356 Chap.9. Of' Schools and Vniwerfties. Coma. Ephef. 4: 18. hand of the Artificer.For there is naturally in men cecitas cordis,as theApoltle (peaks, the taking away whereofis a fpecial part of this FunEtion : The manner we may Nuns. a4. IS, be(1 fee by Balaams fpeech ; who, faith he, was aman born claufis oculir, blind in un- i6. derftanding ( as all men are ) brutifh in l{nowledge ( as the Prophet hash it ) but af- 3er. 10.14. terwards audiendo verbuni, by hearing the word, he came, to knowledg, and fo adviii_ onem, to have eyesa little opened, and then he was paulo ocolasior,fomewhat better-fight- ed. And hereupon it was, that they which wereafterwards called. Prophets, were at firft called Seer.r,a'P 1fpeculantes, feers ina glafs ; from which word 7ßpbim, it 'Sant. 9. 9. is very probable the Greek word Apt, wife-men came, becaufe fuch could fee afar off: and plainly it is faid ofCome when they prophefied, mutabantur in ilium :arum, they were changedinto other men, as it is laid ofSaul, when the Spirit ofGodcameupon Io. 16. him, and he prophefied. Ir makes a man wifer than when he was born, and fit for Church or Common-wealth. For the inftitution of this, we find about the time when the Law was given, that God appointed not only Motes, but the feventy Elders to beplaced about the Taber- Nom,51.24: nade, tobe taught by Mofes ( for that is meant by takingof the Spirit ofMofs,and putting it upon them ) and then they Prophefied. So that there wasa kind of Vai- verfity about the Tabernacle ; for when one teacheth another, the Jews call it a ta- king ofthe Spirit and putting it on him. And by the word [ Prophefy ] was not meant at firft,preditlion orforetelling things to come only ; for neither the Greek Pow, nor the HebrewK]a do properly fignity more than to teach, and infirm% or declare Efay 57. 19, to others. As it is in the Prophet,Icreate thefruit ofthe lips, peace, that is,by having learning, to bring peace. For, as he faith, God gave him the tongue ofthe learned, that- be might know how to fpeak a word in (afro to the weary, Efay 50. 4. And as the Prov. ro. 3r. Wife-man, The mouth ofthe juftfhali prophefy, that is, fhall bring forth wifdom : for that other gift which was to foretel things to come, was bellowed upon men afterwards, to oppofe the Sorcerers, Sooth-foyers, and Augurs, &c. among the Heathen, and war extraordinary. And it is plain by that ofthe Apofile,thatProphefy at the firft wastaken for Teach- acor. 14. 3. tug, He thatpropbefietb, fpeaketh unto men, to edification, exhortationand comfort : and if by ProphefYingwere meant only foretelling or preditlion, then we were in an ill cafe now, ( having none that can foretel things to come) Peeing the Wife -man faiths Prov. ay. r8. Dempta prophetiaperil popular, where there is no prophefy, thepeopleperifh. And this it was, which the Prophetsdid bytheir ordinary funfkion, viz. teachandinftruël; but, when it pleatedGod tochew them things to come, it was extraordinary. When the Elders were thus placed about theTabernacle, the Leviten, and certain. Num. 6. called Nazarites were added to them : and ofthefe two forts confifted their Colledges, tl.nos a. I I. when they came into the land ofpromife : for before they were about the Taberna- d e, and therefore it is laid ofJofhua, who was fo gooda[Indent, that noProphet or Levitecould compare with him, and therefore having profited fo well, Mofes at his death chofe him for his Succeffor by Gods appointment, That bedeparted not out of 9x0133. the Tabernacle. Being come into the land ofpromife, they found a City well fttuated which was joil. 1t. 15. Kirjath- Sepher, a city ofBooks, which Jofbua, that it might not be thought they came udges: 1.1r. to their knowledgby the Books ofthe Heatben,but by divine affiftance,and ftudying the Law ofGod, called Debir,which is Oracle.When this City was not fufficient, they had three other places, Mizpeb, Bethel, and Gilgal. AltoGibeah Elobitío, (i. e.) moms Dei, t Sam. 1 o. where two things may be obferved : I. That the land was called the land ofTfupb, from in'h1Yfpeeulatorer,or Seers, ofwhich we fpake before, which the Thargum expounds to be Ramab Propbetarum. And, z. that when Saul §am 1011. prophefied, being not brought up in the Schools.of the Prophets, they began, to wonder at it, fo that it became a Proverb , Thàt Saul was become a Prophet upon the fuddain : knowing that theordinary way to become a Prophet, was to come and finely there., for Tome time, unlefs God would raile up force , and make them Prophets extraordinarily. When Samuel afterwards wasdifmiffed from Governing, he returned to,his calling which himfelfbeft liked, and at Ramah he built a Colledge, whereof he was Wier himfelf. And thus flood the flare of this profeffion till veer the end of theKings, though
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