( 213 ) 19. ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ εὐδόκησε πᾶν τὸ πλή ρωμα κατοικῆσαι· T 20. καὶ δι ̓ αὐτῇ ἀποκαταλλάξαι τὰ πάντα εἰς αὐτὸν, εἰρηνοποιήσας διὰ τὸ αἷμα τος τᾶ ταῦρᾶ αὐτᾶ, δι' αὐτᾶ, ἔτε τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ἔτε τὰ ἐν τοῖς ἐρανοῖς. 13. Who bath refcued us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his beloved Son. 14. In whom we have deliverance from captivity, by means of His blood, [even the remiffion of our fins. 15. Who is the image [and vifible appearance; i. e.the Shecinab] of God, who cannot be Teen by our eyes [IN HIS OWN ESSENCE]; the First produced Being of all [visible] creation. 16. For by bim began the exiftence of [or in him were created and built up] all things that are in THE HEAVENS, and that are upon earth; things feen, and things not feen, by us, whether they be Princely thrones, or Lordly dominions, or Operating powers, or Ruling powers; all were by Him, and exifting for Him. 17. And 139. 17. And He is before all things, and by him [or in him] all things were established. 18. And He is the head of the whole body, [of] the congregated affembly; Who is alfo [the prime] efficient cause; and the first produced [and recovered] from the dead; that he himself in all things might be the perfon leading the way. 19. For it pleafed [GOD] that in Him fhould exift all accomplishment [OF WHATEVER WAS TO BE EFFECTED.] 20. And by Him to conciliate all things to Himfelf, [having effected peace by the blood of his cross;] by him [TO CONCILIATE ALL THINGS] whether they be things on earth, or things in the heavens. I am very well aware, that the words in the 2d and 3d verses of the Fourth Chapter of the First Epistle of St. John, which I have here endeavoured to interpret in the trueft and most cautious manner, and thus to illuftrate, by comparing them with fimilar paffages; that these words, (viz. Xpisòv év σagni ἐν ἐληλύθετα,) although they are indeed in the 2d verse, yet are omitted in the 3d verse, in the Alexandrian copy, and alfo in the Vatican copy. But it is acknowledged, by Dr. Mill, that they they are found in moft other copies, in both verfes; and are allowed univerfally to be authentic and that there is reason to believe, that they were crafed from the Vatican copy, merely to prevent their being made use of in fupport of the opinions of certain heretics, who might draw fome wrong conclufions from them, (if thus repeated,) to vindicate opinions which they had founded on other paffages of Scripture. In these days, therefore, wherein it has pleafed God to afford us an opportunity of investigating fairly every part of His Holy Word, without being fettered with fuch illiberal fcruples; as the original command was to fearch the Scriptures; we need not hesitate to allow the expreffion its full force. And when we find thefe words fpeaking a language fo perfectly confiftent with other most important parts of the Gospel, and know that they are indubitably in the fecond verse, we neither need to be afraid to affert their original authority, nor to affent to the conclufion plainly to be drawn from them; which is indeed fuch, that Mr. Locke even thought the confeffion of the truth contained therein (namely, the confeffion that JESUS 140. was THE MESSIAH, fent down from above to deliver man,) was the fum total of the belief required in the Gospel *. I cannot forbear even citing his own words as we find them, in one or two places †. We fee that they (the Apostles) who before His death, preached only THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM; and THAT THE KINGDOM OF GOD WAS AT HAND; as foon as they had received the Holy Ghoft, after His refurrection, changed their ftyle, and every where in exprefs words, declare that Jefus is THE MESSIAH;— THAT KING WHICH WAS TO COME. And St. Paul, in feveral of his fermons, preached no other article of faith, but that Jefus was THE MESSIAH, THE KING, Who being rifen from the dead, now reigneth, and fhall more publicly manifest his kingdom, in judging the world, at the laft day. And, in addition to thefe words of Mr. See Locke on the Reasonablenefs of Chriftianity, 12mo, vol. I. p. 43, 47, 84, 85, 178, 181, 229, 235, 245, 258, 232, 305 + Ibid. vol. I. p. 178. And particularly the folio edition of Locke's Works, vol. II. p. 515, 516. Locke, Locke, I cannot but obferve, how strongly the two paffages, cited from the Epistle to the Hebrews, and the Epiftle to the Coloffians, affert the pre-exiflence of our Lord, in Glory, before His defcending upon earth, to take upon Him our human nature; and moreover, the existence of certain great ruling powers, under His dominion. Hence, therefore, we may learn to translate, with more energy, even the very first words of all the Gospels. Matthew, ch. i. ver. 1. Βίβλος γενέσεως Ιησέ Χρισέ, υιέ Δαυίδ, ὑιδ ̓Αβραάμ. The common tranflation is, The book of the generation of Jefus Chrift, the fon of David, the fon of Abraham. But this furely falls fhort of the true meaning, and conveys only a very flight idea of the important contents of the Sacred Volume. Should not the verfe rather be tranflated, and paraphrafed, fomewhat to this effect? 141. The |