly, might all come to pass by the influence of the stars, or by Pythonisme. Very probable! but it is most true which Vortius there observes of the Iews, nibil non nugacissimi mortalium fingunt ne cogantur agnoscere virtute ac digito quasi ipsius Dei Iesum nostrum effecisse miracula sua. All their design in this, is only to elevate the miracles of our blessed Saviour, and to derogate all they can from the belief of them. Hence they tell us that nothing is so easie to be done as miracles; the meer recital of the tetragrammaton will work wonders, & that by this Ieremiah and our Saviour did all their miracles: It is well yet that he did more then one of their own Prophets had done before him; but where I wonder do we read that ever the pronouncing of four letters raised one from the dead who had lain four dayes in the grave? or by what power did Christ raise himself from the dead, (which was the greatest miracle of all) could his dead body pronounce the tetragrammaton to awaken its self with? But Maimonides further tells us that the miracles which Moses wrought among the Israelites were meerly for necessity, and not to prove the truth of his Divine commission, for which he instanceth in dividing the red sea, the raining of Manna, and the destruction of Corah and his complices. But setting aside that these two latter were the immediate hand of God and not miracles done by Moses, yet it is evidence that the intent of them was to manifest a Divine presence among them; and in the tryal of Corah Moses appeals to Gods immediate Provid…nce to manifest whether God had immediately imployed him or no. For it is evident by the text that the main charge they laid against Moses was ambition and usurpation; Is it a small thing, say they, that thou hast brought us up out Numb. 16. 13.of a Land that floweth with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, except thou make thy self altogether a Prince over us? Whereby it is evident they thought that Moses acted out of a private design, and aimed at his own honour and authority; which was an imputation of the highest nature that could be alledged against him. Now see how Moses proceeds to clear himself, (which is sufficient to stop the mouths of these incredulous Iews) for he layes the greatest evidence of his Divine commission upon a present miracle. And Moses said, Hereby shall ye know that the Lord hath V. 28, 29.sent me to do all these works; for I have not done them of mine own mind, If these men dye the common death of all men, then the Lord hath not sent me, &c. Can any thing be more plain then that the only intent of this miracle was to make it appear that Moses took not his office upon him, but was immediately sent and imployed by God in what he did. But that which will put an end to this controversie is Gods giving Moses a power to work miracles for that very end that the Israelites should believe him, Exodus 8. 8, 9. And can we think they would have ever left Aegypt as they did and followed Moses into the wilderness, unless they had been fully convinced he was a deliverer sent from God? It is true (that which the Iews speak so much of) the statio in monte Sina was a great consirmation both to their own faith and to Moses his according to what God had told him, Exod. 3. 12. but yet it follows not hence they had no firm bottom for their faith to stand on before (for then they might have been drowned in the red sea as well as the Aegyptians) but God knowing their incredulity and readiness to disobey his Law, did at the promulgation of it testifie to their eyes and Ex. 19. 9.ears his own presence in the midst of them. And this certainly was one of the greatest miracles of all; and therefore to oppose this to the evidence that is produced by miracles, is only to oppose a power of working miracles to a power of doing them. So vain and empty then, so false and fallacious, yea so directly contrary to holy Scripture is that Axiome of the Iews, Prophetiae verit as non confirmatur miraculis: for miracles are sufficient evidences of Divine revelation in any whom God imployes to all but such as are resolved not to believe them; and as one well saith, Pertinaciae nullum remedium posuit Deus; God never works miracles to convince obstinate Atheists and wilfull Infidels. This now is the first case wherein miracles are to be expected, which is, when God imployes any upon an extraordinary message, to be as Credentials to confirm their Divine commission.