God, and justly think it no robbery to be equal with God, and yet be a servant, a man, and a frail and dying man.

But all these things, and innumerable others, substantially of the same nature, in both respects, are declared concerning Christ. All, also, are declared by God himself. They are, therefore, true; and true, in the natural, obvious sense. Of course, they are worthy of all acceptation.

It follows, then; that Christ is, notwithstanding the sneers of Unitarians, God and Man. In the language of the Scriptures, The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us. Yet, humble as were the station and circumstances in which he appeared, we are able still to behold his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the FATHER.

3dly. There are three important facts, recorded concerning Christ, in which he differs wholly from all created beings, and which merit the attentive consideration of every serious man.

1. He always taught in his own name; even when altering, and annulling, the acknowledged Word of God.

Christ came, to change the Mosaic system into the Christian; and accordingly substituted the latter for the former. In every part of this employment He taught in his own name. The preceding Prophets had uniformly introduced their Instructions with Thus saith the Lord; Thus saith Jehovah. Christ, immediately after addressing his consolations to his disciples by way of preface, introduces his Sermon on the Mount in the following manner: Think not that I am come to destroy the Law or the Prophets: that is, the system of Religion in the Old Testament: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, &c. This phraseology he repeats every where throughout this Sermon, and throughout the Gospel. Not once does he say, Thus saith the Lord, during his Ministry; nor teach with any authority except his own. Now it is evident, that the authority, which he actually assumed, was equal in his view, and in the view of the Scriptures, to that, which sanctioned the declarations of the Old Testament; because he changes, and annuls, both the doctrines and the precepts of the Old Testament, at his pleasure.

In the same manner when he appeared unto St. Paul in the way to Damascus, after informing Paul, that he was Jesus, whom he persecuted, he commissioned him to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles, and sent him as his Apostle to them, by his own authority, without appealing to any other.

As, therefore, the authority, assumed in these cases, is equivalent to that, by which the Old Testament was revealed; He, who rightfully assumed it, was God.

The same authority, also, Christ assumed, and exhibited, generally, when he wrought miracles; and he never makes mention of any other.

2. The Apostles uniformly appeal to the authority of Christ in their preaching and miracles.

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In the name of Jesus Christ, says St. Peter to the impotent man, rise up, and walk.

By what power, said the Sanhedrim to Peter and his companions, or by what name, have you done this? that is, healed the impotent man? Be it known unto you all, answered the Apostle, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him, doth this man stand here before you whole. Eneas, said Peter, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole. All authority, says our Saviour, is delivered to me in Heaven and in Earth. As my Father hath sent me, so send I you.

Under this commission the Apostles preached, and acted; and in multiplied instances have declared to us, that it was the authority of God.

A single declaration of this sort will suffice for them all. Mark xvi. 20, And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following.

Amen.

3. In the Revelation of St. John, it is to be observed, Christ receives the praises of the Heavenly host, both singly and in conjunction with the Father, but never unites in them.

Neither Christ, nor the Holy Spirit, is ever called upon to perform the great duty of all creatures to praise God, or to pray to Him. Both these duties Christ performed as a man, when here on earth; but he is never exhibited as performing the duty of praise in Heaven. All other virtuous beings are exhibited as making this their constant worship, and a prime part of their duty. But amid all their ascriptions of praise to God, Christ is no where exhibited as uniting with them in this duty; in itself so delightful to a virtuous mind, and so naturally and obviously obligatory on every rational being. The whole multitude of saints and angels, with the four living ones at their head, join, without exception, in the Heavenly song; Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth on the throne. But the only part, ever attributed to Christ, is to be united, in receiving the ascription, together with Him that sitteth on the throne: for the ascription is made to Him that sitteth on the throne, and to the Lamb, for ever and ever.*

I have now finished the observations, which I intended to make concerning this interesting subject; and exhibited what appears to me to be the true meaning of the remarkable phraseology in the text. God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and of other similar passages found in the Scriptures: such as, The word was made flesh; The seed of David according to the flesh; Of whom, as concerning the flesh, Christ came; Christ is come in the flesh, &c. I shall now conclude the discourse with the following

REMARKS.

1st. This doctrine teaches us, in the strongest manner, the condescension of Christ.

* Rev. x. 13

In this light it is considered by St. Paul in that memorable passage, Phil. ii. 5, &c. Let this mind be in you, which was also 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. No subject presents to us so wonderful an example of condescension, as the incarnation of Christ: Nor could any fact fill our minds with the same astonishment, were it not, that we have been accustomed to hear it repeated from the cradle, and, like the state of the weather, rendered an object of perpetual familiarity; a thing, almost of course, in the ordinary current of our thoughts; by unceasing inculcation.

From these causes, we pass it without serious attention, and, even when we dwell upon it, scarcely realize its nature. The impres sions, which it makes on the mind, resemble those, made on the eye of such, as have been long accustomed to them, by a delightful landscape, a stupendous cataract, or a mountain, which loses its summit in the clouds. At the view of these, a stranger is fixed in exquisite delight; and has all his thoughts engrossed, and his emotions absorbed, by the wonderful scene. No language will in his view serve to describe, and no picture to image, on the one hand the beauty, or on the other the sublimity, of these illustrious objects. To do them justice in his representations, and to spread fairly before others the views, formed of them by his own mind, he will labour in thought, select and refuse, alternately, the language which offers itself, and will at last sit down, discouraged, without a hope of being able to render his conceptions visible to other eyes, or to do any thing like justice to what was so magnificent in the view of his own. Those, in the mean time, who have long lived in the neighbourhood of the same objects, will, in many, though not indeed in all instances, survey them without emotion, and even without attention; apparently as insensible to the beauty and grandeur, as the horses which they ride, or the oxen which they drive.

Such seem, but too commonly, to be the views, formed by most men concerning the incarnation of Christ; and such the insensibility, with which it is but too generally regarded. Even Christians, like their predecessors, mentioned in the Gospel, are, in innumerable instances, fools in this respect, and slow of heart to believe, or even to realize.

But let us, for a moment at least, lay aside these obtuse views, these eyes which are dull of seeing, these hearts too gross to under stand. Let us shake off the torpor which bénumbs our frame, and rouse ourselves to perception and feeling. Let us regard this wonderful subject with common justice, and common candour.

The glorious Person, who in the Scriptures is designated by the appellation, 'o Aoyos y ex, or the Word of God, In the beginning created the heavens and the earth; and said, Let there be light, and there was light; Let there be a firmament, and there was a firma

ment. His hand also lighted up the flame of the sun, and kindled the stars. He upholds the Universe by the word of his power; and preserves order and regularity throughout all the parts of this amazing system.

In the Heavens he shines with inexpressible splendour. On the earth he lives, and works, provides and sustains, and satisfies the wants of every living thing. Throughout immensity, He quickens into life, action, and enjoyment, the innumerable multitudes of Intelligent beings. The universe, which he made, he also governs. The worlds, of which it is composed, he rolls through the infinite expanse with an Almighty and unwearied hand; and preserves them in their respective places and motions with unerring harmony. From the vast storehouse of his bounty he feeds and clothes the endless millions whom his hand has made; and from the riches of his own unchangeable Mind informs the innumerable host of Intelligent creatures with ever-improving virtue, dignity, and glory. To all these he allots the respective parts, which they are qualified to act in the boundless system of good, which his wisdom contrived, and his power has begun to execute; furnishes them with the means of being useful in his eternal kingdom; and thus prepares them to be amiable and excellent in his sight, and instruments of perpetually increasing good to each other.

At the head of this great kingdom he sits upon a throne high and lifted up, far exalted above all heavens; surveys with an intuitive view, and with divine complacency, the amazing work which his voice has called into being; and beholds it increasing without intermission in happiness, wisdom, and virtue, and advancing, with a regular progress, towards consummate glory and perfection.

Although he is not worshipped as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth unto all life, and breath, and all things; Yet before him Angels bow and veil their faces. The four Living ones rest not day nor night, crying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who wast, and who art, and who art to come. And the whole multitude of the heavenly host, the number of whom is ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, unite in the everlasting song, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, for ever and

ever.

From this stupendous height of greatness and enjoyment, this Divine Person, passing all the bounds between GoD and Man, between the Infinite Mind and lifeless matter, united himself to man who is but a worm; assumed to himself a human soul, and a human body; and in a manner, incomprehensible by us, and not improbably by all other creatures, became thenceforth God-Man, inseparably united in one most wonderful and mysterious Person.

Of this singular act the end was not less glorious, than the act itself was amazing. It was to save a race of rebellious creatures,

whom he needed not, from misery and ruin; of creatures, whom with a word he could have returned to their original nothing, and whose places with another word he could have filled with equal or greater numbers, at his pleasure; all obedient, faithful, and happy. I shall not, however, dwell on this subject at the present time. Occasions still more appropriate will hereafter bring it up to view. The single point on which I would now insist, is the infinite condescension of Christ. This glorious person humbled himself, to behold the things which are done under the sun.

How much more when he came from his high and holy place to dwell beneath that sun, and take up his residence on his foot-stool! All this, however, he was pleased to do. He emptied himself, took upon himself the form of a servant, and was born in the likeness of men.

What were the views which Angels formed of this new and astonishing event? Easily may we imagine, that all heaven was lost in wonder, and buried in silence, to behold this transition from infinite glory to supreme humiliation, from the throne of the universe to a tenement of clay. How instinctively ought we, uniting with Angels in the same views and the same emotions, to behold, wonder, and adore!

2dly. What a pattern of condescension is here set before us for our imitation! St. Paul makes this practical use of the doctrine under consideration: Let the same mind be in you, says he to the Philippians, which was also in Christ.

Condescension is here enforced on the race of man with an authority, and exampie, literally infinite. The Divine Wisdom dictated the condescension of Christ; and the Divine Goodness carried it into execution. In it we see the manner, in which the Infinite Mind is pleased to act; and which boundless Excellence approves, and loves. This, then, is a character and conduct, to which we are urged by the highest of all considerations, the approbation, and example of God. Would we, then, be like God; would we be perfect as He is perfect; would we obtain his approbation; would we inherit the blessings, which he confers on those who are approved by him; would we become really excellent and lovely; we shall give all diligence, that the same mind may be in us, which was also in Christ. We shall condescend to men of low degree; be meek and lowly of heart; be satisfied with humble stations, offices, and employments; and feel, that no human interest is beneath our notice, and no human business unfit for us to perform, when we are called to perform it, and when others by the performance can be relieved, disposed to virtue, or made happy.

But how different is the usual conduct, and the prevailing character of Man! All men sigh to be rich; and none are contented with humble circumstances. All men pant to be great; and none are satisfied with a lowly condition. The rich despise the poor