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Show Part.3. 01-" A CHRISTIAN. crap", 400.» "'3; ~' WW doe neithermarry, nor give in marriage, 6w Ar: Ar the L/Ingel: of Goa'm [maven : butin the refurreftion men {hall be Permanent, and not Incorporeall; i‘o therefore alfo are the Angels. There be divers other places out ofwhich may be drawn the like concluiion. To men that underfland the iignification of thch words, Suéflame,arid Incarporml/a as Incarporenl/ is taken not for {uh- tile body, but for not Body , they imply a contradiction: infomuch as to fay, an Angel,or Spirit is (in that fenfe) an Incorporeall Sub- fiance, is to lay in effect, there is no Angel nor Spirit at all. Confidering therefore the fignification of the word Annel in the Old Teitament, and the nature of Dreams and Vifions that happen to men by the ordinary way ofNature, I was enclined to this opinion, that Angels were nothing but fupernaturall apparitions ot the Fancy , raifed by the l‘peciall and ex traordinary operation of God, thereby to make r can, lus preience and commandements known to mankind , and chiefly to n7; at; ‘m' ‘m::~ 1-2:), his own people. But the many places ofthe New Tei'tament,and our Saviours own words,and in fuch texts, wherein is no fuipicion of t i i l l l l l corruption ofthe Scripture,have extorted from 1-1in feebleReaion, an acknowledgment, and beleef, that there be alfo ngels fubi'tantiall, and permanent. But to beleeve they be in no place , that is to fay, no where, that is to fay, nothing , as they ( though indirectly ) fay, that will have them Incorporeall , cannot by Scripture bee evina Infpiraii 071 what. ced. On the fignification of the word Sfir/t, dependeth that ofthe word IN 5 p [RAT ION; which mull either be taken properly -, and then it is nothing but the blowing into a man fome thin and iiibtile aire , or wind, in fuch manner as a man filleth abladdcr with his breath; orifSpirits be not corporeall, but have their exiitence only in the fancy, it is nothing but the blowing in otia Phantafine -, which is int proper to fay, and impofhble, for Phantafmes are not,but only [cent to be fomewhat. That word therefore is ufed in the Scripture metiphorically onely: As (CM. 2.7. ) where it is (aid, that God m/pzred into man the breath oflife, no more is meant , then that God gave unto him Vitall motion. For we are not to think that God made fi tit 21 livmg breath, and then blew it into Adam after he was made. whether that breath were reall,or {eemingg but only as it is t' Art: 1 '. 25.) NM! he gum 171m lrfe, and [treat/:3 that is,made him a living crei ture. And when it is find (2 $2713.16.) all Scr'Plflrt' dammit) "~- fpimtiwifrom G n‘d, peaking there ot‘the Scripture ot‘the Old Trilament, it is an eafie iiietaphor,to fignifie , that God enclined the {pi- rit or mind ofthoie \Nriters , to write that which ihould be ui'etiill, l H) teaching, reproving, ceirecting, and inilructing men in the way or righteous livmg. But where St. Peter ( 2 Pent. 21. )iiuthahat I'mpbety name not 111 old time by t/It xvi/1 ofmtm , {ml the Ila/Y mm 0/ 5‘71 [puke at they were moved by tit: 11on Spirit , by the Holy Spirit, is meant the voice- ofGod in a Dream , or V/ifion'iiipernaturall, u hich ‘5."0‘ I'lfptmmn : Not when our Saviour breathiu on his Dili‘iplt‘i , {Rd ; Rffri'vt the Holy Spirit , was that Breath the Spirit , but 311%" 0f the l‘pitituallgraces he gave untOtliem. And though ;: be hill pm. 3; ' c 0' M M 0 N-WE A L TH; a chip. 34. and ofour Saviour himfelflthat he was full ofthe Holy gfirgilfire‘iliim Fulnefle is not to be underflood- for Infufion of the fubfiahCe of God, but for accumulation ofhisgifts, {rich as are. the Gift of fané‘tity of life, of tongues, and the like, whether attained izupernaturally, or by Rudy and indufiry; for in all cafes they are the nifts of God. So likewife where God fayes( 1an 2. 28.) I avi/leozvre out my Spirit upon alifltjb, andyaur Sum tmdytmr Daugh- ter: flml/ prop/Jet] , yottr 01d mmflmll dream Dreamr ,_ and your Tot/rig men flmll fre Vifiom, Wee are not to underf'tand it in the proer fenfe, as if his Spirit were like water, {object to effufion, or infuiion-7 but as if God had promifed to give them Propheticall Dreams, and Vifions. For the proper ufe of the word mfufed, 1n {peaking of the graces of God, is an abufe of it, forthofe graces are Vertues, not Bodies to be carryed hither and thither, and to be powred into men,as into barrels. . ‘ . In the fame manner, to take Infplmtwn in the proper fenfe, or to fay that Good Spirits entred into men to make them prophecy ,. or Evill Spirit: into thofe that becamePhrenetique , Lunatiquc , or Epileptique, is not to take the word in the fenfe of the Scripture; for the Spirit there is taken for the power of God, working by caufes to us unknown.As alfo(Ac'fs 2.2.)the wind,that is there {aid to fill the houfe wherein the Apofiles we re affembled on the day of Pentecoft,is not to be underflood for the Holy Spirit,which is the Deity it felt"; but for an Externall fign of Gods fpeciall working on their hearts, to effet‘t in them the internall graces, and holy vertucs hee thought rcquifite for the performance of their Apofile~ fliip. |