His preface, or the manner of his producing of this second testi- mony, is this: "Oray d: rdw siouydyn..... reve Which words have been exposed unto variety of interpretations: for if rédw be joined with sicwydéyy, which immediately follows, they are to be rendered, “And when he bringeth in again into the world;” if with Aéye, which follows it after the interposition of sundry other words, then it is to be rendered as by our interpreters, “And again when he bringeth,..... he saith.”
Moreover, it is not clear in what sense Christ is called rpurdroxos, “the first-born,” who is elsewhere termed povoyevns rape Tarpis, “the only-begotten Son of the Father.”
We must also inquire what is the introduction or bringing in here intended, how and when performed; as also what is the world where- into he was brought. The difficulties about all which must be seve- rally considered.
1. TdéAw, “again,” may be joined with sisayéyy, and then the - sense of the words must run as above intimated,—namely, “ When he bringeth in again the first-born into the world” And it is evident that most expositors, both ancient and modern, embrace this sense. So do Chrysostom, Theodoret, Ambrose, Ciicumenius, Thomas, Lyra, Cajetan, Ribera, Cameron, Gomarus, Estius, 4 Lapide, our Mede, with many others. But about what this bringing in again, or second bringing in, of the first-born into the world should be, they are greatly divided.
The ancients refer it to his incarnation; affirming, somewhat harshly, that he was brought before into the world, when all things were made by him.
2. Others refer it to the reswrrection, which was as it were a second bringing of Christ into the world, as David was brought into his kingdom again after he had been expelled by the conspiracy and rebellion of Absalom.
3. Others refer it unto his coming forth in the effectual preaching of the gospel after his ascension, whereby he was brought forth in
152 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. I
another manner and with another kind of power than that in which he appeared in the days of his flesh.
4. Some suppose the personal reign of Christ on the earth for a thousand years with his saints is intended in these words, when God will bring him again-with glory into the world: of which judgment was Mede, and now many follow him.
5. Others again, and they the most, assign the accomplishment of what is here asserted to the general judgment and the second coming of Christ in the glory of the Father, with all the holy angels attending him, to judge the quick and the dead.
6. Some of the Socinians refer them unto the triwmphant ascen- sion of Christ into heaven after his resurrection, he having, as they fancy, once before been taken into it, there to be instructed in the mind and will of God.
Now all these assertions concerning the bringing in of Christ into the world have a truth in them, absolutely considered; but whether any of them be here intended by the apostle, we must inquire by an examination of the common foundation that all their authors pro- ceed upon, with the reasons given for its confirmation. Now, this is that which we observed before, namely, that in the construction of the words, wéAw, “again,” is to be joined with eisaydyn, “he bringeth in;” and so to be rendered, “ When he bringeth in again,” (or, “a second time,”) “the first-born:” which must needs point to a second coming of Christ, of one kind or another. And to this purpose they say,—
1. That the trajection of the words in the other sense is hard and difficult, and not to be admitted but upon very cogent reasons. It is to suppose that the apostle by éray 0: réAw, “ when again,” in- tends rérw 08 bray, “again when.’ And besides, the interposition of the many words between it and Aéyev, “he saith,” will not admit that they should be conjoined in sense and construction.
But this reason is not cogent; for,—(1.) Most of the ancient trans- lations acknowledge this transposition of the words. So the Syriac, reading thus, “ And again, when he bringeth in ;” so the Vulgar Latin; and the Arabic, omitting the term “again,” as not designing any new thing, but merely denoting a new testimony. And they are followed by Valla, Erasmus, Beza,and the best of modern translators. (2.) Such trajections are not unusual, and that in this place hath a peculiar ele- gancy; for the word réAw, “again,” being used in the head of the testimony foregoing, this transposition adds to the elegancy of the words; and that there was cause for it we shall see afterwards. (8.) The apostle having immediately before used the word +éAw, “ again,” as his note of producing a second testimony, and placing it here in the entrance of a third, it must needs be used equivocally, if the trajection proposed be not allowed.
VER. 6.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 153
2. They deny that the angels worshipped Christ at his first com- ing into the world,—that is, that they are recorded so to have done; and therefore it must needs be his second coming that is intended, when he shall come in glory, with all his holy angels openly wor- shipping him and performing his commands.
This reason is especially suited unto the fifth opinion before men- tioned, referring the words to the coming of Christ at the general day of judgment, and is unserviceable unto any of the rest. But yet neither is this satisfactory; for the question is, not whether it be anywhere recorded that the angels worshipped Christ at his first entrance into the world, but whether the Lord Christ, upon his in. carnation, was not put into that condition wherein it was the duty of all the angels of God to worship him. Now this being at least interpretatively a command of God, and the angels expressly always doing his will, the thing itself is certain, though no particular in- stances of it be recorded. Besides, the angels’ attendance on his birth, proclamation of his nativity, and celebrating the glory of God on that account, seem to have been a performance of that duty which they had received command for. And this is allowed by those of the ancients who suppose that the second bringing of Christ into the world was upon his nativity.