Ambrose - BT200 A42 1658

Chap.x.Secr.x L~oldng tltJto 1ift14, Booic ! II· which he had as God, in kolinr/[e, ana true righfeoufneJJe , b_ut in refped: of that forme whtch he had affumed. Howfoever thts, we find that after man had finned ,Chril.l: then appeared , firl.l: to eAdam, then to Abraham , then to l(aac, then to 'fac~b, then to 0l1ofes,t.:7c.-Firl.l:, he appeared to Adam in the garden , Ijr 11nd they heard the voice ~f the LordGod, walkjng ir< thegarden ,in Gcn.;.S the cool of the day. God as he is God hath neither voice to fpeak , nor feet to walk, but affu·ming the forme , and fhape of a man he exercifed both : and fo he wai the firl.l: that publifbed that firl.l: promifeto the world, it/ball bruife th) head.- 2 . He appeared Gen. 1s, 1 ,, 3 ; to Ab,.P.ham in the plain ofMamre, where the Lord talk_td with :.f. Abraham, and Abraham calls him the 'Judge of P.lt the earth , which can be afcribcd to none but C hril.l: the 'fudge of quick_ and dead. Some from that faying of Chril.l:, your father Abrahllim rrjoyced to fee my day, aud he Jaw it, and was glad, do gather Job.S. fO 'tbat Abraham faw Chril.l:, not onely with the ey~s of faith (a~ all the rel.l: of the Patriarchs and Prophets did) but alfo ina vilible fhape which he affumed , like unto that whereunto he was afterwards to be united ; And fo it was Chrift th<tt renewed the Covenant with eAbraham,faying, I will eftablifb my Covenant be· tween me and the(, and thy feed after thee in theirgenerations, for ~t,_n evcrlajling Covenant, to be aGod unto thee, and to thy feed af Gcn,17 , 7 terthce.--3. HeappearedtoJfaac, Cjen.26.2. and to'fa- · cob, Gen.3f-24,30. and to )WofeJ, Exod.zo.I,2,3. and to many others, ofwhich I £hall comment in order. And thi:fe apparitions ofChrifl: were as prdlludimm of his incarnation. But this is not the way I £hall infift upon. • 2. Chrifl: carried on the great work of our falvation in that dark time, not by himfelfe exhibited (as when he was incarnate) bot oncly ,promifed.. The great King would firft have his Harbingers to 1€ad the way, before he himfelfwould come in perfon. As the Lord had obferved this method in creating the world , that firft he would ha\·e darkneffe, and then light; and as ftill he obferves this method in upholding the world, that firll he will l1ave dawning, and then cleare day; fo in the framing and upholding of his Church , he will firll have Chrift held forth in Ceremonies,, Rites, Figures, Types, Promifes , Covenants , and then fike a glorious Sun , or l1ke the day-[,11ri?Jg from .a» high · hn:rould vijit the world, togivelight to them that ftt in dt~rkz;ej/e .Luk,1 ,71.· S 2 To

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