V. L. et cum introducit primogenitum in orbem terræ, dicit et adorent eum omnes Angeli Dei: omitting aλ, again.

Rursum autem cum inducit; < and ;תוב דין אמתי דמעל .Syr

again when he bringeth in,' s T oixoupcevnv, mabuh, into the. world.

Пlax, again, is omitted in the Arabic, as in the vulgar Latin. Beza; Rursum autem cum inducit primogenitum in orbem terrarum, dicit, et adorent (Eras. adorabunt) eum omnes Angeli Dei; which is exactly expressed by ours. "And again, when be bringeth in the first begotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him."

There is not much difficulty in the words themselves; ra di, cum autem, quando autem; but when."

6

Пz, Rursum, “again," as in the former verse. What sense it is here used in, and with what word it is to be joined, shall be afterwards declared.

Elayaya; inducit, or inducet, or introducit; he bringeth in, or leadeth in, or shall bring in,' of which difference also afterwards.

Tov TEOTOTOKOV, the first begotten, the first born. He before whom none is born; not necessarily implying that others shall be born after. Under the law, there was a sacrifice for the wewToToxos, first begotten, so called when as yet none were begotten after him, and when it was very uncertain whether ever any should be so of the same womb or not; and doubtless it often fell out that none were so.

Eis Thy eixoumevny, ban, the habitable world, or pyn, Prov. viii. the public place of habitation, where the creatures of God do dwell. The word is no where used absolutely in Scripture in any sense but for this habitable world. Only sometimes it hath a restrained sense, denoting the Roman empire, as Luke ii. 1. According to the usual language of those days, wherein the people of Rome or their emperors were styled Rerum, and Orbis terrarum, Domini: and sometimes indefinitely denotes any part of the world as habitable, Luke xvii. 6. xix. 27. xxi. 26. And therefore oftentimes hath iλn, the whole, joined with it, when it is extended universally to the habitable earth.

Пgoσxuvnσατwσar; Heb. nnwn, imperative in Hithpael, from Пn, to incline, to bow down. The LXX. constantly render that word by goσvrew. And #gocxvw is probably derived from xvw, and thence xvw, osculor, to kiss;' which also is sometimes used for to adore, or worship; as, wavTES YOU TENTHROTES εμοί κυνέοντι δέπωτην ; that is, saith Eustathius, προσκυεσι με, ως δεσ TOTNY; they worship me as their Lord; for being joined with WATANTIs, bowing, or falling down, it expresseth the whole use and signification of gorxusw. How kissing was of old a προσκυνέω. token and pledge of worship, especially to bow down and kiss

sign,

the ground, I have elsewhere declared. And this derivation of the word, I prefer far before that which makes it primitively to signify more canum adulari; as if taken from the crouching of dogs.

In the New Testament it is no where used, but for that religious worship which is due to God alone. And when it is recorded of any that they did goσvvy, or perform the duty and homage denoted by this word, unto any but God, it is recorded as their idolatry, Rev. xiii. 12. 16. 2. And unto this sense was it restrained of old by the Spartans, who denied that it was w row, lawful, for them avlewo gove, that is, to fall down to, or to adore a man; Herodot. in Polym.

And in this sense it is exceedingly restrained from the use and import of, yea, and from that of nwn, in Hithpael, though that always signifies a bowing down with respect and reverence; for it is employed to denote civil as well as religious worship. But for several sorts of religious worship diversified by its objects, the Scripture knows nothing. The word properly denotes to bow down, and when it is referred unto God, it respects the inward reverence and subjection of our minds, by metonymy of the adjunct. See it for civil repect, Gen. xxvii. 29. xxxiii. 6.

Ayya, b, Elohim is rendered angels by the LXX. Gen. xxxi. 24. Job xxxviii. 7. Psal. viii. 6. xcvi. 8. cxxxvii. 1. of which interpretation of the word, we shall treat in the ensuing Exposition.

This is the second argument used by the apostle to confirm his assertion of the preference of the Son above angels; and it is taken from the command of God given unto them to wor ship him. For without controversy, he who is to be worshipped, is greater than they whose duty it is to worship him.

In the words we must consider, 1. The apostle's preface: 2. His proof. And in the latter must weigh, 1. The sense of it. 2. The suitableness of it to his present purpose.

His preface, or the manner of his producing of this second testimony is this: όταν δε παλιν εισαγάγη –λεγεί; which words have been exposed unto a variety of interpretations. For if wa, be joined with rayayn, which immediately follows; they are to be rendered," and when he bringeth in again into the world;" if with Ay, which follows it after the interposition of sundry other words, then it is to be rendered as by our interpreters," and again, when he brings; he saith."

Moreover, it is not clear in what sense Christ is called gwτοτοκος, the first born, who is elsewhere termed μονογένης τε ΠαTgos, the only begotten Son of the Father.

We must also inquire what is the introduction, or bringing in here intended; how and when performed; as also what is

the world whereunto he was brought. The difficulties about all which must be severally considered.

1. Пaλ, again, may be joined with soyayn; and then the sense of the words must run as above intimated; namely, "when he bringeth in again the first born into the world." And it is evident, that most Expositors, both ancient and modern, embrace this sense. So do Chrysostom, Theodoret, Ambrose, Oecumenius, Thomas, Lyra, Cajetan, Ribera, Camero, Gomarus, Estius, A Lapide and our Mede, with many others. But about what this bringing in again, or second bringing in of the first born into the world should be, they are greatly divided.

The ancients refer it to his incarnation, affirming somewhat harshly, that he was brought before into the world, when all things were made by him.

2. Others refer it to the resurrection, which was as it were a second bringing of Christ into the world, as David was brought into his kingdom again, after he had been expelled by the conspiracy and rebellion of Absalom.

3. Others refer it unto his coming forth in the effectual preaching of the gospel after his ascension, whereby he was brought forth in another manner, and with another kind of power, than that which he appeared in in the days of his flesh.

4. Some suppose the personal reign of Christ on the earth for a thousand years with his saints, is intended in these words, when God will bring him again" with glory into the world, of which judgment was Mede, and now many follow him.

5. Others again, and they the most, assign the accomplishment of what is here asserted, to the general judgment, and the second coming of Christ in the glory of the Father, with all the holy angels attending him to judge the quick and the

dead.

6. Some of the Socinians refer them unto the triumphant ascension of Christ into heaven, after his resurrection; he having, as they fancy, once before been taken into it, there to be instructed in the mind and will of God.

Now, all these assertions concerning the bringing in of Christ into the world, have a truth in them absolutely considered; but whether any of them be here intended by the apostle, we must inquire by an examination of the common foundation that all their authors proceed upon, with the reasons given for its confirmation. Now this is that which we observed before, namely, that in the construction of the words, Tax, again, is to be' joined with rayayn he bringeth in, and so to be rendered, when he brings in again, or a second time, the first born; which must

needs point to a second coming of Christ, of one kind or another and to this purpose they say,

1. That the trajection of the words in the other sense, is hard and difficult, and not to be admitted but upon very cogent reasons. It is to suppose that the apostle by όταν δε παλιν, when again, intends aλ de ora again when; and besides, the interposition of the many words between it, and λyt, he saith, will not admit that they should be conjoined in sense and con

struction.

But this reason is not cogent: for,

1. Most of the ancient translations acknowledge this transposition of the words: so the Syriac, reading thus, "And again when he bringeth in ;" so the vulgar Latin and the Arabic, omitting the term again, as not designing any new thing, but merely denoting a new testimony. And they are followed by Valla, Erasmus, Beza, and the best of modern translators.

2. Such trajections are not unusual, and that in this place. hath a peculiar elegance. For the word, again, being used in the head of the testimony foregoing, this transposition adds to the elegance of the words; and that there was cause for it, we shall see afterwards.

3. The apostle having immediately before used the word Tax, again, as his note of producing a second testimony, and placing it here in the entrance of a third, it must needs be used equivocally, if the trajection opposed be not allowed.

2. They deny that the angels worshipped Christ at his first coming into the world; that is, that they are recorded so to have done, and therefore, it must needs be his second coming that is intended, when he shall come in glory with all his holy angels, openly worshipping him, and performing his commands.

This reason is especially suited unto the fifth opinion before mentioned, referring the words to the coming of Christ at the day of general judgment, and is unserviceable unto any of the rest. But yet neither is this satisfactory, for the question is not, whether it be any where recorded, that the angels worshipped Christ at his first entrance into the world, but whether the Lord Christ upon his incarnation was not put into that condition, wherein it was the duty of all the angels of God to worship him. Now, this being at least interpretative, a command of God, and the angels expressly always doing his will, the thing itself is certain, though no particular instances of it be recorded. Besides, the angels' attendance on his birth, proclamation of his nativity, and celebrating the glory of God on that account, seem to have been a performance of that duty, which they had received command for. And this is allowed by those of the ancients who suppose that the second bringing of Christ into the world, was upon his nativity.

3. They say, that this bringing in of the first begotten into the world, denotes a glorious presenting of him in his rule, and enjoyment of his inheritance.

But, 1. This proves not, that the words must respect the coming of Christ unto judgment, to which end this reason is insisted on, because he was certainly proclaimed with glory to be the Son, Lord and heir of all, upon his resurrection, and by the first preaching of the gospel. And 2. No such thing indeed, can be rightly deduced from the words. The expression signifies no more, but an introduction into the world, a real bringing in, without any intimation of the way or manner

of it.

4. It is argued in the behalf of the same opinion from the Psalm from whence these words are taken, that it is a glorious reign of Christ and his coming unto judgment, that is set forth therein; and not his coming and abode in the state of humiliation. And this reason Camero affirms to prove undeniably, that it is the coming of Christ unto judgment that is intended. But the truth is, the consideration of the scope of the Psalm doth quite reject the opinion which is sought to be maintained by it. For, 1. (ver. 1.) upon the reign of the Lord therein set forth, both Jews and Gentiles, the earth and the multitude of the isles, are called to rejoice therein; that is, to receive, delight in, and be glad for the salvation brought by the Lord. Christ unto mankind, which is not the work of the last day. 2. Idolaters are deterred from their idolatry, and exhorted to worship him, ver. 7. a duty incumbent on them before the day of judgment. 3. The church is exhorted upon his reign, to abstain from sin, and promised deliverance from the wicked and oppressors; all which things, as they are unsuited unto hist coming at the day of judgment, so they expressly belong unto the setting up of his kingdom in this world.

And hereby it appears, that that opinion which indeed seems with any probability to assert a second coming of Christ into the world to be intended in these words, is inconsistent with the scope of the place from whence the testimony is taken, and consequently the design of the apostle himself.

The other conjectures mentioned will easily be removed out of the way.

Unto that of the ancients assigning this bringing in of Christ into the world unto his incarnation; we say it is true, but then that was his first bringing in, and being supposed to be intended in this place, the words can be no otherwise rendered, but that way, again, must be esteemed only an intimation of the citation of a new testimony.

Neither can the resurrection of the Lord Christ be assigned as the season of the accomplishment of this word, which was VOL. III.

M