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 feveral Things implied in it; which, with refpect to this particular Argument, we may call the Principles upon which the Apostle reasons.

And first 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 thofe Words, Who being in the Form of God: The fecond 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 thofe 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 Apostle would propofe is loft; not only the Force of the Argument is leffened, but the Argument itself entirely deftroyed. For Instance: If you remove the first State, that of his natural Dignity and Excellence, the

fecond State will be no longer a State of Humiliation, nor Chrift any longer an Example of Humility: For, if he was not better than a Servant before he was a Servant, his being a Servant 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 Servant, than others are who are born to the fame State ; 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 State of Dignity and Excellence, before he underwent any thing that belonged to his State of Humiliation: For his voluntarily descending 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 Likenefs of Men is given as one great Inftance

of

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 State of Exaltation; because his Exaltation was the Effect and Reward of his Humility; and being purchafed and obtained by his Humility, it could not be antecedent to it: Confequently it neceffarily follows, That his natural State of Dignity, and his acquired State of Exaltation, are two perfectly different and distinct States; fince one was evidently antecedent to, the other as evidently confequent to his Humiliation : From whence it follows, That his being in the Form of God, being the Dignity which he was poffeffed of before his Humiliation, does not belong to him in virtue of any thing he did or fuffered; nor is any Part of that Glory to which he was exalted, or which

B 4

which he received after or upon account of his Sufferings.

This ought to be the more particularly infifted on, because it is a common Miftake to think, that because Chrift was exalted to Glory at his Resurrection, and for the Suffering of Death crowned with Glory and Honour, as the Apoftle to the Hebrews speaks, that therefore all Glory and Honour, and all Dignity and Excellence, which are ever afcribed to him, belong to him only in confequence of his Suffering and Obedience. From hence it is, that fome Men think it a fufficient Answer to all Arguments drawn from the Attributes of Power and Knowledge, and the like, to prove the Eternity and Divinity of the Logos, to say, that Chrift received his Glory at his Refurrection, and was made perfect through Sufferings; and therefore the Glory and Power which are any where afcribed to him, are not his natural Perfections, but his acquired Honours, and of no antienter a Date than the Redemption: But this is not to answer the Arguments, but to confound the diftinct States of Glory which belong to Chrift; the Glory which he had with the Father before

4

the

the Worlds, and the Glory which he received from the Father at the Redemption : One the Glory of Nature; the other the Glory of Office: One the Glory of the eternal Logos; the other the Glory of the Son of Man.

and for him;

Thus, for Inftance, we find the Glory which he had with the Father before the Worlds to be exprefly founded upon his creating the Worlds: Who is the Image of the invifible God, the Firft-born of every Creature; for by him were all Things created that are in Heaven, and that are in Earth, vifible and invifible; whether they be Thrones, or Dominions, or Principalities, or Powers. All Things were created by him, and he is before all Things, Things confift. Coloff. i. 15, in the very next Verse the Apoftle mentions an Honour belonging to his State of Exaltation, and founds it exprefly upon his Refurrection, as he has done what went before. upon his Power of Creation: And he is, fays he, the Head of the Body, the Church; who is the Beginning, the First-born from the Dead. ver. 18. As Lord of all, he is styled the First-born of every Creature; as Head of

and by him all 16, 17. And

the