The Bibles Abstract and Epitome, Part 5
Of GODS Presence
THere are four… de…rees of Gods Presence, 1. An Universall. 2. A Speciall. 3. A more speciall. 4▪ A most speciall.
*…er. 23. 24.Universall The Lord is present by his Essence In All places.
Speciall The Lord is present by his Glory In Heaven.Psal …39. 7.
More speciall The Lord is present by his Grace In His Saints.Psal. 19 6.
Most speciall The Lord is present by his Spirit In Christ.Psal. 19 1.
The Lord is every where by his Essence repletively, no where inclusively: Every1 Cor. 3. 16. where replenishing the place with his being, no where by circumscription and locallCol. 2 5. definition.
Hee is
Hee is in Christ Hypostaticall, in himselfe Alpha and Omega: in the World a Governour: in Ang…lls as Be…u…y, in his Church as an Housholder in his Family: in the Soule as a B…degroome in his Marriage Chamber: in the Righteous as an Helper: in the Reprobate as Feare and horrour▪ in the Godly to defend them, in the wicked to punish them And therefore may well be compared to the Tree in the middest of the* Gen. 3. 3. garden of Eden: As also to the Tree spoken of by Saint Iohn in the Revelations: inRev. 2. 7. that he is in the midst of
God is in the middest of
*Exod 3. 14. Deut. 23. 14. Zech. 2. 5. Isa. 1…. 6. Isa. 37. 16. Psal. 8…. 1. G…n. 9. 13. Exo. 19. 9. Exo. …4. 5. Exod. 40. 34. 1 King. 8. 10. Exod. 33. … 1. Num. 12. 5. Mat. 17. 5. Exo. 13. 21. Iob 32. 3…. 2 C…o. 6. 1. Isa. 19. 1.A Bush,
Burning: of the Campe of the Israelites fighting,
The Citie▪
Ierusalem, and Sion to heare those that call on him,
The Cherubims,
Dw…l…ing: and in the Congregation of Men judging,
A Cloude:
Setting the Rainebow: giving the Law: Filling the Tabernacle and Temple with his glory: Speaking to Moses face to face, as a man spe…kes to his friend: calling Aaron and Miriam to answer their Mur…urings: proclayming Christ to be his welbeloved Sonne: going be…ore the Israelites in the Wildernesse: and covering the light with darknesse. So that he is said to dwell in the Clouds, to ride upon the Clouds, and to make the Clouds his Chariots,Psal. 104. 9.
Egypt,
Working his wonders and Miracles among them,Deut. 4. 12.
The Lord was present speaking
The Fire: Speaking to Israell: and in the Land dwelling with them▪Numb. 35. 34.
A whirlewind: Answering Iob, to the complaint made by him,Iob 38. 1.
The red Sea: To deliver The people of Israell from Drowning,Exod. 14.
The Furnace: To deliver The three Children from Burning,Dan. 3.
The Lions den: To deliver The Prophet Daniell from Devouting.Dan. 6.
The Godly: By has holy Spirit▪ alwayes dwelling in them,1 Cor. 3. 16.
Ʋse. Seeing God is omnipresent, see thou sinne not in secret,P…al 139. 7.
The Lord is said to be present seven severall wayes speaking,Heb. 4. 13.
1. Face to Face unto Moses as a Man to his friend,Exod. 33. 11.
2. Through the Clouds to the people of Israell often,Exod. 19. ….
3. In a dreame unto Samuell: calling Samuell,1 Sam. 3. 4.
4. In a light and mild Ayre unto Elias with a still voice.1 King. 1…. 1….
5. In Ʋrim and Thummim when he gave the Oracles,Exod …8. 30.
6. To our Forefathers by divers Prophets and Seers,Heb 1. 1, 2.
7. To us in the last dayes by Christ and the Apostles.
The Lord is also said to be present seven kind of wayes speaking in Prophesies and Visions.
1. In Extasie or Trance: such was Peters seeing Heaven opened,Acts 10. 10.
2. In a Vision: such was the Revelation to Isaiah shewed,Isa. 6. 1.
3. In a Dreame: such was Iacobs of a ladder reaching to Heaven,Gen. 28▪ 12.
4. By sensible things, as a Cloud, such he spake in to Moses,Exod. 29. 9.
5. By an externall voice, such was Abrahams,Gen 22. 1.
6. By a Parable, such was Baalams: A Starre shall come, &c.Num. 24. 17.
7. By the filling of the Holy Ghost: such was the Apostles.Acts 2. 2.
The Lord spake unto
Adam,
Before his Fall; *Gen, 2 17. G…n; 7.admonishing after punishing him,
Abraham,
*Gen. 12. 1.Willing him to depart his Countrey, • to doe as Sarah willed him,
Abraham,
… b and to offer his Sonne for a burnt offering.2 Cha. 21. 12. …Cha. …. ….
Balaam,
Reproving him: and unto David directing him,Numb. 22. 9 2 Sam. 2. ….
Elias,
Comforting him: and to Iob in a Whi…le-winde,1 K. 19. 5. Iob; 8. 1.
Isaac,
And Iacob: shewing them the Land they should dwell in,Gen. 26. 2. Chap. 31. 3.
Ioshua,
Encouraging him: and to Iohn proclayming his Sonne,Iosh. 1. 2. Ma…. …. 17.
Kain,
Admonishing him: and to Moses shewing what to have done,Exod. 2.
Noab,
Commanding him to make the Arke and to enter in,Gen. 6.
Samuel,
Shewing what should of Elies posterity become,1 Sam 3.
Solomon,
Giving him Wisdome above all that were before him.1 Kings 3.
In a Vision God shewed
Ezechiell,
The returne of the Isralites from captivity,…zekiel 7.
Daniell,
Nebuchadnezars dreames, and things to come extraordinary,Dan 2. Chap. 7.
Iaacob,
That he should not feare to go unto Ioseph his sonne,Gen 46.
Isaiah,
All the things that did concerne Ierusalem,Isa 1. Chap. 21.
Habacuck,
The Plagues that he had prepared for wicked men,Habac 2.
Nahum,
The destruction that should come upon the Sirian,Nah 1.
Obadiah,
The miserable end that should befall Edom,Obad, 1.
Simeon,
That he should not see death till Christ did come,Luke 2. 26.
Zachariah,
Seven golden Candlestickes: and spake to his holy One.Zach. 7. Psal 99. 19.
Acts 18. 9.
The Lord will be knowne among his Prophets by Visions, and…mb. 12. 6. Ps. 99 19.
& 23. 11. & 27. 23.
will speake unto them by Dreames.H…ed 12. 10.
There are foure sortes of Being of Christs presence.
1. Anagogicall. 2. Allegoricall. 3. Corporall. 4. Morall.
Anagogicall Christ is present in the Church triumphant.
Allegoricall Christ is present in the Church militant.
Corporall Christ is present in the Wombe of a Virgin.
Morall Christ is present in the Heart of a Christian.
As a Father in his Family ordering: as a Pilate in a Shippe guiding: as a master in his Schoole teaching: as a Gardiner in his garden dres…ing: as a King in his Throne gracing: as the Sunne in the Firmament lightning: as a Prophet in the Church teaching: and as the Soule in the body enlivening: And is in the middest of
The Bosome
of his Father in the Trinitie before all time.Iohn 1. 18
The Bowells
of his Mother the Virgin Mary in fullnesse of time.Gal. 4. 4.
A Cratch
At his Birth: so the Shepheards found him layen,Luke 27.
Christ is in the middest of
The Doctors
For I…struction: so his Par…nts found him sitting,Luke 2. 46.
The Disciples
For H…m…li…tion: so he was amongst them serving,Luke 22. 27.
The Israelites
For his Conversation, So he was among them standing,Iohn 1. 26.
The Israelites
D…ing Mir…cles, So he was among them working,Acts …. 22.
The Israelites
Teaching and Healing. So he was among them walking.Luke 13: 22.
The twelve Tribes of Israell.
Conceived in Nazarel and Zebulon: aMat. 2. 1.borne in Bethlem bMat. 2, 13.going into Egypt, passed through Simeon: cJohn 7 14.In the Temple taught in Benjamen: dJohn 2. 8.Turn…d water into wine in Asher in Cana of Galile: Proved himselfe the Messi…h in *Ioh. 11. 54.Ephraim: In Napthali *Iohn. 11. 44.raised Lazarus: And going through the Tenne Tribes, was in Re…ben, Gad and part of Manasses.
Christ spiritually is in the middest of
*Luk. 23. 33.Two Thieves,
Dying: in the bowells of the Earth, 3. dayes sleeping,
aLuk. 24 36.His Disciples,
Oftentimes after his Resurrection appearing,
A Cloude
bMat 17. 5.Shadowed: betweene Moses and Elias transfigured,
A Cloude
cActs 1. 9.Taken up into Heaven, where S. Iohn saw him: Sitting on a Cloud: From whence he shall come againe in the Clouds to judge the quickeRev. 1. 7. and the dead: at whose comming *1 Thes. 4. 7.all shall be taken up in theMat. 26. 64. Clowdes at the last to meete him: where till the day of his appearing he is in the midst of
God and Man,
Reconciling God to Man: so called a Mediatour One,1 Tim. 2. 5.
The Building,
Coupling God to man: and so is called a Corner-stone,Eph 2. 20.
The Streete,
Throne, Beasts and Elders, &c. so seene by S. Iohn.Re. 2. C. 5. C. 7.
The Church,
As the Apple Tree among the Forrest Trees growing,…ant. 2. 3.
The Church,
Declaring Gods Name to his Bretheren singing,Heb. 2. 12.
Two or three:
Gath…ed together in his Name,Psal. 22. 22.
The Godly:
Alway unto the end of the world guiding them,Mat. 18. 20.
All His.
Working contraries by his Spirit in every of them.Mat. 28. 20. Iohn 14. 16.
In that by whose Spirit
Our
Infidelity is turned into Faith. Our Thraldom into Freedome.
Our
Poverty is turned into Plenty. Our Barrennes into Fruitfulnesse.
Our
Sorrow is turned into Sol…ce. Our Darknesse into Light.
Our
Misery is turned into Mercy. Our Wearinesse into Strength.
Our
Mourning is turned into M…rth. Our Death into Life.
Our
Affliction is turned into Glorificatiō. Our Hell into Heaven.
As also
The Angells are replenished, Prophets inspired, Scr…bes are instructed, the Word… Cor. 12. is quickned, the Church sanctified, the hardnesse of Heart suppled, the weakenesseRom. 5. 5. of Faith cherished, the darknesse of the soule enlightned, and the mist of discomfortChap. 8. 26. dispersed, So that by his presence darknesse is expelled, and by his favour *1 Thes. 1. 10.soules from death and Hell are delivered.Eph. 4. 30.
Christs apparition after his Resurrection
Christ appeared unto
The Apostles,
Reproving them for not beleeving that hee was risen, as also teachingMark. 16. 18. them what they should doe and observe after his departureLuk 24. from them.Acts 1. 4.
Magdalen,
And other women, and would not let them passe by without a Godspeed,Mat. 28. and to comfort them, be not afraid.
The Emavits,
Talking with them, comforting them and making their hearts toLuk 24. …urne with Love of him.
Peter,
By name that hee might not Despaire by denying,Iohn 21. 1.
Thomas,
By name that hee might not Continue doubting.Iohn 20. 24.
Stephen,
From Heaven At what time as the Jewes stoned him,Acts 7.
Paul,
From Heaven Going to Damascus to persecute the Christians,Acts 9.
S. Iohn.
From Heaven Shewing him the Mistery of the Revelation.Rev. 1.
In a vision unto
Paul, willing him to goe to Macedonia to preach him,Acts 16.
In a vision unto
Peter, commanding him to kill and eate that he shewed him,Acts 10.
In a vision unto
Cornelius, wishing him to send for Peter to direct him.Idem.