physical beings, but mere states of things, and artificial distinctions of political society5. 3. The word rw, to create, in the language of Scripture expresses not only to bring out of nothing into existence, but likewise to introduce what actually exists into a new state of being, and particularly to transfer from a state of nature into a státe of privilege, and covenant with God. .. 1.) The advancement of the Hebrew nation to a state of privilege and favour is described as creation. Isa. xliii. 1, "Thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel."-Ver. 7, "I have created him for my glory. I have formed him, yea, I have made him."-Ver. 15, "I am the Lord your holy One, the creator of Israel, your king."-Hence this favoured people are said to be, or to exist. Isa. lxiii. 19, "We are of old." For this reason the Jews are called by the apostle "things that are," in contradistinction to the Gentiles, who are described as "things that are not." 1 Cor. i. 28, "God hath chosen the things that are not, to bring to nothing the things that are." This is a consideration of great weight, which one would think must make a deep impression upon every reflecting mind. It is curious to observe how very different the detail of the apostle's commentators is from his own. His nature," says Dr. Doddridge, in his paraphrase upon the text, " has a transcendent excellency, superior to any thing that is made. From him were derived the visible splendours of the celestial luminaries, the sun, the moon, and the stars, even all the hosts of these lower beavens, and from him the yet brighter glories of invisible and angelic beings." All this is perfectly natural; and had the apostle's theory been the same with that of his learned expositor, his induction of particulars would, no doubt, have been the same. It is evident, therefore, that Dr. Doddridge meant one thing, and the apostle Paul another. 6 εν αυτῷ εκτίσθη τα παντα — κτίζω, creo, ex nihilo produco, item ex materia præexistente formo. Metaphorice, Mirabili virtute aliquid efficio, corrigo ac emendo." Schleusner-x115, creatio, is sometimes used in a very lax sense for ordinatio, institutum: 1 Pet. ii. 13, “Obey every ordinance (TIE) of man," &c. 2.) The 2.) The advancement of believers, both Jews and Gentiles, to the privileges and hopes of christianity, is also called creation: and in contradistinction to the state of the Jews under the Mosaic œconomy, it is called a new creation. Eph. ii. 10, "We are his workmanship, created anew in Christ Jesus to good works." Col. iii. 10, "And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him who created him." Hence converted Gentiles, who before were not, are said to be, or to exist. 1 Cor. i. 28, “Of him are ye in Christ Jesus:" and conversion to christianity is a new creation. 2 Cor. v. 17, "If any man be in Christ Jesus, (q. d. bẹ come a christian,) there is a new creation?." 4. In the Scriptures, and particularly in the writings of Paul, men are often mentioned in terms which more properly express inanimate beings; they are called not persons, but things: viz. 1 Cor. i. 28, "God hath chosen the foolish things (ra μwga) of the world to confound the wise, (T85 σop85, the wise men,) and the weak things (ra aobevn) to confound the mighty things (ra toxupa)," i. e. persons, &c. Compare Matt. xi. 27. John iii. 35; vi. 37-39.8 Hence it clearly and distinctly follows, that according to the customary language of the sacred writers, and par "See Dr. Taylor's Key to the Apostolic Writings, chap. ii. § 17. 19; chap. vi. § 99. 102. 66 See Mr. Tyrwhitt's excellent Essay on the Creation of all Things by Jesus Christ. Comm. and Essays, vol. ii. Ess. xiv. p. 9. "The general language of Scripture," says this learned and accurate writer, concerning this new creation is briefly this: Believing Jews and Gentiles, considered jointly, are called the whole creation : Mark xvi. 15. Col. i. 15. 23. The Jews are represented as the first-fruits of it; James i. 18; and Jesus Christ as the first-born, or heir: Col. i. 15. Heb. i. 2.-Each individual believer is styled a new creature: Gal. vi. 15. 2 Cor. v. 17. And by it all believers, both Jews and Gentiles, are so perfectly made one, that all former distinctions between them are entirely lost in their common relation to Christ." Col. iii. 11. ticularly ticularly of the apostle Paul, to create all things,' may signify nothing more than to bring men into a new and a better state; to transfer them out of a state of nature into a state of great moral privilege and advantage. 5. The words heaven and earth, in the language of Scripture, figuratively express the civil or moral distinctions of mankind in a social state.--1.) Civil distinctions. Matt. xxiv. 29, "The stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:" i. e. the Jewish polity shall be dissolved. Joel ii. 10, "The earth shall quake, the heavens shall tremble:" i. e. men of all ranks, whether of low or of high degree, shall be in consternation. Compare Hag. ii. 6, 7. Acts ii. 19. Rev. vi. 12. 15.-2.) Moral distinctions. Matt. xi. 23, "Thou, Capernaum, that art exalted to heaven;" &c. Eph. iii. 15, "Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named;" i. e. the great body of christians living promiscuously among Jews and Gentiles: or, perhaps, consisting of both. Compare Eph. i. 10: and Mr. Locke's Note. Hence it appears that creating all things in heaven and earth,' may signify the introducing some great change into the moral or political state of mankind, and particularly under the relation of Jews and Gentiles. 6. Things visible and invisible' are phrases of the same import as things in heaven and things in earth. 7. As heaven expresses the privileged state of those who participate in the benefits of the Jewish or Christian dispensations, so the distinction of orders, which, according to the crude mythology of the East, was supposed to exist among the inhabitants of heaven, appears to be used by the apostle, in the way of analogy, to express the different ranks and offices which subsist in the Jewish or the Christian church, all of which are regulated and new-modelled by Christ; who, in this sense, creates all all things in heaven and earth, whether they be thrones or dominions, or principalities or powers. g. d. Jesus Christ having introduced a new and better state of things into the moral world, and having formed a church consisting of Jews and Gentiles, without any distinction, has also completely organized this holy community, and has appointed and qualified its various officers, apostles, evangelists, prophets, teachers, and the like, in their several orders and degrees, for the promulgation of the christian doctrine, and for the instruction and edification of the church 9. 8. "All things were created by him di' aure): he was the founder of the new dispensation; he appointed apostles, teachers, &c. he supplied them with spiritual gifts and powers to qualify them for their important work 10; "and for him" (es autov); to accomplish the purposes of his mission:-" and he is before all things" (80 Tavτwv); he has precedence in time, character, and dignity:-" and in him all things consist" (σuveστne); he is the bond of union, as the head to the body. So the sentence proceeds, "he is the head of the body, the church," the source of vital influence and energy11. See part i. sect. vi. p. 125. (προ 10" Tavra, intellige omnia quæ ad novam creationem pertinent. Certum est per Verbum creata omnia. Sed quæ præcedunt, ostendunt hic de Christo agi, quod hominis est nomen : quomodo etiam Chrysostomus hunc accepit locum." Grotius. "He is before all things, and by him all things consist." It follows: "he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, that in all things he might have the pre-eminence." All this is natural and just, if the preceding verses contain a figurative description of Christ, as having founded and organized the christian dispensation. But to be the first who rises from the dead, though a high distinction for a human being, is but a poor addition to the pre-eminence of one who is the Creator and Preserver of all things, the Maker and Lord of angels and archangels. This, surely, is not the conclusion to which we should expect to have been led by so lofty a description, if the words are to be taken in their primary and vulgar acceptation. 9. Explaining this passage of the moral creation. is most agreeable to the context. The apostle is not speaking of natural objects, either in the preceding or the subsequent passages; but solely of the office and dignity of Christ, as the founder and publisher of the Gospel dispensation. No homage is required to be paid to him as the Maker of heaven and earth, the preserver and supporter of all things. This stupendous fact, if here intended, is left in a completely insulated state, without a comment, and without any conclusion being drawn from it but what would follow with equal force, and with greater propriety, from the supposition that Christ was a human being whom God had raised from the dead, and placed at the head of the new dispensation. 10. This interpretation is strongly confirmed by the consideration that where the natural creation is plainly spoken of, it is uniformly ascribed to the Father. See Acts iv. 24. Where the moral creation is plainly intend ed, it is as uniformly ascribed to Christ. Eph. ii. 10. But doubtful passages are to be explained by what is clear and unquestionable: wherever, therefore, the expression is indefinite, whenever creation is ascribed to Christ, it is to be understood of a moral creation only, and not of a proper natural creation 12, VI. Heb. i. 2, 3. "by whom also he made the worlds 13-upholding all things by the word of his power." 12 This argument is Dr. Priestley's, who observes very justly, “If this be not a natural and just rule of interpretation, I am not acquainted with any which ought to be called such: and this clearly gives the creation of the world to the Father, and not to Christ." Dr. Priestley's Letters to Dr. Price, part i. p. 117-122.-Dr. Lardner refers to Grotius's interpretation of this passage as what he approves and adopts. Logos, p. 69. Mr. Lindsey, Seq. p. 477, observes from Wetstein," that if we expound this passage by the parallel epistle to the Ephesians, we must understand it to speak of the new creation. Eph. i. 10; ii. 10. 15." 13 ει δε και τες αιώνας εποίησεν, The |