Publisher's Synopsis
Excerpt from An Exposition of the Old and New Testament, Vol. 5: Wherein Each Chapter Is Summed Up in Its Contents; The Sacred Text Inserted at Large in Distinct Paragraphs; Each Paragraph Reduced to Its Proper Heads; The Sense Given, and Largely Illustrated; Isaiah to Lamentations
During the government of the Judges there was a pouring out of the Spirit, but more as a Spirit of skill and courage for war than as a Spirit of prophecy. Deborah is indeed called a prophetess, because of her extraordinary qualifications for judging Israel; but that is the only mention of prophecy, that I remember, in all the book of Judges. Extraordinary messages were sent by angels, as to Gideon and Manoah; and it is expressly said that before the word of the Lord came to Samuel (1 Sam. Iii. 1) it was precious, it was very scarce, there was no open vision. And it was therefore with more than ordinary solemnity that the word of the Lord came first to Samuel; and by degrees notice and assurance were given to all Israel that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the Lord, 1 Sam. Iii. 20. In Samuel's time, and by him, the schools of the prophets were erected, by which prophecy was dignified and provision made for a succession of prophets for it should seem that in those colleges, hopeful young men were bred up in devotion, in a constant attendance upon the instruction the prophets gave from God, and under a strict discipline, as candidates, or probationers, for prophecy, who were called the sons of the prophets and their religious exercises of prayer, con ference, and psalmody especially, are called prophesyings and their praefect, or president, is called their father, 1 Sam. X. 12. Out of these God ordinarily chose the prophets he sent yet not always Amos was no prophet nor prophet's son (amos vii. Had not his education in the schools of the prophets, and yet was commissioned to go on God's errands, and (which is observable) though he had not academical education himself, yet he seems to speak of it with great respect when he reckons it among the favours God had bestowed upon Israel that he raised up qf their sons for pro phet: and of their young men for Nazarites, Amos ii. 11.
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