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in the likeness of men; 8 and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and be came obedient to death, even the death of the cross.

9 Wherefore God, on his part, hath very highly exalted him, and of his favour rewarded him with that name which is above every name: 10 that, in the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and those on the earth, and those under the earth; 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Fa

ther.

19 But I hope in the Lord Jesus, to send Timothy shortly to you, that I may also be of good comfort when I know your affairs. 20 For I have no one likeminded, who will sincerely care for your affairs. 21 For all seek their own things, not the things of Christ Jesus.

17 YEA, if I be even poured out upon the sacrifice and public offering of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all 18 and in the same manner do ye also joy, and rejoice with me.

22 But ye know the proof of him; that, as a child serveth a father, he hath served with me as to the gospel. 23 I hope therefore to send him forthwith, as soon as I shall see how the things concerning me will end. 24 But I trust in the Lord, that I myself also shall come shortly. 25 Yet I thought it necessary to send to you Epa

12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in mine ab-phroditus, my brother and felsence, work out your own sal- low-labourer, and fellow-soldier, vation with fear and trembling: and your messenger and minis13 for it is God who worketh ter to my wants. 26 For he in you both to will and to do, greatly longed after you all, of his good pleasure. and was full of anguish, because ye had heard that he had been sick.

14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings; 15 that ye may be blameless and harmless, unreproveable children of God, in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast the word of life; that I may boast in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, nor laboured in vain.

27 For indeed he was sick near to death: but God had pity on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. 28 I have sent him therefore the more diligently, that, when ye see him again, ye may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful. 29 Receive him therefore in the Lord with all joy; and hold such in reputation: 30 because for the work [of Christ] he was near to death, having hazarded his life, to fill up what remained behind of your service towards me.

CH. III. 1 FINALLY, my breth- | by any means I might attain ren, rejoice in the Lord. To to the resurrection of the dead. write the same things to you 12 Not that I have already is not grievous to me, and is attained, nor am I already persafe for you. fected but I still pursue, that verily I may lay hold on that for which indeed I was laid hold on by Christ.*

2 BEWARE of dogs, beware of evil-doers, beware of the concision. 3 For we are the circumcision, who worship God with our spirit, and glory in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh: 4 though I might have confidence even in the flesh. If any other one seem to have confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised the eighth day, of the race of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; 6 concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning righteousness, which cometh by the law, blameless.

13 Brethren, I count not myself to have laid hold on the prize: but one thing I do; forgetting the things which are behind, and reaching forth to the things which are before, 14 I press towards the goal, for the prize of the heavenly calling of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let us therefore, as many as are perfect men, think thus: and if in any thing ye think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. 16 However, as far as we have reached, let us walk therein.

7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Yea doubtless, and I count that all things are loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus

17 Brethren, be joint-imitators of me, and mark those who so walk, as ye have us for an example. 18 For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now I tell you, even weep

my Lord: (for whom I haveing, that they are the enemies of suffered the loss of all things, the cross of Christ; 19 whose and count them as refuse that end is destruction, whose God I might gain Christ, 9 and is their belly, and whose glory might be found in him, not is in their shame: who mind having mine own righteousness, earthly things. 20 For our citi which is from the law, but that zenship is in heaven; whence which is through the faith of we also look for our Saviour, Christ, a righteousness which the Lord Jesus Christ; 21 who upon this faith, is from God :) will change our debased body, 10 that I might know him, that it may be of like form with and the power of his resurrec- his glorious body, according to tion, and the partaking of his the working by which he is sufferings, being made con- able to subject even all things formable to his death; 11 if to himself.

So Macknight, The allusions here are to the Grecian gymnastic games.

CH. IV. 1 Wherefore, my brethren, beloved and greatly desired, my joy and crown, thus, O my beloved, stand firmly in the Lord.

learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. 12 I know both how to be brought low, and I know how to abound: always, and in all 2 I BESEECH Euodia, and I things, I am instructed, both beseech Syntyché, to be of the to be full and to be hungry, same mind in the Lord: 3 and both to abound and to want: I entreat thee also, true com- 13 I can do all things through panion, help those women, who him who strengtheneth me. 14 have laboured with me in the However, ye have done well, gospel, with Clement also, and that ye jointly contributed to with mine other fellow-labour-relieve my affliction.

ers, whose names are in the 15 And, ye also know, O book of life. Philippians, that, in the begin

4 Rejoice in the Lord al-ning of my preaching the gosways and again I say, Rejoice.pel, when I was departing 5 Let your mildness be known from Macedonia, no church to all men. The Lord is near. had intercourse with me, 6 Take no anxious thought for concerning giving and receivany thing; but in every thing ing, but ye only: 16 and that let your requests be made in Thessalonica ye sent, once, known to God by prayer and and also a second time, to my supplication with thanksgiv-necessity. 17 Not that I furing: 7 and the peace of God, ther desire a gift: but I further which exceedeth all compre- desire fruit which may abound hension, will keep your hearts to your account. and minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally brethren, whatsoever is true, whatsoever is grave, whatsoever is just, whatsoever is pure, whatsoever is kind, whatsoever is of good report, if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things; 9 what

18 But I have every thing, and abound: I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, an acceptable sacrifice, wellpleasing to God. 19 And my God will supply all your wants, according to his riches in glory,

ye have both learned, and re-in Christ Jesus. 20 Now to our God, and Father, be glory to the ages of ages. Amen.

ceived, and heard, and seen in me, these things do: and the God of peace will be with you.

sa

21 SALUTE every one who is 10 BUT I have rejoiced in holy in Christ Jesus. The breththe Lord greatly, that now at ren who are with me, salute length your care of me hath you. 22 All the saints revived; wherein ye were care-lute you; chiefly those who are ful also before, but wanted op- of Cæsar's household. 23 The portunity. 11 Not that I speak favour of [our] Lord Jesus concerning want for I have | Christ be with you all. [Amen.]

as

THE EPISTLE OF PAUL TO THE COLOSSIANS.

"That the apostle does not here intend the creation of natural substances is evident; for, 1st, He does not say that by (or in) him were created heaven and earth, but things in heaven, and things on earth: 2dly, He does not, in descending into detail, specify things themselves, viz. celestial and terrestial substances, but merely states of things, viz. thrones, dominions, etc. which are only ranks and orders of beings in the rational and moral world: 3dly, It is plain from comparing ver. 15 and ver. 18, that Christ is called the first-born of the whole creation, because he is the first who was raised from the dead to an immortal life: 4thly, The creation of natural objects, the heaven, the earth and sea, and all things therein, when they are plainly and unequivocally mentioned, is uniformally and invariably ascribed to the Father, both in the Old Testament and the New. Hence it follows, that the creation, which the apostle here ascribes to Christ, expresses that great change which was introduced into the moral world, and parti cularly into the relative situation of Jews and gentiles, by the dispensation of the gospel. This

in heaven, and that are on turn fill up that which in my earth, visible or invisible, whe-flesh remaineth behind of my ther they be thrones, or domi- afflictions because of Christ, nions, or principalities, or pow- for the sake of his body, which ers: all things were created is the church: 25 of which through him, and for him: 17 church I have been made a miand he is before all things, and in nister, according to the dishim all things subsist: 18 and pensation of God which hath he the head of the body, the been given me towards you, church even he who is the that I may fully preach the chief, the first-born from the word of God, 26 even the mysdead, that amongst all he might tery which hath been hidden be the first.) 19 For it hath from ages and from generapleased the Father to inhabit tions, but now hath been made all fulness in him; 20 and, manifest to his saints: 27 to through him, to reconcile all whom God hath been willing things to himself, (having made to make known what are the peace through the blood of his glorious riches of this mystery cross,) [through him,] I say, among the gentiles; which myswhether they be things on earth, tery is Christ in you, the hope or things in heaven.* of glory: 28 whom we preach, admonishing every man and teaching [every man,] with all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ: 29 for which I also labour; and contend according to his working which powerfully worketh in me.

CH. II. 1 FOR I would that ye knew what earnest care I have for you, and for those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh; 2 that their hearts might be comforted, they being knit together in love, and to all riches of the full assurance of their understanding,

to the

21 And you, though ye were formerly aliens,t and enemies in your mind, by wicked works, yet hath he now reconciled, 22 in the body of his flesh, through death, to present you holy, and spotless, and irreproachable in his sight; 23 if ye continue grounded and stedfast in the faith, and not moved away from the hope given by the gospel which ye have heard, and which hath been proclaimed in all [the] creation which is under heaven; of which, I Paul, have been made a minister.

24 I Now rejoice in my sufferings, for you, and in my

is often called creation, or the new creation, and is usually ascribed to Jesus Christ; who was the great prophet and messenger of the new covenant. See Eph. i. 10; ii. 10-15; iii. 9; iv. 24; Col. ii. 10; 2 Cor. v. 17. This great change the apostle here describes under the symbol of a revolution, introduced by Christ amongst certain ranks and orders of beings, by whom, according to the Jewish demonology, borrowed from the Oriental philosophy, the affairs of states and individuals were superintended and governed. See Mr. Lindsey's Sequel, p. 477, and Wetstein in loco." Im. Ver. note.

*that is, gentiles or Jews, who were first reconciled to one another, and then to God, through Christ: i. e. through the gospel of Christ. See Eph. i. 10, also Eph. ii. 14-16.

In their heathen state they were ceremonially and morally sinners. They are now ceremo nially reconciled, i. e. brought to the profession of christianity that they may be morally purified.