hath been, [or existed,] before me, for he was MY CHIEF*," John i. 15. Thus marking, 1. the pre-existence of CHRIST; 2. his antecedent dignity, as THE LEADER, Micah v. 2, Matt. ii. 6, Dan. ix. 25; or PRINCE, Dan. x. 21.

These two important articles are more fully explained in the sublime Introduction of John's Gospel, which was immediately and primarily designed as a commentary on the Baptist's testimony, introduced into the midst of it, as essentially connected therewith.

INTRODUCTION OF JOHN'S GOSPEL*.

1. " In the beginning was THE ORACLE, and the Oracle was with

2. "THE GOD, and the Oracle was GOD. This same was in the beginning with THE GOD.

* The translation of this sublime Introduction, differing from the received, especially in the first and most important verse, attesting the proper divinity of THE ORACLE (CHRIST) but still distinguishing him personally from THE FATHER, "neither confounding the persons, nor dividing the substance," according to the judicious canon of the Athanasian creed, requires to be supported by a critical analysis of the terms of the original, upon the logical principles established by Middleton, in his profound Doctrine of the Greek Alphabet.

The definite article, ὁ, ἡ, το, usually rendered "the," he has clearly proved to be, in fact, a relative pronoun, signifying "who," "which," or "that," as Πατερ ἡμων ὁ [ων] εν τοις ουρανοις, "Our Father, who [art] in the Heavens," Matt. vi. 9. Here the substantive participle, wv, is understood: it is expressed in the following passage from Aristotle, οἱ μαλιστα αξιοι οντες ήκιστα πλουτουσι, “ They who are most worthy are least apt to be rich," p. 39. Εγω ειμι παν το γεγονος, και ον, και εσομενον, “ Ι am all that hath been, and is, and will be," p. 43.

The article is chiefly used to express eminence, κατ' εξοχην, as "the Lord, he is THE GOD! the Lord, he is THE GOD!" and not Baal, 1 Kings xviii. 39, and is so marked in the Hebrew, by the ה, or emphatic prefix, האלהים, and in the Septuagint, by Ο Θεος. Signifying, He, who is God, in the highest sense of the word, or invested with supreme power and dominion. In this sense it is used in the first clause. Εν αρχή ην Ο λογος, “In the beginning was THE ORACLE, or personified WORD." Εν αρχη, should be rendered, not " In a beginning," because the preposition often excludes the article, which is understood, as Middleton has shewn in many instances.

The next clause, και ὁ λογος ην προς τον θεον, "THE ORACLE was with THE GOD," or THE FATHER; and the third, και Θεος ην ὁ λογος, "And THE ORACLE was GOD," as personally distinguished from "THE GOD;" for otherwise it would be a reciprocating proposition, of which the reciprocal would not be true, that "THE God was the ORACLE," which is evidently incongruous.

Still Θεος, without the article, frequently denotes "THE GOD," when ὁ Πατηρ, "THE FATHER," [of all] is understood, as Θεον ουδεις έωρακε πωποτε, ὁ μονογενης τίος, ὁ ων εις τον κολπον του πατρος, εκεινος εξηγησατο, “GOD [THE FATHER] none ever saw, THE ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, who is on His bosom, that same expounded him," verse 18. Here is an elegant and a usual Atticism, where the genitive του πατρος is expressed instead of τον πατερα, understood after Θεον. Thus Virgil, "Urbem quam statuo vestra est," "The city that I am building is your's," put for Urbs quam statuo vestra est, Æn. i. 576. So in the phrases, παρα Θεου, "from God;” εκ θεου " of God;" τεκνα Θεου, “ children of God;" occurring also ver. 6, 12, 13, of this Introduction. Θεου, without the article, evidently denotes THE FATHER; for whom, it is used indiscriminately, both with, and without the article, in the following parallel passages: "Nothing shall be impossible with Gon," (παρα τῳ Θεῳ) Luke i. 37; "For, with GOD, (παρα Θεῳ) all things are possible," Matt. xix. 26.

Θεος also, without the article, denotes THE SON, where either ὁ λαγος, οι ὁ υἱος, are

3. "All things were made by Him, and without Him was not any thing made that hath been. [Ps. xxxiii. 6, Heb. i. 2, xi. 3, Col. i. 16, 17, Ephes. iii. 9.

understood. As "Great is the mystery of godliness," "GOD [THE SON, or THE WORD] was manifested in flesh," &c. 1 Tim. iii. 16. And Philo, the Jew, styled ὁ λογος, THE ORACLE, ὁ δευτερος Θεος, "THE SECOND GOD."

2. The article is sometimes used simply to express reference. Thus Ὁ Θεος του Ισραηλ, "the God of Israel," Ο Θεος του αιωνος τουτου, "the God of this world," in which latter case it denotes Satan, 2 Cor. iv. 4. Sometimes it is used relatively, even where the reference is not expressed, but understood ; and so ὁ Θεος is applied to CHRIST, in that much disputed passage, "to feed the Church of God, (του Θεου) which he purchased with his own blood," Acts xx. 28; and also to the HolY GHOST, "Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto GOD," (τῳ θεῳ) Acts v. 4, namely, THE GOD who was mentioned in the preceding verse, το πνευμα το άγιον, "THE HOLY SPIRIT."

"

Verse 3 Παντα δι' αυτου εγενετο. Here the preposition δια, "by," or " through," marks the agency of the SON OF GOD in the creation of the world, which is ultimately ascribed to THE FATHER, in the preposition εκ, " of," or originating from;" " of whom, and through whom, and to whom are all things, to whom be glory for evermore. Amen."

4. "In Him was LIFE, and the life was THE LIGHT of men. [John viii. 12, xii. 46, &c.]

5. And the light shineth in the dusk, but the dusk comprehended it not. [Acts xiv. 17, xvii. 27, Rom. i. 19, 20, Ephes. iii, 18.]

9. He was THE TRUE LIGHT, which coming into the world enlighteneth every man.

10. He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, but the world [the Gentiles] knew Him not. [Exod. v. 2, Isa. lv. 5, 1 John iii. 1.]

11. He came unto his own home, but his own household [the Jews] entertained him not. [John iv. 44, Matt. xii. 38-42, Luke x. 13, &c.]

12. But as many as received Him, [whether Jews or Gentiles, Rom. ii. 10, 11, &c.] to them gave He authority to become children of GOD, even to them that believe in His name:

13. Who were born [again, John iii. 3, 1 Pet. i. 3-5, Tit. iii. 4-7, &c.] neither of bloods, [peculiar races, or favoured stocks, as of Abraham, Matt. iii. 9, John viii. 39-41, &c.] nor of the will of flesh, [suggestion of natural instinct] nor of the will of man, [suggestion of reason, or conscience] but of [the gracious will of] GOD. [James i. 18, &c.]

14. And THE ORACLE became flesh, [or man] and tabernacled among us, (and we [the chosen witnesses] beheld his glory, a glory suitable to THE ONLY BEGOTTEN [SON issuing] from THE FATHER) full of grace and truth.

16. And of his fulness, we [believers] all received, even grace instead of grace: [the grace of the GOSPEL, instead of the grace of THE LAW.]

17. For the law was given by Moses, but the grace and the truth [of the Gospel] was effected by JESUS CHRIST. (Heb. iii. 1-6.]

18. No one hath seen GOD THE FATHER at any time ; THE ONLY BEGOTTEN SON who is on His bosom, that same expounded Him, [or oracularly explained His spiritual nature and true worship to mankind. John iv. 24, 1 Tim. vi. 16.]

This mysterious Introduction, (here attempted to be more closely and critically rendered, and explained from parallel passages of Scripture) furnishes the fullest evidence to the divine and human nature of JESUS CHRIST, as the original ORACLE of the OLD TESTAMENT, and the peculiar SON OF GOD of the NEW; connecting both together as parts of one grand and comprehensive system of divine economy respecting mankind. Its authenticity is unimpeachable by heretics and infidels. Even the emperor Julian the Apostate, A.D. 361, reluctantly admitted this in his censure: "As to JESUS, neither Paul, nor Matthew, nor Luke, nor Mark, dared to call him 'GOD;' none but the honest [or simple] John *."

THE PREACHING OF JOHN.

This was energetic and powerful, and drew a great concourse of people to him from Jerusalem, all Judea, and the region round about Jordan, who were baptized by him confessing their sins. John, indeed, was a burning and shining lamp," like Elijah, according to our LORD'S commendation, (corresponding to Gabriel's,) John v. 33, taken perhaps from this following: