WORD left his Glory, and became united to the Man Chrift; and the Man Chrift was afterwards greatly rewarded for this Condefcenfion and Humility of the WORD. This is our Pattern and Encouragement, upon your Principles. And what Influence can this have upon a mere Man? Will not the Man reply, that it does not at all affect him, because of the prodigious Diversity of Circumftances? He would be very thankful, if the WORD, or any other vaftly fuperior Being, would degrade it felf, and thereby merit for him, an unfpeakable Reward,and fuffer him to enjoy it alone, without partaking of that which was purchas'd by its own Defert. But how does it enforce the Practice of any mere Man's Humility and Condefcenfion? Or how does it fhew, that a mere Man fhall ever be the better for his own Humility and Condefcenfion? I confefs,the Man Chrift Jefus did fometimes fubmit to fervileOffices; and this Part may be drawn into Example by us; but what the Apoftle chiefly propofes, is the WORD's devefting himself of vaft Glory, before the Man Chrift Jefus had a Being; and the Man Chrift Jesus's receiving a vaft Recompenfe for the unspeakable Kindness of the WORD. He lays the Strefs upon this; which is in reality forein to the Purpose. For tho' it may work upon fuch as are generous enough to transfer their Merit to others; yet it can't affect thofe, who would fain merit for themselves, and enjoy the Fruit of their own good Deeds.

And can we fuppofe, that St. Paul would write thus? Would he argue befides the Queftion? Was this the manner of that infpired Difputant? If it fhould be replied, that after the Union of the two Natures there was Communicatio Idiomatum, and that the Bleffed Jefus, being thus confider'd as God

Man,

Man, did practise the whole of this Humility and Condefcenfion, and was accordingly rewarded for the fame; I fay if this be reply'd, I freely grant, that by Virtue of this Union there was a Communicatio Idiomatum, and that in Confequence thereof, the Bleffed Jefus might properly be rewarded in his Human Nature for what the Divine Nature effected. But what is this to the prefent Purpose? Still 'tis the Practice of a distinct Nature, which chofe to debase it self before the Union of the two Natures commenced. And 'tis the Condefcenfion and Humility of the WORD alone, in which the Man has no Share. And therefore it can't fairly be urged as an Argument to a mere Man, who has not any other Nature (who has not either the WORD, or any other excellent Being) united to him, that would bestow the fame unfpeakable Favor upon him, as the WORD beftow'd upon the Man Chrift Jefus. In fhort, according to this Interpretation, 'tis an Example drawn from a wrong Topic. 'Tis manifeftly an Example of the Bounty of the WORD to the Man Christ Jefus, with whom the WORD vouchfaf'd to be perfonally united: and not an Example of what the Man Chrift Jefus gain'd by his own Practice as a Man. And yet nothing is more certain, than that the Reward of the Man Chrift Jefus (for the Man only was capable of, and did enjoy, the Reward). is propos'd in this Place as an Encouragement to our felves; because we our felves, as the Man Chrift Jefus did, fhall reap great Advantages by our Humility and Condefcenfion. You fee there; fore what wretched Sophiftry we make the Apoftle; ufe, if we fuppofe, that he affirms the WORD to be in μoppy da and Tous, and afterwards to have empty'd or debas'd himself by the Incarnation.

G

Thirdly,

Thirdly, We are agreed, that our Lord was the Angel that deliver'd the Law, and that upon this account he was gone, and confequently fou de. This you (q) fully acknowledge, and I heartily affent to it. Well then, the fame Nature of Chrift, which was God's Angel, was that very Nature which was gone, and confequently Tou Je. Now 'tis evident, that Chrift could not be God's Angel with refpect to his divine Nature. For the Apoftle fays, Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, left at any time we should let them flip. For if the word Spoken by Angels was ftedfaft, and every tranfgreffion and difobedience received a just recompense of reward; bow Shall we escape, if we neglect fo great falvation, which at the firft began to be Spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him? Heb. 2. 1, 2, 3. You fee, the Apostle argues upon this Principle, viz. that the Perfon who deliver'd the Gofpel, was of greater Dignity, than the Angel who deliver'd the Law. Now if he that deliver'd the Law, was the WORD or Divine Nature of Chrift, this Principle is notoriously falfe. Because,tho' the Human Nature of Chrift is now vaftly exalted above all created Beings whatsoever, and is confequently fuperior in Dignity to them all; yet 'tis not even now fuperior to what you own the WORD always was: and as for the WORD or Divine Nature, it never was exalted, as I have largely proved; but was every whit as great in Dignity at the Delivery of the Law, as it was at the Delivery of the Gofpel. Wherefore the WORD, or Divine Nature of Chrift, was not the Angel which deliver'd the Law.

Upon these several Accounts 'tis plain, that the WORD, or Divine Nature of our Lord Jefus

(4) Script. Dot. &c. p. 15, 102, 114.

Chrift

Chrift, was not rugge and loa de before the Incarnation, even upon your own Principles, who suppose that his Divine Nature is inferior to the very God. And therefore, fince the Apoftle does exprefly affirm, that Jefus Chrift was ver and i de before his Incarnation; 'tis evident even to Demonstration, that he was use and i

with respect to his human Nature. And confequently his human Soul (for his Body was not as yet in Being) preexifted before the Incarnation.

And indeed, the Admiffion of this (which I now take the liberty of calling an evident) Truth, makes the Apostle argue like himself in this controverted Place; and alfo throughly clears, what we read in the fecond Chapter of the Epiftle to the Hebrews. For,

1. The Apostle infers Humility and Condefcenfion from the Example of the Bleffed Jefus; and he fets before them, that Chrift, viz. his preexifting human Soul, perfonated the very God; and urgės his voluntary Debasement of himself by Incarnation, when that State of Glory was freely exchanged for a mean Condition upon Earth, in which he fometimes discharged fervile Offices, and at laft fuffered Death upon the Crofs. So that the Apoftle exprefly mentions the utmoft Pitch of Glory which Chrift's human Soul left, and the lowest Pitch of Humiliation which it fubmitted to. And confequently the Example could not be prefs'd more home to the Confciences of his Difciples, nor could any more prevalent Pattern be offer'd to them.

2. This makes the Apoftle's Argument truly conclufive, and exactly pertinent. For 'tis drawn from what Chrift's human Nature did, and 'tis fupported by what his human Nature receiv'd as the Reward

of it. So that every Man was thereby encourag'd and provok❜d to imitate fo bright a Pattern; fince he was fure to receive the Recompence of his own Action, and muft not otherwise expect it. 'Tis as if the Apostle had faid thus, Do you imitate the Example of the Man Chrift Jefus, whofe Soul, tho' it preexifted before his Appearance in the Flesh, and had the honor of perfonating God; yet when he confider'd the fad Condition of poor Mortals, and the Neceffity of an unfpotted Sacrifice in order to their Redemption; of his own Choice he devefted himself of that great Glory, and became in all things like unto us, being cloath'd with Flesh and Bloud; and even when he was upon Earth, he did not affect State and Pomp, but fubmitted, when Occafion offer'd, even to fervile Employments, and at laft was content to be murder'd upon the Cross for us. Wherefore God has highly exalted this incarnat human Soul, viz. the Man Chrift Jefus, &c. Do ye therefore act, as much as your Circumftances will permit, in like manner; do ye voluntarily fubmit your felves for the fake of others; and God will accordingly beftow a bleffed Recompenfe upon you.

3. The Author to the Hebrews might, upon these Principles juftly argue, that the Gofpel was deliver'd by a greater Perfon than he that deliver'd the Law. For the bare human Soul of Chrift, tho' it had indeed the Honor of perfonating God, deliver'd the Law but when that fame Soul voluntarily became incarnat, 'twas united to the WORD it felf, the Creator of the Univerfe; and even the Man Chrift Jefus became God's own Son, and was appointed Heir of all things, and the fupreme Governor of all created Beings, even of the higheft Angels,