PHILIPPIANS ii. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, IÍ. Who, being in the Form of God, thought it not Robbery to be equal with God: But made bimfelf of no Reputation, and took upon him the Form of a Servant, 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 Crofs. Wherefore God alfo bath 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 fhould confefs, that Jefus Chrift is Lord, to the Glory of God the Father.

T

HE 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

VOL. IV.

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to

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 represent to you the Apostle's Argument entire and by itself.

Secondly, I fhall confider the feveral Things implied in it; which, with respect to this particular Argument, we may call the Principles upon which the Apostle reasons.

Thirdly, By comparing one Part with another, I fhall endeavour to lay before you the true Senfe 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 fame Mind, mutually aiding and affifting each other in all Things. Hear his own Words: If there

be

be therefore any Confolation in Christ, 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 Physician, he searches to the Bottom of the Evil, which he would cure; and, well knowing that Pride and Vain-Glory are the perpetual Sources of Strife and Contention, the Bane of mutual Love and Charity, he exhorts them to fly from these Evils, preffes them to Lowliness of Mind, and admonishes them not to overvalue themselves, nor undervalue others; but that they should practise Humility towards one another, each efteeming other better than themselves. Thus far he advances in the two next Verfes: Let nothing be done through Strife or Vain-Glory; but, in Lowlinefs of Mind, let each efteem other better than themselves: Look not every Man on kis 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

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defcended for their fakes; how truly great he was, and how truly low he made himfelf; by Nature, how much higher than the higheft; by Choice, how much lower than the lowest. Let this Mind, fays he, be in you, which was alfo in Christ Jesus; 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 Servant, 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 Crofs. 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 prefent 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 Sufferings, he was raised to the highest Pitch of Dignity and Power: Wherefore, fays he, God alfo bath highly exalted him, and given him a Name, which is above every Name: That at the Name of Jefus every Knee fhould bow, of Things in Heaven, and Things on Earth, and Things under the Earth;

and

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 Apostle's Argument.

Let us now, in the Second Place, confider the several Things implied in it; which, with refpect to this particular Argument, we may call the Principles upon which the Apostle reasons.

And firft you may obferve, That the Apostle here evidently points out to us three different States 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 State of Humility, to which he defcended, in thofe Words, He made himself of no Reputation: The third is his State of Glory and Exaltation, intimated in those Words, Wherefore God alfo bath highly exalted him. These three States or Conditions of Chrift are effential to the Apostle's Argument: For take away any one of them, and the Example which the Apoftle would propofe is loft; not only the Force of the Argument is leffened, but the Argument itself entirely destroyed. For Inftance: If you remove the firft State, that of his natural Dignity and Excellence, the