9z an Expofition of the CH AP . I, file intendeth or defigneth. That whichwas intended in the Old Tefiament in the Promifesofhis coming into the world, is that which is here expreffed, by the phrafe of bringing him in. SeeMal. 3. 2. TheLord whomyefek(hallcome, but mho may abide the day ofhis coming ? Now itwas not anyone ff+ecial Ait, nor anyone particular Day that was deigned in that and the like Promifes. But it is the whole workof God in bring. Mgforth the Mphby his Conception, Nativity, UnC ionwith the Spirit, Refurre lion, Sending of the Holy Ghoft, and preaching of theGofpel, which is the fùbjed of thole Promifes. And their accomplifhment it is which thofe words exprefs, When he brings thefirff-born intothe'world ; that is, after he had kept his Church under the Adminiftration of the Law given by Angels inthe hand of Mofes th'e Mediator, in the expe6tation of the coming of the Mejah, when he bringeth him forth unto and carrieshim on inhis work unto the accomplifhment of it, he fays, Let al the Angels of Godworfhip him. And herein molt ofthe former fenfes are comprifed, And this Interpretation ofthe wordscompleatly anfwers the intention of the Apo- file in the citation ofthe enfuingTetimony,namely,to prove that in thedifcharge ofhis work ofrevealingtheta ill ofGod,he wasfuch an One,ai byreafon of the Dignityofhis' Perfon,had allReligious Worfhip &Honour dueunto him from theAngels themfelveS. This fenfe alto we are led untoby the Pfalm whence theenfuing teftimony is ta- ken, Pfal.97. The Exultation which the firft verte of the P(aim requires and-calls for, is not unlike that which was inthe Name of the whore Creation expreffed at his Nativity,Luke z. r r. "And the fourfollowing verfes are an Allegorical defeription ofthe work that the Lord Chrift fhould make, in and by the preach5ngof the Gofpel. See Mal. 3. 2, 3, 4. chap. 4. r. Mátth. 3. r o. Luke 2. 24. And hereon enfues that (home and ruine which was broughtupon Idols and Idolaters thereby, v. 7. And the joy of thewhole Church in the pretenceofChrift, v. 8. attended with his glorious Reign in Heaven, as a confeqùent oftheAccomplifhment ofhis work, v. 9. Which is propofed as amotive unto Obedience, and a matter ofconfidence and 'rejoycing unto the Church. And this is theFathers bringing of theSon into the world, deieribcd by thePfalmiff, and intended by theApoffle.' It remains that weenquire why, 4nd in what fenfe, Chrift is here called erporív,aos, primogenitus, or the firft-born. Thecommon Anfwer is, Non quodport i0um alü, fed quad ante ilium nubus; Not that any wasborn after him, (in the fame way) but thatnone was born before him ; which as we have (hewed before will agree well enough with the ufe of the Word. And this is applied both to the Eternal Generation Of his Divine Perron, andto the ConceptionandNativity ofhis Humane Nature. But ifwe fuppofe that his Perfon and Eternal Generation maybeintended inthis Expreffion, we mutt make trtaaíroxa, or thefirff-born, tobe the fame with tooroyevis, or only begotten, which may not be allowed; for Chrift is abfolutely called the only begotten ofthe Father in his Eternal Generation, his Effence being infinite, took up the whole NatureofDivine Filiation; fo that it is impoflible that with refpe ± thereunto, there thould beany more Sons of God. But xgavívoxs: or fief-born, is sued in relation unto others ; and yet, as I (hewed before, it doth not require that he who is fo fhould have any other brethren in the fame kind ofSonftiip. But becaufe this is by fome affected,namely that Chrifthas many Brethren in the fame kind" offonfhipwhereby he is hind-elf the Son ofGod, and is on that account called the firff-born, (which is anaffertion greatly derogatory tohis GloryandHonour)I (hall in our paffage remove it, as a ftumbling-block, outof the way. ThusSchliclingius on the place, Primogenitumearn nomine Dei Filium appellat, intuit= hocpatio plures Dei of Filios etiam adChriflam re/Pella habits; feiliiet ut offenderet non itaChriffumof Dei Filium,quirt alii etiam eodem filiationis generecontineantur, quanquam filiationis perfection grade Chriffo multò inferiores. And again, Primogenitor dicitur Chriflas quadcumDeus ante owns Filios, eos nimirum qui Chri(fï: fratres appellantur ge- merit ; eofiliaetmodo quo DeusFiliosgignerefilet; eos moan gignit quosfibi ftmiles efcit : primas efi Cbriffus qui Deo ea(antlitate fimilis fuit, qualem in novafaderepr.ecipit. But theft things agree 'neither with th'e truth, nor with the defign of the Apoftle in this place,norwith thePrinciples ofthemby whom they are afferted.It isacknowledg'd that God hath other fins betides Jeffs Chriff,and thatwith refped untohim; for in him we are adopted, theonly way wheotby any one may attain unto thepriviledge ofSon- (hip; but that we are tons of God,with,or in the famekindoffonfhip with Jefas Chrift,is, r. Falfe; becaufe, r.'Chrift in his Sonfhip is ,uovoyevls, the only begotten Son ofGod; and therefore it is impoflible that God Mould have any more Cons in the famekind with
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