The following is the translation and exposition of the passage, upon this hypothesis.

Ver. 1. "In the beginning 7 was the Word 8, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god 9."

From the commencement of his public ministry, Jesus was a teacher of truth and life. And as Moses was with God in the mount to receive the law, (Exod. xxxiv, 28;) so Jesus withdrew from the world, into the wilderness or elsewhere, to receive his instructions and qualifications from God. And being a prophet of the highest order,

"Or from the first. See Cappe's Diss. vol. i. p. 19; and Simpson's Essays, No. vii. p. 5. Improved Vers. in loc. See p. 17, note 4.

8

i. e. Jesus, the person by whom God spake to mankind. Hence, Rev. xix. 13, he is called the Word of God: and 1 John i. 1, the Word of Life; because he taught the doctrine of eternal life. Our Lord appears to be denoted by the same title, Luke i. 2, They who from the beginning were eye-witnesses, and ministers of the Word. And again, Luke iv. 36, And they were all amazed and spake, saying, Tis & λoyos OUTOS; Qualis est hic doctor? Who is this Word, or teacher? See Schleusner in verb. Christ is called Life, because he is the teacher of Life; Truth, because he is the teacher of Truth; the Way, because he teaches the Way of righteousness; the Light, because he introduces Light into the world: so he is called the Word, because he teaches the Word or doctrine of God.

In the Scriptures the word God is applied; 1st, To prophets who were commissioned to deliver messages from God. John x. 35, "He called them gods, to whom the word of God came."-2dly, To a prophet who was authorized to work miracles. Exod. vii. 1, "The Lord said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh, and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet.' Here Aaron is to deliver the message, but Moses to perform the miracle.-3dly, To magistrates, and persons in high civil authority. Psalm lxxxii. 1," God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods." See also ver. 6. Exod. xxi. 6; xxii. 8, 9. Deut. x. 17. 1 Sam. xxviii. 13. In all these senses the title God might with peculiar propriety be applied to Jésus, for to him was communicated the Spirit without measure: John iii. 34. And when asked by Pilate whether he was a king; he replied, "I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause I came into the world." John xviii. 37. Crellius conjectured that the true reading of the original was ɛ8, "the word was God's" but this conjecture, though ingenious and not improbable, yet, being unauthorized by manuscripts, versions, or quotations in ecclesiastical writers, is inadmissible.

to whom the divine will was fully revealed, who was endued in a very superior degree with miraculous powers, and who was appointed Lord and King, in that new dispensation which he was authorized to introduce to supersede the Mosaic covenant, he is for these reasons, in the well known phraseology of the Jewish scriptures, entitled to be called a god, though obviously in a sense infinitely below that in which the same expression is applied to the Supreme Original Being.

Ver. 2. "This Word was in the beginning with God 10."

Before he appeared in public, from the very commencement of his ministry, he had intercourse with God, and was called, and qualified by him, for his high and important office.

Ver. 3. "All things 11 were done 12 through him 13,

and

10 The stress in this clause appears to lie upon the words ev apx, in the beginning,' or 'at first.' Jesus did not obtrude himself into his high office without a proper call. He did not appear in public till he had been fully instructed, qualified, and disciplined for his great undertaking. Compare Heb. v. 5, " Christ glorified not, himself to be made a high priest, but he that said unto him, Thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee."

11 All things] (TaνTα), i. e. all things which concern the new dispensation which Jesus was commissioned to introduce. This word is often used in a restricted sense, and in this sense in particular 1 John ii. 20, "Ye have an unction from the holy One, and know all things.' See also John xiii. 3; xiv. 6; xvi. 13. 2 Pet. i.3, 4. Eph. i. 3, 21, 22. Acts i. 1.

18 Were done] (syEVETO). Though youai never signifies' to create,' yet, as Mr. Cappe observes, (Crit Rem. vol. i. pag. 39,) it is a word of very general signification: it signifies to be, to come to pass,’ 'to be done,' as well as to be made.' John xv. 7, "Ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." xix. 36, "These things were done (EYEVETO), that the Scripture might be fulfilled." See also Matt. v. 18; vi. 8; xxi. 42; xxvi. 6. Improved Version in loc.; and Dr. Carpenter's Letters to Veysie, p. 79. Mr. Cappe renders the text, "All things were by him, and without him was not any that has been." Mr. Sinipson, (Diss. vii. p. 45,) " All things were formed by him; all the regeneration of mankind which the Gospel produced was effected by his instrumentality." He observes, p. 28, that "though

the

and without him not a single thing was done, which hath been done 14."

Every thing relating to the introduction of the new dispensation has been accomplished, either by Jesus himself, or by his apostles and messengers, who derived their com mission and powers from him, and who performed nothing without his express warrant and authority.

Ver. 4. "By him was life 15, and the life was the light of men."

Jesus is the revealer of a future life by a resurrec

the apostle John never uses yivoua for proper creation, yet he often employs it to denote a change of state, condition, or properties.” Dr. Carpenter well remarks, that "the common rendering of ver. 3, 'all things were made by him ;' and of ver. 10, the world was made by him,' has perhaps more than any thing contributed to establish in the minds of the unlearned the Trinitarian or the Arian hypothesis concerning our Saviour," viz. that he was the Creator and Former of the material universe.

13 Through him,] di' avre, through his instrumentality.' He was the mediator of the new covenant: the only medium of the christian dispensation: the only person who derived his instructions and powers immediately from God. His apostles derived their authority, qualifications and powers from him. John xv. 26, " When the advocate is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father." Ver. 16, "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you and appointed you." Acts ii. 32, 33, "Jesus, having received from the Father the promise of the holy spirit, has poured forth this," &c.

14 Not a single thing, &c.] ude ev yeyoyev. See Campbell. The apostles derived all their powers from Christ, and could do nothing without him. John xv. 5. Compare ver. 4, "As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abide in the vine; so neither can ye, unless ye abide in me.”—He was probably personally present w th, and occasionally he visibly manifested himself to, his apostles in the course of their ministry: Matt. xxviii. 20. They worked miracles in his name: Acts iii. 6; ix. 34. He converted Paul, appeared to him repeatedly, and directed his missionary journeys: Acts ix. 5; xviii. 9. 2 Cor. xii. 8, 9. See also Rev. i. 1.

15

By him was life.] John vi. 68, "Thou hast the words of eternal life." 1 John v. 11, "This is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his son." Hence our Lord calls himself "the Resurrection and the Life," John xi. 25. "The Way, the Truth, and the Life," John xiv. 6. In like manner, and for like reasons, he is called "the Light," John viii. 12; xii. 35, 36. See Cappe, p. 43, 44. Imp. Ver. in loc.

tion from the grave; and this heavenly doctrine is the principal means of instruction, reformation, and comfort to mankind.

Ver. 5. "And the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness hath not overtaken it 16"

This glorious light which Jesus kindled, and which diffuses its beams over a benighted world, still continues to shine. It is not yet extinguished, nor ever shall be.

Ver. 6, 7, 8, 9. "A man, whose name was John, was sent from God 17. This man came for a testimony, to bear witness concerning the light, that through him all might believe. He was not the light, but sent to bear witness of the light. The true light was that which, being come into the world 18, is enlightening every man."

John the Baptist was divinely commissioned to announce the approach of a greater prophet, whose beneficent errand it would be to enlighten and to bless the human race. John, though he was himself a burning and a shining light, equal to any of the prophets who preceded him, was not, nor did he ever profess to be, any thing more than the humble harbinger of a far greater prophet

16 Darkness hath not overtaken it.] 8 xaTeλabev. Compare ver. 9. 1 John ii. 8. "The word xaraλaubava is often used of the day and night and their vicissitudes." See John xii. 35, Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you:' and 1 Thess. v. 4. See Cappe's Crit. Rem. ibid. p. 46. Some render the words " the darkness comprehended it not,"-mankind in general did not understand the true nature of it. Simpson's Essays, p. 45.

17" To be sent from God," is to be a prophet, to come to men with a divine message. If John was sent from God, it implies that he had been previously with God, to be instructed by him. This explains the phrase in verses 1 and 2, where it is said that the Word, Jesus, was with God. See Cappe, p. 23.

18 That which being come.] Cappe and Campbell read he who, &c., as being more intelligible, though not exactly corresponding with the original For the trajection, see Campbell's valuable note. True, is often used in Scripture to signify great, illustrious, excellent. Cappe, ibid. p. 48. Every man, i. e. Jew and Gentile, all nations. John xii. 32, Acts xvii. 30. 1 Tim. ii. 4. Rom. ii. 10. Heb. ii. 9. Cappe, ibid.

who

who was to succeed. That great prophet is Jesus of Nazareth, who, having risen like the sun upon a benighted world, is to this hour, and will ever continue to be, diffusing light, and hope, and happiness to all of every nation, Jew or Gentile, who are willing to receive the benefit of his beautiful and cheering rays.

Ver. 10. "He was in the world 19, and the world was enlightened by him 20, yet the world knew him not." Jesus appeared in public; to all without distinction he proclaimed

19 The world.] nooμos per metonymiam significat incolas orbis terrarum a) generatim, universum genus humanum: B) speciatim, magnam hominum multitudinem, &c. Schleusner in verb.-This word occurs upwards of a hundred times in the writings of John, but seldom if ever in the sense of the visible creation, or the material world. Simpson, p. 35. And as it is said that the world knew him not, it is evidently to be understood here of intelligent beings, of mankind in general. Ib. p. 37.

This

20 Was enlightened by him.] With some hesitation I adopt the method of supplying the ellipsis, proposed by my learned and ingenious friend Dr. Carpenter in his Letters to Mr. Veysie, p. 79. q. d. EXEVETO o nooμos TEQWTIOμevos: see ver. 6. The preceding context justifies in his opinion his insertion of the word enlightened. As Matt. xxiii. 15, the word proselyte must be supplied from the foregoing clause: "Ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, xai itav yevŋtai,` i. e. pornλuros, when the proselyte is made, ye make him &c." gives a better sense than the common translation, "the world was made by him," if understood of the new moral creation. For in that case it would not be strictly true that the world knew him not. For the new-created world did know him, and acknowledge his authority. But the world might be enlightened by Christ, and at the same time might refuse to derive benefit from him, or to submit to his claims. They shut their eyes against the light, and chose darkness because their deeds were evil.

Mr. Simpson indeed obviates this objection by observing, that verbs which signify the simple act or effect, sometimes express only the design and tendency, and at other times the endeavour or using means: q. d. The tendency of his doctrine was to reform the world, Ibid. p. 38. This is ingenious, and may be just; but the other interpretation seems to suit the connexion better.

Mr. Simpson's own translation is: "He was in the world, and the world was formed by him, yet the world knew him not." Which he paraphrases thus: "He was publicly conversant with men; many were reformed by him; and he imparted the best means of renovating

the