The Pulpit Commentary — Colossians — Section 60

earth." Ae if tbie, again, were not enough, a different division (for stars are in the hcnvons and visible, the human spirit is upon the earth and invisible), but an equally comprehensive division, is u.clcled: "things visible and things invisible." As if these two divisions in locality were not enough, essences are next brought in, but not all essence8, only the highest-angelic beings, that might be thought of as in rivalry with the Son: "whether thrones,or dominions, or principalities, or powers." Great prominence was given in Jewish speculations to the not very profitable snbject of the gratles of the celestial hierarchy, 'l'hese speculations were mixed up with the non-scriptural doctrine of seven heavens. And J udaizing Christians speculated in the same lino. These angels becamte the intermediate beings of Eastern theosophy. The idea was that, matter being the evil principle, God could not create it immediately. But there was a descending scale from God to matter. God created a being at a certain remove from himself. This first-created being created another, still further removed; and so it went on, till one was created far enough down to create matter. It is quite likely, from the reference afterward to the worshipping of angels, that in Colossre there was dang~r of the idea gaining ground that the angels in their several grades were to be regartled, in the ·light of Eastern theosophy, as beings having to do with creation, and on that ground to be worshipped. The apostle certainly clears the whole ground here for the Colossians. He does not profess to know what the several grades are. He gives the common (not the inspired) names with a certain impatience (as associated with much that was rash). But this he asserts that, whatever they are, they have nothing to do with creating. In him all of them, from the highest to the lowest., were created. No part of creation was the work of an inferior angel, but every part of it was immediately in hiw. (b) Instrumental cause. "All things have been created through him." Creation can be ascribed to God, as it is in Rom. xi. 36. But it is true that God ne-.er acts immediately; he always acts through the agency of the Son. New Testament language is very explicit on this subject. "All things were made by him [the Word], and without him was not anything made that was made." "Through whom [his Son] abo he made the worlds." So here the present (no longer the past) fact of creation is attributetl to the instrumentality of the Son. And this is not the passive instrumen- tality the Alexandrian Jew thought of in attributing creation to the Logos. Neither is the agent in creation the dark, hard, limited demiurge of the Gnostics; but he is distinctly a Divine Person, One who with an intelligence, with an interest, with :\ plastic power, that are all infinite, has done his work. (c) Final cai,se. "A.ncl unto him." One Agent and one End; so the Christian doctrine of creation proceeds. .A.nJ. how grandly does it rise above all mere human speculations about creation! Why ha,;; this tolalily been brought into existence? There are subordinate ends which are served by the various parts. A plant bas an end in its own development and fruit- bearing. It has an end beyond that, in its service to man and to beast. M:i.n-the microcosm, as he has been called-has an end in his own development. He has an end beyond himself, in the mastering of the world. And each member of the race has au end in helping the development of his neighbour. But when we think of the presence of so much evil, we still ask- Why have we and all things been made? It is a satisfaction to have, as the answer, that the one reasou which determined the existence of the whole, as the one Bringer into existence, is Christ as the Manifestation of Go,l. It was no cold necessity, it was the Son, who is here the subject, freely, filially, anJ. iu view of all that now exists to mar creation, bringing out what was in the heart of thQ Divine Father. Aud in that o.nswer, here given, faith can rest. (d) Pre-existent cause. "And he is before all things." It was very necessary clearly to think of Christ a.s pre- existent to his incarnation. Christ himself said in memorable words," Before Abraham was, I am." His pre-existence is here carried forward to a much earlier point. Thero is that totality now which is called the universe. 'l'he time was when there was nothiny outside of God. There were no materials lying from all eternity (as some have vainly imagined) out of which a universe coultl be constructed. There were no germs out of which o. universe could be developed. There was simply the creative energy ot· the Word, who had himself to create all the materials antl gerws of things. \V c have, then, to go back to him as the pre-existent Creator. And uot only was htJ before all things; but, as it is here put, he is (absolutely exists) before all things. For time itself is his creation; and before it, and outside of it, he in himself exbts. (e) 1-'ermanent cause.  64 TUE ErISTLE TO THE COLOSSIANS. [clI, 1, 1-29.