13 Who, for that purpose, hath delivered us Gentiles from the power of darkness; the tyrannical dominion of evil spirits, under which we lived in our ignorant heathen state, and by faith, hath translated us into the kingdom of his beloved Son; namely, into the gospel church;

14 By whom we all have redemption through his death, even the forgiveness of sins. So that in the kingdom of God's beloved Son, there is a propitiation for sin provided, more effectual than the Levitical sacrifices.

15 That the shedding of his blood should procure forgiveness of sins for all who believe, cannot surprise you, when ye consider that He is the image of the invisible God, the first born of the whole creation.

cause he made known to men the will of God; and that in this sense only, Christ said to Philip, John xiv. 9. He that bath seen me, hath seen the Father. But it should be considered, that in other passages of scripture, the word image, denotes likeness, if not sameness, of nature and properties. 1 Cor. xv. 49. As we have borne the image of the earthly, we shall also bear' the image of the heavenly.—Heb. x. 1. The law containing a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of these things.

2. The first born of the whole creation. So the phrase Tara xtick is translated, Rom. viii. 22.—According to the Arians, the first born of the whole creation, is the first made creature. But the reason advanced to prove the Son, the first born of the whole creation, overturns that sense of this passage. For, surely the Son's creating all things, doth not prove him to be the first made creature, unless his power of creating all things originated from his being the first made creature which no one I think will affirm ̧ As little does the Son's creating all things, prove that he first of all created himself. Yet these absurdities will be established by the apostle's reasoning, if the first born of the whole creation, signifies the first made creature." It is "observable," saith Dr. Clarke, as cited by Horsley in his xvth letter to Priestly, “ that St. Paul does not here call our Saviour πρωτοκτιστον απάσης "6 κτισίως, the first created of all creatures, but πρωτότοκον πάσης κτίσεως "the first born of every creature, the first begotten before all creatures."

It is proper, however, to observe, that proтoxos, in this passage, may signify the Heir or Lord of the whole creation. For anciently the first born was entitled to possess his father's estate, 2 Chron. xxi. 3. But the kingdom gave he to Fehoram because he was the first born.—The first born was likewise Lord of his brethren, who were all his servants. This appears from what Isaac said to Esau, after he had bestowed the rights of primogeniture on Jacob, Gen. xxvii. 37. Hence among the Hebrews and other ancient nations, First born, heir, and lord, were synonymous terms, Gal. iv. 1. As long as the heir is a child, he is nothing different from a bond man, though be be lord of all,-Heres apud antiquos pro Domino ponebatur. See Vinnius's note on Justinian's Instit. lib. 2. tit. 19. last section. According to this interpretation of the terms, first born, and heir, the apostle's reasoning is perfectly just for the creation of all things, (Col. i. 16.) and the making of the world, (Heb. i. 3.) through the Son, is a direct proof that he is the first born, heir, or lord of the whole. For the same reason, in the following ver. 18. groTenos, first born, may signify Lord or Ruler; especially if the verse be thus translated, He is the beginning, the first born of the dead. See ver. 18. note 3.

Ver. 16.-1. Because by him were created. The causal particle iri, Because, with which this verse begins, refers to both parts of the preceding verse. The Son is the image of the invisible God, as well as the first born of the whole creation, because by him were created all things, &c.

2. Things visible, and things invisible.—Things visible, are those said in the foregoing clause to be upon the earth; the material fabric with all its inhabitants, called, Heb. xi. 3. тa Bas@queva, things which are seen.—Things invisible, are those said to be in the heavens: namely, the different orders of angels both good and bad, called in the following part of the verse, Thrones, Lordships, &c.-Because in after times, false teachers would arise and affirm; some, that the world was made by angels; others, that it was made by an evil principle, (see Pref. to Col. sect. ii. p. 479.) the apostle may have been directed by the Spirit to declare, in the most express manner, that all things were created by God's beloved Son, that the sincere might be preserved from these pernicious errors.

3. Whether Thrones, or Lordships, &c. In the parallel passage, Ephes. i. 21. note 1. these names express the different orders of angels, whether

16 These high titles belong to the Son, Because by him were created all things which are in the heavens, and which are upon the earth; things visible, the material fabric, and the living things therein; and things invisible, good angels and bad, the differences of whose nature and office, I express by thrones, lordships, governments, and powers: all things were created by God through the Son, and for him; that is, for the manifestation of his wisdom and power, and to be governed by him.

good or bad. For Col. ii. 10. the words agx xai xoia, Government and power, denote the good angels, over whom Christ is the head. But the same words, verse 15. of that chapter, and in Ephes. vi. 12. signify the evil angels who are in rebellion against God. And Luke xii. 11. they are applied to human rulers and magistrates: And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto, τας αρχας και της εξεσίας, magistrates and powers, take ye no thought, &c. Wherefore, the appellations in this verse comprchend every thing having dominion, whether among angels or men. And since it is said, in the end of the verse, that they were all made by the Son and for him, he must be superior to them all in nature and authority. Thus understood, the apostle's description of the Son, was most pertinent to his purpose of shewing the folly of the false teachers, who were endeavouring to seduce the Colossians from their reliance on Christ for salvation; and to persuade them to attach themselves to angels; and to worship them as more powerful mediators with God than his own beloved Son, by whom they were all created. 4. All things were created through him, and for him. By the all things, which were created through the Son, some of the Socinians understand, The gospel dispensation and church. According to this sense of creating all things, the first born of the whole creation, ver. 15. is, "The first made mem"ber of the Christian church" And the apostle's reasoning will be, "Christ is the first made member of the church; because by him the "church was created." But every one must be sensible, that this reasoning is not just; since Christ might have created the church, without being himself a member of it. Of this interpretation Peirce says, "It is so forced "and violent, that it can hardly be thought men would have espoused it, "but for the sake of an hypothesis."-Others, therefore, of the Socinians, by creation of all things which are in the heavens, understand Christ's new modelling the heavenly hierarchy. I am not certain that I understand what is meant by this expression. If it signifies, that after his ascension Christ divested the angels, who formerly ministred to the heirs of salvation, of

17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the

17 Και αυτός εςι προ παν

των, και τα παντα εν αυ τῷ συνεζηκε

18 Και αυτος εςιν ἡ κει φαλη του σώματος, της εκκλησιας· ὃς εςιν αρχή, πρω first born from the dead; τότοκος εκ των νεκρών, ένα that in all things he might have the pre-emi- γενηται εν πασιν αυτος πρωτ

nence.

τευων

iva

their offices, and put other angels in their place, it should be considered, Whether the divesting the angels of their ministry, after Christ's ascension, does not imply, that they had formerly executed their ministry improperly? -Perhaps, by the new modelling of the heavenly hierarchy, the Socinians mean, that Christ altered the order and subordination originally established among the heavenly beings, by raising some of them above others, who formerly were greater than they in power. But, as their original subordi nation seems to have been founded on the different natures and qualities of the angels, it may be doubted whether Christ could alter that subordination, without altering the nature of the angels; since to have placed the supe rior natures below the inferior, would have been incongruous, or rather unjust, as they had done nothing to merit such a degradation. Supposing, therefore, that in new modelling the heavenly hierarchy, Christ changed the natures of the angels, might he not also have created them? It will not aid the Socinian hypothesis to reply, that the power of changing the nature of the angels, is inferior to the power of creating them, unless they can shew it to be so much inferior, that it may be possessed by one who is nothing but a man, as they hold Jesus to be.-In short, I can affix no mean. ing to the new modelling of the heavenly bierarchy by God's beloved Son, which does not prove him to be superior to a the angels of which that hierarchy consists, as the apostle's reasoning in this passage seems to imply.

Ver. 17.-1. And he is before all things. The word rayar, is rightly translated, all things, because it is in the neuter gender; as is plain from the subsequent clause, And by him, ra xavra, all things consist.

2. All things, ouvesnne, consist. This is equivalent to Heb. i. 3. τε τα παντα τῷ ρηματι της δυναμεως αυτ8, And upholding all things by the word of his power: by his powerful word or command.—This, and what fol lows in ver. 18. are additional arguments to prove Christ's superiority to angels.

Ver. 18.-1. And he is the head of the body, even of the church. The apos tle having displayed the greatness of the Son, as creator of all things vi sible and invisible, in the heavens and upon the earth, proceeds in this clause, to display his glory as the head of the church, which is called the body, and bis body, to intimate, that as the human body is animated and

17 And, having made all things, he is in existence prior to all things, and by his power all things stand together in the harmonious order in which he at first placed them.

18 And he is the head of the great body, or society, called the church. He is also the beginning, or author of the church, the first born, or Lord of the dead, (Rom. xiv. 9.) who make the greatest part of the church, that in all respects he may be the chief person next to God.

governed by the head, so the church is animated, governed, and protected by Christ its head. Or, the church is called the body of Christ, because all the regenerated, deriving their new nature from the breaking of his body on the cross, they are said, Ephes. v. 30. to be members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. See Ephes. v. 32. note. And Rom. xii. 5. note 1.

In making Christ the head of the body or church, there is, as Dr. Leechman observes, vol. i. Serm. vi. the greatest wisdom; because, "it is evident "to every one, that the reducing of men under one great head, is the most "natural means of uniting them to one another, and to the great God and "Father of all. The most ordinary observation in the world, will convince "us, what a mighty power the attachment to one chief in learning, in arts, "or in government, always hath, to bind men together in affection and "friendly society. This is the effect of it, when there is nothing but a joint "admiration, without dependence and expectations. But the effect is much "stronger, when there is a dependence upon, and hopes of many great advantages common to all, from the power and favour of the leader. How "much more then, must the subjecting of mankind to one great and glori"ous head, for whom they have the highest veneration, from whom they have “received the most invaluable benefits, and on whom all their future hopes "depend, contribute exceedingly to unite them in the strictest bonds of "friendship?" especially as there can be no envious rivalships here: The favours bestowed on one, being no obstruction to the aggrandizement of the

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rest.

2. He is the beginning. "Os est apn. In this and what follows, the greatness of the Son, as the efficient cause and ruler of the church, is demonstrated from the consideration of that fulness of perfection, which it pleased the Father to bestow on him. The Greek philosophers expressed the first cause or efficient principle of things, by the word apyn, beginning, Cudw. Intel. Syst. p. 217. 225. 231. 243. 250. In this sense Christ called himself, Rev. iii. 14. gx тns TIσENS TO DE, the first cause of the creation* of God. But, though it be an high honour to the church, that he is its head, who is the first cause of all things, yet as the apostle in this verse is speak