"And being found in fafhion as a man *, he humbled himfelf, &c. i. e being in the circumftances and condition of a mortal man, σχηματι ως ανθρωπος, tae king nothing upon him beyond the rate of weak, common mortals; although he had power to have refifted and overcome his enemies, he fubmitted to the most barbarous ufage, and a moft cruel and infamous death, in obedience to God. John x. 18."

Wherefore God hath highly exalted him.) His exaltation was not the reward of his humility in ftripping himself of any fuppofed dignity or happinefs enjoyed in a former ftate of being; for the apostle gives not the least intimation of any thing of that kind, and fpeaks only of his prefent conduct and behaviour. But it was the reward of his labours, and innocent and virtuous fufferings unto death in the cause of truth and righteoufnefs." (y)

The following translation then is most probably the true one. Let the fame mind be in you which

was

* Και σχηματι ευρέθεις ως άνθρωπος-(and being found in fashion as a man.-) ɛvçebes is often no more than the latin exiftens, or being; and so it answers to yevuevos in the verse before, as does σχηματι, in fafhion here, to εν ομοιωματι, in the likeness there; and fo these two phrafes appear to me exactly of the fame import. Peirce in loc.

(y) Lindley's Sequel, p. 272–277.

was alfo in Chrift Jefus. Who being in the form of God, did not look on it as a prize to be eagerly catched at to be like God: But emptied himself, taking upon him the form of a fervant, being in the likeness of a mortal man. And being in the circumftances and condition of a mortal man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God, &c.

Mr. Hawker intimates, that much more may be made of this paffage than he has made of it; (z) but that the other points respecting which it gives information, will more properly meet him under another part of the fubject. The paffage however is not afterwards quoted.

CHAPTER V.

Of Mr. Hawker's Proofs from the New Testament that Jefus Chrift is the Maker and Preferver of the World.

OF

F the paffages, which are commonly supposed to ascribe the creation and support of the world

G

(z) P. 59.

world to Jefus Chrift, Mr. Hawker has produced

but four. John i. 1.-3. iii. 3. 4. Col. i. 15—17. ed Eph. iii. 9; and then

Heb. i. 1-10. Heb. To these may be addwe fhall have all the

paffages in the New Teftament which can be supposed to prove the doctrine. I will proceed to examine them in their proper order.

John i. 1-3. In the beginning was the word, &c. I have already attempted to prove, that this paffage has no relation to Jesus Christ, but to the logos the word, or wisdom of God, which, as it were, refided in Jefus Chrift.

Hebrews i. 1. 2. God who at fundry times and in divers manners, fpake in times paft unto the fathers, by the prophets, hath in theje iaft days Spoken unto us by his fon, whom he hath appointed heir of all (a) things,

by

(a) Mr. Lindsey, in the Sequel to his Apology, makes an obfervation which clearly evinces, that the writer of the epiftle to the Hebrews, did not mean in this, or in any other paffage, to ascribe the proper creation of the world to Chrift or his agency. "For it being, manifeftly," fays he, "the design of the writer, to preserve his countrymen from apoftatizing from christianity, and falling back into judaism, a great part of his epistle is spent in proving the superiority of Chrift to Mofes, and to angels whom they fupposed to exercife great powers in their fyftem." Now affuredly no argument would have been more direct and forcible to his

point,

by whom alfo he made the worlds, &c.

αιώνας

The word

might with much greater propriety be ren

dered ages than worlds.

tranflators, Col. i. 26.

It is fo rendered by our "Nor is there," fays Dr. Sykes," any one inftance in the New Teftament, where more than this is meant by it." (b) The paffage therefore should be rendered thus, By whom alfo he (God) made the ages; by which we are to understand the ages of the gofpel, or the chriftian difpenfation, which Jefus Chrift was the means of introducing and establishing. It may also be obferved, that the prepofition dia is not always used to fignify the inftrument, but fometimes the object. Grotius was of opinion that it was used in this fenfe here; "Allowing his interpretation to be juft," fays Dr. Lardner, "and we have a moft apt and beautiful fenfe which is this: For whom alfo, or for whofe fake alfo; or in respect to whom, he disposed and ordered the ages: that is, the antediluvian, the patriarchal, the legal ages, or periods,

point, than that of Christ having been the creator of the world. It must have ended the controversy at once, and given the fulleft fatisfaction. How ftrange is it then that the apostle should mention it only incidentally, never lay any particular stress upon it, nor recur to it again? It may affure us, that he believed no fuch thing himself, and that it is not the true interpretation of his words," Lindley's Se. quel, p. 483. 484.

(b) Dr. Sykes in loc.

riods, and all the divine difpenfations towards the fons of men." (c)

The clause, v. 3, and upholding all things by the word of his power, may refer to the many miracles our faviour wrought in fupport of the gofpel, and every thing relating to it. Or the whole verse may be read thus, Who being the brightness of his (God's) glory, and the exprefs image of his (God's) perfon, and upholding all things by the word of his (God's) power, relating either to the power of working miracles which Jefus Chrift received from his Father, or to the powers communicated to him, by which he is able to govern his church and people.

The fenfe of v. 6. is, that when God raised Jefus Chrift from the dead, all the angels, i. e. meffengers (d) of God, were to pay him respect or homage, i. e. acknowledge his fuperior authority.

Concerning v. 8, Dr. Clarke observes, "that it ought

(c) Dr. Lardner on the Logos. p. 56.

(d) Ayos, nuncius, a meffenger. This is the proper meaning of the word; and by adopting it in the present inftance, a more beautiful sense is given to the paffage. It seems evident alfo from the firft verfe, that the defign of the writer, in this part of the epistle, is not to point out the fuperiority of Chrift to angels, (though I firmly believe he is now most deservedly exalted by God above them,) but to all other ineffengers or prophets.