§ 7. This will appear further, if we consider that those means which were us'd by Holy Persons of Old, in order to the Improvement 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_.