DISCOURSE L.

PART I.

PHILIPPIANS ii. 6—11.

Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God; but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a fervant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God alfo hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name; that at the name of Jefus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confefs that Jefus Chrift is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

THE words now read to you have been strongly debated by Chriftians differing in opinion about the perfon and dignity of our bleffed Saviour; and, as they are often handled, lead more certainly to the knowledge of the interpreter's opinion than of the Apostle's.

I intend not to prefs them into the service of any particular opinion, but fairly to expound them; and to infer nothing from them, but what may evidently

be fhewn to be in them, even by the neceffity of the Apostle's argument. To avoid obfcurity and confufion, I fhall proceed in the following method:

First, I fhall reprefent to you the Apostle's argument entire and by itself.

Secondly, I fhall confider the several things implied in it; which, with refpect to this particular argument, we may call the principles. upon which the Apostle reasons.

Thirdly, By comparing one part with another, I shall endeavour to lay before you the true fenfe and meaning of each part.

First then, I fhall reprefent to you the Apostle's argument entire and by itself.

At the beginning of this fecond chapter, St. Paul exhorts the Philippians to be at peace and unity among themselves, to love one another, and to be of the same mind, mutually aiding and affifting each other in all things. Hear his own words: If there be therefore any confolation in Chrift, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies; fulfil ye my joy, that ye be like minded, having the fame love, being of one accord, of one mind. And then, like a wife phyfician, he searches to the bottom of the evil, which he would cure; and, well knowing that pride and vainglory are the perpetual fources of ftrife and contention, the bane of mutual love and charity, he exhorts them to fly from thefe evils, preffes them to lowlinefs of mind, and admonishes them not to overvalue themselves, nor undervalue others; but that they fhould practife humility towards one another, each efteeming other better.

than themselves. Thus far he advances in the two next verses: Let nothing be done through ftrife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each efteem other better than themfelves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man alfo on the things of others.

To fupport this doctrine, and to enforce their obedience to it, he fets before them the example of Chrift; and in lively colours reprefents his great humility he fhews them how much below himself he defcended for their fakes; how truly great he was, and how truly low he made himself; by nature, how much higher than the higheft; by choice, how much lower than the loweft. Let this mind, fays he, be in you, which was alfo in Chrift Jefus: who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God; but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a fervant, and was made in the likeness of men and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. And that their obedience might want no due encouragement, he fets before them, from the fame example, what glorious rewards they might promise themselves hereafter, for their present humility and lowlinefs of mind: for this abandoned, this crucified Jefus was not left to fink under the obfcurity of his voluntary humility; but, as a reward of his humility and fufferings, he was raised to the highest pitch of dignity and power: Wherefore, fays he, God alfo hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name; that at the name of Jefus every knee should bow, of things in

heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confefs that Jefus Chrift is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. This then is the whole of the Apoftle's argument.

Let us now, in the fecond place, confider the feveral things implied in it; which, with respect to this particular argument, we may call the principles upon which the Apostle reafons.

And first you may observe, that the Apostle here evidently points out to us three different ftates and conditions of Chrift: the first is his state of dignity, from which he willingly defcended, expreffed in those words, Who being in the form of God: the second is the ftate of humility, to which he defcended, in those words, He made himself of no repu tation: the third is his ftate of glory and exaltation, intimated in those words, Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him. These three ftates or conditions of Chrift are effential to the Apoftle's argument: for take away any one of them, and the example which the Apostle would propofe is loft; not only the force of the argument is leffened, but the argument itself entirely deftroyed. For inftance: if you remove the firft ftate, that of his natural dignity and excellence, the fecond ftate will be no longer a state of humiliation, nor Chrift any longer an example of humility: for, if he was not better than a fervant before he was a fervant, his being a fervant was his lot and condition, not his choice; it was owing to the order of nature and providence, and not to his humility; and he was no more humble in being born to be a fervant, than others are

who are born to the fame ftate; and often too without the humility which is proper and neceffary to their condition.

Secondly, It is implied in the argument, that he was in poffeffion of whatever belonged to his ftate of dignity and excellence, before he underwent any thing that belonged to his ftate of humiliation: for his voluntarily defcending from his dignity, to a lower and meaner condition, is the very act and real ground and foundation of his humility; and therefore whatever is meant by his being in the form of God, or whatever is meant by his being made in the likeness of men, thus much at least is evident, that he was in the form of God, before he was made in the likeness of men; because his being made in the likeness of men is given as one great inftance of his humility: but his being in the form of God was his very dignity and excellence and therefore, as it is neceffarily fupposed that his dignity was antecedent to his humility, it is likewife neceffary to affert, that he was in the form of God, before he was made in the likeness of man.

Thirdly, It is neceffarily implied in the argument, that he underwent whatever belonged to his state of humiliation, before he enjoyed any thing that belonged to his ftate of exaltation; because his exaltation was the effect and reward of his humility; and being purchased and obtained by his humility, it could not be antecedent to it: confequently it neceffarily follows, that his natural ftate of dignity, and his acquired state of exaltation, are two perfectly different and diftinct ftates; fince one was evidently antecedent to, the other as evidently confe