The Duty of Pastors and People Distinguished, Preface · Chapter 6
CAP. VI.
What aſſurance men extraordinarily called, can give to others, that they are ſo called in the former way.
THe next thing to be conſidered, is, what aſſurance he can give to others, and by what means, that he is ſo called. Now the matter, or ſubject of their imployment may give us ſome light, to this conſideration: and this is either, the inchoation of ſome divine work to be eſtabliſhed amongſt men, by vertue of a new, and before never heard of Revelation of Gods will; or a reſtauration of the ſame, when collapſed and corrupted by the ſin of men. To the firſt of theſe, God never ſendeth any, but whom he doth ſo extraordinarily and immediately call, and ordain for that purpoſe, and that this may be manifeſted unto others, he alwayes accompanieth them with his own almighty power, in the working of ſuch miracles, as may make them beleeved, for the very works ſake which God by them doth effect. This we may ſee in Moſes, and (after Ieſus Chriſt anointed with the oyl of gladneſſe above his fellows to preach the Goſpel) the Apoſtles: but this may paſſe; for nothing in ſuch a way, ſhall ever again take place, God having ultimately revealed his minde, concerning his worſhip, and our ſalvation; a curſe being denounced to man or angel, that ſhall pretend to Revelation, for the altering or changing one jot or title of the Goſpel. For the other, the work of Reformation, there being, ever ſince the writing of his Word, an Infallible rule, for the performance of it, making it fall within the duty and ability of men, partakers of an ordinary vocation, and inſtructed with ordinary gifts; God doth not always immediately call men unto it: but yet becauſe oftentimes he hath ſo done, we may enquire what aſſurance they could give, of this their calling, to that imployment. Our Saviour Chriſt informs us, that a Prophet is often without honour in his own country: The honour of a Prophet, is to have credence given to his Meſſage; of which it ſhould ſeem, Jonas was above meaſure zealous; yet ſuch is the curſed Infidelity and hardneſſe of mens hearts, that though they cryed, Thus ſaith the Lord, yet they would reply the Lord hath not ſpoken; hence are thoſe pleadings betwixt the Prophet Ieremie, and his enemies the Prophet averring of a truth, the Lord hath ſent me unto you, and they conteſting, that the Lord had not ſent him, but that he lyed in the Name of the Lord; now to leave them inexcuſable, and whether they would heare or whether they would forbeare, to convince them, that there hath been a Prophet amongſt them, as alſo to give the greater credibility to their extraordinary meſſage, to them that were to beleeve their report, it is neceſſary that the Arme of the Lord ſhould be revealed, working in and by them, in ſome extraordinary manner, it is certain enough, that God never ſent any one extraordinarily, inſtructed onelyonly with ordinary gifts, and for an ordinary end: the ayme of their imployment I ſhewed before was extraordinary, even the reparation of ſomething inſtituted by God, and collapſed by the ſin of man; that it may be credible, or appeare of a truth, that God had ſent them for this purpoſe, they were alwayes furniſhed, with ſuch gifts and abilities, as the utmoſt reach of humane indeavours, with the aſſiſtance of common grace cannot poſſibly attaine. The generall opinion is, that God alwayes ſupplies ſuch, with the gift of miracles. Take the Word in a large ſence, for every ſupernaturall product, beyond the ordinary activity of that ſecondary cauſe whereby it is effected, and I eaſily grant it; but in the uſuall reſtrained acceptation of it, for outward wonderfull workes, the power of whoſe production conſiſts in operation, I ſomething doubt the univerſall truth of the aſſertion. We do not read of any ſuch miracles wrought by the Prophet Amos, and yet he ſtands upon his extraordinary immediate vocation; I was neither Prophet nor the ſon of a Prophet, but the Lord called me, &c. it ſufficeth then that they be furniſhed with a ſupernaturall power either in, 1. Diſcerning, 2. Speaking, 3. Working: the power of Diſcerning according to the things by it diſcernable, may be ſaid to be of two ſorts, for it is either of things preſent, beyond the power of humane inveſtigation, as to know the thoughts of other mens hearts, or their words not ordinarily to be knowne, as Eliſha diſcovered the bed-chamber-diſcourſe of the King of Syria (not that by vertue of their calling they come to be foreign, knowers of the heart, which is Gods property alone, but that God doth ſometimes reveale ſuch things unto them, for otherwiſe no ſuch power is included in the nature of the gift, which is perfective of their knowledge, not by the way of habit, but actuall motion in reſpect of ſome particulars, and when this was abſent, the ſame Eliſha affirmeth that he knew not why the Shunamitiſh woman was troubled) or ſecondly of things future and contingent in reſpect of their ſecundary cauſes, not preciſely neceſsitated by their own internall principle of operation, for the effecting of the things ſo foreknown: and therefore the truth of the fore-knowledge, conſiſts in a commenſuration to Gods purpoſe. Now effects of this power, are all thoſe predictions of ſuch things which wee finde in the old and new Teſtament, and divers alſo ſince: ſecondly, the ſupernaturall gift in ſpeaking I intimate, is that of Tongues, proper to the times of the Goſpel, when the Worſhip of God was no longer to be confined to the people of one nation.
The third in Working, is that which ſtrictly and properly, is called the gift of Miracles: which are hard, rare, and ſtrange effects exceeding the whole order of created nature: for whoſe production God ſometimes uſeth his ſervants inſtrumentally, moving and inabling them thereunto, by a tranſient impreſſion, of his powerfull grace; of which ſort the holy Scripture hath innumerable relations. Now with one of thoſe extraordinary gifts at the leaſt, ſometimes with all, doth the Lord furniſh thoſe his meſſengers of whom we treat: which makes their meſſage a ſufficient revelation of Gods Will, and gives it credibility enough, to ſtir up faith in ſome, and leave others inexcuſable. All the difficulty is, that there have been Simon Maguſſes, and are Antichriſts, falſely pretending to have in themſelves, this mighty power of God, in one or other of the forenamed kinds.The diſcovery of Pretenders. Hence were thoſe many falſe Prophets, Dreamers, and Wizards mentioned in the old Teſtament, which the Lord himſelfe forewarnes us of, as alſo thoſe Agents of that man of ſin, whoſe comming is after the working of Satan with povver and ſignes, and lying vvonders, 2 Theſ. 2. 9. I meane the jugling Prieſts and Ieſuits, pretending falſely by their impoſtures to the power of miracle vvorking; though their imployment be not to reforme, but profeſſedly to corrupt the worſhip of God: now in ſuch a caſe as this, we have: 1. The mercy of God to relye upon, whereby he will guide his into the vvay of truth, and the purpoſe or decree of God, making it impoſſible that his elect ſhould be deceived by them. Secondly, humane diligence accompanied with Gods bleſſing, may helpe us wonderfully in a diſcovery, whither the pretended miracles be of God, or no; for there is nothing more certaine, then that a true and reall miracle, is beyond the activity of all created povver, (for if it be not, it is not a miracle) ſo that the Divell and all his Emiſſaries are not able to effect any one act truely miraculous: but in all their pretences there is a defect diſcernable, either in reſpect of the thing it ſelfe pretended to be done, or of the manner of its doing, not truely exceeding the power of art or nature, though the apprehenſion of it, by reaſon of ſome Hell-conceived circumſtances, be above our capacity. Briefely, either the thing is a lye, and ſo it is eaſie to faigne miracles, or the performance of it, is pure jugling, and ſo it is eaſie to delude poore mortalls. Innumerable of this ſort at the beginning of the Reformation, were diſcovered among the Agents, of that Wonder-vvorking man of ſin, by the bleſſing of God upon humane endeavours; now from ſuch diſcoveries, a good concluſion may be drawne, againſt the doctrine they deſire by ſuch meanes to confirme: for as God never worketh true miracles, but for the confirmation of the truth, ſo will not men pretend ſuch as are falſe, but to perſvvade that to others for a truth, which themſelves have juſt reaſon to be perſvvaded is a lye; now if this meanes faile, Thirdly, God himſelfe hath ſet downe a rule of direction for us, in the time of ſuch difficulty, Deut. 13. 1, 2, 3. If there ariſe among you a Prophet or Dreamer of Dreames, and giveth thee a ſigne or a vvonder, and the ſigne, or the vvonder come to paſſe, vvherefore he ſpake unto thee, ſaying, let us goe after other Gods to ſerve them, thou ſhalt not hearken to the vvords of that Prophet, or dreamer of dreames, for the Lord your God proveth you, to know whether yee love the Lord your God, with all your heart, and all your ſoul. Ye ſhall vvalk after the Lord your God, and fear him, and keep his Commandements, and obey his voice, and you ſhall ſerve him, and cleave unto him, and that Prophet or Dreamer of dreams ſhall be put to death. The ſum is, that ſeeing ſuch men pretend that their Revelations and Miracles are from Heaven, let us ſearch, whither the Doctrine they ſeeke to confirme by them, bee from heaven, or no; if it bee not, let them bee ſtoned, or accurſed, for they ſeeke to dravv us from our GOD, if it bee, let not the curſe of a ſtony heart, to refuſe them, be upon us. Where the miracles are true, the doctrine cannot be falſe; and if the doctrine be true, in all probability the miracles confirming it, are not falſe; and ſo much of them, who are immediatly called of God from heaven, what aſſurance they may have in themſelves, of ſuch a call, and what aſſurance they can make of it to others; now ſuch are not to expect any ordinary vocation; from men below, God calling them aſide to his worke, from the middeſt of their Brethren: The Lord of the harveſt may ſend labourers into his field, without asking his Stewards conſent, and they ſhall ſpeake what ever he ſaith unto them.