all those passages which speak of him as uncreated and eternal; which ascribe Divine attributes to him; which speak of him as himself the Creator of all things. Comp. Jn. i. 1‒3; Col. i. 16; He. i. 2, 6, 8, 10‒12. The _third_ signification, therefore, remains, that he is “the beginning of the creation of God,” in the sense that he is the head or prince of the creation; that is, that he presides over it so far as the purposes of redemption are to be accomplished, and so far as is necessary for those purposes. This is (1) in accordance with the meaning of the word, Lu. xii. 11; xx. 20, _et al. ut supra_; and (2) in accordance with the uniform {99} statements respecting the Redeemer, that “all power is given unto him in heaven and in earth” (Mat. xxviii. 18); that God has “given him power over all flesh” (Jn. xvii. 2); that all things are “put under his feet” (He. ii. 8; 1 Co. xv. 27); that he is exalted over all things, Ep. i. 20‒22. Having this rank, it was proper that he should speak with authority to the church at Laodicea. 15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: [164]I would thou wert cold or hot. 15. _I know thy works._ Notes on ch. ii. 2. ¶ _That thou art neither cold nor hot._ The word _cold_ here would seem to denote the state where there was no pretension to religion; where everything was utterly lifeless and dead. The language is obviously figurative, but it is such as is often employed, when we speak of one as being _cold_ towards another, as having a cold or icy heart, &c. The word _hot_ would denote, of course, the opposite――warm and zealous in their love and service. The very words that we are constrained to use when speaking on this subject――such words as _ardent_ (i.e. _hot_ or _burning_); _fervid_ (i.e. _very hot_, _burning_, _boiling_)――show how necessary it is to use such words, and how common it is. The state indicated here, therefore, would be that in which there was a profession of religion, but no warm-hearted piety; in which there was not, on the one hand, open and honest opposition to him, and, on the other, such warm-hearted and honest love as he had a right to look for among his professed friends; in which there was a profession of that religion which _ought_ to warm the heart with love, and fill the soul with zeal in the cause of the Redeemer; but where the only result, in fact, was deadness and indifference to him and his cause. Among those who made no profession he had reason to expect nothing but coldness; among those who made a profession he had a right to expect the glow of a warm affection; but he found nothing but indifference. ¶ _I would thou wert cold or hot._ That is, I would prefer _either_ of those states to that which now exists. Anything better than this condition, where love is professed, but where it does not exist; where vows have been assumed which are not fulfilled. _Why_ he would prefer that they should be “hot” is