OBSERVATIONS.

[Continued from page 175. the chief scope of the discussion which he, at this time, held with the Jews. In verses 24 and 28 he employs the same phrase which he uses in the 58th verse, and which our translators have, as in some other places, rendered, "I am [he]." There cannot be any doubt, that in the former verse he intended to characterise himself, though indirectly, as the Messiah; for the belief which he here desired from the Jews cannot have been different from that which he, in the course of his ministry, enjoined on the nation, and received from his disciples, namely, a recognition of his divine commission. It appears no less certain, that, in the 28th verse, he predicts that, by the extraordinary circumstances accompanying his crucifixion, the Jews were to have the strongest evidence, not that he was the eternal and unchangeable Jehovah, but the Christ, who derived all his power and authority from Almighty God. The meaning which these passages bear is clearly applicable to other portions of Scripture. Thus, when the woman of Samaria mentioned the coming of the Messiah, Jesus acknowledged, "I who speak unto thee am [he];"" and when he foretold the calamities of his beloved country, he affirmed that many should " come in his name, saying, I am [he]; and shall deceive many;" which, in accordance with a parallel passage, is very properly rendered, "I am [Christ]," &c." The same phrase he uses on other occasions, but in no instance applies it as significant of eternal existence. This language was employed by different individuals. Thus, in the Acts of the Apostles, John the Baptist is reported to have said, "I am not [he];" which, according to the Gospels, signifies, "I am not the Christ." d Thus also the person whom Jesus restored to sight used the same elliptical phrase, which would equally establish the Deity of the blind man, if his words were disjoined, like those of Jesus, from their proper connection. But, if desirous of taking Christ as our Instructor, and of being guided by the meaning which he attached to his own language, we need not hesitate respecting the correct signification of the phrase used in John viii. 58, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am." The great subject of discussion evidently was, Whether our Saviour was indeed the Messiah, whose coming had been foretold by the prophets. During the conversation Jesus indirectly announced himself to be the mighty Teacher, and appealed for the truth of his assertions to the purity of his character, and the beneficial tendency of his doctrines. He performed such astonishing miracles, and expressed himself in such authoritative language, as convinced the Jews that he claimed superiority as a divine Messenger over all former prophets. His enemies, however, were yet unwilling to admit his claims; but endeavoured to procure from him an explicit avowal of his Messiahship, in order that they might again accuse him of bearing record of himself, and have a pretext for their opposition to his person and character:

e

Ꮓ

CRITICAL REMARKS ON JOHN viii. 58.

The expression," Before Abraham was born, I am the Christ," is very unnatural, and quite anomalous. "I was the Christ" is the phraseology which any one intending to express the sentiment ascribed to our Lord, would unquestionably have used. To render the original words thus, however, as some have ventured to do, is at least very arbitrary.-Wardlaw.

In Scripture the present tense is frequently used for the imperfect.-Le Clerc. I am; the present tense for the imperfect, or the perfect.-Brenius.

The words may be rendered, I was. The present for the imperfect, or even for the preterperfect, is no unusual figure with this writer.-Campbell.

The peculiar use of the present tense, in the usage of Scriptural expression, is to imply determination and certainty; as if he had said, My mission was settled and certain before the birth of Abraham.- Wakefield.

The present tense of the substantive verb is sometimes used for the past. John xiv. 9: "Have been (, am I) so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me?" Ps. xc. 2: "Before the mountains were brought forth, thou wert (ou ε, thou art) God." John v. 13: "He

that was healed knew not who it was" (TIS EOTI, who it is). In other verbs, the present is also sometimes used for the preterit. John viii. 25: "They said to him, Who art thou? Jesus said unto them, Even what I told you at first" (λaλw, I tell). See also John xii. 9; xv. 27; xx. 14; xxi. 4, 12. Acts ix. 26.-Belsham.

The reference which has to the conjunction gw in John viii. 58, clearly shows, that the verb, though in the present tense, should be interpreted of the past, in which sense it frequently occurs. -Simpson apud Drummond.

The

Though the verb yivɛolai, become, occurs above ninety times in the writings of St. John, he never uses it in the sense of to be born; and no instance occurs in which it denotes simple existence, as Eival, to be, sometimes does. clause cannot be justly rendered, “Before Abraham existed;" nor, with sufficient authority," Before Abraham was born." The form of the verb here used, yevɛobar, generally throughout the New Testament, and always in St. John's writings, has a future signification: when joined with prepositions of time, it always has it; and in the only other passage where it occurs with gw, before, it must have it, viz. chap. xvi. 29.-Carpenter.

ILLUSTRATIVE TEXTS.

is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him. 27: They understood not that he spake to them of the Father. 29: He that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him. 31: If ye continue in my words, [then] are ye my disciples indeed. 38: I speak that which I have seen with my Father. 42: I proceeded forth and came from God. 46: Which of you con vinceth me of sin? If I say the truth, why do

ye not believe me? (G.) 47: He that is of God heareth God's words; ye therefore hear [them] not, because ye are not of God. 51: If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death.

g Ver. 53: Art thou greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? .. Whom makest thou thyself?

h See ver. 56.- Comp. Heb. xi. 13: These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off. Gal. iii. 8: The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the Gospel unto Abraham, [saying,] In thee shall all nations be blessed.-See Gen. xvii. 4, 5; xviii. 18; xxii. 17, 18.

i See ver. 57. j See ver. 58.

k Ver. 28: I DO NOTHING OF MYSELF; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.

7 Isa. xl. 13, 14: Who hath directed the spirit of Jehovah, or, [being] his counsellor, hath taught him? &c. et al.

m See 2 Pet. iii. 8. Ps. xc. 4.

n Rom. iv. 16, 17: Abraham, who is the father of us all (as it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations), before him whom he believed, [even] God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not, as though they were.

o Isa. xlv. 1-4: Thus saith Jehovah to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him, &c. Jer. i. 5: BEFORE I FORMED THEE IN THE BELLY, I knew thee; and BEFORE THOU CAMEST FORTH OUT OF

THE WOMB, I sanctified thee; [and] I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

p See Ps. cx. 1. Isa. liii, 3-10. et al.

"Art thou greater than our father Abraham?" Jesus at once avowed and proved his own superiority, by referring to the revelation which that eminent patriarch received from God regarding the great privileges all mankind were to enjoy by the preaching and the reception of the gospel: "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it, and was glad;" that is, Abraham foresaw, or saw afar off, the coming of Christ. The Jews, however, either did not understand him, or pretended not to understand him: "Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?" But our Lord did not say that he had seen Abraham, but merely that that distinguished prophet had seen his day; and he therefore adds, with great solemnity, "Before Abraham was, I am [he]."; Even before the birth of Abraham, I was, in the unchangeable purposes of God, appointed to be the Messiah.

These considerations appear sufficiently forcible to disprove the opinion held by Trinitarians, that, in the passage adduced, Jesus Christ claims to himself the incommunicable attributes of Deity, self-existence, eternity, and immutability. But it is farther observable, that he expressly disavows any independent authority: "I do nothing of myself." Now, it is exceedingly improbable, that this could be the language of the eternal One-the Almighty Being who declared himself unequalled in the universe, and who never was indebted—who could not be indebted to any one, for that wisdom and knowledge which he possesses without limit and without control.'

ence.

Some Unitarians agree with their Trinitarian brethren in believing that in these words, "Before Abraham was, I am -Jesus alluded to a time preceding the birth of Abraham, in which he had a real existBut if, as we have already proved, our Saviour spoke of himself in the character of the Messiah, and represented the patriarch as having seen beforehand the mighty establishment of the gospel-kingdom amongst all nations of the earth; it is surely not unreasonable to infer, that, when he treated of his having existed as the Messiah before Abraham, he would mean only to assert, that his coming was predetermined in the councils of Him with whom "a thousand years are as one day," and "who calleth those things that are not as though they were." In accordance with this sublime idea, Abraham is said to have been "made the father of many nations," long before these had actually any being;" Cyrus was addressed by God, and Jeremiah set apart to be a prophet," when they existed merely in the divine purpose; and the prophets David and Isaiah saw the future glory of Christ, and spoke and wrote of him as if they had ocularly beheld the miracles, the sufferings, the death, and the resurrection of the Saviour. Now if, as BELSHAM justly remarks, "the prophets describe the Messiah as contemporary with them, Christ might with propriety speak of himself under that character, as their contempo