the Father, and that He is not the maker of heaven and earth. But it does imply that such is the dignity of the eternal Word, that in creation as well as in every thing else. He co-operated with the Father. " What things soever the Father doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise." (John v. 19.) "By whom also He made the worlds." (Heb. i. 2.) When we read the expression " by me kings reign," (Prov. viii. 15,) we do not for a moment suppose, that kings are superior in dignity to Him by whom they reign.
Jansenius remarks that this verse completely overthrows the heretical notion entertained by the Manichees that the material world was formed by an evil spirit, as well as the notion of the Platonic school that some part of creation was made by angels and demons.
[Without him was not anything made, &c.] This sentence appears added, to show the utter impossibility of our Lord Jesus Christ being no more than a created being. If not even the slightest thing was created without Him, it is plain that He cannot possibly be a creature Himself
The fathers raised curious speculations about the origin of evil from the expression now before us. " If nothing was made without Christ," theyargued, "from whence came sin?" The simplest answer to this question is, that sin was not among the things which were originally created at the beginning. It came in afterwards, at the fall, "By one m.an sin entered into the world." (Rom. v. 12.) That it could not have entered without divine permission, and that its entrance has been overruled to the display of divine mercy in redemption, are undeniable truths. But we have no right to say that sin was among the "all things," which were "made by Christ."
L —[In Him was life.l This sentence means that in the eternal counsels of the Trinity, Christ was appointed to be the source, fountain, origin, and cause of hfe. From Him all life was to iSow. As to the kind of " life" which is here meant, there is much difference of opinion among commentators.
Some think as Cyril, Theophylact, Chemnitius, and Calvin, that the expression refers specially to the continued preservation of all created things by Christ's providence. Having created all things, He keeps all ahve and in order.
Some think as Zwingle, Cartwright, Arrowsmith, Poole, Alford, and most modern commentators, that the expression in- cludes all sorts of life, both vegetable, animal, and spiritual. " Thou sendest forth thy spirit, and they are created." (Psalm civ. 30.) " In Him we live, and move, and have our beiag." (Acis xvii. 28.)