2. It is granted, that the attributes and effects here ascribed to "the word of God," may in several senses be applied to the one or the other.

3. It must be acknowledged, that if the things here mentioned be ascribed to the written word, yet they do not primarily and absolutely belong to it upon its own account, but by virtue of its relation to Jesus Christ, whose word it is, and by reason of the power and efficacy that is by him communicated to it. And on the other hand, if it be the Son, or the eternal Word of God that is here intended, it will be granted, that the things here ascribed to him are such as, for the most part, he effects by his word upon the hearts and consciences of men. Hence the difference be tween the various interpretations in the issue concurs, though the subject primarily spoken of be variously · apprehended.

§3. On the whole, I judge,—that the eternal Word of God, or the person of Christ, is the subject here spoken of, for the ensuing reasons:

1. (Λογος and λογος τε Θεε) the Word, and the Word of God, is the proper name of Christ in respect to his Divine nature; as the eternal Son of God, expressly, John i, 1, 2, Rev. xix, 13.

2. His name is thus called, or, this is his name, "the Word of God;" therefore this being the name of Christ, and all things spoken of agreeing to him, and there being no cogent reasons in the context to the contrary, he is presumed to be spoken of; nor will any rule of interpretation give countenance to another

sense.

3. Our apostle accommodates himself to the apprehensions and expressions in use among the Hebrews, so far as agreeable to the truth, rectifying them under mistakes, and arguing with them from their own

concessions and persuasions. Now at this time there was nothing more usual among the Hebrews, than to denote the second subsistence in the Deity, by the name of the "Word of God." They were now divided into two great parts; the inhabitants of Canaan with the regions adjoining, and many old remnants (so to speak) in the East, who used the Syro-Chaldean language, being but a dialect of the Hebrew; and the dispersions under the Greek empire, who are commonly called Hellenists, who used the Greek tongue; and both these at that time, usually in their several languages described the second person in the Trinity by the name of "the Word of God." We have an eminent proof of the former in the translation of the scripture, which, at least some part of it, was made about this time amongst them, commonly called the Chaldee paraphrase: in the whole of it the second 1 person is mentioned under the name of (

Memra daiova,) "the Word of God;" to whom all personal properties, and all divine works, are in that a translation assigned-an illustrious testimony of the faith of the old church concerning the distinct subsistence of a plurality of persons in the divine nature! And the Hellenists, who wrote in the Greek tongue, used the name of (o λoyos T8 Ots) "the word of God," to the same purpose; as I have elsewhere manifested out of the writings of Philo. And this one consideration is to me absolutely satisfactory as to the intention of the apostle in using this expression; especially seeing that all the things mentioned, may far more properly and regularly be ascribed to the person of the Son, than to the word as written or preached. And whosoever will take the pains to consider what occurs in the Targums concerning (DD) "the word of

God," and compare it with what the apostle here speaks, and the manner of its introduction, will, if I do not greatly mistake, be of the same mind with myself.

4. The attributes here ascribed to the word, ver. 12, do all of them properly belong to the person of Christ; and cannot primarily and directly be ascribed to the gospel. This shall be manifested in the ensuing explication of the words.

§4. It is said to be (av, vivus, vivens,) living, which we have translated ambiguously, "quick." The word (v) is applied to God himself, as expressing a property of his nature; Matt. xvi, 16, 1Tim. iv, 10, Heb. iii, 12; and it is also peculiarly ascribed to Christ the Mediator, Rev. i, 18, "the living one." And two things are intended in it. That he who is so hath life in himself, and-That he is the Lord of life to others. Both which are emphatically spoken of the Son; he hath "life in himself," John v, 26, and he is the "prince of life," Acts iii, 15, or the author of it. He hath the disposal of the life of all, whereon all our concernments, temporal and eternal, depend. See John i, 4. And it is evident how suitable to the purpose of our apostle, the mention hereof at this time was. He minds the Hebrews, that "he with whom they have to do," in this matter, is the living one; as in like manner he had before exhorted them to take heed of departing from the "living God;" and afterwards warns them how fearful a thing it is to fall into the hands of the "living God," chap. x, 31. So here, to dissuade them from the one, and to awe them from the other, he minds them that the "Word of God," with whom in an especial manner they had to do, is "living." Now this cannot properly be ascribed to the word of the

gospel; it is indeed the instrumental means of quickening the souls of men with spiritual life; but in itself it is not absolutely "living," it hath not life in itself, as Christ has. "In him is life, and the life is the light of men," John i, 4, and this one property of"him with whom we have to do"-contains the two great motives to obedience; namely, that he is able to support and reward the obedient, and to avenge the disobedient; the one will not be unrewarded, nor the other unrevenged, for he is the "living one" with whom in these things we have to do.

$5. (Evεрyns) powerful. Power for operation is an act of life; and such as is the life of any thing, such is its power and operation; life, power, and operation answer one another; and this word signifies actual power, power exerted, or power that is effectual in actual operation. Having therefore first assigned "life," to the word of God, that is, the principle of all power, our apostle adds, that he exerts that principle in actual operation, according to his sovereign pleasure.

The word (Evεpyew) is, I confess, a common word, signifying the efficacy of any thing in operation according to its principle and power; but it is that also whereby our apostle most frequently expresseth the almighty, effectual, operating power of God in spiritual things. And this was necessary to be added to the property of "life," to manifest, that Christ would effectually put forth his power in dealing with profes sors according to their deportment, and that the power of Christ lies not idle, is not useless, but is continually exercising itself towards us, as the matter requires. There is also, I acknowledge, an energy, an operative power in the word of God as written, or preached; but it is in it only as a consequent of its being his word who is "the living one."

§6. The original of the power of Christ in life, and its efficacy in operation, being laid down, he farther declares it by its properties and effects:

First, this power is described by its properties. It is endued with a cutting power, in the comparative degree; (roμwlɛpos) sharper, more piercing, (UTɛp Tackv) than any. The preposition added to the comparative degree increaseth the signification; the construction expressing the greatest distance between the things compared-Than any two-edged sword," (paxmρær SIGTOROV, that is, audioloμov, gladius biceps, anceps, utrinque incidens;) double edged, or mouthed, cutting every way. (775) "the mouth of the sword," is an hebraism, but the allusion is so elegant, that most languages have admitted it. The metaphor is doubtless taken from wild beasts, whom mankind first feared, that devoured with their mouths, which, when the sword began to be used for destruction, gave them occasion to call its edge by the name of its "mouth:" (Solopos) double mouthed, cutting each way, that leaves nothing unpierced whereunto it is applied. Christ, in the exercise of his power, is "more piercing than any two-edged sword." God oftentimes sets forth himself and his power, with allusion to things sensible, the bet ter to convey some notion of them to our dull and contracted understandings: so he is said to be a "consuming fire," and that he will be "as a lion;" things of great terror. This of a "sword," is often mentioned with respect to Christ, Isa. xlix, 2, Rev. i, 16, "Out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword;" princi pally with respect to the exercise of his power by his word, which is called the "sword of the Spirit," Eph. vi, 17, the sword on his thigh, Psalm xlv, 5, 6, when he goeth forth to subdue the souls of men to himself; which is also the "rod of his power," Psalm cx, `