72 OPERATIONS OP the breath of God, whereby his essential relation to the Father and Son, with his eternal natural emanation from them, is expressed. And, therefore, when our Saviour gave him unto his disciples, as a proper in- structive emblem of what he gave, he breathed upon -them, John xx. 22. So also, in the great work of the infusion of the reasonable soul into the body of man, it is said, God breathed into Taira the breath of life, Gen. ii. 7. From hence, I say, it is, namely, from the na- ture and name of the Holy Spirit, that his immediate actings on the minds of men in the supernatural com- munication of divine revelations unto them is called in- spiration or inbreathing. And the unclean spirit coun- terfeiting his actings, did inspire his worshippers with a preternatural of istus, by ways suited unto his own filthy vileness. Secondly; This holy work of the Spirit of God, as it is expressed suitable to his name and na- Sure, so the meekness, gentleness, facility, wherewith he works, is intended hereby. He did, as it were, gently and softly breathe into them the knowledge and comprehension of holy things. It is an especial and immediate woilc wherein he acts suitably unto his na- ture as a spirit, the Spirit or breath of God; and suita- bly unto his peculiar personal properties of meekness, gentleness, and peace. So his acting is inspiration, whereby he came within the faculties of the souls of men, acting them with a power that was not their own. It is true, when he had thus inspired any with the mind ofGod, they had no rest, nor could have, unless they declared it in its proper way and season; Jer. xx. 9. ee Then I.snid I will not make mention of him, nor as speak in his name any more; but his word was in e( mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, ee and I was weary with forbearing, I could not stay." But this disturbance was front a moral sense of their duty, nod not fi-orn any violent agitations of his upon their natures. And whereas sometimes trouble and consternations of spirit did befal some of the prophets in and under the revelations they received from hint; it was on a double account. First, Of the dreadful re- presentation of things that were made unto them in visions. Things of great dread and terror were repre- 'vented unto their fancies and imaginations. Secondly, Of the greatness and dread of the things themselves re- vealed, which sometimes were terrible and destructive, Dan. xvii. 27. chap. vii. 15, 28. Hab. xvi. Isa. xxi. 2, 3, 1. But his inspirations were gentle and placid. THE HOLY SPIRIT, Sect. 10.Secondly; The immediate effects of this inspiration were, that those inspired were moved or ac- tuated by the Holy Ghost. Holy men of God snake bus avmvpare; rtytx 9agelesro, 2 Pet. i. 21. Moved or ac- tuated by the Holy Ghost. And two things are intend- ed hereby. First, The preparation and elevation of their intellectual faculties, their minds, and understand- ings, wherein his revelations were to be received. He prepared them for to receive the impressions he made upon them, and confirmed their memories to retain them. He did not indeed so enlighten and raise their minds, as to give them a distinct understandingand full comprehension of all the things themselves that were declared unto them. There was more in their inspirations than they could search into the bottom of. Hence, although the prophets under the Old Testa- ment were made use of to communicate the clearest re- velations and predictions concerning Jesus Christ; yet, in time knowledge and understanding of the meaning-of them, they were all inferior to John Baptist, as he was in this matter to the meanest believer, or least in the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, for their own illumi- nation and edification, did they diligently inquire by the ordinary means of prayer and meditation, into the meaning of the Spirit ofGod in those prophecies which themselves received by extraordinary revelation, t Pet. i. 10, t 1. Nor did Daniel, who had those express re- presentations and glorious visions concerning . the mon- archies of the world, and the providential -alterations which should -be wrought in them, understand what Andwhereas the ancients contendagainst the Ebionites, Marcion. ites, and Montaniste, as Epiplranius Adrers. Ilieres. lib. 2. Tom. I. Haie, 48. Hieran. Promm. Comment. in Iociam, that the prophets were not used exotically, but understood the things that were spoken to them; they did not intend that they had, by virtue of theirim:piration, a full comprehensionof the wholes of the revelations made unto them, but only, that they were not in or by prophecydeprived of the use of their intellectual faculties, as it beret Satanical enthusiasts. Talmo yag 10,0-a, ngeprwr io dysa rsvpav, iggaasvar iy,orror ear la- mas co, IV Islur unau x vru ascaoyiav, Epiphanies speaks, Wherefore, upon these words of Austin, perquosdam mientes, perquos. dam nescientes, id quad ex advent.. Christi usq..e 01500 et detncepsagi - ter prtenuneiaretur esse venturum, de. Civita,. Dei, lib. 7. cap. 22. One well adds, Propheta neo omnes sua vaticinia intelligebant, sec qui in- tetligebant amnia intelligebant: en n enint ex se loquehantur sed ex s pmdore Dei afflato; cujus consilionon omssa eis rant manifesta; ate- buturgae Deus itlis non taut consultas futurerum, sed instrumcntis qui. bus hautins Sllogneretur.
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