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you, and peace, from God our | thing: that thy benefit might Father, and from the Lord Je- not be as it were by restraint, sus Christ.

but voluntary.

15 Perhaps also for this reason he was separated for a little while that thou mightest have him, for life;* 16 no longer as a servant, but superior to a ser

4 I THANK my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers, 5 (hearing of thy faith and love, which thou hast towards the Lord Jesus, and to all the saints,) 6 that thy partak-vant, as a beloved brother: esing of the faith may become pecially to me; but how much effectual, in the knowledge of more to thee, both in the flesh every good thing which is and in the Lord? among us concerning Christ Jesus. 7 For we have great joy and comfort on account of thy love, because, my brother, the hearts of the saints are refreshed through thee.

8 WHEREFORE, though I have much freedom of speech in Christ to enjoin thee what is

fit;
9 yet because of my love,
I rather beseech thee, as Paul
the aged, and now a prisoner
also on account of Jesus Christ,
10 I beseech thee, I say, for my
son whom I have begotten in
[my] bonds, even Onesimus:
11 who formerly was unprofit-
able to thee, but is now profit-
able to thee and to me: whom
I have sent again: 12 do
thou therefore receive him, that
is, myself: 13 whom I was wil-
ling to retain with me, that, in
thy stead, he might have minis-
tered to me in my bonds on ac-
count of the gospel: 14 but with-
out thy consent I would do no-

*Gr. αlwviov, aionian. "The word alwvios the apostle's meaning." Macknight.

17 If therefore thou consider

me as thy companion, receive him as myself. 18 But if he hath wronged thee in any thing, or is in debt to thee, place that to my account: 19 I Paul have written it with my own hand, I will repay it: however, I do not say to thee that thou owest to me even thy own self.

20 Yes, brother, let me have joy of thee in the Lord: refresh my heart in Christ. 21 Having confidence in thy compliance, I have thus written to thee, knowing that thou wilt do even more than I ask.

22 Ar the same time also prepare me a lodging; for I trust that through your prayers I shall be graciously given to you.

23 Epaphras, my fellow-prisoner in Christ Jesus, 24 Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow-labourer, salute thee. 25 The favour of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. may be translated for life; which I take to be

*30

THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS.

CHAP. I.

he saith, "And let all the messengers of God pay homage to him."7 And concerning these messengers the scripture saith,

1 GOD, who, at sundry times and in divers manners spake, in time past, to our fathers by the prophets, hath in these latter" Who maketh his messengers

days spoken to us by his Son, spirits; and his ministers flames 2 whom he hath appointed heir of fire."8 But to the Son he saith, of all things, (for whom also he "God is thy thrones to the age constituted the ages) :* 3 who, of the age; a sceptre of rectitude (being a ray of his brightness, is the sceptre of thy kingdom: and an image of his perfections, 9 thou hast loved righteousness, and ruling all things by the and hated iniquity: therefore word of his power,) when he God, even thy God, hath anointhad by himself made a cleansed thee with the oil of gladness ing of [our] sins, sat down on above thy companions." the right hand of the Majesty 10 Again, "Thou, Lord, in on high; 4 having been made the beginning, didst lay the founas much superior to those mes-dation of the earth: and the sengers,† as the name he hath heavens are the works of thy inherited is more excellent than hands: 11 they will perish ; but theirs. Thou wilt remain and they all will grow old as doth a gar ment; 12 and like a vesture thou wilt fold them up, and they will be changed; but Thou art the same, and thy years will not fail."||

5 FOR to which of those messengers did God at any time say, "Thou art my Son, I have this day adopted thee?" and again, "I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?" 6 And when he bringeth again 13 But to which of those the First-born into the world, messengers did he at any time

* di' où, for whom. "For this sense of dia, with a genitive, see Grotius in loco. Schleusner in verb. and Mr. Lindsey's Second Address, p. 297. Alaves, ages, 'This word,' says Dr. Sykes (in loco.) 'does not signify the heavens and earth, and all things in them, but it means properly ages, or certain periods of time: the Antediluvian the Patriarchal, the Mosaic ages or dispensations. These were all intended to prepare the way for the age or dispensation of the Messiah." Im. Ver. note.

ti. e.the prophets, who are mentioned in the first verse. See Wakefield. the angels, Newcome. i. e. Let all the prophets and messengers of God acknowledge him as their superior." Let all the messengers of God worship him." Thomson. This is cited from Deut. xxxii. 43. It is not found however in the Hebrew text, but only in the LXX. where it is spoken of the Hebrew nation, and therefore cannot be understood of religious worship. See Sykes on Heb. i. 6.

So Wakefield, and Lindsey, "Thy throne, O God, is," etc. Newcome. "God is the support of thy throne." Sykes.

This is a quotation from Psalm. cii. 25. The immutability of God is here declared as a pledge of the immutability of the kingdom of Christ.

say, "Sit thou on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?" 14 Are they not all servants,* sent forth to serve those who were about to be heirs of salvation?

with glory and honour, 8 thou hast subjected all things under his feet." Now in that he hath subjected all things to him, he hath left nothing that is not subjected to him. But now we do not see all things subjected to him. 9 But we see him who was a little inferior to angels,t even Jesus, through the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour, that, through the favour of God, he might taste of death for all.‡

CH. II. 1 FOR this cause we ought to give the more earnest attention to the things which we have heard, lest we, through negligence, let them slip. 2 For if the words spoken by messengers were stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of punishment; 3 how shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation, which began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard him; 4 God also bearing joint-witness at the same time, by signs and wonders and various mighty works, and distributions of a holy spirit, accord-ed to call them brethren; 12 ing to his own will?

10 For it became Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the leader of their salvation perfect, through sufferings. 11 For both he who is making holy, and those who are made holy, are all of one: for which cause he is not asham

saying, “I will declare thy name 5 Moreover God hath not to my brethren; in the midst subjected to angels the coming of the congregation I will praise dispensation, of which we speak. thee," 13 And again, "I will 6 But David hath somewhere put my trust in him." And testified, saying, "What is man, again, "Behold, I, and the that thou art mindful of him? children whom God hath given or the son of man, that thou me." 14 Since then the childregardest him? 7 Thou madest ren are partakers of flesh and him a little inferior to angels; blood, Christ himself in like but thou hast crowned him manner partook also of them ;§

* Gr. ministering spirits. "The word spirit is a Hebraism to express a person's self, v. g. 1 Cor. ii. 11. the spirit of a man is a man, is a man himself: the spirit of God is God himself. 2 Tim. iv. 22. The Lord Jesus Christ be with, thy spirit, i. e. with thee. Here the former prophets are called ministering spirits, i. e. they were ministers or servants, whereas Christ appeared under the character of a Son." Im. Ver. note.

ti. e. by nature, like other men, and not by the voluntary assumption of a human form. See ver. 7.

‡ Some copies, instead of Xagiri Feou by or through the favour of God, have xweis ou excepting God; and in this manner was the passage quoted by Origin and Ambrose in the third century: which is also the reading of the Syriac, according to Tremellius. Origin says, " This man (meaning Christ) is the great high-priest, not only for men, but for all-whatever is intellec tual-For he tasted death for all, excepting God, or (as some copies have it) by the grace of God." Origin on St. John's gospel. This leads us to conclude that most copies in his time, and to which he gave the preference, read excepting God.

"As the children were human beings, so their deliverer was a being of the same rank, and

that through death he might destroy him who hath the power of death, that is, the impostor;* 15 and might deliver those who, through fear of death, were all their lifetime subject to slavery.

faithful as a servant, in the whole of his house; for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken afterward: 6 but Christ, as a Son, over his own house; whose house we are, if we keep the confi16 For indeed death doth notdence and the glorying of our in any manner take hold of an- hope firm to the end. gels; but it taketh hold of the seed of Abraham. 17 Wherefore it was right for Christ in all things to be like his brethren; that he might be a merciful and faithful high-priest in things relating to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.t 18 For in that he himself hath suffered, having been tempted, he is able to assist those who are tempted.

CH. III. 1 WHEREFORE, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus the Apostle and High-Priest of our profession; 2 who was faithful to him that appointed him, as Moses also was faithful in the whole of his house. 3 For this person was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who formed the house hath more honour than the house.

7 WHEREFORE, as the holy spirit saith, "To-day, if ye will hear his voice, 8 harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of trial in the desert: 9 where your fathers tried me, proved me, and saw my works forty years: 10 wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, 'They always err in heart; and they have not known my ways:' 11 so in mine indignation I solemnly said, 'They shall not enter into my rest:"" likewise take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in falling away from the living God: 13 but exhort one another daily, while it is called to day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

4 (For every house is formed by some one; but he who form-firm to the end; 15

12 so

14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we retain the beginning of our confidence while it is said, "To-day, if ye will hear 5 And Moses indeed was his voice, harden not your

ed all [things] is God.)

not an angel, or superior spirit. The words might be rendered, 'Since then the children partook in common of flesh and blood, he also completely shared in the same." Im. Ver. note.

* the idolatrous and persecuting power. The death of Christ introduced a dispensation which, by gradually putting an end to heathenism and idolatry, and establishing the doctrine of a future life, abolished the power of death, and raised man above the fear of dissolution. See 2 Tim. i. 10, and Wetstein in loco.

+ The expression is remarkable: s to inaoxeobai tas aμagrias, not to propitiate God, but to propitiate the sins of the people. The meaning probably is, q. d. to remove all legal obstructions and disqualifications, so that those, who were excluded as sinners from the privi leges of the old covenant, might be admitted to the benefits of the new dispensation, and might be called and made holy. See Theol. Rep. vol. v. p. 164.

hearts, as in the provocation.", lief; 7 God again limiteth a 16 For some, when they had certain day, saying by David, heard, provoked: however, not" To-day," after so long a time, all who came out of Egypt as it is said, "To-day if ye shall under Moses. hear his voice, harden not your hearts." 8 For if Joshua* had given them rest, then God would not afterward have spoken of another day.

17 But with whom was God grieved forty years? was it not with those who sinned, whose carcases fell in the desert? 18 And to whom did he solemnly say that they should not enter into his rest, but to those who believed not? 19 So we see, that they could not enter in, because of unbelief.

CH. IV. 1 Let us fear there. 'fore, lest, a promise being left of entering into his rest, any of you should appear to come short of it. 2 For we have had the glad tidings proclaimed to us, as they also had; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. 3 For we who have believed do enter into rest, as God saith; "So in mine indignation I said, 'They shall not enter into my rest:"" although his works were finished from the foundation of the world.

4 For Moses somewhere speaketh thus of the seventh day, "And God rested on the seventh day from all his works." 5 And in this place it is said again, "They shall not enter into my rest.

9 There remaineth therefore a keeping of rest to the people of God. 10 For he that hath entered into God's rest, hath rested also from his own works, as God did from his.

11 Let us earnestly endeavour, therefore, to enter into that rest; lest any one fall after the same example of unbelief.

12 For the word of God is lively and energetic, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and pierceth, even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intentions of the heart: 13 nor is there any creature that is not manifest before it: but all things are naked and opened to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.

14 HAVING therefore a great High-priest, who hath passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. 15 For we have not a High-priest who cannot have compassion for our infirmities; 6 Since therefore it remain-but one who was tempted in all eth that some must enter there-things like ourselves, though in, and those, to whom glad without sin. 16 Let us therefore tidings were first proclaimed, come with confidence to the entered not in, because of unbe- throne of favour, that we may

Gr. Jesus: which is the same as Joshua in the Hebrew. Joshua is evidently the person here spoken of.

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