Or," Being in the likeness of men."

Trinitarians and Arians argue from this text, that, antecedently to his divesting himself of the form of God, he was not in the likeness of men, but a being of superior or supreme rank, either a Logos or a God, who voluntarily laid aside his glory, and became incarnate.

Unitarians understand this language solely of a voluntary suspension of his miraculous powers. Though, possessing them, he made no display of them for his own personal benefit, but appeared in all respects like a man who was favoured with no such extraordinary distinction.

This interpretation is fully justified by parallel passages in the Old and New Testament.

Sampson was endued with supernatural strength. He said to Delilah," If they bind me, then shall I be weak, and shall be (ŵs εis Twν artgwπwv) as one of the men :" in the public version, very properly," as another man.” Judges xvi. 7. 11. 13. 17. See also Psalm lxxxii. 6, 7, "I said, Ye are Gods, but ye shall die like men," (ws av9gwπo) like other men. Gal. i. 1, "Paul an apostle, not from men, nor through man;" i. e. not from or by ordinary men.

6. "And being found in fashion as a man Or, "Being in fashion as a man."

The word

88.99

nw, to find,' often expresses nothing more than simple existence. 1 Cor. xv. 15, "We are

88

which Dr. Clarke calls the plain meaning of the text. Mr. Peirce (in loc.) thinks that Christ is said to be in the likeness of men, because he was not really a man, but a human body inhabited by the Logos. It is more reasonable to explain this phrase of our Lord's declining to exert his supernatural powers, and so appearing like an ordinary man. και σχηματι εὑρεθεις ως ανθρωπος.] « Σχημα, generatim, omnemu habitum et statum alicujus rei externum significat: speciatim vero dicitur de habitu, cultu, gestu, formâ ac conditione externâ corporis humani." Schleusner.--Mr. Peirce considers this clause as exactly parallel to the preceding; εὑρεθεις answering to γενομενος, and σχηματι to quowμari. Peirce in loc.

found

found (i. e. we are) false witnesses of God."

Est. i. 5. Isa. liii. 9. 1 Cor. iv. 2.

σχημα,

Matt. i. 18.

See also

The word oua, translated fashion,' signifies the whole external appearance of any thing, and particularly of a human being. The sense therefore seems to be nearly the same as in the preceding clause; viz. being in external appearance a man, i. e. like other men.

7." He humbled himself, and became obedient to death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God on his part has very highly exalted him ","-" exalted him higher than before;" viz. before his humiliation and sufferings.

Upon the whole, the following appears to be the most correct version, and the true sense of this celebrated passage:

"Let this mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus:"

Who, being in the form of God," i. e. a prophet invested with extraordinary miraculous powers,

"Did not esteem as a prey this resemblance to God:" Did not regard these powers as a property acquired by his own exertions, to which he had an independent indefeasible right, which he would exercise at pleasure, and upon no consideration relinquish, but as a trust, to be exercised only for the benefit of others, and to be suspended or resigned at the divine command, or when the purpose of his mission required.

"But divested himself of it, assuming the form of a slave."

When the purposes of his mission required it, he conducted himself as though he were totally destitute of all supernatural gifts. And far from usurping the authority

9 Has very highly exalted him.] regulwoe, "God has advanced him higher than before:" i. e. before his incarnation. Peirce.-Rather, before his sufferings, when he appeared as a prophet working miracles, or in the form of God.'

of

of a king, as some of his ill-advised followers urgently recommended, so humble was his station, so assiduous his labours, and so dependent his condition, that he appeared, and chose to appear, in the rank of a menial servant.

"Becoming thus like other men," i. e. as one who possessed no extraordinary powers:

'

"And being in outward appearance as an ordinary man, he humbled himself;" i. e. still further," becoming obedient to death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God on his part has exalted him higher than he was before."

For whereas, antecedently to his sufferings, he was, though in a very dignified character, no more than a prophet working miracles in the name of God, he is now advanced, since his resurrection, and as the reward of his obedience and self-denial, to a much happier and more exalted state. Be you therefore like him obedient, self-denying, actively and perseveringly benevolent; and upon all occasions prompt to sacrifice your own ease and gratification to the good of others, to a sense of duty, and to promote the great purposes of rational existence.

According to this interpretation, the exaltation of Christ consists in his possession of a divine commission and voluntary miraculous powers. His humiliation consists in declining to use those powers for his own benefit, in submitting to a humble, laborious, and dependent condition, and finally, in resigning himself to suffering and death in obedience to the will of God, and for the good of mankind.

Thus this celebrated text, admitting of a fair interpretation consistently with the proper humanity of Jesus Christ, if not decisive in favour of this doctrine, may at least be regarded as neutral. It is one of those passages of which no use can be made in deciding the controversy.

XVI.

Col. i. 15. "Who is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of every creature:" or, "of the whole creation 90,"

Upon this text very great stress is laid for the purpose of illustrating the mode of the derivation of the Son from the Father.

1. The Trinitarians understand the words as expressive of the eternal necessary generation of the Son of God.

This is the interpretation of Calvin, Beza, and others, who evade the inference of the Arians, that the Son must be a creature, by insisting that in this case the expression would have been first created,' not 'first begotten'91.

2. Dr. Clarke insists strongly upon this text to establish his doctrine," that the Son is the eternal and voluntary, but not created production of the Father's power."

"It is observable," says this learned writer (Scr. Doct. No. 937,)" that St. Paul here does not call our Saviour πρωτοκτιστος, 'first-created;' but gwrоronos, first-born:" πρωτοτοκος, signifying in general that he was before the creation of all things brought forth, produced by, derived from, the Father; but not declaring in what particular manner. Col. i. 17. What the figurative word Texas, generated' or begotten,' properly and literally implies, this the Scripture has no where revealed or explained." He produces many passages from ancient writers to show that in this sentiment they coincided with him.

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πρωτοτοκος πασης κτίσεως.

Non ideo tantum primogenitus, quod tempore præcesserit omnes creaturas, sed quia in hoc a Patre sit genitus, ut per ipsum conderentur." Calvin." Facilis est responsio ad Arianorum cavillum—. nam hâc ratione dicendus fuisset TgWTOS XTICES. At cum dicitur #pwToToxos, manifeste distinguitur quod genitum est ab eo quod est conditum." Beza.

3. The Arians understand the text as expressing the creation of the Logos by the Father before all worlds.

"It obviously denotes," says Dr. Harwood, (Soc. Sch. p. 35,)" that the Son of God is the very first being whom the power and goodness of the Supreme produced into existence." To the same purpose is Mr. Peirce's note upon the text.

4. Grotius, and with him the Socinian and most of the Unitarian expositors, interpret the text as referring to the new creation. Eph. ii. 10; iv. 24, The word first-born is used to express excellence in its kind. Ps. lxxxix. 27. Jer. xxxi. 9. Job xviii. 13.92 And of the new creation Christ is the head and chief, being the chief instrument of God in the renovation of the moral world.

πρωτοτόκος,

5. The word 'first born,' occurs again, ver. 18, "who is the beginning, the first-born from the dead:" where it plainly signifies that Christ was the first person who was raised from the dead to an immortal life. There can be little doubt that this is the true meaning of the word in the 15th verse. It is so, probably, in the few remaining passages in which this epithet is applied to Christ in the writings of Paul. Heb. i. 6. And certainly Revel. i. 5:

Rom. viii. 29. "The first-born from the dead;" the very phrase which is used Coloss.

i. 18.

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TрwтоToxos, primus in creatione nova, de qua 2 Cor. v. 17. Apoc. xxi. 5." Grotius." Per creaturam non intelligitur creatura vetus sed nova. Hujus creaturæ Christus est primogenitus, id est, omnium primus a Deo creatus.” Crellius." πρωτοτοκον Hebræis dicitur quod primum et quod summum est in quoque genere. Ps. lxxxix. 26—28." Brennius.-The first born, i. e. the chief, the lord of all mankind: ver. 23: Mark xvi. 15, " of the new creation; of Jews and Gentiles, now blended into one mass.' Lindsey's Seq. p. 478. Dr. Priestley's Ear. Op. vol. iii. p. 496. Haynes on Attrib. p. 197.