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"the first of which is Hofea," for fo they understand those words in "Deus imprimis locutus eft per Hofeam. "The fame Gemarifts go on to lay down the order of the dyyppa thus; Ruth, the book of Pfalms, Job, Proverbs, Ecclefiaftes Canticles, Lamentations, Daniel, Either, Ezra, the Chronicles and thefe the Jews did afcribe to the Ruach hakkodefh. But why Daniel fhould be reckoned amongst the and, and not amongst the Prophets," I can fee no realon, leeing the ftrain of it wholly argues the nature of the prophetical degree fpending itself in dreams and vifions, though thofe were joined with more obfcurity (it being then the crpufculum of the prophetical day, which had long been upon the horizon of the Jewish church) than in the other prophets. And therefore whatever the latter Jews here urge, for thus ranking up Daniel's books with the other, yet, feeing they give us no traditional reafon which their ancestors had for fo doing, I fhould rather think it to have it to have been firft of all fome fortuitous thing which gave an occafion to this after-miftake, as I think it is.

But to pafs on; befides thofe books mentioned, there were fome things elie among the Jews ufually attributed to this "Spiritus Sanctus" and fo Maimonides, in the fore-mentioned place, tells us that Eldad and Medad, and all the high priests who afked counsel by Urim and Thummim, fpake "per Spiritum Sanctum," so that it was a character enthufiaftical whereby they gave judicial anfwers, by looking upon the ftones of the high priests breaft-plate, to those that came to enquire of God by them. And fo R. Bechai in Parash myn fpeaks of "one of the degrees of the Holy Spirit which was fuperior to Bath Kol (i. e. filia vocis)' and inferior to prophecy."

חיה מדרג למרדגות רוח הקודש למעלה מן בת קול ולטטה מן הובואה

It will not be amifs, by a fhort digreffion, to fhew what this Urim and Thummim was; and we may take it out of our former author R. Bechai, who for the fubftance agrees with the generality and best of the Jewish writers herein. It was, as he there tells us, done in this manner. The high priest ftood before the ark, and he that came to enquire of the Urim and Thummim ftood behind him, enquir ing with a fubmiffe voice, as if he had been at his private prayers, "Shall I do fo, or fo?" Then the high priest looked upon the letters which were engraven upon the ftones of the breaft-plate, and by the concurrence of an enthufiaftical fpirit of divination of his own (I may add thus much upon the former reafons to that which he there fpeaks) with fome modes whereby thofe letters appeared, he fhaped out his anfwer. But for thofe that were allowed to enquire at this oracle, they were none elfe but either the king or the whole congregation, as we are told in "Maffec. Sotah,

None may enquire of it but the * אין שואלין אלא צבור או מלף

congregation of the people, or the king," by which it seems it was a political oracle.

But

or דוח הקידש are

But to return to our argument in hand, viz. What pieces of divine writ are afcribed to the TPM, or "Spiritus Sanctus;" we muft further know that the Jews were wont to reckon all thofe Pfalms or Songs which we any where meet with in the Old Teftament among the . For though they were penned by the prophets, yet because they were not the proper refults of a "vifum "propheticum," therefore they were not "true prophecy;" for they have a common tradition, that the prophets did not always prophefy "eodem gradu," but fometime in a higher, fometime in a lower degree, as among others we are fully taught by Abarbanel,

ינבא עה אחך,in Efay iv. upon occafion of that fongs of Efay The fame prophecies fometime in the * בצורת מדרגה עליונה

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"form of the fupreme prophetical degree, and fometime in a lower

degree, 7 pm or by the Holy Spirit only." And thus having made his way, he tells us that common notion they had amongst them, "that all fongs were dictated by this Spiritus

Every fong שכל שירה שתמצא בדברי הנביאים ובו,Sanctus *

"that is found in the writings of the prophets, it was fuch a

thing as was ordered or dictated by the pen-men themselves, to"gether with the fuperintendency of the Holy Spirit: forafmuch "as they received them, not in that higher way which is called "Prophecy, as all vifions were received, for all vifions were perfect "prophecy." But the author goes on further to declare his, and indeed the common opinion, concerning any, fuch fong, that it was not the proper work of God himfelf, but the work of the

ולכן אינה מפעל ה כי אם מפעל הנביא,prophet's own fpirit

10. Yet we must fuppofe the prophet's Spirit enabled by the conjunction of divine help with it, as he puts in the caution,

the fpirit of God and his divine * שילוה אליו רוח ועזר אלהים

"affiftance did ftill cleave unto the prophet, and was prefent with "him." For, as he tells us, the prophets, being fo much accustomed to divine vifions as they were, might be able fometime "per vigiliam," without any prophetical vifion, to speak excel

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with * בופי המליצה והפלגת המשל,lently by the Holy Ghoft

86

very elegant language, and admirable fimilitudes." And this he there proves from hence, that thefe fongs are commonly attributed to the prophet himself, and not to God, there being fo much of the work of the prophet's own fpirit in them, non

תמיד אליהם לא לשם יתברך כי הנה אמר בשירת חים אז ישור

Then

"D" Wherefore the Scripture commonly attributes thefe "fongs to the prophets themselves, and not unto God; and ac"cordingly fpeaks of the fong at the Red fea," Exod. xv. Mofes and the people of Ifrael fang this fong, "that is, Mofes "and the children of Ifrael did compofe and order it." So in the fong at Beer-Elim, "Then fang Ifrael this fong," Numb. xxi. 17. So in Mofes's fong in the latter end of Deuteronomy, which was to be preferved as a memorial, the conclufion runs, Set your VOL. IV. "hearts

Ꮓ

אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מֵעִיר בָכֶם הַים ,hearts upon all thofe words •

"which I teflify to you this day," Deut. xxxii. 46. So all thofe Plaims which are fuppofed to have been compofed by David are perpetually afcribed unto him, and the reft of them that were compofed. by others are in like manner afcribed unto them; whereas the prophetic train is very different, always intitling God to it, and fo is brought in with fuch kind of prologues [ The word of "the Lord]", or ["The hand of the Lord'], or the like.

But enough of that: yet feeing we are fallen now upon the original author of thefe divine fongs and hymns, it will not be amifs to take a little notice of the frequency of this Degree of Prophecy, which is by fongs and hymns coupofed by an enthufiaftical fpirit, among the Jews. We find many of thefe prophets befides David, who were authors of fundry Pialms bound up together with his; for we must not think all are his as after the 72d Pfalm we have eleven together which are afcribed to Afaph, the 88th to Heman, the 89th to Ethan, fome to Jeduthun, and very many are incerti authoris," as it feems, being anonymous. Thus Kimchi, in his Preface to the Pfalms, and the reft of the Hebrew Scholiafts, fuppofe divers authors to have come in for their particular fongs in

that book.

And thefe divine enthufiafts were commonly wont to compofe their fongs and hymns at the founding of fome one mufical inftrument or other, as we find it often fuggefted in the Pfalms. So Plutarch, lib. gμà xã quμelga vu Tubías, defcribes the dictate of the oracle anciently, ὡς ἐν μέτρῳ καὶ ὄγλῳ, πλάσματι καὶ μετα φοραῖς ὀνομάτων, καὶ μετ ̓ αὐτά, “ how that it was uttered in verfe, 66 in pomp of words, fimilitudes, and metaphors, at the found of a pipe." Thus we have Afaph, Heman, and Jeduthun, fet forth in this prophetical preparation, xxv. 1. Morcover " David and the Captain of the hoft feparated to the fervice of the fons of Afaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who fhould prophecy with "haros, &c." Thus R. Sal. expounds the place,

tr

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When they » בבלי שירה הללו היו מתנבאים רוגמא באלישעוכו

מומודי הודאה ומזמורי הללויה היה מתנבא:

played upon their mufical inftruments they prophefied, after the manner of Elifha, who faid, Bring me a minftrel, 2 Kings iii. And in the fore-mentioned place ver. 3. upon thofe words ["who prophecied with a harp]," he thus gloffeth, TAD 197VƏ "As they founded "upon the harp the Pfalms of praife and the Hallelujahs, Jeduthun "their father prophefied." And this fenfe of this place I think is much more genuine than that which a late author of our own would faften upon it, viz. that this prophecying was nothing but finging of Pfalms. For it is manifeft that thefe prophets were not mere fingers, but compofers, and fuch as were truly called prophets or enthufiafts: fo ver. 5. Heman is exprefsly called the King's Seer, the like in 2 Chron. xxix. 30. and ch. xxxv. 15. of

Alaph,

Afaph, Heman, and Jeduthun, Tenn. upon which our

,כל אחד ואחד היה הזה,fornier commentator gloffetti thus

"unufquifque eorum erat propheta." It is true, the poets are anci ently called" vates;" but that is no good argument why a finger 1hould be called a prophet: for it is to be confidered that a poet was a compofer, and upon that account by the ancients called " vates," or a prophet, and that becaufe they generally thought all true poets were tranfported. So Plato, in his "Phædrus," makes three kinds of fury, viz. enthufiaftical, amatorious, and poetical. But of this matter we shall speak more under the next head, which we are in a manner unawares' fallen upon, which is to enquire in general into the qualification of all kind of prophets.

CHAP. VIII.

Of the Difpofitions antecedent and preparatory to Prophecy. That the qualifications which did fit a man for the Prophetical Spirit were fuch as thefe, viz. Inward piety, true wifdom, a pacate and ferene temper of mind, and due cheerfulness of spirit; in oppofition to vitioufnefs, mental crazedness and inconfiftency, unfubdued paffions, black melancholy, and dull fadnefs. This illuftrated by feveral inftances in Scripture. That Mufick was greatly advantageous to the Prophets and Holy men of God, &c. What is meant by Saul's Evil Spirit.

OUR next business is, to difcourfe of those several qualifications that were to render a man fit for the spirit of prophecy : for we must not think that any man might fuddenly be made a prophet: this gift was not fo fortuitously difpenfed as to be communicated without any difcrimination of perfons. And this indeed all forts of men have generally concluded upon; and therefore the old Heathens themselves, that only fought after a fpirit of divinations, were wont in a folemn manner to prepare and fit themselves for receiving the influx thereof, as R. Albo hath truly obferved, Maam. III. c. 8:

The ancient Gentiles ** היו האומות הקורמות עושים צורות וכו

"made themfelves images, and offered prayers and frankincenfe to "the stars, that by this means they might draw down a fpiritual "influence from fome certain ftars upon their image. For this "influence flides down from the body of the ftar upon the man "himself, who is alfo corporeal, and by this means he foretells "what shall come to pafs.' And thus, as he further obferves, the necromancers themfelves were wont to ufe many folemn rites and ceremonies to call forth the fouls of any dead men into themfelves, whereby they might be able to prefage future things. But to come more clofely to our prefent argument.

The qualifications which the Jewith doctors fuppofe neceffarily antecedent to render any one habilem ad prophetandum" are "true probity and piety;" and this was the conftant fenfe and

Z 2

opinion

opinion of all of them univerfally, not excluding the vulgar themfelves. Thus Abarbanel, in Præfat. in 12 Proph. "WAD MIT'on Pietas inducit Spiritum San&tum." The like we find in Maimonides," More Nevochim," par. II. c. 32. who yet thinks this was not enough; and therefore he reckons up this as a vulgar error, which yet he fays fome of their doctors were carried away withal, Quod Deus aliquem eligat & mittat, nullâ habità "ratione an fit fapiens, &c." "That God may chufe of men "whom he pleaseth, and fend him, it matters not whether he be "wife and learned, or unlearned and unfkilful, old or young; only that this is required, that he be a virtuous, good, and honest man: "for hitherto there was never any that could fay that God did "cause the Divine Majesty to dwell in a vitious perfon, unlefs he "he had first reformed himself."

But Maimonides himself rather prefers the opinion of the wife fages and philofophers of the Heathens than of these vulgar masters, which required alfo fome perfection in the nature of him that fhould be fet apart for prophecy, augmented with ftudy and industry ; "Whence it cannot be that a man fhould go to-bed no prophet, "and rife the next day a prophet (as he there fpeaks), quemad“modum homo qui inopinatò aliquid invenit." And a little after he adds, "Fatuos & hujus terræ filios quod attinet, non magis, "noftro judicio, prophetare poffunt, quàm afinus aut rana.”

6

Thefe perfections then, which Maimonides requires as preparatory difpofitions to render a man a prophet, are of three forts, viz. 1. Acquifite or Rational; 2. Natural or Animal; laftly, Moral. And according to the difference of thefe he diftinguisheth the degrees of prophecy, c. 36. "Has autem tres perfectiones, &c." "As to thefe three perfections which we have here comprized, "viz. the perfection of the rational faculty acquired by ftudy, "the perfection of the imaginative faculty by birth, and the per"fection of manners or virtuous qualities by purifying and freeing the heart and affections from all fenfual pleafures, from all pride, and from all foolish and peftilent defire of glory; as to these "I fay, it is evident that they are differently, and not in the fame "degree, participated by men: and according to fuch different mea"fures of participation the degrees of the prophets are alfo to be "diftinguished."

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Thus Maimonides, who indeed in all this did but aim at this technical notion of his, that all prophecy is the proper refult of thefe perfections, as a form arifing out of them all as out of its elements compounded together. For it is plain that he thought there was a kind of prognoftic virtue in fouls themselves, which was in this manner to be excited; which was the opinion of fome philofophers, among which Plutarch lays down his fenfe in this manner, according to the minds of many others; Hugh The pare τικὴν οὐκ ἐπικτᾶται διύαμιν ἐκβᾶσα τι ζώμαλος ὥσπερ νέφος, ἀλλ ̓ ἔχεσα τυρεῖται δὲ διὰ τὴν πρὸς τὸ θνητὸν ανάμιξιν αὐτῆς καὶ (ιχνσιν,

* Lib. περὶ τῶν ἐκλελοιπότων χρηστηρίων.

"The