DISCOURSE III, '613 ways intended here : For by so doing we embarrass ourselves with this difficulty, which the Arians frequently fling upon us, of attributing something derivative and dependent to the divine nature, and ascribing something too low and mean to the god- headof Christ. I might add also in confirmation of this thous lit, that had the sacred writers' only design been to prove the divine natureof Christ, there are several passages in the Old Testa- ment which are of equal force and significancy with any which he has cited, and which are more evidently applied to the Mes- siah by the prophets themselves : But if we suppose hire to speak of the whole pre-existent glory of Christ, then the cita- tions seem to be well chosen and well mingled to represent his two natures, both divine and human, and the glory of his sacred person resulting thence. That noble expositor on the epistle to the Hebrews, Dr. Owen, being sensible that all these expressions in this chap- ter can never be applied to the divine nature of Christ, as- serts, that, " it is not the direct and immediate design of the apostle in this place to treat absolutely of either nature of Christ, either divine or human, but only of his person : And though some things here expressed belong to his divine nature, some to his human ; yet none of them are spoken as such, but are all considered as belonging to his person." See his tt Ex- position on the Hebrews, verse 3. page e2." So that I have those two excellent writers Dr. Goodwin and Dr. Owen concur- ring with me in this sentiment, that it is not theprime design of this first chapter to the Hebrews to prove the deity of Christ, but the glory of his person considered as God-man : And in this view several expressions of the apostle are most appo- sitely adapted to represent the glory of the 'human soul of Christ in its pre-existent state, and in its union to the divine nature. III. Another difficult scripture which is made more easy and plain by this doctrine, is the eighth of Proverbs, ver.22, &c. where wisdom is represented as brought forth, and dwelling with God before the world was. May not this be happily attri- buted to Christ's pre-existent soul united to the divine nature, or the person of tite Mediator God-man ? For it is said, the Lord possessed me in the beginning of his ways, before his works of old: I was set up from everlasting: Before the hills was 1 brought forth: I was by him, and was daily his delight. These words admit of two or three remarks : 1. These expressions, " I was possessed or acquired, I was set up, I was brought forth, seem to express and imply some- thing inferior to pure godhead, which is underived and in- dependent; yet it seems to be the proper description of ;a nq3
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=