A Discourse Upon the Powers of the World to Come, Treatise · Treatise proper · Part 1
2 PET. I. 20.
Knowing this firſt, That no Prophecy of Scripture is of any private Interpretation.
IT is very Notorious, there is nothing Learned, and good Men are more Scandalized at, or give ſlighter Regard to, throughout all that is offered to them from the Word of God, than the Interpretation of Scripture Prophecy; eſpecially, if Any come to the Interpretation of thoſe Prophecies that Define Time.
Now this ariſes from a ſtrong Pre-judgment or Pre-poſſeſſion of Mind, That ſuch Prophecies, and moſt particularly concerning Time, are not poſſible, or hardly Lawful to be Interpreted, and that it is preſumption to offer at it; and that all that is drawn from ſuch Interpretation, is no other than Groundleſs Phantaſtry.
I have therefore Reſolved, ſince the Lord, as I Truſt, hath Himſelf engaged my Labours in this his Vineyard, to make it my Humble endeavour to Explorate, and to Find out by this Scripture, How far ſuch Attempts of Interpretation are Juſtified, and the Succeſs aſſur'd by the Word of God: Now, this Text, and the whole Context ſeem, even at the firſt ſight, to give Higheſt Countenance and Favour hereunto; for it expreſly affirms, No Prophecy of Scripture, not of Daniel, or of the Revelation, or any other Scripture Prophecy, nor of the Numbers, relating to Time in thoſe Prophecies, and wherein the preciſeneſs of Times is Depoſited and Lay'd up, is of Private Interpretation.
I begin therefore with the Conſideration of the Direct Terms, or Words of this ſo Full Propoſition of the Apoſtle:
1. The Subject-Matter, concerning which the Apoſtle thus affirms, is not Scripture in general, but moſt particularly Prophecy of Scripture; If his Propoſition had been upon Scripture in general, it had neceſſarily included Prophecy of Scripture in particular; Becauſe Prophecy is ſo excellent a part of Scripture; but it is Greater, and more Emphatical, that He particulariſes upon Prophecy it ſelf.
2. The Care the Apoſtle hath Taken to ſhew it is the Univerſality of Scripture-Prophecy, He thus aſſerts concerning All Prophecy of Scripture, foreign; which imports, All Prophecy; and Every Prophecy. All Prophecy in general, and Every Prophecy in particular is the ſubject ſpoken of; and therefore a Word is choſen out by the Spirit of God, that may fully Anſwer thereunto in both regards.
3. That to which the Apoſtle directs his Speech, is not with Relation to the Excellency, or Certainty, or Divine Inſpiration of Scripture Prophecy it ſelf; although that He does alſo in the former Verſe, calling it the Sure Word of Prophecy; and by way of proof in the next Verſe, of what he affirms in this: But that which He is preciſe upon in this Verſe Relates to Interpretation of Scripture Prophecy.
4. That which He fixes upon as to his Point, to conſider concerning Interpretation, is concerning the Privacy of it; Whether it is a Publick, Free, Open, Acceſſible, Self-communicative Thing; or whether Private, Reſerv'd, Uncommunicated, or under Any ones Propriety and Encloſure, ſo that no other may Preſume to Enter into the Interpretation of it, but under ſome Character for ſuch a Propriety?
5. The Form of the Apoſtle's Propoſition is a flat and downright Negative; Scripture-Prophecy, All Scripture-Prophecy, Every Scripture Prophecy is ſo Conſtituted, Framed, Deſcended, as not to be of Private Interpretation; and that the Negation may be the ſtronger, It is Kept, and Reſerved to be placed with the Full ſtrength of its Accent upon the Words, Is not private: The Apoſtle would not leſſen it by ſetting foreign in place of foreign, both for the Force of the Word of Ʋniverſality before Noted, as alſo, That the Negative might urge the more, being applied to Private; And ſo it amounts to a ſtrong Affirmation; on the other ſide, it is of an Interpretation, Open, Publick, Free; a Common Good and Right.
6. The Apoſtle lays it as a Foundation, as a fitſt Principle, Knowing (ſaith He) this firſt, That All Prophecy of Scripture is not of a Private Interpretation. And it comes in as a ſtrong Argument or Motive for what he had ſpoken, by way of Vehement Incitation to the Taking Heed to Prophecy; for ſaying That Every one did well, who Took Heed to the More ſure Word of Prophecy. He goes on by way of Encouragement, and Aſſurance of Good Succeſs, Knowing, That It is of an Open, Ftee Interpretation, or being well principled in that firſt, as is after to be urged.
Now who that Conſiders theſe Words of the Apoſtle thus preſented, and lay'd out before Him, and what The Spirit by his Holy Miniſter hath ſpoken thus, foreign, ſo expreſly can have a prejudice againſt All utmoſt Endeavour to Interpret Any, Every Prophecy of Scripture, and contradict the Holy Ghoſt; ſaying, It is a Dark, Retired, Reſerved Thing; not to be preſum'd upon, or to be medled with.
But before I proceed upon the main Points ariſing from this Propoſition of the Apoſtle, in Juſtification of Interpretation of Scripture-Prophecy; I am very ſenſible, the very Foundation is endeavoured to be ſhaken by ſuppoſiting, or ſhifting in another word for foreign or Interpretation, viz. foreign, a word differing but an Iota, an … for …; and ſo may ſeem fair for adm…ſſion; and a word that would be had, to ſignify Inſpiration; or if that be not found ſo convenient to Change the word; yet it is Deſigned to Bring the Matter to the ſame Point by giving a ſenſe to it foreign to this Point, viz by affixing to foreign a ſenſe the ſame with Inſpiration; viz. Diſmiſſion or ſending out the Prophets; that ſo either way the Apoſtles Propoſition might ſpeak thus: Knowing this firſt, That no Prophecy of Scripture is of a private Illaps, or Inſpiration; and ſo Interpretation ſhould have no place, nor any thing to do here.
I will therefore Argue, firſt againſt any other word, than that of foreign, and then againſt any other ſenſe of the word foreign, but that of Interpretation.
The Arguments that the word Epiluſis, and not Epeluſis, was uſed by the Divine Spirit, are theſe two.
1. There is an Univerſal Conſent, and Agreement of All Coppies in the word Epiluſis, wherein that Providence watchfull over All Scripture, hath particularly ſhewn it ſelf in care over this; ſo that there is no occaſion for any one to Change it, except He Himſelf were Given to Change, or would make an Intereſt againſt it, becauſe He would not own the Prophecy (at leaſt) of Scripture, to be of a Free, Open, Publick Interpretation; nor to be Approached unto.
2. It is obſerved by the Learned, The word Epeluſis is not the proper word to ſignify Illaps, or Inſpiration, or any thing like it; But the word foreign, as it comes ſomething near the word foreign, and yet can never be it, or the ſame; ſo it ſeems ſomewhat a-kin in ſenſe to Super, or Preternatural Emotion, but at ſo great a diſtance, It can never be Divine Supernatural, nor like it, but moſt Contrary to it, and Abhorred of it: For it is a word of very ill Intention, and ſignifies the Force of Enchantment on the Enchanted Perſon; a ſenſe that can by no means be ſuffered to Enter into the Tabernacle of the Holy Spirit, the Spirits of his Prophets; nor Agree to the Sacred ſcope and purpoſe of the Apoſtle.
But I will yet further Argue againſt any other word, but Epiluſis in Arguing againſt any other ſenſe, but that ſole and ſingle ſenſe of Interpretation; ſo that by Epiluſis ſhall not, cannot be underſtood, as ſome would have it, any kind of Diſmiſſion, or ſending out the Prophets to Prophecy. For,
1. The very ſame word, differing only as a Noun and a Verb, that is uſed here by the Apoſtle Peter, is uſed in the very ſame Senſe, and in the very ſame matter, and purpoſe, Mark 3. 34. Only what is denied here by this Apoſtle is affirmed in another Caſe there, viz. Our Lord Expounded his Parables but Apart or Privately to his Diſciples: There Epelue, He Expounded foreign, or Apart; Here the Expoſition or Interpretation of Prophecy is denied to be Apart.
This Scripture in Mark therefore is, as if the Spirit of God had on purpoſe provided an Aſſurance, in what manner theſe ſame Words are to be underſtood in Peter, viz. by the Certain, Undoubted Senſe of them in Mark: And it is the more to be Noted, if we give heed to the Eccleſiaſtic Memoir, that, the Apoſtle Peter ſuper-intended the Evangeliſt Mark in his Writing that Goſpel: Obſerve therefore, The ſame Divine Spirit by the very ſame Servant of his, the Penman of this Epiſtle, and the Superviſor of that Goſpel, uſes both Words; the word ſo much the ſame with Epiluſis, ſo undoubtedly in the ſenſe of Expounded; and of Privately, or Apart in the Word Idios; and that they are us'd both Affirmatively, and Negatively in the ſame ſenſe; For what the Evangeliſt ſpoke Affirmatively, viz. Chriſt did Expound or Interpret but Apart, that the Apoſtle in this Text lays down in the Negative, or denies concerning the ſame Expoſition or Interpretation, viz. That it is not Apart or Private.
This is ſo full in this kind of Argument, that it ſeems unneceſſary to add; It is the word uſed by the Septuagint, for the Interpretation of the Dreams of Pharaohs Officers by Joſeph, Gen. 41. 82.
2. But that which is indeed above All, is, The Reaſon, and Scope of the Apoſtles Diſcourſe, require the word, Interpretation, and no other; For the Apoſtle was not Preſſing, that the word of Prophecy is a ſure Word; That He knew, was Agreed, and moſt acknowledged between Him, and the Hebrew Strangers ſcattered Abroad, to whom He wrote, and ſo the Apoſtle takes that for a moſt confeſſed Thing, and that they gave heed to it, as ſuch; but that which required immediately to be further ſpoken to, was, That the ſure Word of Prophecy ſhines, as a Light in the dark place, in which the Churches of Chriſt are, till the Day of the Kingdom of Chriſt dawn, and He the Phoſphor, and Day-Star of it ſhine into the Hearts All His; For that is every where the Character of that Kingdom, it firſt dawns, and then it ſhines, and it ſhines into All Hearts, poſſeſſes All Minds; The Day of Goſpel-Light, and the Day-ſtar of that had already ſhone; for they were Eſtabliſhed in the preſent Truth; but that the Apoſtle intended, was to come; For He ſays, Ʋntil it ſhine, which could not be ptoperly ſaid of what is paſt: Beſides, That could not be come, that was yet in Prophecy, and needed Prophecy to ſhine in the place of it; which Place had been altogether Dark, if it had not been for the Light of Prophecy: And the Darkneſs of it was, becauſe that Day did not yet Dawn, nor the Day-Star Ariſe.
Now to this Light of Prophecy, ſaith the Apoſtle, You do well to Take Heed, you do well, as it is your Duty ſo to do; and as it is honourably well; So it is ſaid; Bleſſed is He that Readeth, and They that Hear.
But to this, This Objection might well be made; It is a great difficulty to underſtand Prophecy; who, or how few are agreed about the Senſe and Interpretation of it? and eſpecially in what relates to the Time of it, and thoſe Numbers relating to Time ſo particularly in Daniel. This therefore the Apoſtle would prevent, and ſurprize before hand, and He does it by laying this, as a firſt Principle, That All, and every Prophecy of Scripture is not of Private Interpretation; If it were ſo, it were indeed vain to Take Heed to it, as to a Light ſhining in a dark place, for then it would be as dark, as the dark place it ſelf; A Prophecy of the Kingdom, that cannot be Interpreted, can no way enlighten the Dark State of the Non-appearance of the Kingdom: But the Apoſtle aſſuring, the Sure word of Prophecy is not Private, Secret, Apart, but of an Open, Free Interpretation, is full to the Purpoſe of Taking Heed, or Giving Attendance to it, as to ſuch a Light.
And then the Apoſtles following words evince the ſame Thing; Prophecy came not of old Time by the will of Man; But Holy Men of God ſpake, as they were foreign, Carried, Moved, Inſpired by the Holy Spirit, as is further to be Explain'd: Now this comes as a Reaſon of what had been ſaid before, as is manifeſt by the Particle For; And it is, indeed, a great Reaſon, why no Prophecy of Sceipture ſhould be of a private Interpretation; becauſe it was given, as ſhall be ſhewn, from the Publick Spirit, and not from a Private Spirit, as every Created Human Spirit is.
But if we underſtand the word us'd for Interpretation, to ſignify either Illipſe, or Inſpiration, theſe following words would be only words of Amplification, and not of Proof; and to be Interpreted as the oppoſite to Private, by the Adverſative But; and not Ratiocinative as the Cauſal Conjunction For, aſſures them to be. And the ſenſe muſt run thus; No Prophecy of Scripture is of Private Interpretation; But Holy Men of God ſpake, moved by the Holy Spirit; and if any one ſhould put in For, after Inſpiration; or Illapſe ſuppos'd in place of Interpretation; It is as if the Apoſtle had ſaid, It is not of private Inſpiration, and therefore of Divine; For there can be no oppoſite to Private, but Divine in the Apoſtles ſenſe, and therefore it is not of private Inſpiration; Becauſe, or, For, Holy men were not Privately, but Divinely Inſpired; which is Amplification, and not Probation: But if we take, as on all Accounts we ought, the word to be Interpretation, the For, comes in moſt juſtly, as introducing a Great Reaſon, Why Prophecy cannot be of private Interpretation, becauſe it is of publick Inſpiration, as ſhall be ſhewn; How ſtrong a Reaſon is this!
Now ſeeing Probation, or Proof, makes a Diſcourſe ſtronger than Amplification only; If there be any doubt concerning a word, Whether This or That? That ought to be pre…erred which makes the Sacred Text more Sinewy and ſtrong, and ſo does the word Interpretation here: And ſeeing there is ſo much for that word, and nothing againſt it, it ought to be acquieſced in by All, as offering ſo great a Truth; That we ought as in Hearing, ſo in Preaching, to give the ſenſe of Prophecy; as it is ſaid of Ezra and the other Levites, and the People under them, Nehem. 8. 7. They gave the ſenſe of the Law, and Cauſed the People to underſtand, the Reading, or Preaching; that is, the inward ſenſe of it, and not only the Syllabical Reading loſt in Babylon; as ſome may ſuppoſe; For that is beneath the Holy Spirits notice: And thus ought Prophetical Scripture to be Adminiſtred; Becauſe it is not of private Interpretation. It, and the Time of it, ought to be opened, and explained, All and every part in all its Divine ſenſes.
But that, further yet, This point of Interpretation may be ſettled, and ſecured, and not only ſo, but highly illuſtrated; I will endeavour to clear, that the Grand Importance of the Context, nay, of this whole Epiſtle, is Adjuſted and Prepared to Aſſure, That Prophecy of Scripture is not of a Private Interpretation in that greateſt Point of Prophecy, of the Kingdom of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and the Time of it; That Myſtery of God to be Fulfilled, Evangelized by All his Prophets, that Reſtitution of All Things in that Kingdom ſpoken of by All the Prophets, ſince the World began: Now of this Kingdom, and the Time of it, The Apoſtles Affirmation. The Prophecies of Scripture are not of any private Interpretation▪ when and in what they ſpeak of it, hath the chief, and moſt eminent place; And therefore the Diſcourſe upon ſo great a Scripture, ſo levelled, and prepared (as I may ſay) to all intents and purpoſes, for the Juſtification of ſearch into Prophecy, concerning the Kingdom of Chriſt, and what, or what manner of Time, the Spirit of God hath ſignified, is, indeed, a Magna Charta for Interpretation of it.
Now then, the occaſion of all the Context, is the mention of the Abundant Entrance into the Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jeſus Chriſt, and That, an Everlaſting Kingdom: Now of this Kingdom there is a Twofold ſtate; That which is now at preſent and by way of preparation, or the Miniſtration of an Entrance; and concerning that, The Apoſtle ſays, They were eſtabliſhed in the preſent Truth. 2. There is a Future State, and Glory of that Kingdom, which is that Everlaſting Kingdom, and to which this preſent Kingdom of Grace Miniſters an Entrance; and of this, ſaith the Apoſtle, I will not be negligent to put you in remembrance.
Upon this Baſis or Foundation laid then, I will firſt give great Arguments, That through the whole Epiſtle, and particularly in this Context, the Apoſtle hath very great Relation to this Kingdom, and moſt particularly to the Time of it. 2. That the Context having ſo great Relation to this Kingdom, and particularly to the Time of it alſo, there is great Reaſon the Apoſtle ſhould ſpeak concerning the Interpretation of Prophecy, as the principal Point, and that Inſpiration ſhould Attend upon it; In the firſt Part I will give Arguments, Firſt, That the Kingdom is intended; And then in the ſecond place, for the Time, as intended alſo.