QUESTION I. 4I7 original, or the influence of the Holy Spirit." So that the flesh here, does not mean any constituent part of Christ, or his very flesh or body, but the operation or influence of the flesh, or share that the flesh of the blessed virgin had in the conception of Christ : And so the Spirit does not mean any constituent part of Christ, but the influence or operation of the Holy Spirit in his first conception, or in his resurrection, on both which accounts he is called in scripture the Son of God. See Luke i. 35. and Acts xiii. 33. and both are ascribed to the Holy Spirit. There is a large confirmation of this exposition, in some notes on Rom. i. 3, 4. wherein it is shewn how the anti- thesis of the apostle is preserved, and that the apostle always uses sdlm mom and solo rr=.v¡..a in an antithesis, to signify the in- fluence of each principle, rather than for two constituent parts of a person. Text. V. Heb. vii. 3. Melchisedec was without'father, with- out mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life, but made like unto the Son of God, abideth a priest continually. Now this historical eternityof Melchisedec, whose father and mother, life and deaths, are not recorded, is made a type of the real eternity of Christ, considered as he is the Son of God. Answer I. Since Melchisedec is represented here without a father, and yet as a type of the Son of God, it would destroy 'the doctrine of Christ's eternal generation from God the Father, rather than support it, since the very type here has no father. II. This place refers more naturally, to the priesthood of 'Christ than' to his nature or existence. His priesthood was not derived by genealogical succession as Aaron's was : He had no father, no mother of the Levitical tribe, or of the family of Aaron, front whom his priesthood could descend ; nor did he die and leave it to,others by way of descent ; but was constituted a single priest himself, without a predecessor, without a successor, and herein the priesthood of Melchisedec and the priesthood of Christ run very parallel, and greatly answer the apostle's de- sign.. And I think this sense is patronized by some expressions in Doctor Owen's comment. Text VI. Heb. i. 6. When he bringeth in his first-begotten 'into the world, he saith, let till the angels of God worship him; that is, let all the angels of God worship the first-begotten ; now this first-begotten is Jehovah, Psal. xcvii. 7. for thence the altos., tle cites it. Answer. This first -begotten Son of God lras true and eter- nal godhead personally dwelling in him, and united personally to him, and one with him ; and therefore the wholecomplex per- son is called Jehovah, and is entitled to divine worship from angels and men.-=God united to the man Christ: God manifest Vor.. vi. D
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