and especially when it is said, in another scripture, Luke xxiv. 21. when his two disciples at Emmaus _knew him, he vanished out of their sight_;[123] which they understand of his vanishing, in the same sense, as, according to the popular way of speaking, a spectrum is said to do. But this opinion is so absurd, as well as contrary to scripture, that it only shews how far the wild and extravagant fancies of men may run, who are so hardy, as to set aside plain scriptures, and take up with some few passages thereof, without considering their scope and design, or their harmony with other scriptures. And, indeed, there is scarce any thing said concerning him in the New Testament, but what confutes it; where we have an account of him, as being born, passing through all the ages of life, conversing familiarly with his people, eating and drinking with them, and, at last, dying on the cross, which put this matter out of all manner of dispute; as also when he distinguishes himself from a spirit, when the disciples were terrified upon his standing unexpectedly in the midst of them, supposing that he had been a spirit, he satisfies them that they were mistaken, by saying, _Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have_, Luke xxiv. 29. As for those scriptures in the Old Testament, which speak of his appearing in a human form, assumed for that purpose; whether there was, in every one of those instances, a real human body that appeared, though, in some of them, it is beyond dispute that there was, I will not pretend to determine; yet it must be considered, that this is never styled his incarnation, or becoming man, but it was only an emblem, or prelibation thereof; and when it is said, in the scripture before mentioned, that he was made in the _likeness of men_, it does not from hence follow, that he was not, after his incarnation, a real man, for the _likeness of man_ is oftentimes so understood in scripture; as when it is said, on occasion of the birth of Seth, that _Adam begat a son in his own likeness_, Gen. v. 3. And as to that other scripture, in which Christ is said to appear in different forms, it is not to be supposed that there was a change in his human nature, but only a change in his countenance, or external mein; or he appeared with other kind of garments, which rendered him not immediately known by them. And when, in the other scripture, it is said, he _vanished out of their sight_, nothing is intended thereby, but an instantaneous withdrawing of himself from them, which, it may be might contain something miraculous.