what was in the beginning with God, and was God, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God. For as Jehovah did not exclude, but comprehend his own Spirit, when he Maid, To whom will ye liken me, or fhall I be equal,o alfo, he did not exclude, but comprehend his own Word. And when we fay God's Word and Spirit are equal to God, we do not mean to feparate them into two other Gods, but only to ignify that they are not creatures at an infinite diftance from true Deity, but really divine, partaking of the nature of that Godhead from which they proceed, and in which they are comprehended.

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20. The Socinians and Arians, indeed, with a view to get rid of the irrefragable argument which the text juft referred to, furnishes against their fcheme, would fain force a very different fenfe upon it, and tranflate it,---Being in the Form of God, he coveted not after, or did not eagerly catch at an equality with God. But there are two infuperable objections to this tranflation, (if it may be called one) the firft is, that the words will not bear it, nyno alo agraynov, fignifying, not, he coveted not after, or did not eagerly catch at, but dimply, and only, he thought it not an act of robbery, or any ufurpation of another's right; and the following words, va voa dew, meaning only to be equal with God. The fecond objection to this forced tranflation is, that it would make the Apoftle very abfurdly reprefent it as a great intance of Chrift's humility, that he was not as proud as Lucifer: who (as is fuppofed) though highly exalted in the fcale of being, yet being a mere creature, and as fuch, infinitely inferior to God, manifefted infufferable pride, in eagerly coveting, and catching at, an equality with God. Now, furely, if Chrift had been a mere creature, the Apoftle would never have mentioned it as a great proof of his humility, that he did not, like Satan, afpire after an equality with One infinitely above him!

21. We

21. We muft, therefore, of neceffity, abide by: the grammatical and literal fenfe of the words! above mentioned; which we may do with the greater fatisfaction, having feen it confirmed, in? the preceding Chapters, by fo many teltimonies of the fame Apostle in other places, as well as of other Apoftles and infpired Writers. For, furely, He who appeared to the Patriarchs and Prophets, at fundry times, in the Character of God; He, to whom the Apoftles, fpeaking by infpiration of God, applied many paffages of the Old Testament containing proper defériptions of the Moft High; He, to whom Divine Names and Titles are given, and Divine Attributes afcribed; He, who is reprefented as the immediate Author of all the Divine Works, and who has been, is, and is to be worshipped, as God,he must be equal with. God; or, in other words, he must be God, poffeffed of true and proper. Deity, in union with the Father,, whofe lord and only begotten Son he is, and from whom he never can be feparated.. 22. But if the Word and Son of God be really a Divine Perfon, how could he empty himself, (which in this very text he is faid to do) leave the glory he had with the Father, or become poor ?" See: John xvii. 3.-2 Cor. viii. 9.-I anfwer, it is eafy to conceive that he might do this, as far ast thefe texts fignify that he hath done it. They do not fay that his nature underwent any change; that his wisdom, power, or love his holiness, truth, or justice, were either loft, or leffenede They? only fpeak of his form, or mode of manifeftation. This paffage in Philippians beings much more particular, is plainly, a key to the other two;. and all that it afferts is, that when in the form of God, and equal with God, (the Godhead of the: Father being his Godhead) he emptied himself,taking the forms of a fervant, being made in the likeness of men. So that the emptying of himself: which the Apostle speaks of, manifeftly confifted/ in his taking the form of a fervant, which form he took when he was made. in the likeness.of:

men. It confifted in this, in that though he was the Word and Son of the Father, who had spoke the universe into being, and had manifested himfelf to the Patriarchs and Prophets of old, as the Creator, Preferver, and Lord of All, he now ap peared in the form of a creature-yea, of a mean and mortal creature-a creature compaffed about with infirmity, liable to pain and mifery, and fubject to diffolution and decay! And furely this might very properly be termed an emptying himfelf, a leaving his glory, and becoming poor

For how great the contraft! He had given the Law on Sinai, amidst thunder and lightening, ftorm and tempeft, earthquake and devouring fire: He had appeared in glory to the nobles of the children of Ifrael, when there was under his feet, as it were, a paved work, of a fapphire ftone, and, as it were, the Body of Heaven in his clearnefs:Ifaiah had seen him upon a Throne, high and lifted up, when his Train filled the Temple, and the Seraphim cried one to another, Holy, holy, holy, is Jehovah of Hofts, the whole earth is full of his glory!-And now, that fame, Word and Son of the Father, dwells in flefh in the meek and lowly Jefus, a man of forrows, and acquainted with grief-defpised and rejected of men, having neither form nor comeliness that we should defire him; in whofe greatest triumph is to ride into Jerufalem upon a colt, the foal of an ass,: amidst the acclamations of children, and a few poor people; and who, at laft, is executed upon. a Crofs, between two thieves, as a malefactor!

23. "It is a vain imagination. (fays the Author laft quoted) that our Saviour then first appeared a fervant when he was apprehended, bound, fcourged, and crucified: For they were not all) flaves who ever fuffered fuch indignities, or died that death; and when they did, their death did not make, but find them, or suppose them fervants. Befide, our Saviour, in all the degrees of his humiliation, never lived as a fervant unto any master on earth. It is true, at first he was sub

ject, but as a Son to his reputed Father, and undoubted Mother. When he appeared in publick, he lived after the manner of a Prophet, and a Doctor fent from God, accompanied, with a family, as it were, of his Apoftles, whofe Mafter he profeffed himfelf, fubject to the commands of no man in that office, and obedient only unto God. The form, then, of a fervant, which he took upon him, muft confift in fomething diftin&t from his fufferings or fubmiffion unto men, as the condition in which he was, when he so submitted, and fo fuffered. In that he was made flesh, fent in the likeness of finful flesh, fubject unto all infirmities and miferics of this life attending on the fons of men, fallen by the fin of Adam; in that he was made of a woman, made under the Law, and fo obliged to perform the fame; which Law did fo handle the children of God, as that they differed nothing from fervants, in that he was born, bred, and lived in a mean, low, and abject condition 3-as a root out of a dry ground, he had no form nor comeliness; and when they faw him, there was no beauty that they should defire him; but he was defpifed and rejected of men, a man of forrows, and acquainted with grief: In that he was thus made man, he took upon him the form of a feruant. Which is, not mine, but the Apoftle's explication; as adding it, not by way of con junction, in which there might be fome diverfity, but by way of appofition, which fignifieth, a clear identity.".

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24. And, therefore, it is neceffary to obferve, that our tranflation of that verfe, is not only not exact, but very difadvantageous to that truth which is contained in it. For we read it thus He made himfelf of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a fervant, and was made in the likeness of men. Where we have two copulative cons junctions, neither of which is in the original text, and three diftinct propofitions, without any dependance of one upon another; whereas all the words together are but an expreffion of

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Chrift's

Chrift's exinanition, with an explication fhewing in what it confifteth; which will clearly appear by this literal tranflation,But emptied himfelf, taking the form of a fervant, being made in the likeness of men. Where, if any man doubt how Chrift emptied himself, the text will fatisfy him,

by taking the form of a fervant: if any till queftion how he took the form of a fervant, he hath the Apoftle's refolution,--by being made in the likeness of men. Indeed, after the expreffion of this exinanition, he goes on, with a conjun&tion, to add another act of Chrift's humiliation! And being found in fashion as a man, being already, by his exinanition, in the form of a fervant, or the likeness of men, he humbled himfelf, and became, (or rather becoming yeloperos voos) obedient unto death, even the death of the Crofs.

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25. "As, therefore, his humiliation confifted' in his obedience unto death, fo his exinanition, (or emptying himfelf) confifted in the affumption of the form of a fervant, and that in the nature of man. All which is very fitly expreffed, by a ftrange interpretation in the Epiftle to the Hebrews. For whereas thefe words are clearly in the Pfalmift,--Sacrifice and offering thou didft not. defire, mine ears haft thou opened: the Apostle appropriateth the fentence to Chrift, When he. cometh into the world, he faith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not, but a body haft thou prepared me. Now, fince the boring of the car, under the Law, was a note of perpetual fervitude; fince this was expreffed in the words of the Pfalmift, and changed by the Apoftle into the preparing of a body,it followeth, that when Chrift's body was firft framed, even then did he affume the form of a fervant."

26. As the Bishop's reafoning upon this text feems ftrong and conclufive, and fufficiently refutes the Socinian interpretation, (which fuppofes that Chrift had no exiftence before he was born of the Virgin, and that he was no otherwife' in the Form of God than as working miracles)

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