set apart to prophecy, with harps, psalteries, and cymbals, 1 Chron. xxv. 1; which questionless were useful to those that were spiritual, in raising them to the lively contemplations of the harmony of heaven, and joys of the blessed in singing and loving, and might be more effectual than the preaching of many in our days: for we read, that David by his harp freed Saul from the extraordinary possession of an evil spirit; and that, by the hearing of music, the spirit of prophecy came upon Elisha, 2 Kings iii. 15; which effect we do not hear of from the preaching or praying of our divines, though in the primitive Christian church such powerful outgoings of the Spirit were ordinary. But, 4thly, We have the history of the Gospel, in which Christ's life, death, resurrection, and ascension are declared, and the mysteries of justification, regeneration, and union with God and Christ more. particularly discoursed of, more clearly held out than before Christ's coming in the flesh; and on this account, in reference to the Scriptures of the New Testament, we are privileged before them. But we must know this is but a difference in an outward privilege, and that secundum gradus only, not in the very substance of it, we enjoying only a more clear discovery of some Gospel truths than they. For we must know, that by the sacrifices and services of the ceremonial law, the noble mystery of redemption was figured forth to those that understood them; yea, the whole work of regeneration, and the mystery of entering into the most holy place by the blood of Christ, as appears in the Epistle to the Hebrews; and were not the truths of Christ's life and death, of his suffering for our sins, of justification by his blood, of the righteousness of God, of the new covenant, of the spiritual marriage and union betwixt the Lord and the church, of Christ's glorious reign in the saints, his members,-in a word, of the resurrection and judgment, clearly held forth in the writ`ings of the Prophets? And we must know that the glory of the Gospel doth not consist in the expression of an outward letter, but in the administration of the Spirit, 2 Cor. iii. 6, in and upon the saints, in its mighty unction and powerful operation according to that promise, "I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh," Joel ii. 28. Besides, if we do but consider how the great Gospel truths expressed more largely in the New than the Old Testament, are darkened by the spirit of error and apostasy, working in men's reason, instead of the unction of the infallible Spirit; as, for instance, the doctrine of election, the mediation of Christ, of justification and union with God; which, for want of the Holy Ghost clearly to expound his own dictates, are made the ground of many bitter controversies and long disputes, through which the spirit of love and union is much lost. I say, if we consider this, our churches have not much reason to boast of the letter of the Gospel, as it is handed amongst them, in preferring

:

it before the administration of the Law and the Prophets to the Jewish church. But now I shall proceed in shewing what privileges the Jewish church enjoyed under the Law, which our churches have not. As, 1st, Infallible prophets, who by prophetical messages and revelations were wonderfully useful to the church; whence Moses wisheth, "That all the Lord's people were prophets" (O! that they who sit in his seat were of his Spirit) and of these, there were whole schools, or colleges, to whom God revealed his infallible will; and amongst whom the Spirit sometimes moved so powerful, that it fell upon those that heard them, as upon Saul, &c. Now our churches have not these blessed additions of infallible prophets, or of the gift of immediate prophecy. 2d, Under the Law they had infallible answers from the Mercy-seat, by Urim and Thummim, and from prophets; they were wont to resort to these for directions in things of difficulty and concernment; as about making war or peace, &c. Now what a privilege the Jewish church enjoyed, by these standing infallible oracles, cannot but be evident to all that know what a happiness it is to have a standing infallible way of discovering God's mind in a church, to which there may be addresses in all matters of difficulty and doubt. But these privileges our churches have not; therefore on this account the Jewish church was before them. 3d, Under the law they enjoyed visions, which were both public and private: public, such were the cloud that was wont to cover the tabernacle, and that glory of the Lord which was wont to appear in the temple : private, such were visions of representation, as those of Zech. iv. of the candlestick of gold, of the two olive trees, representing spiritual mysteries; also visions of angels, as of Gabriel, the seraphims, cherubims, and of the similitude of God in glory, as he appeared to the seventy elders of Israel upon the Mount, and to some of the prophets. Now what great privileges these were I shewed before; but our churches are not furnished with these enjoyments; therefore on this score, they under the Law excelled us. 4th, In the time of the Law they had the addition of miracles, even when the Jewish church was settled and established, which were many times of great concernment and use, both to private persons and to the public, as that of Elijah before Baal's priests, 1 Kings xviii. by which the Israelites were turned from idolatry. Now these are not in our churches; hence in this also they had the advantage of us.

But if it be here said, our churches now have more secret communion with God by the inward workings of his Spirit, than they under the Law: I answer, that cannot be made appear, seeing that many of them had those great enjoyments of rapture, prophecy, visions of God and angels, with heavenly dreams; all which were the effects of the Spirit's resting upon, and working

in them in an eminent manner, and which served to increase and heighten inward communion, by inflaming the soul with love to God, and taking them off from regarding any worldly things. Now our churches have not those effects of the Spirit's operation amongst them; and besides, the effects of the apostasy are so prevalent yet, that we make the blessed advantages we might have by the letter of the Gospel useless, by darkening and limiting those Scriptures which press the perfect death and conformity to Christ's life, as means of attaining the high and pure Gospel enjoyments of revelation, prophecy, living in Mount Zion, and of continual communion with God, Christ, angels and spirits of the just, with that perfect love, which is to conform us on earth to God's will as is done in heaven, by which we might far excel those under the Law. But these attainments are looked upon by our divines as impossible in this life, and not to be looked for or expected by any; although some of them were enjoyed under the Law, or Old Testament, and all of them by the blessed primitive Christians, in a more eminent manner than before. And furthermore, if we do but consider the generality of Christians, we shall find far the greater part loose in their conversation, and not able to give an account of their faith in words or works; and of the rest, how many are but merely civil and moral, honest in appearance, not understanding the mystery of conversion? So that the number of those that profess religion, holiness, and Christian zeal, is very inconsiderable, to those that do not, and yet of these, how many are hypocrites? How many make religion a disguise to their carnal interests and designs? How many deceive both themselves and others, in resting upon the performance of duties without an effectual change in their hearts, by the working of the new birth? How few then are those that are really changed by some work of regeneration, and sincerely love God, and in some measure keep his commandments? And yet of those, how many stick in the first work of conversion, setting limits to themselves and others, by which they are hindered from a daily progress toward the mark of perfection? If then we parallel those that are in some work of regeneration amongst us, and the true saints, amongst them in the Jewish church, I know no reason we have to boast of exceeding them in communion with God, and keeping his commandments, seeing the holy amongst them, have these testimonies in Scripture, That they clave to the Lord, and departed not from following of him, were after God's own heart; that they were perfect and upright, fearing God; and such as walked in all his commandments blameless, Luke i. 5, 6. And are not many of them left as excellent patterns for us to follow in particular graces, as Abraham for faith; Enoch for walking with God; the effect of which through faith was his translation;

Job for patience, Elijah for earnest and powerful prayer, through which he both shut and opened the clouds; Moses for meekness, self-denial, and eminency of converse with God? And doth not the Apostle, after he had produced many instances Heb. xi. of the faith of the ancients, affirm, ver. 32, that the time would fail him to tell of Gideon, Barak, David, Samuel, the prophets, and others, who, ver. 33, through faith, subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions; 34, quenched the violence of fire, out of weakness were made strong; 35, women received their dead to life again. We see all these were effects of their faith: O strong faith! Now if the eminent saints in the Jewish church were so far above the most eminent of our present churches, in the gifts and graces of the Spirit; as in visions, raptures, prophecy, power of miracles, faith, patience, meekness, strong prayer, and in walking with God, Gen. v. 24; it is more than probable that the rest which were true saints, seeing their examples, and beholding their wonderful gifts, were somewhat beyond, at least equal to, weaker Christians amongst us.

But if it should be yet objected that we need not these extraordinary dispensations, in which they under the law seem to excel our churches, and which the planters of the Gospel enjoyed, because the Scriptures are now finished, and embraced by all Christians; whence there is no use of such extraordinary things, which seemed to be given more for the sake of those that believed not, than for believers. Ans. To this I answer, and 1st, To that part of the objection, that the Scriptures are finished ; I know no Scripture that asserts it. If Rev. xxii. 18, be urged, where it is written, "If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book. I answer, 1st, That is spoken in relation to that particular book, which was a particular prophecy of the church's state to the end of time. And 2d, Though it had been spoken of all the Scripture, yet it excludes not God's infallible opening and explaining of it by the saints, through the revelation of that Spirit which did first dictate it; which expositions, if wrote, would be new Scriptures; but forbids the presumption of man to add any thing to it from his reason and corrupt understanding. For we see a more clear and punctual inhibition given by Moses, Deut. iv. 2, "Ye shall not add to the word that I command you, neither shall ye diminish aught from it." Now this prohibition sets not limits to God's Spirit, but to man's daring understanding and invention which clearly appears, in that the books of the holy Prophets and Apostles, have been added since the written word of those times. Yea, the observation of the whole ceremonial law in the letter of it hath been abolished and taken away, which by Moses was commanded to be observed; there

fore these inhibitions do no not bind up the Spirit of God from infallible interpretations of what hath been written, or from more clearly opening mysteries, before but briefly or obscurely touched; or from vindicating the written word from the corrupt glosses and interpretations of others, by which the meaning of the Holy Ghost hath been lost, or much obscured. And that the infallible Spirit will again discover itself in such an extraordinary way, appears from that of Matt. xxiv. 14, and Rev. xiv. 6, 7. In the first of which places it is said by Christ, "This Gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world, for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come.' You see an universal preaching of the Gospel must immediately precede the end of the wicked world; for this was given as part of the answer to the disciples' question, ver. 3, What shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? In the last place, John saw, as a thing to come, an angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting Gospel to preach to them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people. Here you see the Gospel was again to be preached, and that to all nations and tongues, which will require the new gift of tongues for the full and free preaching of it, and some highly illuminated prophet (expressed in the text by an angel) come up to the angelical glory, and furnished as the angels are with powerful and immediate messages from God, to fit him for this great employment, which could not be effectual without an infallible unction and suitable power to prove it by extraordinary operations of the Spirit. For if any of our common preachers, or such as they, without extraordinary commission and power, should attempt to go into Turkey, Tartary, or China, to preach the Gospel, what success were they like to have, but shame or death? And what just prejudices might our rents and divisions amongst ourselves give them, both against them and their doctrine; especially considering the contention, bitterness, envy, cruelty, and injustice, which are the sad attendants of differences in opinion? And how could they be sure to embrace the right without extraordinary infallible proof; seeing Christians of several sects judge, condemn, decry, nay persecute, and anathematise one another?

2dly, This truth of infallible extraordinary dispensers of the Gospel yet to come, appears by 2 Thess. ii. 8, where the Apostle, speaking of the man of sin and that mystery of iniquity which should creep into, and overspread the visible church, and so reign as an anti-God or an anti Christ, affirms, ver. 8, "that the Lord should consume him with the Spirit of his mouth, and destroy him with the brightness of his coming." Here you see this man of sin is to be destroyed, 1st, By the Spirit of his mouth, i. e. by the power of the Spirit in its outgoings, by the