existence before the creation of the material world; but the word, 'ois, is often used to signify mankind. Mark xvi. 15, Rom. viii. 19-22. 6 The new man, man reformed, or become a true Christian,' 2 Cor. v. 17, Gal. vi. 15, Col. i. 15. And Christ is the first, the beginner, and the chief of the new creation of God, who by Christ has new-created' us by 'good works,' Eph. ii. 10. And the new man is created,' that is, formed, according to the will of God, by righteousness and true holiness,' Eph. iv. 24. And St. James, i. 8, informs us, That God hath been pleased to beget (new-form) us by the word of truth (the gospel) that we might be the first-fruits of his (new) creatures.' Now it is absurd in the highest degree to apply to the Supreme God the term 'first-born,' and especially these words, the first-born of the whole creation, or of every creature.'

CHARACTER III.

This character proves the foregoing characters; for if Christ made (or formed) all things in the Christian state, he must be before all. Christ is said, ver. 15, To be the first-born of the whole (new) creation, or of every creature.' Hence, in ver. 16, it is said, For by him were all things made (formed) in heaven or earth, that is, all persons of higher or lower rank or degree, whoever they are, or whatever condition they are now in; either dead, and in heaven, or living now on earth in the rank of princes, magistrates, &c. as Christians they were all formed, and made such through Christ, ver. 17. He is therefore to be preferred before all; and in him, as head, all Christians do consist as a Christian society. And he is the head of this society, which is his body spiritual, of which he is chief, ver. 18.

It ought to be observed well, that St. Paul is sufficiently cautious to prevent all persons from mistaking him, by using such terms as confined his meaning to his real and true intention, and by his avoiding all such words or terms as might mislead his readers into

a wrong notion or opinion of Jesus Christ. For instance, he doth not say, that by him, Christ, the heavens, the earth, the sea, or the sun, moon, and the stars, were made and created: which are the usual words in the Old and New Testament, expressing the creation of the material world. These words, I say, St. Paul doth not use here. On the contrary, he expressly names, thrones, dominions, principalities, and powers;' which are evidently parts, and principal parts, of the political world. And, by his choosing such terms, he most plainly determines his readers to understand his meaning to be, that all persons that were Christians, both those now in heaven, or the Christians now on earth, how great or high soever in rank or dignity, were, or would be, through Christ, formed, or made Christians, and he on that account was to be preferred before them all ; αὐτός ἐσι προ πάντων, ver. 17. St. Paul, as the learned world know, was perfectly acquainted with the writings of the Old Testament, and consequently knew the style and appropriate characters of God every where used by its sacred writers; and, had he intended to ascribe divine nature to Jesus Christ, divine characters or descriptive passages of God the Supreme Being abounded in his mind, and would have been found in this text, and in all his epistles, concerning Jesus Christ: but it is most evident, that he, every where, in many express texts in this very epistle, chap. i. ver. 2, 3, 12, 13, and in his other epistles, distinguishes Jesus Christ from his God and Father.

And it must be always observed, that the apostle hath most evidently, and beyond all dispute, settled the character of the one true God in the words before this paragraph, styling the Father, alone, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,' Colos. i. 2, 3. And therefore all the high characters of Christ that follow must be interpreted in consistence with that and they cannot, indeed, considered duly by themselves, be the characters of the Supreme God, but of an inferior being, as the particulars demonstrate evidently.

CHARACTER IV.

Jesus Christ is also styled ΠΡΩΤΟΤΟΚΟΣ ΕΚ ΤΩΝ NEKPON, the first-born from the dead, Col. i. 18. Rev. i. 5. All agree this signifies the first who rose from the dead; that is, interpreted by St. Paul, 1 Cor. xv. 20, 21, the first-fruits of those that have slept,' that is, who are dead. This is still the character of a man, and not of God; and since all the characters in this paragraph belong to the same Christ, they must necessarily be finite, limited characters, and agreeing, or be consistent with each other.

And, to put this matter out of all doubt and question, this paragraph is concluded with these most remarkable words: It pleased (the Father) that in him (Christ) all fulness should dwell,' Colos. i. 19. By all fulness here is meant all the high characters beforementioned; and all these' were from the mere good pleasure of God the Father, who gave Christ to be head over all things, to or in the church,' Eph. i. 22, which, in a few words, is the sense of the whole fore-' going paragraph. And it must be always remembered, that the head of Christ is God,' 1 Cor. xi. 3.

CHAP. XXXVI.

What the evangelists, and other writers of the New Testament, teach us by the several names and characters of Jesus Christ.

ALL persons are known and distinguished from other persons, by their names, and several characters. This person (Jesus Christ) hath several names and characters given to him in the New Testament; by which the sacred writers have so plainly and fully informed us, what notion we ought to form, and what we are to believe concerning him, that, with due attention, we cannot be mistaken about his person and nature.

Mat. i. ver. 23. St. Matthew (or the author of that chapter, &c.) applies the name Emanuel' out of

Isaiah, chap. vii. ver. 14, to Jesus Christ. But it is observable,

Ist, That the name Emanuel is not applied to Christ in any other place of the New Testament.

2d, And it is further to be observed, that the signification of it may fairly and truly mean' no more than that God was with his people by Jesus Christ, as his prophet and messenger, &c.

3rd, And, in the third place, it is observable, this name was given to Isaiah's son.-Vid. Synop. Crit. on Isa. vii. ver. 14.

4th, It may also be considered, that St. Luke takes no notice of this name; though he declares, that he had diligently gathered his history from persons, who from the beginning had been eye-witnesses and ministers of the word, that is, Jesus Christ. Luke j. 2.

5th, The admitting this name to have been given to Christ, Mat. i. 23, (though not one of the three other evangelists, nor one of the other writers of the New Testament, once mention that name), yet because "God was with him,' Acts x. 38, having anointed him with the Holy Ghost, and with power,' &c. it might well be said, that God was with the Jews, by his special favour shewn to them in the person, and by the ministry of Jesus Christ.

AIAÃЕKAЛOE, another name and character of Jesus Christ, is about forty times mentioned in the New Testament, and in our translation is expressed by teacher, master (it properly signifies doctor, or teacher). The Jews, and his own disciples, often call him, or speak to him, by that name, and he owns it, Luke vii. 40, and viii. 49, xx. thrice, and xxi. 7, xxii. 11. And well he deserved this name, for he taught publicly in the synagogues, in the temple, and through all Judea; but then he tells the Jews, John viii. 26, 28, that what he heard from him (the Father) who sent him, those things he spake; and as my Father has taught me those things I speak,' John vii. 16. My doctrine is not mine, but his who sent me.' See chap. xi.

Rabbi, and Rabboni, that is, Doctor, so twice in

P

terpreted, John. i. 39, and xx. 16, is frequently used by Christ's disciples and others, when they spake to him, and is, in Syriac, the same with dddoxaños, doctor,

or master.

And nays, guide, or instructor, used twice, Mat. xxiii. 8, 10, is of the like signification with the two foregoing; and plainly shews, that Christ was understood to be a religious guide and teacher, who came from God, and was sent by God.

ΟΔΟΣ, ΑΛΗΘΕΙΑ ΚΑΙ ΖΩΗ. Suitable to Christ's character of a teacher, he speaks of himself, as St. John hath told us, xiv. 6, in these abstract terms: I am the way, that is, the guide in the way. I am the truth,' that is, the teacher of the truth. I am the life, that is, I am an instructor, that will shew you the best rules of life, to bring you to the favour of God my Father. For John i. 4, In him was life, and that life was light,' that is, he had the clearest rules of a religious life, as, John vi. 68, He had the words of eternal life.' And the sum of these words of eternal life was this, John xviii. 3, to have a right knowledge of the one true God, taught by Jesus Christ, whom God the Father sent for that very end...

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There are many Jesuses, and many Christs, among the Jews; but among Christians there is but one God, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

ΑΡΧΗΓΟΣ ΤΗΣ ΖΩΗΣ &c. He is called, by St. Peter, Acts iii. 15, and v. 31, The chief guide, or director of life. And again, "A guide and Saviour, whom God exalted, to give (and declare from God) repentance and remission of sins.' And by the author of the Hebrews, Heb. ii. 10, The captain, or chief guide to salvation: the first and chief leader of our (Christian) faith.' Now all these are characters of a person, and prophet, who was to guide mankind, as God's messenger and apostle, by his life and doctrine, in the way of piety and virtue, or of righteousness and holiness: for, as St. John saith, John i. 18, Christ declared the mind and will of God,' which indeed is the best and most unerring rule of life.

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