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SHEREFORE 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 should confefs that Jefus Chrift is Lord, to the Glory of God the Father. In thefe Words the Apostle fets before us the exceeding great Glory to which God the Father exalted Chrift, as the End and Reward of his great Humility and Sufferings: Words which very well deferve our serious Attention and Confideration, as inftructing

us in the true Reason, and discovering to us the true Foundation of the Honour and Worship and Glory, which the Chriftian Church has ever, and still continues to give and pay to our bleffed Lord.

There is indeed a Difficulty in conceiving how any Acceffion of Glory or Honour should be made to him, who was, before his coming into the World, in the Form of God, and, as fuch, was in Poffeffion of the Majesty and Glory belonging to the Form of God; and yet the Apostle's Argument feems to suppose an Acceffion of Honour to be made to him upon his Exaltation, as the Reward of his Humility and Obedience. For thus the Argument ftands: Jefus Chrift, who was in the Form of God, and in Poffeffion of divine Glory, laid aside the divine Glory, and took upon him the Form of a Servant, being made in the Likeness of Men; and, appearing as mere Man, he submitted to Death, even the Death of the Crofs: Wherefore God, as a Reward to his Humility, has more highly exalted him, (for fo the original Word fignifies,) and given him a Name above every Name. This Glory therefore, according to the Strain of the Apoftle's Reasoning, ought to be a more excellent Glory than the first Glory; for, if

God gave him nothing but what he had a Right to, according to the very Excellency and Dignity of his Nature, how did he reward his Humility? To exalt a Man for his Humility, is to raise him to a Station above what he had before his Humility: According to Parity of Reason, therefore, the Glory to which Chrift was exalted, as a Reward to his Humility, ought to be a greater Glory, than that which he had before his Humility.

But how can thefe Things be? you will fay: How can he, who is the Brightness of bis Father's Glory, the exprefs Image of his Perfon, how can he be exalted in Glory? or, what greater Glory can we conceive than the Glory of the Only-begotten of the Father? especially confidering that Chrift himself, in praying for Glory for himfelf, prays for no other Glory, than that which he had before the World was: And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own felf, with the Glory which I had with thee before the World was. John xvii. 5.

To fet this Matter in a true Light, you must confider, That the Glories of Nature and the Glories of Office are very different and distinct Glories; that the Apostle, in

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the Place before us, fays nothing of Nature or Effence; he fpeaks of the Perfon Jefus Chrift, and confiders him as the fame Perfon, in all his different States, of Glory, Humility, and Exaltation: The fame Nature which he had being in the Form of God, the fame he had in his State of Humiliation, and now has in his State of Exaltation: So that the Apoftle does not confider him, in his Exaltation, as having an higher Nature, or greater natural Powers and Dignities, than he had before his Exaltation; and it would indeed be very abfurd to fuppofe he did; for the Exaltation of any Perfon does not confift in a Change of Nature, or natural Powers, but in acquired Honours and Authority. When a Man is raised to be a King, he is ftill a Man, has ftill the natural Powers of a Man, without Increase or Diminution, though he receives new Honour and new Authority.

The Apoftle's Argument then does not infer that the natural Powers and Dignities of Chrift Jefus were increased, or that they were capable of being increased; but only, that, in confequence of the Redemption, God put all Things immediately under him, making him Head over all, and confe

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quently entitled him to that Worship, and thofe Honours, which were not before paid to him. Chrift Jefus was indeed subfervient to his Father in the Creation of the Worlds: By him all Things were made, and without kim was not any thing made that was made, John i. 3. And yet the Worship and Honour which flow from the Relation of the Creature to the Creator, always were paid, and still are paid to the Father; for the Evidence arifing from the Works of Nature lead to the Acknowledgment of one, and but of one great Being; and therefore there could be no Pretence of fetting up another, either in Oppofition or Conjunction with him, to be an Object of Worship: But when Christ undertook and completed the Redemption of the World, then it was thought proper to make known the Glory which he had before the Worlds began; that we might know that we were to expect Salvation from a Hand that was able to fave, and that the Honour and Duty owing to him who made us, and to him who redeemed us, might be confiftent: For when Christ purchased Mankind at the Price of his own Blood, they became his by the ftrictest Bonds of Juftice and Gratitude;