the last Adam and the fecond man, I Cor. xv.

45, 47.

The first-born of the whole creation, then, as applied to Jesus Christ, must be understood figuratively. Accordingly the phrafe is explained, in Colofs. i. 16 to 19, to fignify a title of the highest preeminence in the new creation, or the united' chriftian church. A fimilar appellation is given to Chrift, Rev. iii. 14; N ARXN THE WIDEWs ex, caput ecclefiæ a Deo conditæ. Schleufner. This dignity, Jefus attained by dying on the crofs, Colofs. i. 20 to 23, which decifively fhews his proper humanity. See also Philip. ii. 5 to 11; and Heb. ii. 14 to 18.

The difciples of Chrift are faid to be regenerated of God by the word of truth, that they might be a kind of first fruits of his creatures. James i. 18. Emendavit nos per religionem chriftianam. Schleufner.

Subd. 9.

The head of the church.

Ephes. i. 17. The God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, ver. 22, put all things in subjection under his (Christ's, ver. 20,) feet, and appointed him head over all things in the church, which is his body, &c. See also iv. 15; v. 23. Colofs. i. 18. He (the beloved Son, ver. 13, of

the Father, ver.

12,) is the head of his body the church. Alfo ii. 19.

This dignity is declared, Ephes. i. 17, 22, to be conferred upon' Jefus Chrift by his God. And the

fame Apostle affures the Philippians, ii. 9, 10, 11, that God hath exalted him, and freely bestowed on him that name which is above every name, that in the name of Jefus every knee should bow &c. and that every tongue fhould confefs that Jefus Chrift is Lord to the glory of God the Father. See I Cor, iii. 23; xi. 3; and subd. 7.

Subd. 10. Wonderful, excellent Ruler, Mighty, Father of the future age, Peaceful Prince.

Ifai. ix. 5. Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government shall be upon his fhoulder; and his name fhall be called Wonderful, excellent Ruler, Mighty, Father of the future age, Prince of Peace, (or peaceful Prince.)

The government &c. i. e. the enfign of government; the fceptre, the fword, or the key, which was borne or hung from the fhoulder. See Lowth's note on xxii. 2.

His name fhall be called, i. e. he shall be. See Matt. v. 9; comp. ver. 44, 45; and xxi. 13. With Ifai. Ivi. 7, comp. Luke xix. 46. Also with Gen. xxi. 12; Rom. ix. 7; and I John iii. I; comp. ver. 2. See farther Isai. viii. 3, 4: Jer. xxiii. 6; xx. 3, 4; Hosea i. 6, 7; Ruth i. 20; John i. 42; comp. Matt. xvi. 18..

.פלא

Wonderful . This word is rendered miracles, Judges vii. 13; and wonders, or marvellous works, Exod. xv. 11; fee 10, 12; Pfa. lxxvii. 14 and 11;

Ixxviii. 12, 13; lxxxviii. 10; Ifai. xxv. 1; 1 Chron. xvi. 9; and in Judges xiii. 18, wonderful, in the margin. The meaning of the term in Isaì. ix. 5, will be explained by John i. 14; on which fee Eff. vii. note, tranflation, paraphrafe, and illuftration. And comp. John v. 20, &c. and Acts ii. 22.

Excellent Ruler. See Ifai. ix. 6; ch. lx. Jerem. xxiii. 5.

Dan. vii. 13, 14;

Mighty. See John v. 25 to 30; Dan. vii. Rom. xiv. 9; 1 Cor. xv. 24, 25, 26; Philip. ii.

9, 10, II.

Father of the future age. Bishop Stock's verfion.

Sept. Alex. Vulg. and See Dodson on Ifai. ix. 5.;

and Heb. i. 1, 2; viii. 6; ix. 15; John i. 17. Bishop Lowth renders this, "Father of the everlafting age."

Peaceful Prince. Reconciling men to God, and to each other: fee Ephes. iv. 20 to 24; i. 5, 9, 10, 11; ii. 13 to 22; iii. 9; Colofs. i. 16 to 23; 2 Cor. v. 18 to 21; Rom. x. 12.

See farther Efs. vii. p. 14 to 16, on this text.

Subd. 11. The bread of life, which came down from heaven.

John vi. 41. Jefus fays, I am the bread which came down from heaven. Ver. 48 and 35. I am the bread of life.

The meaning of this figurative appellation Christ himself has clearly and repeatedly unfolded; firft, in

the introduction to the difcourfe in which he applies it to himself, and fhews what led him to adopt this particular figure. Ver. 26, 27, he says to the people, ye feek me not because ye have seen miracles, but because ye ate of the loaves, and were filled. Work not fo much for the food which perifheth, as for the food which endureth to everlasting life, which the Son of man will give you; for him hath the Father fealed, even God. Ver. 29. Believe on him whom God hath fent. In the courfe of the converfation, alfo, Jefus declares that every one who believeth in him hath everlasting life, and he will raise him up at the last day; ver. 40, 47. In ver. 50, 51, 54, 58, he likewife fays, that he who eateth him, or his flesh, as the bread which came down from heaven, hath everlasting life, and he will raise him up at the laft day. Now food or liquid of any kind are often used in Scripture to denote inftruction, and eating or drinking frequently mean imbibing and practising good inftruction. For feveral inftances of this, fee Eff.. x. on 1 Cor. x. 3, 4. This, therefore, is only expreffing figuratively the fame idea which is conveyed in plain language, ver. 29, 40, 47; namely, believing in Chrift as the fent of God, which implies a correfpondent temper and behaviour. Accordingly, our Lord annexes the fame animating motive to eating him as bread from heaven, as he does to belief in him, viz. a refurrection at the last day to eternal life. And to many of his disciples, who did not understand his meaning, he gives an interpretation

of it fimilar to that which has been suggested above. Ver. 63, 64. The flesh profiteth nothing: the words which I fpeak unto you are fpirit, and are life; ¿.e. lead, when imbibed and practised, to spiritual and everlasting life. Peter, in the name of the reft, manifefts that he understood this explanation, for he fays, ver. 68, 69, Mafter, thou haft the words of everlasting life; and we believe and know that thou art the holy one of God. See ch. ii. fec. 10, and ch. iii. fec. 18.

Subd. 12. Wisdom, Juftification, Sanctification, and Redemption.

1 Cor. i. 30. By him ye are in Chrift Jefus, whom God hath made unto us wisdom, and justification, and fanctification, and redemption.

Bishop Pearce paraphrases this as follows.

"But

ye, chriftians,have dependence upon God by means "of your faith in Chrift; by whom, according to "God's appointment, we have been made wife, ver.

24, have been justified, vi. 11, fanctified, ib. and "redeemed, Ephes. i. 7, from our fins."

Jerem. xxiii. 6. "And this is the name by which "Jehovah fhall call him, OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS, that is, our righteousness, or the author and means of our "falvation and acceptance. The fame metonymy " is used of Christ, 1 Cor. i. 30." Blayney's tranf

lation and note; alfo xxxiii. 15, 16.

See further this Eff. ch. iii. fec. 11, 12.