Rom. ix. 5.“Whose are the fathers, and of whom, as concerning the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever.” This may with equal propriety and truth be rendered, God, who is over all, be blessed for ever, the former sentence ending with the word came; and since no ancient manuscripts are pointed, all the pointings have been made and the different sentences have been distinguished as fallible men have thought the best sense required. It affords an argument favorable to my construction of these words, that it is visual with the apostle Paul to break out into a doxology, or form of thanksgiving to God, after mentioning any remarkable instance of his goodness. See Eph. iii. 21. 1 Tim. i. 17. vi. 10. See also i Pet. iy. ll. Indeed, it is very common in Jewish writings to add a doxology after barely mentioning the name of God.
i John v. 20. “And we know that the son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.” This last clause is manifestly explanatory of the title him that is true, or the true one, in the preceding clauses, of whom the son of God has given us an understanding, or with whom he has made us acquainted. As the word even is a mere addition of our translators, instead of we are in him that is true, even in his son Jesus Christ, we may read, We are in him that is true, in or by his son Jesus Christ; and this makes a far more consistent sense, and may be considered as an allusion to the words of Christ addressed to the Father, and recorded by this very apostle. John xvii. 3. “This is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.” Without this interpretation these two texts would flatly contradict one another; for how can the Father be the only true God, if the son be true God also? ·
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