Spirit, efchewing and taking heed of vain Curiofity. For they themfelves who received thofe extraordinary Manifeftations did not always fully know the manner of them in all circumftances as the Apoft le Paul bimfelf knew not whether in the body, or out of the Body, 2 Cor. 12.2. This is one of the great things God doth, which we cannot comprehend, as Eliba fpeaks, Job. 37. 5. Yet fo far as the Scripture goes before us, we may fafely follow. Thefe divers manners therefore of Gods fpeaking, or revealing his Mind of old, may be referred chiefly to thefe feven Heads. 1. By Vitions. 2. By Dreams, 3. By Voices. 4. By inward Infpirations and Impulfes of his Spirit. 5. By legal Types and Shadows. 6. By Signs and Wonders. 7. By a special and peculiar kind of Intimacy and Familiarity. 1. The Lord was wont then to speak by Visions: I mean visible Apparitions and Representations of things to the Eye; the Perfon being awake and not afleep. I do not mean things reprefented meerly to the Mind and inward Thoughts; for this will come in afterwards under another Head; Namely, that of inward Inspiration and Revelation; but I fpeak now of fuch Visions wherein things were really and indeed objected to the outward Senfes. Hence the Prophets are called Seers; hence that Phrafe, the Visions of God, ufed concerning Prophe fies. And what was it that they faw? Sometimes they faw God himfelf; fometimes the Angels; and fometimes other things were reprefented, and did appear in Vifion to them. 1. Sometimes the Lord himself did appear in Vifions to them. Not as tho' his Effence were corporeal or visible. He dwells in Light unapproachable, 1 Tim. 6. 16. whom no Man hath feen, or can fee; but crea-" ted Manifeftations and Reprefentations of his Glory he did appear in. So Exod 20. 18. and 19. 18, 19, 20. Jehovab defcended Symbolically, in regard of the glorious Tokens and Symbols of his Prefence. But then they fan no fimilitude, only Fire and Sinoke, and the Mountain fhaking, Deut. 4. 12. And they faw the God of Ifrael: And there was under bis Feet, as it were a paved work of a Saphire Stone--alfo they faw God, and did eat and drink, Exod. 24. 10. 11. And the Lord defcended in the Cloud, and food with bim there, and proclaimed the Name of the Lord, and the Lord paffed by before him, and proclaimed &c. Exod. 34. 5. 6. It feemeth by the expreflions, Deum humanâ effigie pertranfiisse; that God paffed by in an humane shape. All All the three Panfors of the Trinity have appeared diftin&tly invisible Reprefentations. fences God the Father and the Son, Dan. 7. 9.-13. I beheld till the Thrones were cast down, and the ancient of days did fit; — 1 faw in the night Visions; and behold one like the Son of Man came with the Clouds of Heaven to the ancient of days Revel. 4. 1. compared with Chap. 5. 7. where we find, that the Lamb took the Book out of the right band of him that fat upon the Throne. So that here be two of thofe glorious Perfons diftinctly appearing. Ezek. 1. 26. Above the Firmament there was the likeness of a Throne, and upon it the likeness as the appearance of a Man about it It feems to be nicant of God the Father, becaufe Ezek. 9. 2. 4. He is diftinguished from the Man with a Writers Inkborn by bis fide, who is thought to be our only High Prieft the Lord Jefus Chrift. The fecond Perfon Jefus Chrift appeared to Mofes, Exod. 3. 2,4. For he is called the Angel, which agrees not fo well to the first Perfon. And Mofes prays for bis Good will, Deut. 33. 16. Therefore it was not any created Angel, but Jefus Chrift the Angel of the Covenant of Grace; as a præludium to his Incarnation. So to Ifaiab 6. 1. be fam the Lord. It is the Lord Jefus Chrift, fo it is interpreted, Jobn 12 41. So Cen. 32. 24. And Jacob was left alone, and there wrestled a Man with him until the breaking of the day; that is, God in the form of a man, as the old Geneva Note hath it. The prophet Hofea faith, it was God Hof 11. 3, 4and Jacob wept and made fupplication unto him, and there be, or God, pake with us. The third Perfon, the Holy Ghoft appeared in the shape of a Dove at the Baptifm of Jefus Chrift, Matth. 3. 16. 2. Sometimes Angels have appeared. Sometimes in Bodies of humane fhape provided for them by the power of God, either created of nothing, and after the Apparition annihilated; or compacted of the four Elements, and especially of Air condenfed, and then refolved again, after the Appearance was paft, into the matter of which they were com→ pounded. As to Lot, Gen. 19. 1, 10. And there came two Angels to Sodom, and Lot facing them rose up to meet them, and bowed himself with bis Face to the ground. Thefe Angels verf. 10. are called Men. To David, 2. Sam. 24. 17. And David fpake unto the Lord, when be faw the Angel that fote the people, and faid, Lo I have finned, and I have done wickedly, &c. He faw the Angel. Which is further explained, 1 Chron. 21. 16, And David lift up bis eyes, and saw the Angel of the Lord fland between the Earth and the Heaven with a drawn Sword in his band. R Spirit, efchewing and taking heed of vain Curiofity. For they themfelves who received thofe extraordinary Manifeftations did not always fully know the manner of them in all circumftances: as the Apoftle Paul bimfelf knew not whether in the body, or out of the Body, 2 Cor. 12. 2. This is one of the great things God doth, which we cannot comprehend, as Eliba fpeaks, Job. 37. 5. Yet fo far as the Scripture goes before us, we may fafely follow. Thefe divers manners therefore of Gods fpeaking, or revealing his Mind of old, may be referred chiefly to thefe feven Heads. 1. By Vilions. 2. By Dreams, 3. By Voices. 4. By inward Infpirations and Impulfes of his Spirit. 5. By legal Types and Shadows. 6. By Signs and Wonders. 7. By a special and peculiar kind of Intimacy and Familiarity. 1. The Lord was wont then to speak by Visions: I mean visible Apparitions and Reprefentations of things to the Eye; the Perfon being awake and not asleep. I do not mean things reprefented meerly to the Mind and inward Thoughts; for this will come in afterwards under another Head; Namely, that of inward Inspiration and Revelation; but I fpeak now of fuch Visions wherein things were really and indeed objected to the outward Senfes. Hence the Prophets are called Seers; hence that Phrafe, the Visions of God, ufed concerning Prophefies. And what was it that they faw? Sometimes they faw God himfelf; fometimes the Angels; and fometimes other things were reprefented, and did appear in Vifion to them. 1. Sometimes the Lord himself did appear in Vifions to them. Not as tho' his Effence were corporeal or visible. He dwells in Light unapproachable, Tim. 6. 16. whom no Man bath feen, or can fee; but created Manifeftations and Reprefentations of his Glory he did appear in. So Exod 20. 18.-- and 19. 18, 19, 20. Jehovab defcended Symbolically, in regard of the glorious Tokens and Symbols of his Prefence. But then they fan no fimilitude, only Fire and Sinoke, and the Mountain fhaking, Deut. 4. 12. And they faw the God of Ifrael: And there was under bis Feet, as it were a paved work of a Saphire Stone---alfo they faw God, and did eat and drink, Exod. 24. 10. 11. And the Lord defcended in the Cloud, and food with bim there, and proclaimed the Name of the Lord, and the Lord paffed by before him, and proclaimed &c. Exod. 34. 5. 6. It feemeth by the expreflions, Deum humanâ effigie pertranfiiffe; that God paffed by in an humane shape. All All the three Perfo of the Trinity have appeared diftinctly invisible Reprefentations. effences God the Father and the Son, Dan. 7. 9.---13. I beheld till the Thrones were cast down, and the ancient of days did fit ; — I saw in the night Visions; and behold one like the Son of Man came with the Clouds of Heaven to the ancient of days-Revel. 4. 1. compared with Chap. 5. 7. where we find, that the Lamb took the Book out of the right band of him that fat upon the Throne. So that here be two of thofe glorious Perfons diftinctly appearing. Ezek. 1. 26. Above the Firmament there was the likeness of a Throne, and upon it the likeness as the appearance of a Man about it It feems to be nicant of God the Father, becaufe Ezek. 9. 2. 4. He is diftinguished from the Man with a Writers Inkborn by bis fide, who is thought to be our only High Priest the Lord Jefus Chrift. The Second Perfon Jefus Chrift appeared to Mofes, Exod. 3. 2,4. For he is called the Angel, which agrees not fo well to the first Perfon. And Mofes prays for bis Good will, Deut. 33. 16. Therefore it was not any created Angel, but Jefus Chrift the Angel of the Covenant of Grace; as a præludium to his Incarnation. So to Ifaiab 6. 1. be fam the Lord. It is the Lord Jefus Chrift, fo it is interpreted, Jobn 12 41. So Cen. 32. 24. And Jacob was left alone, and there wrestled a Man with him until the breaking of the day; that is, God in the form of a man, as the old Geneva Note hath it. The prophet Hofea faith, it was God Hof 12. 3, 4. and Jacob wept and made fupplication unto him, and there be, or God, fpake with us. The third Perfon, the Holy Ghost appeared in the fhape of a Dove at the Baptifm of Jefus Chrift, Matth. 3. 16. 2. Sometimes Angels have appeared. Sometimes in Bodies of humane fhape provided for them by the power of God, either created of nothing, and after the Apparition annihilated; or compacted of the four Elements, and efpecially of Air condenfed, and then refolved again, after the Appearance was paft, into the matter of which they were com pounded. As to Lot, Gen. 19. 1, 10. And there came two Angels to Sodom, and Lot facing them rose up to meet them, and bowed himself with bis Face to the ground. Thefe Angels verf. 10. are called Men. To David, 2. Sam. 24. 17. And David spake unto the Lord, when be faw the Angel that fote the people, and faid, Lo I have finned, and I have done wickedly, &c. He faw the Angel. Which is further explained, 1 Chron. 21. 16, And David lift up his eyes, and saw the Angel of the Lord ftand between the Earth and the Heaven with a drawn Sword in his hand. Spirit, efchewing and taking heed of vain Curiofity. For they themfelves who received thofe extraordinary Manifeftations did not always. fully know the manner of them in all circumftances: as the Apoft le Paul bimfelf knew not whether in the body, or out of the Body, 2 Cor. 12. 2. This is one of the great things God doth, which we cannot comprehend, as Eliba fpeaks, Job. 37. 5. Yet fo far as the Scripture goes before us, we may fafely follow. Thefe divers manners therefore of Gods fpeaking, or revealing his Mind of old, may be referred chiefly to thefe feven Heads. 1. By Vilions. 2. By Dreams. 3. By Voices. 4. By inward Infpirations and Impulfes of his Spirit. 5. By legal Types and Shadows. 6. By Signs and Wonders. 7. By a special and peculiar kind of Intimacy and Familiarity. 1. The Lord was wont then to speak by Visions: I mean visible Apparitions and Representations of things to the Eye; the Perfon being awake and not afleep. I do not mean things reprefented meerly to the Mind and inward Thoughts; for this will come in afterwards under another Head; Namely, that of inward Inspiration and Revelation; but I fpeak now of fuch Vifions wherein things were really and indeed objected to the outward Senfes. Hence the Prophets are called Seers; hence that Phrafe, the Visions of God, ufed concerning Prophefies. And what was it that they faw? Sometimes they faw God himfelf; fometimes the Angels; and fometimes other things were reprefented, and did appear in Vifion to them. 1. Sometimes the Lord himself did appear in Visions to them. Not as tho' his Effence were corporeal or visible. He dwells in Light unapproachable, Tim. 6. 16. whom no Man hath feen, or can fee; but created Manifeftations and Representations of his Glory he did appear in. So Exod 20. 18. and 19. 18, 19, 20. Jehovab defcended Symbolically, in regard of the glorious Tokens and Symbols of his Prefence. But then they faw no fimilitude, only Fire and Smoke, and the Mountain fhaking, Deut. 4. 12. And they faw the God of Ifrael: And there was under bis Feet, as it were a paved work of a Saphire Stone--also they fan God, and did eat and drink, Exod. 24. 10. 11. And the Lord defcended in the Cloud, and food with him there, and proclaimed the Name of the Lord, and the Lord paffed by before him, and proclaimed &c. Exod. 34. 5. 6. It feemeth by the expreffions, Deum humanâ effigie pertranfiiffe; that God paffed by in an humane shape. All |