of the Philistines: and it fhall come to pass, when thou art come thither to the city, that thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming R down from the high-place, with a pfaltery, and a tabret, and a pipe, and a barp, before them; and they shall prophesy. And the Spirit of the LORD will come upon thee, and thou fhalt prophefy with them, and fhalt be turned into another man.

2 Kings

2 Kings iv. 38.

These are they, whom we afterwards frequently meet with; and are called, the Sons of the Prophets: Of whom, there were Schools and Nurferies, in feveral Cities, among the Ifraelites, befides those before mention'd. We read of one, in Bethel; and of another, at Jericho: and ofii. 3. 5a third at Gilgal. They were call'd Prophets and Sons of the Prophets, because they applied themselves to the Study of the Law of God: And fitted themselves for the Immiffion of the Holy Spirit, whenever God fhould be pleas'd to make use of them, upon any proper Emergency. Therefore, the Names, of fuch only, are recorded; which, not being many, we will enumerate them, in the Order as they flourish'd, from the Beginning of the Monarchy to the

2 Sam. xii.

Among the First, is Nathan; who was fent from God to denounce his Judgment against David, concerning the Affair of Bathsheba; and afterwards affifted at the Coronation of Solomon. He wrote a Book, 1 Chron. xxiv. 29. which is loft.

the Time of the Captivity. First, those of whom no Prophetical Writings are extant; Secondly, thofe, whofe Prophefies having providentially efcap'd the Wreck of Time, do now make a Part of our Holy Bible.

1 Chron.

Next, we read of Gad, David's Seer; xxiv. II. who was fent by God to reprimand him for having prefum'd to number the People, in an illegal Manner, and contrary to the exprefs Command of God; and, of three Punishments, gives him Leave to choofe one; Famine, the Sword, or Peftilence. And, afterwards, bids him rear an Altar in the Threshing Floor of Araunab the Jebusite. He likewife wrote a Book. His and Nathan's both, are refer'd to, for the Acts of David.

1 Kings xi. 29.

Afaph, Jeduthun, and Heman, the three Chiefs of the Singers, are likewise said to be Seers. We read of Abijah the Shilonite,

xi. 29.

in the Reign of Solomon; whom the LORD
fent to ftir up Jeroboam to ufurp the King-
dom of Ifrael; because Solomon had been
feduc'd to Idolatry by his heathenish Wives.
He wrote a Book of Prophely; in which
the acts of Solomon first and last were writ- 2 Chron.
ten. As they were likewife, in the vifions of xiii. 22.
Iddo the Seer; who liv'd, about that Time.
Shemaiah the Prophet, is fent with a Mef- 2 Chron.
fage from God to Rehoboam King of Ju-
dab; who is alfo faid to have written a
Book.

xii. 5.

--15.

xvi. 7.

xix. 2.

The fpirit of God came likewife upon Azariah the son of Oded; who was fent with a Meffage to Afa King of Judah. To whom, not long after, Hanani the Seer, 2 Chron. is fent with an unwelcome Declaration; for which he is put in Prifon. Jebu his 2 Chron. Son, is mention'd as fuch alfo (and to have written a Book.) As is Micaiah, Jahaziel, I and Eliezer. The Stories of Elijah and 2 Chron. Elifba, are too well known, to be inferted here.

2 Chron. xviii. 7.

v

X. 14.

Ibid: 37.

2 Chron.

XV. I.

There were also Women fometimes ho-
nour'd with this divine Gift. Miriam the Exod.
Sifter of Aaron, is called a Prophetes: As xv. zo.
is Deborah, who judg'd Ifrael. And, in the 4.

Judg. iv.

Y

Reign

2 Kings

Reign of Jofiah King of Judah, Hilkiab the High-Prief, and other principal Men xxii. 14. are fent by him to confult Huldab the Prophetess, who was famous in those Days, and dwelt in Jerufalem in the College. The Virgin whom Ifaiah took to Wife, is, by him, call'd the Prophetefs. We read of the Prophetess Noadiah, after the Return from Babylon: And of one Anna a Prophetess, in the new Teftament.

But, fecondly, The Names of those Prophets whofe Writings make fo confiderable a Part of our Bible, in the Order as they are there plac'd, are thefe, Mofes, Samuel, David, Ifaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel Hofea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Fonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk Zepbaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi.

Thefe, we shall be contented with juft naming at prefent: Only, we must obferve one thing, in relation to Prophefy in General: That the Prophetic Spirit ceas'd among the Jews, from the Time of Ma lachi, the last of them that had it, till the Proclamation of the New Covenant, by the fecond Elijah, John the Baptift, whofe Coming that Prophet literally foretels; and

Haiah

viii. 3. Neh. vi.

14. Luke ii.

36.

ད

I

and pathetically exhorts his Countrymen, in the mean while, in the Name of the LORD, to continue obedient to the Law Remember ye the law of Mofes my fervant, Mal.iv.4. which I commanded unto him in Horeb, for all Ifrael; with the ftatutes and judgments. Behold I will fend you Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the beart of the children to their fathers; left I come and fmite the earth with a curse.

da

4

4

J

J

With thefe Words ends the old Teftament: Which, in the Beginning of the new, an Angel applies to John the Baptift; when he prophefies of him before he was born,and fpeaking of him to his Father Zacharias, fays; He shall go before the Luke i. LORD, in the spirit and power of Elias; to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the difobedient to the wisdom of the just to make ready a people prepared for the

11, &c. .

LORD.

Accordingly John the Baptift, was un-
derstood, by all true Believers, to be the
Elias that was to come before the LORD.
In one Place CHRIST fays; This is he, of Mat.

Line

Y 2

whom X1. 10.