An expository comment, doctrinal, controversial, and practical upon the whole first chapter to the…An expository comment, doctrinal, controversal, and practical upon the whole first chapter to the…

5. Because of his being placed at the right hand of God, Heb. 1. 4. For although in those Texts, Christ is proved to be the Son of God by his Sanctification and Mission into the world, by his Resurrection, and by his Exaltation, yet not so as if these did make him to be a Sonne. So that he was not a Son before, but by way of declaration and manifestation. When these things were done, there was a plain discovery that he was the true and proper Son of God, he was the Son of God from all eternity; but none could so rise, and be exalted, but he who was so. And therefore the Socinians, who make Christ the Son of God by degrees, by his Incarnation, and first, and afterwards more perfectly a Son in his Exaltation, do most palpably wrest the Scripture.

5. Because of his being placed at the right hand of God, Heb. 1. 4. For although in those Texts, Christ is proved to be the Sonne of God by his Sanctification and Mission into the world, by his Resurrection, and by his Exaltation, yet not so as if these did make him to be a Sonne. So that he was not a Sonne before, but by way of declaration and manifestation. When these things were done, there was a plain discovery that he was the true and proper Sonne of God, he was the Sonne of God from all eternity; but none could so rise, and be exalted, but he who was so. And therefore the Socinians, who make Christ the Sonne of God by degrees, by his Incarnation, and first, and afterwards more perfectly a Son in his Exaltation, do most palpably wrest the Scripture.

The Sum therefore of this Discourse is, That as Christ was called the Son of man, only because born of a woman; so the Son of God only, because by eternal generation he was of the Father. Therefore the Apostle asketh this Question, To which of the Angels (then much less men) said he, Thou art my Son, &c? which must be in a peculiar transcendent sense; for in a common general one, Angels are called the Sons of God. And indeed to be a Son by eternal generation, and then afterwards by gracious communication doth imply a contradiction. For amongst men, he that is truly such a mans son by natural generation, can never for any adventitious reason, be properly called his son afterwards. If then God be the Father of Christ by generation, then he is not by any other supposed ways of gracious communication. And that Christ is a Son in a transcendent way to Angels and men, appeareth fully by the expression of the Apostle,