第55章

InwhatmannerGodspaketoAdam，andEve，andCain，andNoahisnotexpressed；norhowhespaketoAbraham，tillsuchtimeashecameoutofhisowncountrytoSicheminthelandofCanaan，andthenGodissaidtohaveappearedtohim。*SothereisonewaywherebyGodmadeHispresencemanifest；thatis，byanapparition，orvision。Andagain，thewordoftheLordcametoAbrahaminavision“；*(2)thatistosay，somewhat，asasignofGod’spresence，appearedasGod’smessengertospeaktohim。Again，theLordappearedtoAbrahambyanapparitionofthreeangels；*(3)andtoAbimelechinadream；*(4)toLotbyanapparitionoftwoangels；*(5)andtoHagarbytheapparitionofoneangel；*(6)andtoAbrahamagainbytheapparitionofavoicefromheaven；*(7)andtoIsaacinthenight*(8)(thatis，inhissleep，orbydream)；andtoJacobinadream；*(9)thatistosay(asarethewordsofthetext)，“Jacobdreamedthathesawaladder，“etc。Andinavisionofangels；*(10)andtoMosesintheapparitionofaflameoffireoutofthemidstofabush；*(11)andafterthetimeofMoses，wherethemannerhowGodspakeimmediatelytomanintheOldTestamentisexpressed，Hespakealwaysbyavision，orbyadream；astoGideon，Samuel，Eliah，Elisha，Isaiah，Ezekiel，andtherestoftheprophets；andoftenintheNewTestament，astoJoseph，toSt。

Peter，toSt。Paul，andtoSt。JohntheEvangelistintheApocalypse。

OnlytoMosesHespakeinamoreextraordinarymannerinMountSinai，andintheTabernacle；andtothehighpriestintheTabernacle，andinthesanctumsanctorumoftheTemple。ButMoses，andafterhimthehighpriests，wereprophetsofamoreeminentplaceanddegreeinGod’sfavour；andGodHimselfinexpresswordsdeclareththattootherprophetsHespakeindreamsandvisions，buttoHisservantMosesinsuchmannerasamanspeakethtohisfriend。Thewordsarethese：“Iftherebeaprophetamongyou，ItheLordwillmakeMyselfknowntohiminavision，andwillspeakuntohiminadream。MyservantMosesisnotso，whoisfaithfulinallmyhouse；

withhimIwillspeakmouthtomouth，evenapparently，notindarkspeeches；andthesimilitudeoftheLordshallhebehold。“*And，“TheLordspaketoMosesfacetoface，asamanspeakethtohisfriend。“*(2)AndyetthisspeakingofGodtoMoseswasbymediationofanangel，orangels，asappearsexpressly，Acts7。35and53，andGalatians，3。19，andwasthereforeavision，thoughamoreclearvisionthanwasgiventootherprophets。Andconformablehereunto，whereGodsaith，“Ifthereariseamongstyouaprophet，ordreamerofdreams，“*(3)thelatterwordisbuttheinterpretationoftheformer。And，“Yoursonsandyourdaughtersshallprophesy；youroldmenshalldreamdreams，andyouryoungmenshallseevisions“：*(4)

whereagain，thewordprophesyisexpoundedbydreamandvision。AndinthesamemanneritwasthatGodspaketoSolomon，promisinghimwisdom，riches，andhonour；forthetextsaith，“AndSolomonawoke，andbeholditwasadream“：*(5)sothatgenerallytheprophetsextraordinaryintheOldTestamenttooknoticeofthewordofGodnootherwisethanfromtheirdreamsorvisionsthatistosay，fromtheimaginationswhichtheyhadintheirsleeporinanecstasy：whichimaginationsineverytrueprophetweresupernatural，butinfalseprophetswereeithernaturalorfeigned。

Thesameprophetswereneverthelesssaidtospeakbythespirit；

aswheretheprophet，speakingoftheJews，saith，“Theymadetheirheartshardasadamant，lesttheyshouldhearthela