the whole Will of God to his People, as it was deliver’d to him; which most certainly he did.  But how?  Why, he commands the People thus, Deut. vi. 17. You shall diligently keep the Commandments of the Lord your God, and his Testimonies and his Statutes which he hath commanded thee; which were, no doubt, the very same which he had received upon Mount Sinai.  Nor did this Holy Man, this faithful Servant in God’s House, ever recommend, or so much as hint any such Service of God, as is dream’d of by our Mysticks, or give the least Encouragement for any to hope for the Gift of Prophecy, or an Intuition or beholding the Divine Being in this State.  And yet it is certain that both Moses himself, and Multitudes of others after him, were Heavenly-minded Men, and did that which was acceptable in the Sight of God, and shall be Partakers of Everlasting Glory.

Sec. 10.  Nor did any of the Prophets, which came after him, ever advance any such refin’d way of Worship; but constantly blam’d the People for not observing the Law of Moses, and neglecting the Statutes and Ordinances which he had left them.  And the Sum of their Prophecies consists, either in Exhorting, Reproving, Promising or Threatning, and some Hints of the Messias.  But not one Syllable concerning any such abstracted Worship, nor any Mention made of Mens attaining the Beatifick Vision.  Notwithstanding which, there have been, and still are, a great many deluded Souls, who imagine that the warm Conceptions of distemper’d Brains, are a great Measure of that Holy Spirit by which the old Prophets spake; and pretend to such a Familiarity and intimate Conversation with God; such an entire Communication and Intercourse, that they might, if what they said were true, seem to be glorified Spirits, rather than Prophets, subject to the like Infirmities with other Men; and to have left the Church Militant to take their place in the Triumphant.  Not considering, that all this is only a pleasing sort of an Amusement, a Fool’s Paradise, and grounded upon no better Reason or Foundation, than the Man that was distracted had to fancy himself an Emperor, and all that came about him his Subjects.  These Men do not consider that we live in such an Age of the World, as we are not to expect such extraordinary Effusions of the Spirit:  All that we can reasonably expect, or that God has promis’d, is, to give his Holy Spirit to those that ask it of him; that is, so to guide them by his gracious Assistance, as that they may overcome their Spiritual Enemies, and be crown’d hereafter with Glory and Immortality; which certainly ought to content any reasonable Man, without aspiring to Immediate Revelation, Prophecy, obtaining the Vision of God, and such like Things,which God has deny’d to us, whilst in this State.