ovement of
themselves or others, in the Exercise of Piety and Religion, cannot upon
any account be reckon'd as means of their becoming Prophets. Tho'
_Samuel_ was dedicated to the Service of God from his Birth, and it
pleas'd God to chuse him for a Prophet; yet there is no question to be
made, but that there were several others so dedicated, which did never
prophesy.

Tho' _Daniel_ was heard _from the first day that he did set his Heart to
understand, and to chasten himself before God_[35], and had an Angel
sent to him with a Revelation, yet cannot that disciplining of himself
be in any wise accounted a Cause of that Revelation; for if it were, the
same Method would produce the same Effect in another Man. And tho' there
were particular Advantages in being a Member of the College of
_Prophets_; as the Prophet _Amos_[36] intimates, where he says, _I was
no Prophet, nor A Prophet's Son_ (which must be interpreted _The Scholar
of a Prophet_, for the Scholars of the Prophets are always call'd _Sons
of the Prophets_ in Scripture) yet none of these Means were sufficient
to help Men to the Gift of Prophecy. The pious Parents thought it a very
good way of improving their Children in the Fear and Love of God, and
the Knowledge of his Will, to have them brought up under those Holy and
Exemplary Men the Prophets; and accordingly they waited upon them, went
on Errands and did their Service; at the same time enjoying the great
Advantage of their Example and Discourse. And according to their
Example, even after Prophesy was ceas'd among the _Jews_, the eminent
Men and chief Doctors of the Law had their Scholars and Disciples, more
or fewer, according to the Credit and Esteem of the Matter. So that our
Blessed Saviour's chusing his twelve Disciples, was no new thing among
the _Jews_, but had been practis'd all along, since those Schools of the
Prophets. But never did any one imagine, that these means of Discipline,
or any other, were Steps to the attaining the Gift of Prophecy, which
always depended, not upon Mens Acquirements or Improvements in that
which is good, but upon the _positive Will of God_.

Sec. 8. Now, if, as appears from what is already said, God has not afforded
to Man, any Means whereby he can attain to the more inferior Degree of
Prophecy, which consists in having only some part of his Will reveal'd;
and that not constantly or habitually, but as occasion serves: How vain
and fond is it then for any one to imagine that