CHAP. VI.
And this Spirit of Wisdom, Knowledge and Power, which is produced by the Revelation as aforesaid, it hath motional Voices in the Conscience, as the Familiar Spirit hath in the evil Conscience; but the motional Voices in a good Conscience speaketh Peace. Likewise this motional Voice in Prophets, High-Priests, Apostles, and others, is that by which they do foretel Things by, whether it be good or bad, that shall befal those that shall enquire.
Also the Spirit of Revelation hath a standing Rule to enquire by, as those have that doth tell Things by a Familiar Spirit, as I said before; for the Witches doth imitate the way of the Prophets, and the Devil's Way is as like God's Way as he can.
Now let the Reader mind, and he may see how Men have enquired of the Lord by motional Voices in the Mind, by that Spirit of Faith which is gotten by Revelation, which is called the Spirit of God.
In the Time of the Law ofMoses, the Ephod was a standing Rule, for to enquire of God for good or bad Success. Now there was no Man could tell what the Event would be that looked upon the Ephod, but such Men as had the Spirit of Revelation and Prophecy in them; asDavidand the High Priest, as soon as ever they looked upon the Ephod, they could tell whether they should prosper in Battle or not; but if any other Man which had not the Spirit of Revelation and Prophecy should look upon the Ephod, they could tell nothing by it.
Though the Ephod was appointed of God, on purpose to enquire of God, yet none could find out God's Mind, but such Men aforesaid; for as soon as everDavidor the High-Priest looked upon the Ephod, they could tell what the Event would be, as may be seen, 1Sam.xxiii. 6, 9. howDavidcalled for the Ephod andAbiatharthe Priest to bring it to enquire of the Lord.
Yet God never spake to them by Voice, yet they had motional Voices in themselves in their Hearts, assuring them that they prosper or not prosper; yet God never appeared himself, nor any Angel, neither did God speak by any Voice, yet they are bid to go and prosper, as if they had heard some Voice by looking upon the Ephod, so that those Voices that bid them go and prosper, they were motional Voices that did arise from the Revelation and Spirit of Prophecy within them by that Skill they had in the Ephod, which was appointed of God for that Purpose. So that allDavid's Voices, and the High-Priest Voices, that were motional Voices, yet called the Voice of God, because they did arise from the Seed of Faith inDavidand others, which is the Divine Nature of God, therefore called the Spirit of God.
For this I say, ifSaulhad not lost that Spirit of Prophecy by his Disobedience, as he once had, when the good Spirit departed from him, he might have enquired of the Ephod, and have been answered with a motional Voice by the Ephod, as he was by enquiring of a Witch.
For the Spirit ofSamueldid speak no more toSaul, then the Spirit of God did speak toDavid, they were both motional Voices that did arise from their two Seeds the one Voice spake Peace and Deliverance, and the other spake Wrath and Destruction; the one did enquire in the Way that God did appoint, even of the Ephod, or of the Lord's Prophets; the other did enquire of that which was forbidden, and forsook the Lord and his Prophets, and went to a Witch to enquire: It was because one was the Seed ofAdam, which is the Seed of God, and so chosen of God in Mercy, evenDavid; and the other was the Seed of the Serpent, even the Devil, who was chosen King in God's Wrath evenSaul.
This is the true Interpretation of those Voices thatSamuelspake toSaul, and of his being raised by the Witch ofEndor.
Therefore you that can understand these things as aforementioned, you may see how the whole World lieth in Darkness, and are cheated of their Sense and Reason by this lying and vain Imagination, to believe that Spirits can be without Bodies, or that Spirits can be raisedwithout Bodies, or that Spirits can speak without Bodies, or that Spirits departed can assume any Shapes afterwards; these Things and many more are produced by the dark Imagination of the Heart of Man: And if the Reader hath any true Light of Faith in him, he may understand the Interpretation I have given of the Witch ofEndor, and how a Familiar Spirit is produced or begotten in them, and be satisfied in his Mind as to that Matter; so much concerning those Words inSamuelaforementioned.