Mankind, there were Perfons blefs'd with the Spirit of Prophecy, and charg'd with Commiffions of this Kind. Abraham, was Gen. xx. a Prophet; as God tells Abimelech. And 7. Ifaac and Jacob both prophefied concerning the future State of their Children: As did Jofeph to his Brethren concerning their Deliverance out of the Land of Egypt. And we find fome, not long after, who, although they were not of the Hebrew Line, were endow'd with a prophetic Spirit: Such were Job and Balaam; and fome others.

But, of all those to whom this divine Faculty was imparted, none was so great a Prophet, as Mofes. This we are given to understand upon the Occafion of Miriam and Aaron's oppofing him; whom the LORD reproves, thus; Hear now, my words; if there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make my felf known unto bim, in a vision; and will speak unto him in a dream. My fervant Mofes is not fo; who is faithful in all mine house'; with him will I Speak mouth to moutb, even apparently, and not in dark Speeches. Again, it is faid; xxxiv. There arofe not a prophet fince in Ifrael,

Deut.

10.

like

Numb. xii. 6.

like unto Mofes; whom the LORD knew face to face.

TE. P.

But, to lighten the Charge and Burden that lay upon Mofes, by this means, God was pleas'd to take a Portion of the Spirit that was upon him, and put it upon feventy other Men, who were Elders of the People, and Officers over them, that they might fhare the Weight of Government with him. The LORD came down Deut. xi, a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of 25. the spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy elders: And it came to pass that when the Spirit refted upon them, they prophefied and did not ceafe.

in

8.

I

Some Prophets there were, after Mofes, during the Time of the Judges. We read, that, in thofe Days, The LORD fent a Judg. vi. prophet unto the children of Israel. And, Sam. ii, there came a man of God unto Eli, and faid 27. unto him, Thus faith the LORD, &c. Soon after which Samuel grew up, and became a very extraordinary Prophet. And the I more fo, because, the word of the LORD 1 Sam. was precious, in thofe days; there was no open vifion. To him, while he was yet a Child, the Word of the LORD was re

iii. I.

J

1 Sam. iii. veal'd in Shiloh. The LORD was with

19, 20.

1 Sam. vii. 6.

him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Ifrael, from Dan even to Beersheba, knew that Samuel was established, to be a prophet, of the Lo & D.

After the Death of Eli, we are told that Samuel judged the children of Ifrael: Who was, not only, a very great Prophet himself, but prefided, over the College or Seminary of Prophets, with great Succefs: Infomuch that, from his Time to that of the Captivity, there appears to have been a constant and plentiful Supply of them.

That there was a School of the Prophets, where they were inftructed in expounding the Law, and in whatever Studies might beft qualify them for the LORD's bestowing a prophetic Spirit upon them, is plain from the following Paffage; which relates to David, when he fled from the Perfecution of Saul. It is faid; David fled, and escaped, and came to Saxix. 18, muel to Ramah; and told him all that Saul had done to him: And be and Samuel went and dwelt at Naioth. This Naioth, which was in the Suburbs of Ramah, was the Academy of the Prophets. There,

1 Sam.

&c.

There, in a quiet Retirement, from the Hurry and Buftle of the World, they prepared themselves for the Infusion of the Holy Spirit, whenever God should vouchfafe them fuch a Favour. And, among them, we may conclude, Samuel chofe to spend all the leisure Time he could get, from the neceffary Avocations of his publick Duty.

Thither he went, with David; at once to conceal and protect him from the enrag'd Saul, and to inftruct him in the moft fublime and noble Arts: How to make Mankind happy by being, a pious, a mild, and a public-fpirited King; and to exalt and refine his own Nature to fuch a Degree, as to qualify himself for the Reception and Utterance of thofe heavenly Predictions, relating to the Meffiah, with which God should, from time to time, infpire him.

And it was told Saul, faying, Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah. And Saul fent mesengers to take David. And when they faw the company of the Prophets prophefying, and Samuel standing as appointed over them, the Spirit of God was upon the messen

gers of Saul, and they also prophefied. And
after fending Second Meffengers, and third
Meffengers, who all, in like manner, were
poffefs'd with a Spirit of prophefying, at
laft, we are told, he went himself: And
as he drew near to Naioth, the Spirit of God
was upon him alfo, and he went on and pro-
phefied until he came to Naioth in Ramah,
And be fript off his cloaths alfo, and pro-
phefied before Samuel, in like manner; and
lay down naked, all that day, and all that
night. So long, and fo efficaciously did the
Spirit of Prophesy lay hold of him, and
entertain him, that David, who was cho-
fen of the LORD to be a great King, and
a greater Prophet, might, the more fe-
curely, make his efcape from him.

However, this is not the firft Mention that we have of a Company of the Prophets, and of Saul's Prophefying among them. Upon the first Interview that ever he had with Samuel, the Prophet tells him several Accidents that should happen to him that Day, as Signs, to convince him, that he fhould be King of the Ifraelites. Among 1 Sam. others, this is one: After that; thou shalt come to the bill of God, where is the garrifon

x. 5.

of