Chap. 33. An Expofition upon the Book of J o s. Verf. 5. 287 butes nothing to thofe operations. For though it be granted that fame irrational' creatures ( who have no immortali part, 'nor any thing fubRantiall in them difiinet from their bodies, though it be granted I fay, that thefe ) may have dreames ; yettheir dreams differ as much from thole of men, as themfèlves doe. Secondly Note, The revelationof the mindofGod by dreams and vifons, was much, yea molt nfed in thofe ancient times, whenGod had not fo fully revealed his mind by Scripture or his mind in the Scripture, then hefpakeoften indreamsand vifions;and hence the old Prophets were called feers. The Apottle reports, God fpeaking at fundry times, and in di- vers manners in times paft,unto the fathers by the Prophets, (Heb. Li.) TheGreek text hath two very fignificant words, aohuµñpw the former mofl properlyimplying howGod gave out his mind in ero0705'tn±s divers meafures, or how he parcelled it out, the other implying the feveráll wayes in which he gave it our. As the meafures were various, fometimes more fomeeimes leffe of his mind about di-- vine mattersand myfleries being difperfed,fo thewayes manners and formesof this difpenfation werevery various ; yet the molt ufuall way was by dreams and vifions ( Numb. 12. 6. ) If there be a Prophet among you ( faith the Lord) I the Lord will make, my felf known unto him in a vifion, and rpeal,to him ina dreame. Yea we End that in the firft dayesof the Golpel, dreames and vifìons were frequent. The Apoflle falling into a trance had a vifion ( Acts io. io:) Hefaw heavenopened andacertain vefell &c. And when ariawould have the Apofl'e Paul car- ry theGofpell inco Macedonia, a vifion appeared to him in the night ( AEI's r 6.9.) There flooda manofMacedonia, and prayed,' him, laying, come over to Macedoniaand helpus. The fame Apo file faith" ( 2 Cor. i 2. i, 2. ) Iwill come to vifion; andr'evelations ofthe Lord, whether in the body I cannot tell; or out of the body I cannot tell. Pauls foulwas w ;apt up in fuch high and intimatecon- verfes with God, that he even forgot how it was withhis body,or had little to doe with'it. Which fuites well with that defcripti- on which the ApoRie Tohn gave of himfelf,when he had thewhole mind of God concerning the Rate of his Church to the end ofthe world, revealed tohim in feverallvi(ions I (faith he-Rev. .i . i 0.) wry
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