Miey also are confuted by the right understand! jg of the union between the Word and flesh."
He then goes on to show how the ancient Church met all these heretics with four adverbs, which briefly and conveniently defined the union of two natures in Christ's person. They said that the divine and human natures when " the Word was made flesh," were united truly^ to oppose the Arians, — perfectly, to oppose the ApoUinarians, — undividedly, to oppose the Nestorians, — and unmixedly^ to oppose the Eatychians.
Those who wish to examine this subject further, will do well to consult Pearson on the Creed, Dods on the Incarnation of the Eternal Word, and Hooker's Ecclesiastical Polity, B. v., chap, 51, 52, 53, 54.
[Dwelt among us.'] The Greek word rendered dwelt, means literally " tabernacled," or " dwelt in a tent." The sentence does not mean that Christ dwelt in His human body as in a tabernacle, which He left when He ascended up to heaven. " Christ," says Arrowsmith, "continueth now, and shall for ever, as trae man as when He was born of the Virgin Mary. — He so took human nature as never to lay it down again." The sentence only means that Christ dwelt among men on earth for thirty-three years. He was on earth so long conversing among men, that there could be no doubt of the reality of His incarnation. He did not appear for a few minutes, like a phantom or ghost. He did not come down for a brief visit of a few days, but was living among us in His human body for the duration of a whole gene- ration of men. For thirty-three years He pitched His tent in Palestine, and was going to and fro among its inhabitants.
Arrowsmit^ remarks that three sorts of men are described in the Bible as living in tents ; shepherds, sojourners, and soldiers. He thinks that the phrase here used has reference to the calling of all these three, and that it points to Christ's life on earth being that of a shepherd, a traveller, and a soldier. But it may be doubted whether this is not a somewhat fanciful idea, how- ever pleasing and true. The Greek word rendered " dwelt " is only used in four other places in the New Testament, (Rev. vii. 15 ; xii. 12 ; xiii. 6 ; xxi. 3,) and in each of them is applied to a permanent, and not a temporary dwelling.
[ Wt beheld his glory.] St. John here declares, that although *Hhe Word was made flesh," he and others beheld from time to time His glory, and saw manifest proof that He was not man only, but the " only begotten Son of God."
There is a difference of opinion among commentators as to the right application of these words. Some think that they apply to Christ's aacension, which John witnessed, and to all His mi^