228 APPEARANCES OF THE SON OF GOD [ EXERC. xX.
fested unto him, chap. xxxiv. 6, though but obscurely in comparison of what it was unto them who, in his human nature, wherein “ dwell- eth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily,” Col. i 9, “ beheld his glory, the glory as of the only-begotten of the Father,” John i, 14. For this face of God is he whom whoso seeth he seeth the Father, John xiv. 9; because he is “the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person,” Heb. 1. 3; who accompanied the people in the wilderness, 1 Cor. x. 4; and whose merciful good pleasure to- wards them Moses prayed for, Deut. xxxiii. 16 ;—that is,“the Father of lights, from whom cometh down every good and every perfect gift,’ James i.17. These things evidently express God, and none other; and yet he is said to be an angel sent of God, in his name, and unto his work. So that he can be no other but a certain person of the Deity who accepted of this delegation, and was therein re- vealed unto the church, as he who was to take upon him the seed of Abraham, and to be their eternal Redeemer.
18. Josh. v. 13-15, “ And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood aman over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? And he said, Nay; but as Prince of the host of the Lorp am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my Lord unto his servant? And the Prince of the Lorp’s host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy.” The appearance here is of a man, verse 13, “aman of war,” as God is called, Exod. xv. 3, armed, with his sword drawn in his hand, as a token of the business he came about. At first sight Joshua apprehends him to be a man only; which occa- sioned his inquiry, “ Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?” which discovers his courage and undaunted magnanimity; for doubtless the appearance was august and glorious. But he answers unto his whole question, x5, “I am not;” that is, a man either of your party or of the enemy’s, but quite another person; “ MANISTY,”_“ the Prince of the Lorp’s host.” And this was another illustrious mani- festation of the Son of God unto the church of old, accompanied with many instructive circumstances: as,—(1.) From the shape wherein he appeared, namely, that of a man, as a pledge of his future incarna- tion. (2.) From the title that he assumes to himself, “ The Captain of the Lorp’s host,’ he unto whom the guidance and conduct of them unto rest, not only temporal but eternal, was committed; whence the apostle, in allusion unto this place and title, calls him “The Captain of our salvation,” Heb. ii. 10. And, (3.) The person unto whom he spake when he gave himself this title was the captain of the people at that time; teaching both him and them that there
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was another, supreme Captain of their eternal deliverance. (4.) From the time and place of his appearance, which was upon the first entrance of the people into Canaan, and the first opposition which therein they met withal; so engaging his presence with his church in all things which oppose them in their way unto eternal rest. (5.) From the adoration and worship which Joshua gave unto him; which he accepted of, contrary to the duty and practice of created angels, Rev. xix. 10, xxii. 8, 9. (6.) From the prescription of the ceremonies expressing religious reverence, “ Put off thy shoe;” with the reason annexed, “For the place whereon thou standest 81 WP,” “it is holi- ness, ——made so by the presence of God: the like precept whereunto was given to Moses by the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Exod. iii. 5. By all these things was the church instructed in the person, nature, and office, of the Son of God, even in the mystery of his eternal distinct subsistence in the Deity, his future incarnation and condescension unto the office of being the Head and Saviour of his church.
19. These manifestations of the Son of God unto the church of old, as the angel or messenger of the Father, subsisting in his own divine person, are all of them revelations of the promised Seed, the great and only Saviour and Deliverer of the church, in his eternal pre- existence unto his incarnation; and pledges of his future taking flesh for the accomplishment of the whole work committed unto him. And many other instances of the like nature may be added out of the former and later Prophets; which, because in most important circumstances they are coincident with these, need not here parti- cularly be insisted on.
20. Some of late would apply all these appearances unto a created delegated angel; which conceit, as it is irreconcilable unto the sacred text, as we have manifested, so is it contrary unto the sense of the ancient writers of the Christian church. A large collection of testi- monies from them is not suited unto our present design and purpose; T shall therefore only mention two of the most ancient of them, one of the Latin, the other of the Greek church. The first is Tertullian, who tells us, “ Christus semper egit in Dei Patris nomine; ipse ab initio conversatus est et congressus cum patriarchis et prophetis,” ady. Mare. lib. ii. ;—“ Christ always dealt” (with men) “in the name of God the Father; and so himself from the beginning conversed with the patriarchs and prophets.” And again, “ Christus ad collo- quia humana semper descendit, ab Adam usque ad patriarchas et prophetas, in visione, in somno, in speculo, in enigmate, ordinem suum prestruens semper ab initio; et Deus in terris cum hominibus convyersatus est non alius quam Sermo qui caro erat futurus,” adv. Praxeam.;—“It was Christ who descended into communion with men, from Adam unto the patriarchs and prophets, in visions,