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< vant. When the Apoftle therefore fays, who, being in the • form of God, took upon him the form of a fervant, he plainly intimates to us, that he obfcured, or laid afide the glory belonging to the form of God, when he took the form of a fervant: the form of God therefore expreffes and contains all thofe glories, which Chrift willingly fuffered to be hid in his ftate of humility. The very fame thing is expreffed by the equality with God here mentioned; for it is faid, that he did not eagerly infift to be equal with God: now certainly that which he did not infift to keep, and that which he emptied himself of, is one and the fame thing. If therefore the glories which he laid afide were the form of God, and if the glories which he did not infift to keep. were this equality with God, you must neceffarily fay, that the form of God, and the equality with God, are one and the fame thing. What has hitherto been faid, does not fufficiently discover what the precife ⚫ notion belonging to each of thefe expreffions is; but it fhews evidently, I think, that the equality with God, whatever it means, did as properly and really belong to our bleffed Lord, before his coming into the world, as the form of God did; which, as far as I remember, all allow to be the proper character of Chrift in this place, however they limit and restrain it in their various expofitions.'

Towards the clofe of the fecond part of this Difcourfe, his Lordship tells us, that it requires fome attention to the Apostle's argument, to diftinguifh rightly between the form, the likeness, and the fashion, which are all in this place applied to Chrift Jefus. In the first verfe of the text, the Apoftle fays, who being in the form of God, did not eagerly retain his equality with God, but emptied himself: by this equality which Chrift did not retain, but emptied himfelf of, our Author thinks it is impoffible to understand any thing elfe, but the divine glories in which he appeared, and which, during the ftate of his humiliation, he laid afide: his nature he could not lay afide; he continued to be the Son of God, though he appeared not like the Son of God; and, therefore, the Apoftle adds, being man, he was found in fashion as a man, appearing in no greater majefty or glory than what truly belonged to him as man. The fashion of a man, in this part of the text, according to his Lordship, answers to the being equal with God, in the firft part; that equality which he laid afide, being nothing elfe but the Xua O, the fashion, or truly divine and majestic appearance of God. The form of God in the first part, anfwers both to the form of a fervant, and the likeness of men, in the fecond part; the form of a fervant being common to all the different orders of creatures, it did not of itself fufficiently express 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

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form of God belongs; and therefore, the Apostle 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,' fays the Bifhop, the argument for our blessed 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 Apostle, by faying • Chrift took the form of a fervant, and the likenefs 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 son of the family is fuperiour to the fervants, and fubject to the Father, as a Son, receiving from him whatever he has of power, glory, and majesty.'

In the third part of his Difcourfe, the Bifhop confiders what manner of Perfon St. Paul conceived Chrift to be, when he thus defcribes him he being found in fashion as a man. This will appear, we are told, by confidering what is meant by the fafbion of a man, and what could lead St. Paul to the choice of that expreffion; and likewife, by examining the inftances of humility given in the text, the becoming obedient to death, even the death of the cross; and fhewing, of what fort of perfon it can properly be faid, that he was humble in fubmitting to death.

The fashion of a man, the Bifhop fays, denotes thofe proper and diftinguishing characters which belong to a man as fuch, by which he is known to be what he is; that is, by which he is known to be a man, and not any other kind of being: for whoever appears with any mark or characters which fhew him not to be a man, or to be more than a man, cannot be said to appear in the fashion of a man.-By the fashion of a man we can only understand the true and real appearances of a man.

But why might not St. Paul as well have faid-and being man, he humbled himself, as, being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself? The Bishop's antwer is this.--- We must look back for this,' fays he, to the first rife of the Apostle's argument. The perfon here spoken of, Jefus Chrift, was in the form of God, but emptied himself: emptied himself of what? Not of his being or nature, but of the glories or majefty belonging to him; being in the form of God, he laid

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afide the glories proper to the form of God, and took upon ⚫ him the form of a fervant, in the likeness of men. Whatever

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he was as to nature and effence, when he was in the form of • God, that he continued to be ftill, when he became man: but the xua, the glories of the form of God, he laid laid down; and though he continued to be the fame, yet, as to the xua, as to outward dignity and appearance, he was mere man, being found, as the Apoftle fays, in fashion as a man. Had the Apoftle conceived him, whilft here on earth, ⚫ to have been mere man only, in what tolerable sense could he fay of him, being found in fashion as a man? for in what fafhion fhould a man be found, but in the fashion of a man? • What need was there for this limitation, that he was found a man as to his fashion, unless in reality he was fomething more than man? But if you confider the man Chrift Jefus to be the fame person who was in the form of God, and who, according to that dignity of nature, had a right to appear in the majesty and glory of God, it is proper to afk, how did he ap⚫pear on earth? And the Apostle's words are a proper answer to the question, He was found in fashion as a man.'

His Lordship now proceeds to examine the inftances of humility given in the text, and confiders to what fort of person they can be applied as fuch: he became obedient unto death, even the death of the crafs.---Our Saviour, he fays, being, even whilst on earth, and cloathed with human flesh and blood, the very Lord of life, and upholding all things by the word of his power, was fuperiour to the neceffity of human nature, and fuctject to death only because he chofe to die. To die, therefore, was great humility; to die upon the crofs ftill greater; fubmitting to the malice of those wretches, who, whilst they were deftroying him, lived only by his power, who was the Prince of life. It was humility therefore to become man: after he was man, it was humility to die; fince the powers of life were in his own hand, and he could both lay down his life and take it up.

In the laft part of this Difcourfe the Bishop endeavours to fhew, that the power and authority exercifed by Chrift, in and over the church of God, are derived from his exaltation; that the honour and worship paid to him, in and by the church of God, are founded likewife in his exaltation; and that the power and authority exercised by Chrift, and the honour and worshid paid to him, are, and ought to be, ultimately referred to the glory of God the Father.

We shall conclude our account of this firft Difcourfe with obferving, that his Lordship, through the whole of it, appears rather in the light of an artful and acute Lawyer, than in that of a fober and rational Divine.

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The fecond Difcourfe contains fome general and obvious refections upon the death of Chrift. In the third, the Bishop takes occafion from these words in Timothy---This is a faithful faying, &c. to fhew, firft, what reafon we have to believe that men were finners, and flood in need of pardon and falvation; and fecondly, by what means Chrift perfected their redemption and falvation.

In the fourth Difcourfe, our Author fhews, that the refurrec tion of Chrift was defigned to be an evidence and assurance to the world, of God's intention to judge it in righteousness; and he confiders how much we are beholden to the gospel, for this new evidence of a life to come, and what there is in this article, and the doctrines grounded upon it, that any fober Deift, or professor of natural religion, can justly blame.

Mankind being, in a great measure, robbed of the present comfort and pleasure of Religion, either by infidelity or fuperftition, his Lordship enquires, in his fifth Difcourfe, into the eaufes that lead to this unhappiness, to fee what it is that has corrupted this living fpring, this fountain of delight, and turn ed its waters into gall and bitterness.

The fixth Difcourfe is an excellent one; it contains many fenfible and striking reflections upon-Luke x. 29. But he, willing to justify himself, faid unto Jefus, and who is my neighbour? In the feventh, his Lordfhip difcourfes from thefe words of the Apoftle,-Let not your good be evil spoken of; and enquires, firft, what the Apostle means by our good; and, fe condly, endeavours to fhew, that our good is often expofed to be evil spoken of, through our own indifcretion; and, confequently, that it is often in our own power to prevent it.

In the eighth, the Bishop draws from these words-Let me die the death of the righteous, &c. many ufeful obfervations for the conduct of life. Practical fubjects, indeed, his Lordship excels in; he gives a fprightly and ingenious turn to the most common and obvious fentiments; always expreffes his thoughts with great ease and perfpicuity, and often with great elegance.

In the ninth Difcourfe, he confiders the nature of that peace which thofe have who love the law of God; fhews who they are that may be faid to love it; and illuftrates and confirms the truth of this propofition, great peace have they which love thy law. The tenth fhews the great danger of keeping bad company, and the great advantage of being companions of those who fear the Lord and keep his precepts.

Our Author, in his eleventh Difcourfe, enquires, firft, whether we can have fuch fufficient evidence for the existence of

things not feen, as may make them capable of being brought into competition with the things which are feen; and fecondly, whether the value of the things that are not feen be fo great, that we ought in prudence to forego the enjoyment of the things which are prefent with us.

The fubject of the twelfth, is Church Authority; a very copious, and a very delicate fubject. The Bishop makes fome general, but modeft and candid, observations upon it. He tells us, that no Church has, nor have all Churches together, any authority to make articles of faith; that Chrift Jefus was the author and the finisher of the Faith, to which nothing can be added, and from which nothing can be taken. This is worthy a Proteftant Bishop; but how far it is confiftent with our twentieth Article, which affirms, that the Church has authority in matters of Faith, we leave others to determine.

In the thirteenth Difcourfe, his Lordship confiders why the Apostles fo frequently, and fo earnestly prefs their new Converts to fhew a more than ordinary obedience to their Mafters and Governors. His principal view in entering upon this enquiry, he tells us, was, to fhew that the Scriptures ftand clear of all difputes about the rights of Princes and Subjects; fo that such difputes must be left to be decided by principles of natural equity, and the conftitutions of the country.

In the laft Difcourfe of the volume now before us, the Bishop takes occafion, from Gen. xviii. 19. For I know him, that he will command his children, &c. to enquire, wherein the care of religion, as well public as private, doth confift; and to justify the means which are neceffary to the fupport of it.

R

The Memoirs of a Proteflant, condemned to the Galleys of France, for his Religion. Written by himself. Comprehending an Account of the various Diftreffes he suffered in Slavery; and his Conftancy in fupporting almost every Cruelty that bigotted Zeal could inflict or human Nature fuftain; alfo a Defcription of the Galleys, and the Service in which they are employed. The whole interfperfed with Anecdotes relative to the general Hiftory of the Times, for a Period of thirteen Years; during which the Author continued in Slavery, till he was at last fet free at the Intercef fion of the Court of Great Britain. Tranflated from the Original, just published at the Hague, by James Willington. 2 vols. 12mo. 6s. Dilly.

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