series of his discourse, and render it equivocal. There is neither reason for it in his design, nor place for it in his discourse, nor any thing in it to his purpose.

§3. 2. Who is here intended by the name "God?” He that built all things is God. The words may be so understood, as to signify either that God made or built all these things, or, that he who made and built all these things, is God. The first sense, making God the subject, the latter, the predicate of the proposition, But as to our purpose they amount to the same thing; for if he who made them is God, his making of them declares him to be so. And that it is the Lord Christ who is intended in this expression will appear immediately; for,

(1.) If God absolutely, or God the Father be intended, then by the building of all things, the creation of the world is designed; so they all grant who are of that opinion; but that this is not so we have already demonstrated from the words themselves.

(2.) The introduction of God absolutely, and his building of all things in this place, is no way subservient to the apostle's purpose; for what light or evidence doth this contribute to his principal assertion? namely, that Christ was more honorable than Moses, and that on account of his building the house of God, the confirmation whereof he doth in these words expressly design?

(3.) It is contrary to his purpose. For he doth not prove the Lord Christ to be deservedly preferred before Moses, unless he manifest that by his own power he built the house of God in such a manner, as Moses was not employed in; whereas according to this interpretation, he assigns the principal building of the house to another, even the Father, and so overthrows what he had before asserted. This then is that,

which by these words the apostle intends to declare; namely, the ground and reason whence it is that the house was or could be in that glorious manner built by Christ, even because he is God, and so able to effect it; and by this effect of his power he is manifested so to be.

§4. The apostle, in the remaining part of the words, proceedeth to another argument to the same purpose with the former, consisting of a comparison between Christ and Moses, in reference to their relation to the house of God when built. In the building they were both faithful, Christ as the chief builder, Moses as a principal part of the house, ministerially also employed in the building of it. The house being built they are both faithful towards it, in their several relations to it; Moses as a servant in the house of God, Christ as a son over his own house; his own because he built it.

Let us consider these relations respectively.

1. The relation of Moses to the house of God. "Moses verily was faithful as a servant in his whole house;" (εрawv) a servant, minister, or officer (in sacris) in things belonging to religious worship. This was his place, this his dignity and honor; and it was amplified by the considerations, that he was faithful in his service, that he was a servant in the house of God, and particularly, that he was not thus employed, and thus faithful in this or that part, in this or that service of God's house, but in his whole house and all the concernments of it. Herein was he different from all others in the same service under the Old Testa ment; one was employed in one part of it, another in another, one to instruct another to reform it, one to renew a neglected ordinance, another to give new instructions; none but he was used in the service of the

"whole house." And these things greatly speak his honor and glory; although as we shall see, they leave him incomparably inferior to the Lord Messiah.

"For a testimony of these things which should be spoken after." The end of the service and ministry of Moses is expressed in these words. It was to be (Es paplupiav) "for a testimony." The word and ordinances of God are often called his "testimony;" that whereby he testifieth and witnesseth his will and pleasure to the sons of men. This testimony refers to the whole faithfulness of Moses, which was not confined or restrained to the things that were spoken, but extended itself to the whole service of the house wherein he was employed, as well in the building of the tabernacle, and institutions of ordinances, as revealing the will of God in his own law.

(Λαληθησομένων) “Of things which should be spoken after," respects things future to what he did in his whole ministry, as our translation rightly observes, and this as well the order of the words, as the proper import requires. He gave testimony to what? To "the things that were afterwards to be spoken," in the fulness of time by the Messiah; that is, the things of the gospel. And this indeed was the proper end of all that Moses did or ordered in the house of God. Here the apostle takes his leave of Moses, and therefore gives him as it were, an honorable burial; and puts this glorious epitaph on his grave: Moses a faithful servant of the Lord in his whole house.

$5. 2. "But Christ as a son over his own house." The term "faithful" is here to be repeated; was faithful as a son over his own house. Every word almost

proves the pre-eminence asserted.

He is a son, Moses

a servant; he over the house, Moses in the house; he over his own house, Moses in the house of another,

The argument of the apostle in these words is obvious. The Son faithful over his own house, is more glorious and honorable than a servant that is faithful in the house of his Lord and Master. But Christ was thus a son over the house, Moses only a servant in it.

$6. "Whose house are we." Having confirmed his argument, the apostle returns, after his manner, to make application of it, and to improve it for the enforcement of his exhortation to constancy and perseverance. Now believers are the house of Christ upon a treble account.

1. On account of their persons, in them he dwells really by his Spirit. Hence they are said to be "living stones," and on him to be built into a "holy temple,” 1 Pet. ii, 5; and as such does he dwell in them, Eph. ii, 20-22; 1 Cor. iii, 16; chap. vi, 19; John xiv, 17.

2. On account of their being compacted together in church order according to his institution; whereby they are built up, cemented, and become an house, like the tabernacle or temple of old, Eph. iv, 16; Col. ii, 19.

3. On account of their joint worship performed in that order, whereby he also dwells among them, or is present with them until the consummation of all things; Rev. xxi, 3; Matt. xxviii, 20.

§7. "If we hold fast," (Ev Tep.) These words may have a double sense; first to express the condition on which the truth of the former assertion depends; we are his house; but on this condition, that we hold fast, &c. Secondly, to express a description of the persons who are so the house of Christ, by a limitation and distinction among professors; shewing that in the former assertion he intends only those who hold fast their confidence firm to the end. Such conditional expressions of gospel comminations, although they have a

peculiar use and efficacy towards believers in the course of their obedience, as manifesting God's detestation of sin, and the certain connexion there is by God's eternal law between unbelief and punishment; yet, do not include any assertion that the persons of believers may at any time, all things considered, on the part of God as well as of themselves, actually fall under these penalties. The words, therefore, are descriptive of the persons who are the house of Christ, from a certain effect or adjunct of that faith whereby they become to be so. They are such, and only such, as hold fast their confidence and glorying of hope, firm unto the end; whereby they are distinguished from temporary professors who may fall away.

§8. "If we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end." Two things are observable in the words, what it is that the apostle requires in them that are in the house of Christ; namely, confidence and glorying in hope; and the manner of our retaining them, we must hold them fast and firm unto the end. Let us here consider,

1. What the apostle requires in these spiritual domestics, the confidence, and the glorifying of hope. The word (app) translated confidence, although it frequently occurs in the New Testament, yet is never used to signify that fiduciary trust in God which is an effect of faith, and wherein some have thought the nature of it to consist. For, unless where it is used adverbially to signify openly, plainly, notoriously, as it doth always in the gospel of John, see chap. xviii, 20, it constantly denotes liberty, and constancy of spirit in speaking or doing any thing towards God or man, which is the genuine and native signification of the word.