A37046:285
The law unsealed
The law unsealed: or, A practical exposition of the Ten Commandments With a resolution of several momentous questions and cases of conscience. By the learned, laborious, faithful servant of Jesus Christ, Mr. James Durham, late minister of the Gospel at Glasgow.
Glasgow: printed by Robert Sanders, 1676
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Again, as to what may be objected from the Lords appearing sometimes in the likeness of a man, or the Spirits descending as a Dove, or as cloven tongues of fire: It i• answered,
1. There is a great difference betwixt a sign of the Spirits presence, and a representation of the Spirit. 2. Betwixt what representeth the Spirit, as he is one of the Persons of the blessed Trinity, and what resembleth some gift of his: The similitude o• a Dove descending upon Christ, was to show his taking up his residence in him▪ an• furnishing him with gifts and graces, and particularly holy simplicity and meekness without measure, and so his appearing in cloven tongues was to show his communicating the gift of Tongues to the Apostles. 3. Neither is there any warrant for drawing him in these shapes, more then to look on every living Dove, as representing him: and the like may be said of Gods appearing sometimes in humane likeness, it was but that men might have some visible help to discern something of Gods presence, but not to give any representation of him, and these bodies were but for a time assumed, as a prelude and fore-running evidence of the Sons being to become man.
1. There is a great difference betwixt a sign of the Spirits presence, and a representation of the Spirit. 2. Betwixt what representeth the Spirit, as he is one of the Persons of the blessed Trinity, and what resembleth some gift of his: The similitude o• a Dove descending upon Christ, was to show his taking up his residence in him▪ an• furnishing him with gifts and graces, and particularly holy simplicity and meeknes• without measure, and so his appearing in cloven tongues was to shew his communicating the gift of Tongues to the Apostles. 3. Neither is there any warrant for drawing him in these shapes, more then to look on every living Dove, as representing him: and the like may be said of Gods appearing sometimes in humane likeness, it was but that men might have some visible help to discern something of Gods presence, but not to give any representation of him, and these bodies were but for a time assumed, as a praeludie and fore-running evidence of the Sons being to become man.