x4 The Gofpel Preachedunder the Old Spirit, efchewing and taking heed of vain Curiofity. For they them felves who received thofe extraordinary Manifeftations did not always fully know the manner of them in all .circumftances : as the Apoftle Paul himfelf knew not whether in the '?ody, or out of the Body, 2 Cor. 12.a. This is one of the great things God doth, which we cannot compre- hend, as Elihu (peaks, Yob. 37, 5. Yet fo far as the Scripture goes be- fore us, we may fafely follow. Thefe divers manners therefore of Gods (peaking, or revealing his Mind of old, may be referred chiefly to thole feven Heads. T. By Vifions. 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 fpecial and peculiar kindof Intimacy and Familiarity. r. The Lord was wont then to fpeak by Vifions : I mean vifible Ap- paritions and Reprefentations of things to the Eye ; the Perlon being awake and not afleep. I do not mean things reprefented meerly to the Mind and inward Thoughts; for this will come in afterwards un- der another Head ; Namely, that ofinward Infpiration and Revelati- on ; but I fpeak now of fuch Vifions wherein things were really and indeed objected to the outward Senfes. Hence the Prophets are called Seers5 hence that Phrafe, the Fijians of God, ufed concerning Prophe- fies. And what was it that they faw ? Sometimes they law Godhim- fell; fometimes the Angels ; and fometimes other things were repre- fented, and didappear in Vifron to them. i. Sometimes the Lord himfelf did appear in Vifions to them. Not as thó'hiss i frence were corporeal or vifible. He dwells in Light unap- proachable, I Tim. 6. 16. reborn noMan bath Peen, or can fee ; but crea- ted Manifefations and Reprefentations of his Glory he did appear in. So Exod 26. ï&. -- and 19. 18,29,2o. Yebovah defcended Symbolical- ly,, in'r;egard of the glorious Tokens and Symbols of his Prefence. But then they faw no fimititude, only Fire and Smoke, and the Mountain fhak- ing, Deus.4. ; a: And theyfaro the God of Ifrael : And there was under bis Feet,' as it were a paved work of a Saphire Stone- --alfo they faro God, and did eat and drink, Exod. 24. to. r t. And the Lord defcended in the Blond, and flood withhim 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, Deutn humanwl effigiepertranfsifJc ; that God paired by in anhumane shape. All
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