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"of the devil." For he "prophefied, faying, Be"hold the Lord cometh :" and this prophecy is by no means to be confined to Chrift's fecond coming, although it fhall have its full and final completion in this great event.

It has been fuppofed by many learned writers, that our first parents, after being turned to God, were fo big with expectation of a divine deliver-. er, that Eve mistook Cain for him. Therefore

they thus render the words that he uttered, on the birth of her firft-born; "I have gotten a "man the Lord "."

With refpect to the preludes of the incarnation of the eternal Word, the following things may be obferved.

1. This glorious Perfon frequently appeared in the likeness of human nature. His appearance, as the Angel of the LORD, or the Angel-JEHOVAH, we have already confidered, as an evidence that the doctrine of the Trinity was revealed under the Old Teftament. But here it demands our attention, that when he revealed himself in this character, he often affumed the likeness of man; and made himself known by fuch language, or fuch acts, as clearly expreffed the work that he was to perform, as "the Word made flesh," and refpected his various functions, as the Prophet, Priest, and King of his Church. When the LORD, attended by two of his miniftering spirits, appeared to Abraham in the plains of Mamre,

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they feemed to be all clothed with humanity. Hence Abraham took them for three ordinary travellers; and made the fame preparations for them, that he was wont to do, when exercifing hofpitality. It was only by the language of one of these celestial visitors, particularly as foretelling the birth of the promised feed, and by the dif covery he made of his heart-fearching power in rebuking Sarah for her fecret ridicule, that Abraham was undeceived b. But during the whole of the interview, this divine perfon retained the fame likeness; and when he arofe to depart, was brought on his way by Abraham, as a man is accompanied by his friend.

In the fame manner did he appear unto Jacob, when he was preparing to meet with his incenfed brother Efau. The patriarch" was left alone;

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and there wrestled a man with him until the "breaking of the day." This expreffion, "he was left alone," especially as connected with what is previously mentioned concerning his fending all his family "over the brook," is plainly meant to inform us, that he, who wrestled with him, was not one of the fons of men. On this occafion, the Son of God not only affumed the likenefs of our nature, fo that he might be seen; but condefcended to affume fo near a resemblance of its reality, that he might be felt. What a wonderful prelude of that grace which was afterwards to be manifested, when the eyes of the difciples

fhould

a Gen. xviii.

Ver. 10. 13.-15.

c Gen. xxxii. 24.

fhould not only fee, but handle the felf-fame Word of lifed!

Jacob knew that he had wrestled with God; for the thing for which he wrestled was the bleffing, which no creature could confer. As the appearance of God in the likeness of man, especially as he made himself known both to the fight and to the touch, was a ftriking prelude of the incarnation; the testimony given to Jacob, as to his fuccefs, included no inconfiderable intimation with respect to the union of the divine and human nature in one perfon. The Angel faid to him: "As "a prince haft thou power with God, and with

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men, and haft prevailed." The word men is in the plural, indeed; as implying an affurance of protection wherever he fhould go, and particularly of his having power over his enraged brother. But what was the pledge of this? His prevalence in this aftonishing interview, when he "had

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power," even in the way of bodily wrestling, "over the angel" who appeared in the form of man; because "he had power with" him as "God," by his faith and importunity, his tears and fupplications".

To inform Jacob, and the Church in fucceeding ages, that the condefcenfion of the Son, in asfuming our nature, fhould nowife impair or derogate from his effential majefty and power; this divine wrestler, during the ftruggle, touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh, fo that it was out of joint. This is understood of the focket in which

d 1 John i. 1.

e Hof. xii. 4.

the

the ball of the thigh-bone moves: and it has been obferved, that fuch is the fituation of this place, that Jacob must have been affured no mere man could have fo touched it in wrestling, as to have effected a diflocation.

In the fame form did he appear unto Joshua, while he blockaded Jericho. "There ftood a "man over against him, with his fword drawn in "his hand," who faid to him, "As prince of the "hoft of JEHOVAH am I now come." From this teftimony Joshua muft have known, that this was he who had been promifed as God's Angel, who fhould go before Ifrael, and deliver their enemies into their hands f. By the form he affumed, it was alfo declared to Joshua, and by him to the Church, that this Angel fhould afterwards" par"take of flesh and blood." This appearance, indeed, was not merely a prelude of his incarnation in general. It "teftified beforehand," that he fhould be manifefted in human nature, as Immanuel, as God with us, "for us," and not "for "our adverfaries," as the King and Lord of the Church; that in this nature he fhould conquer the ferpent and his feed, and exercife abfolute dominion over all the enemies of his true Ifrael. For he faid to Jofhua, "See, I have given into "thine hand Jericho." It was alfo declared, that He who should come in our nature, should, even as incarnate, be the object of religious adoration. For, as if the homage given by Joshua, in falling on his face to the earth, and worshipping, had

f Exod. xxiii. 23.

g Josh. v. 13.

been

been too little; this man faid to him, "Loofe thy "shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon "thou standeft is holy h."

That JEHOVAH appeared in the likeness of man to Gideon, is evident from the fear that seized him, when, by the miraculous confumption of his facrifice, he perceived that this was a heavenly vifitant. That he made a fimilar appearance to the wife of Manoah, is no lefs clear from the account she gave to her husband of the visit she had received; from the prayer afterwards prefented by Manoah; as well as from the queftions he put to the Angel, and the amazement of both when they discovered that this was a vifion of God *. They at first confidered him only as "a man of "God," or a prophet. By both thefe apparitions, the divine Word taught the Church, that he fhould at length actually appear as her great High-prieft. When he confumed the facrifice of Gideon, by caufing fire to rife out of the rock, he fymbolically fignified, that he should appear both as her priest and facrifice; as her priest, prefenting an offering acceptable to God through the fire of his own Spirit; as a facrifice for expiating all her guilt, as he should himself be burnt in the fufferings of his human nature, by the fire of divine wrath. His afcending in the flame of the altar, when Manoah had prefented a burnt-offering, might intimate that, as "the High-prieft of "our profeffion," he would afcend to heaven, and VOL. II.

h Josh. v. 13.-15.; vi. 1, 2. Judges xiii. 6. 8. 11. 17. 21, 22.

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i Judges vi. 22.

enter

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