in the first part; that equality which he laid afide being nothing else but the exux O, the fashion, or truly divine and majestic appearance of God. The form of God, in the firft part, answers both to the form of a fervant, and the likeness of men, in the fecond part: the form of a servant being common to all the different orders of creatures, it did not of itself fufficiently exprefs what nature Chrift took upon him; and therefore the addition, in the likeness of men, was but neceffary: but there are no different orders of beings, to whom the form of God belongs and therefore, the Apoftle having told us that Chrift was in the form of God, there wanted no addition to inform us what kind or manner of being he was; for God has not communicated his form or proper glory to any of his creatures: the form of God belongs to God only.

:

And thus the argument for our bleffed Saviour's divinity from this text ftands. He had, before he came into the world, the true and proper glories of divinity, and, under the Old Teftament, appeared in the real majefty of his Father. Whether the proper and peculiar glories of the divinity, and the real majefty of God, are communicable to a creature, judge ye. Befides, if the Apoftle, by faying Chrift took the form of a fervant, and the likeness of men, means that he became indeed a very creature, and man, confider what he means by the fame expreffion in the other part, where he affirms, that Chrift was in the form of God; and whether he can mean less than that he was God, above all creatures, as the fon of the family is fuperior to the

fervants, and fubject to the father, as a fon, receiving from him whatever he has of power, glory, and majesty.

For the farther confirmation of the expofition of the text here given, let us confider in what manner St. Paul ufually applies the example of Chrift, by fetting it in oppofition to the corrupt inclinations and paffions derived from Adam. Thus, in the fourth of the Ephefians, he calls upon them to put off, concerning the former converfation, the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lufts; and be renewed in the Spirit of their mind; and that they put on the new man, which after God is created in righteoufness and true holiness: and in the firft Epiftle to the Corinthians, chapter the fifteenth, he says, The firft man is of the earth, earthy; the fecond man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, fuch are they alfo that are earthy; and as is the heavenly, fuch are they also that are heavenly. There are many other places of the like import, which occur fo frequently, that there is no occafion particularly to point them

out.

In this paffage to the Philippians the Apoftle does not exprefsly draw the comparifon between the first and fecond Adam: but the account he gives of the conduct and fpirit of the fecond Adam is fo ftrong a contraft to the corrupt affections of the firft, that there can be but little doubt of his meaning.

Look into the hiftory of Moses: there you will find that Adam was created after the image of God, and had dominion given him over the creatures of

the earth; by which he became lord of this lower world. St. Paul, in the words of the text, tells us, that Chrift was in the form of God; which gave him a dominion over the works of nature, which had their being and owed their prefervation to his power. Mofes gives an account, how Adam, through disobedience and a vain ambition, fell from the dignity in which he was created, and entailed mifery upon his defcendants. St. Paul fays, that Chrift, through obedience and fubmiffion to the will of the Father, hath fet us an example, by which, if the fame mind be in us, we may recover what is loft. Mofes tells us, that Adam was tempted to eat the forbidden fruit, upon the hopes the tempter gave him, that it would make him like to God, and increase him in knowledge, to know good and evil: he thought it fuch an advantageous propofal, that he catched at the opportunity, and eagerly embraced the offer. St. Paul's account is, that Chrift, who had a right by nature to appear in the majesty and glory of God, yet voluntarily laid it aside, and lived and died in the world, in fashion as a man. What Adam got by this bold attempt, we all know : he run, like an eager and hungry fish, to feize the bait, but was miferably deceived; he loft the prey, and swallowed only the hook: but Chrift, for a recompence of his obedience, was highly exalted, and had a name given him, which is above every

name.

If we admit of this reference to the cafe of the firft Adam, it will determine the fenfe of thofe words, which in our tranflation are rendered, He

thought it no robbery to be equal with God: for, in that cafe, the oppofition between the two characters would require, that it should be faid of Adam, that he thought it a robbery to be equal with God; which is abfolutely inconfiftent with the account of Mofes, and to the view and reafoning of St. Paul.

DISCOURSE L.

PART III.

AND being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. He was in the form of God; but he was not fond of retaining, or making fhew of the glories belonging to the divine form, but took upon him the form of a fervant, being made in the likeness of men. This was great humility: but this was not all; for, being man, he ftill defcended lower; quitted the dignities and honours, which even as man he might have retained; fubmitted to the meaneft condition of the fons of men, a condition exposed to scorn and contempt and ill usage; and at last became obedient unto death, and that not the common death of mankind, but of the vileft of flaves, even the death of the crofs. The humility then of Chrift is here plainly reprefented to us under two views: in one view the Apostle confiders Christ, who was in the form of God, defcending fo low as to become man in the other, he confiders Chrift in the fashion of a man, defcending yet lower, and taking upon himself the meaneft condition, and