But when the Prophets deliver these truths that they did see in raptures and visions, they do not ever speak these truths to men, and preach them by a Prophetical rapture, but by the Spirit of grace sometimes, or by a common Prophetical gift, as in wicked Prophets, not that Prophets do actually publish their visions and Prophecy, not as Prophets but as godly men, I have not that meaning, but that an immediately inspiring impulsion of an actual ecstasy doth ⟨p. 299⟩not ever lead them to preach. So God never doth command and threaten men to see the visions of God, for here there is no place for free election, but God chargeth and commandeth Jeremiah to preach the truth, which he saw in a vision, Jer. 1.17. Thou therefore gird up thy loins, arise and speak unto them all that I command thee; and he threateneth him in case of disobedience, Be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them; and he comforteth him in the following words, 18. Behold I have made thee this day a defenced City, and an iron wall. So the Lord speaketh to Jeremiah also, c. 15.19, 20. then we need not say necessarily that Jeremiah did actually prophesy or see the visions of God, when he saith, ch. 26.15. of a truth the Lord hath sent me to you: at least there is no warrant to say that when the Prophets do speak and publish their visions to these to whom God hath sent them to Prophesy, that they are in the act of publishing and preaching to men, under the same actual and immediate impulsion of the Holy Ghost that they are under while they are in a trance, and actually see the visions of God, as Jeremiah was c. 1.11.12. when he seeth these visions. Jeremiah only obeyeth Gods command, and relateth his visions that he had seen before, and did this by the Spirit of grace common to other believers by which he was inclined to be faithful in speaking, what he had heard and seen: and the like I say of Micajah in preaching to Ahab, and of all the true Prophets, who did not ever from a Prophetical instinct, utter or preach to men the things they had seen in extaticall visions, but often from a principle of grace by which they were to be faithful to him who sent them, and durst not preach smooth things, nor conceal the visions of God.
But when the Prophets deliver these truths that they did see in raptures and visions, they doe not ever speake these truths to men, and preach them by a Propheticall rapture, but by the Spirit of grace sometimes, or by a common Propheticall gift, as in wicked Prophets, not that Prophets doe actually publish their visions and Prophesie, not as Prophets but as godly men, I have not that meaning, but that an immediately inspiring impulsion of an actuall extasie doth ⟨p. 299⟩not ever lead them to preach. So God never doth command and threaten men to see the visions of God, for here there is no place for free election, but God chargeth and commandeth Jeremiah to preach the truth, which he saw in a vision, Jer. 1.17. Thou therefore gird up thy loynes, arise and speake unto them all that I command thee; and he threatneth him in case of disobedience, Be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them; and he comforteth him in the following words, 18. Behold I have made thee this day a defenced City, and an iron wall. So the Lord speaketh to Jeremiah also, c. 15.19, 20. then we need not say necessarily that Jeremiah did actually prophesie or see the visions of God, when he saith, ch. 26.15. of a truth the Lord hath sent me to you: at least there is no warrant to say that when the Prophets doe speake and publish their visions to these to whom God hath sent them to Prophesie, that they are in the act of publishing and preaching to men, under the same actuall and immediate impulsion of the Holy Ghost that they are under while they are in a trance, and actually see the visions of God, as Jeremiah was c. 1.11.12. when hee seeth these visions. Ieremiah only obeyeth Gods command, and relateth his visions that he had seene before, and did this by the Spirit of grace common to other beleevers by which he was inclined to bee faithfull in speaking, what he had heard and seene: and the like I say of Micajah in preaching to Ahab, and of all the true Prophets, who did not ever from a Propheticall instinct, utter or preach to men the things they had seene in extaticall visions, but often from a principle of grace by which they were to bee faithfull to him who sent them, and durst not preach smooth things, nor conceale the visions of God.
