"......, that one of Paul, that "God sent
forth his Son, made of a woman," (Gal. 4: 4,) and innumerable others,
which show that he was subject to hunger, thirst, cold, and the other
infirmities of our nature. But from the many we must chiefly select
those which may conduce to build up our minds in true faith, as when it
is said, "Verily, he took not on him the nature of angels, but he took
on him the seed of Abraham," "that through death he might destroy him
that had the power of death," (Heb. 2: 16, 14.).....in which Paul
distinctly declares, that the sins of the world behoved to be expiated
in our flesh, (Rom. 8: 3.)
.....he Son of God had become weak in
the nature of man. This is explained more clearly by Paul, when he
declares that "he was crucified through weakness," (2 Cor. 13: 4.) And
hence his exaltation; for it is distinctly said, that Christ acquired
new glory after he humbled himself.
...."Forasmuch, then, as the
children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took
part of the same;" these words plainly proving that he was an associate
and partner in the same nature with ourselves. In this sense also it is
said, that "both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are
all of one."
......(Gen. 3: 15,) when he says that the seed of
the woman would bruise the head of the serpent, the dispute is at an
end. For the words there used refer not to Christ alone, but to the
whole human race........From this it follows, that Christ is a
descendant of the human race, the purpose of God in thus addressing Eve
being to raise her hopes, and prevent her from giving way to despair.
....Again
if he had not been truly begotten of the seed of David, what is the
meaning of the expression, that he is the "fruit of his loins;" or what
the meaning of the promise, "Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon
thy throne"? (Ps. 132: 11.)
.....It is well known, that in regard
to civil order, descent is reckoned through the male; and yet the
superiority on his part does not prevent the female from having her
proper share in the descent.....Then, as the male sex has this
privilege, that sons are deemed of noble or ignoble birth, according to
the condition of their fathers, so, on the other hand, in slavery, the
condition of the child is determined by that of the mother, as lawyers
say, partus sequitur ventrem. Whence we may infer, that offspring is
partly procreated by the seed of the mother.
....Justly,
therefore, we infer from the words of Matthew, that Christ, inasmuch as
he was begotten of Mary, was procreated of her seed; as a similar
generation is denoted when Boaz is said to have been begotten of Rachab,
(Matth. 1: 5, 16.).....For the same reason for which Isaac is said to
be begotten of Abraham, Joseph of Jacob, Solomon of David, is Christ
said to have been begotten of his mother. "John Calvin
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