VER.17,08. Epijile tothe E3 la, uEwg. expeáation ofthe Hebrews, that the Meffiah fhould be thefeed of Abraham: this was declared unto them in thePromife, and this accordinglywas accompli(hed. Andhe is here Paid to take the feedof Abraham; becaufe in theScripture it is fo plainly, fo often affirmed that he fhould fo do ; when not one word is anywhere fpoken that he fhould be an Angel, or take their nature uponhim. And this, asI faid, gives us the true meaning ofthe words. The Apoftle in them confirms what he had before affirmed, concerning hisbeing made partaker offieJh and blood together with the children. This, faith he; the Scripturedeclares, wherein it is promifed that he (houldbe of the feedofAbrahati, which he therein takes upon him, and which was alreadyaccomplilhed in his bèing madepartaker off efh andblood. See yob. r. 14. Rom. 9.3 Gal..}. 4. chap. 3. r 6. This then theApoille teacheth us, 'that the Lord Chrift, the Son of God, according to the Promife, took tohimfelf thenature ofman, coming ofthefeedofAbraham; that is into perfonal union with himfelf; but took not the nature ofAngels, no fuch thing being fpokenofhim, norconcerning him any where in the Scripture. And this expofttion of the words will be farther evidenced and confirmed byour examination ofane thee; which with great endeavour is advanced in oppofition unto it. Some then take the meaningof this Expofition to be, that the Lord Chrift by his participation ofleJh and blondbrought help and relief not unto Angels, but unto men, the feed ofAbraham. And they fuppofe to this purpofe, that fowao44teros is put for draw oß ''tray to help, tofuceour, to relieve, tovindicate into liberty. Of this mind are Caftalia,and all the Socinians; among thofe of the Roman Church,Ribera; EJfiur alfo and ALapide fpeak doubtfully in the cafe. OfProteftants, Camero,and Grotius; who affirms moreover, thatChryfoltom and the Greek Scholiafts fo interpret the place and words l which I fhould havemarvelledat, had I not long before obferved him greatly to fail or miltake in many ofhis notations.. CbryfoJfom, whom he names in particular, ex- prefly refetreth this whole verfe unto the Lord ChriffsAffumption of the nature of man, and not of thenature ofAngels. The fame alfo is enfi(tedon by 7beophylatl andOecu- menial, without anyintimationof the [enfe that Grotius would impo[e upon them. The Socinians embrace and endeavour to confirm this fecond Expofition of the words, and it is their concernment fo to do. Foríf the words exprefs that the Lord Chrift affumedhumane nature, which neceffarily infers his pra-exiffence in anotherna- ture, their perfwafion about'the Perfon ofChrift is utterly Overthrown. Their ex= ceptions in their controverfial writings unto this place have been elfe-where t nfidered. Thofe ofEniedinus on this Text, are anfwered by Paraos, thofe ofCaofalio byReza; and the obje Lions ofCome others by Gomarus. We (hall in the firtt place confider what. is propofed for the confirmation of their fenfe, by Scblitlingiusor Crain ; and then the exception of avery learnedExpofitor unto the fenfe before laid down and confirmed. And Schlitifngius firft arguesfrom the Context, Prater ipfa verba ( faith he) qua humfenfum nullomodopatiunturut pofteadfcemus; contextus &ratiocinatio au- - thoris idrepudiat ; qui proratione ér argumento id fumere non potuit debuitve, good fibi hoc ipfo arguments fin rations probandum fumfffet. De eo envoi erat quaffio, cur Chriffur qui nunc ad tantammajeffatem & gloriam elf evetfus, non angelicam fed humanam, morti & variis calamitatibus obnoxious babuerit naturam ? hujus vero rei, quopatio ratio redderetur,per idquod non angelicam fedhumanam naturam affumpferit; cum iftius ipfsus rei, qua in bac quaffione cantinetur, nempe good Chriofus homo fuit natas, nunc caufa ratioquequarátur. At verofi bar verba, dejuvandts non Angelis; fed hominibus, deque ope itsferenda intelligamus,!pulcherrime Drama coharent ; nempe Chriflum hominem mor- talemfuiiffe, non angelum aliquem, quod non augelis fed hamintbus juvandis, fervandifque fuerit deffivatus. But the foundation of this Expofition of the Context is a millake, which his own precedingdifcourfe might have relieved him from. For there is no filch queJfion propofed as here is imagined, nor loth he in hisfollowing Expofition fup- pole it. The Apoftle doth not once propofe this unto confirmation, that it behoved the LordCbriff to be aman andnot an Angel. But having proved at large before, that in Nature andAuthorityhe was above theAngels, he grants, verfe S. that he was for a little while made lower thanthey ; and gives at large the reafon of the necef Ay of thatdifpenfation,taken from the workwhich God had defignedhimunto,which being tobring manyfont unto glory, he [hews and proves by fundry reafons, that it could not be accomplifhed withouthis death andfuffering; for which end it was indifpenfibly ne- celfary that he fhould be madepartaker of lefh and blood. And this he confirms far= Cher by referring the Hebrews unto the Scripture, and in efpecial unto the great Pia.; wife of the Allahmade untoAbraham, that the Mefabwas tobe hisfeed; the love Hhhh and 2 7$
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