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this means communicating verbally。 (41) The forsaking of Israel by



Providence was portrayed to Isaiah by a vision of the Lord; the thrice Holy;



sitting on a very lofty throne; and the Hebrews; stained with the mire of



their sins; sunk as it were in uncleanness; and thus as far as possible



distant from God。 (42) The wretchedness of the people at the time was thus



revealed; while future calamities were foretold in words。 I could cite from



Holy Writ many similar examples; but I think they are sufficiently well



known already。







(43) However; we get a still more clear confirmation of our position in Num



xii:6;7; as follows: 〃If there be any prophet among you; I the Lord will



make myself known unto him in a vision〃 (i。e。 by appearances and signs; for



God says of the prophecy of Moses that it was a vision without signs); 〃and



will speak unto him in a dream 〃 (i。e。 not with actual words and an actual



voice)。 (44) 〃My servant Moses is not so; with him will I speak mouth to



mouth; even apparently; and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the



Lord he shall behold;〃 i。e。 looking on me as a friend and not afraid; he



speaks with me (cf。 Ex xxxiii:17)。







(45) This makes it indisputable that the other prophets did not hear a real



voice; and we gather as much from Deut。 xxiv:10: 〃And there arose not a



prophet since in Israel like unto Moses whom the Lord knew face to face;〃



which must mean that the Lord spoke with none other; for not even Moses saw



the Lord's face。 (46) These are the only media of communication between



God and man which I find mentioned in Scripture; and therefore the only ones



which may be supposed or invented。 (47) We may be able quite to comprehend



that God can communicate immediately with man; for without the intervention



of bodily means He communicates to our minds His essence; still; a man who



can by pure intuition comprehend ideas which are neither contained in nor



deducible from the foundations of our natural knowledge; must necessarily



possess a mind far superior to those of his fellow men; nor do I believe



that any have been so endowed save Christ。 (48) To Him the ordinances of God



leading men to salvation were revealed directly without words or visions; so



that God manifested Himself to the Apostles through the mind of Christ as He



formerly did to Moses through the supernatural voice。 (49) In this sense the



voice of Christ; like the voice which Moses heard; may be called the voice



of God; and it may be said that the wisdom of God (;i。e。 wisdom more than



human) took upon itself in Christ human nature; and that Christ was the way



of salvation。 (50) I must at this juncture declare that those doctrines



which certain churches put forward concerning Christ; I neither affirm nor



deny; for I freely confess that I do not understand them。 (51) What I have



just stated I gather from Scripture; where I never read that God appeared to



Christ; or spoke to Christ; but that God was revealed to the Apostles



through Christ; that Christ was the Way of Life; and that the old law was



given through an angel; and not immediately by God; whence it follows that



if Moses spoke with God face to face as a man speaks with his friend (i。e。



by means of their two bodies) Christ communed with God mind to mind。







(52) Thus we may conclude that no one except Christ received the revelations



of God without the aid of imagination; whether in words or vision。 (53)



Therefore the power of prophecy implies not a peculiarly perfect mind; but a



peculiarly vivid imagination; as I will show more clearly in the next



chapter。 (54) We will now inquire what is meant in the Bible by the



Spirit of God breathed into the prophets; or by the prophets speaking with



the Spirit of God; to that end we must determine the exact signification of



the Hebrew word roo'…akh; Strong:7307; commonly translated spirit。







(55) The word roo'…akh; Strong:7307; literally means a wind; e。。q。 the south



wind; but it is frequently employed in other derivative significations。







It is used as equivalent to;



(56) (1。) Breath: 〃Neither is there any spirit in his mouth;〃 Ps。 cxxxv:17。



(57) (2。) Life; or breathing: 〃And his spirit returned to him〃



          1 Sam。 xxx:12; i。e。 he breathed again。



(58) (3。) Courage and strength: 〃Neither did there remain any more spirit



          in any man;〃 Josh。 ii:11; 〃And the spirit entered into me; and



          made me stand on my feet;〃 Ezek。 ii:2。



(59) (4。) Virtue and fitness: 〃Days should speak; and multitudes of years



          should teach wisdom; but there is a spirit in man;〃Job xxxii:7;



          i。e。 wisdom is not always found among old men for I now discover



          that it depends on individual virtue and capacity。 So; 〃A man in



          whom is the Spirit;〃 Numbers xxvii:18。



(60) (5。) Habit of mind: 〃Because he had another spirit with him;〃



          Numbers xiv:24; i。e。 another habit of mind。 〃Behold I will pour



          out My Spirit unto you;〃 Prov。 i:23。



(61) (6。) Will; purpose; desire; impulse: 〃Whither the spirit was to go;



          they went;〃 Ezek。 1:12; 〃That cover with a covering; but not of My



          Spirit;〃 Is。 xxx:1; 〃For the Lord hath poured out on you the



          spirit of deep sleep;〃 Is。 xxix:10; 〃Then was their spirit



          softened;〃 Judges viii:3; 〃He that ruleth his spirit; is better



          than he that taketh a city;〃 Prov。 xvi:32; 〃He that hath no ru



          over his own spirit;〃 Prov。 xxv:28; 〃Your spirit as fire shall



          devour you;〃 Isaiah xxxiii:l。







From the meaning of disposition we get …



(62) (7。) Passions and faculties。 A lofty spirit means pride; a lowly spirit



          humility; an evil spirit hatred and melancholy。 So; too; the



          expressions spirits of jealousy; fornication; wisdom; counsel;



          bravery; stand for a jealous; lascivious; wise; prudent; or brave



          mind (for we Hebrews use substantives in preference to



          adjectives); or these various qualities。



(63) (8。) The mind itself; or the life: 〃Yea; they have all one spirit;〃



          Eccles。 iii:19 〃The spirit shall return to God Who gave it。〃



(64) (9。) The quarters of the world (from the winds which blow thence); or



          even the side of anything turned towards a particular quarter …



          Ezek。 xxxvii:9; xlii:16; 17; 18; 19; &c。







(65) I have already alluded to the way in which things are referred to God; and said to be of God。



(66) (1。) As belonging to His nature; and being; as it were; part of Him;             e。g the power



of God; the eyes of God。



(67) (2。) As under His dominion; and depending on His pleasure; thus the           heavens are



called the heavens of the Lord; as being His chariot           and habitation。 So Nebuchadnezzar is



called the servant of God;           Assyria the scourge of God; &c。



(68) (3。) As dedicated to Him; e。g。 the Temple of God; a Nazarene of God;           the Bread of



God。



(69) (4。) As revealed through the prophets and not through our natural faculties。 In this sense the



Mosaic law is called the law of God。



(70) (5。) As being in the superlative degree。 Very high mountains are styled           the mountains



of God; a very deep sleep; the sleep of God; &c。 In           this sense we must explain Amos iv:11:



〃I have overthrown you as           the overthrow of the Lord came upon Sodom and Gomorrah;〃 i。e。



that           memorable overthrow; for since God Himself is the Speaker; the           passage



cannot well be taken otherwise。 The wisdom of Solomon is           called the wisdom of God; or



extraordinary。 The size of the cedars                     of Lebanon is alluded to in the Psalmist's



expression; 〃the cedars           of the Lord。〃







(71) Similarly; if the Jews were at a loss to understand any phenomenon; or



were ignorant of its cause; they referred it to God。 (72) Thus a storm was



termed the chiding of God; thunder and lightning the arrows of God; for it



was thought that God kept the winds confined in caves; His treasuries; thus



differing merely in name from the Greek wind…god Eolus。 (73) In like manner



miracles were called works of God; as being especially marvellous; though in



reality; of course; all natural events are the works of God; and take place



solely by His power。 (74) The Psalmist calls the miracles in Egypt the works



of God; because the Hebrews found in them a way of safety which they had not



looked for; and therefore especially marvelled at。







(75) As; then; unusual natural phenomena are called works of God; and trees



of unusual size are called trees of God; we cannot wonder that very strong



and tall men; though impious robbers and whoremongers; are in Genesis called



sons of God。







(76) This reference of thi

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