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 i ' OJui^ Ctcidre^ affJilu) 5^/^?^/^ - Coi-JencO 
 
 II . ^T'Ci^nx/txii k/e^7'-7-n-c-H' C^OT^a/t^i^ o^u/hO 
 cL^xl d/L iLr^ ^^^^/^^^^ 
 
THE 
 INGRATITUDE OF INFIDELITY: 
 
 PROVEABLE FROM THE 
 
 HUAIILIATION and EXALTATION 
 
 O F 
 
 JESUS CHRIST, 
 
 BEING 
 
 The moft beneficial Appointments to Mankind, that arc 
 within the known Plan of God's moral Government. 
 
 ADDRE S S ED TO 
 
 M O D E R N-D EISTS, JEWS, PAPISTS, 
 
 AND 
 
 OTHER UNBELIEVERS. 
 
 By CALEB FLEMING, D. D. 
 
 Paftor of a Proteftant Diflcnting Church, who meet at 
 Pinner" s Hall. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 Printed for J. Johnson, No. 72, St. Paul's Chunk-yard. 
 MDCCLXXV. 
 
 ^ 
 
A N 
 INTRODUCTORY ADDRESS 
 
 TO THE 
 
 PUBLIC. 
 
 SH O U L D it be alked, what the Author 
 could propofe, by publifhing two dif- 
 courfes upon fuch trite^ common fub- 
 je6ls, as thofe of the humiliation and exal- 
 tation of Jefus Chrift ? his anfwer would be, 
 that the interpretation therein given of 
 them, has afforded him the mofl folid fatis- 
 fa6lion, after about forty years more ftated 
 inquiry. Hence he has indulged an imagina- 
 tion, that the pleafmg, and delightful view 
 he has been able to take of the Gofpel In- 
 ftitution, in thefe mofl beneficial appoint- 
 ments, may poflibly lay hold on fome un- 
 believer : as well as throw light upon the 
 fubje<5t, in the opinion of fome believers. 
 Among thofe of the latter who affe6l to mo- 
 nopolize the name of Orthodox, he prefumes 
 not upon having many readers. Yet, he 
 hopes for attention from the more liberal 
 and ingenuous inquirers after truth ; and for 
 
 A 2 thefe 
 
IV Introdu^ory Addrep^ 
 
 thefe reafons, viz. the doftrinal views he 
 has taken are not fyftematical; and, he 
 trufts, they are neither fanciful, nor irra- 
 tional and groundlefs. 
 
 O' 
 
 He could moft earneflly vvifh that ^both 
 ihtfcepticy and the more confirmed modern- 
 deift would give them a careful reading ; for 
 had he thought infidelity an harmlefs thing,* 
 he would not thus have employed the prefs. 
 And he can afTure the infidel, that whatever 
 weaknefs he may either find or fancy in the 
 argument, it is the prodU(5tion of benevo- 
 lence. 
 
 Perhaps the Papist may take offence at 
 being clafTed with unbelievers ; yet, if he 
 could without prejudice calmly confider, he 
 would afTuredly know, that his faith is not 
 the refult of a free inquiry i or, of a judg- 
 ment formed upon the written New Tefta- 
 ment canon : but it is a merely implicite ere- 
 didity in his Prieft, and in what his Priefl 
 calls the church. He ought not, after this, 
 to think himfelf at all infulted, or ill-ufed 
 by being put into the company of unbe- 
 lievers. Nay, inafmuch as he openly rejc(^s 
 
 * ///, the fon-in-law of Mahomet, could fay, " In- 
 *' adeliry is the caufe of the removal of God's blciTing." 
 Oukltfs Hiftory of the Saracens, V. ii. p. 338. The Son 
 of God has faid, ** he that bclieveth not, Ihall becon- 
 " demned." Mark xvi. 16. 
 
 the 
 
IntrodiiBory Addrefs, v 
 
 the very firft or f andameiital principles of the 
 chriftian-rehgion, viz. the acknowledgment 
 of but one God the Father; and of but one 
 mediator between God and man, the man 
 Chi-ift Jefus ; he thereby cuts himfelf oft 
 from all claim to the character of Chriftian. 
 In fa6t, a papiji, as fuch, has no religion ; 
 fince he has neither eyes nor ears of his own; 
 for he facrificeth his reafon and underflanding: 
 at the altar of myfie^-y-y and bhndly fubjugates 
 confcience to prieilly dominion. We may 
 moreover, affirm, that no man ever did or 
 ever could become in principle a Fapiji, who 
 underftood the genuine defign of Chrift's 
 humiliation and exaltation.* — Where igno- 
 rance is the mother of devotion, there the ho- 
 mage is only a fit offering to blind, deaf, 
 and dumb idols. 
 
 Did the Jew but once make himfelf ac- 
 quainted with the New Teftament dodlrine 
 of thefe divine appointments, he would foon 
 quit his infidelity ; and gladly put himfelf 
 under the guidance and government of that 
 fame Jefus of Nazareth, who was born a 
 Jew ; and whom his own nation crucified ; 
 but whom God raifed from the dead and ex- 
 alted to fovereignty ; and who is the moft 
 amiable and friendly character in the known 
 
 * N. B. Upon a fuppof.tion that the late Pope was 
 poifoned by the Jefuits, what rauft be tlijught of that 
 lup^rrtition ? 
 
 kins:- 
 
vi IntroduBory Addrefs. 
 
 kingdom of God. — At the fame time, we 
 are conftrained to own, that the do6lrine of 
 thefe great fa6ls has been, and yet is thickly- 
 covered with fanciful opinion and extrava- 
 gant meaning, ^o as to cherifli and confirm 
 the prejudices both of Jew and Pagan. 
 Thefe extravagancies, did certainly give rife 
 to the Mahometan Impojiure. Neverthelefs, 
 wherever the do6lrine is feen and underftood 
 in its rational, truly great and divine mean- 
 ing, there its beneficial teachings do power- 
 fully excite the higheft admiration, thankf- 
 giving, and praife. 
 
 Such we know is the vafl importance of 
 our Lord's humiliation and exaltation, as 
 that they have principally engaged the atten- 
 tion of Apoftles whilft writing their epiftlesj 
 for thefe fa6ls are what give the genius, fpi- 
 rit, and peculiar complexion of thofe facred 
 writings. 
 
 As to whatever difagreement may be found 
 in the Author's conceptions, with thofe of any 
 of his fellow -chriflians, he makes no apolo- 
 gy i for he owns no human Standard either 
 of his faith, hope, or worfhip. Confcious 
 he is of holding no opinion or principle 
 injuiious to any part of the human family. 
 But penetrated with an idea of the alarming 
 fupei ftru<5ture of fuperftition, idolatry and 
 abfurdity, built and building upon the hu- 
 ,1 miliation 
 
IntroduBory Addrefs, vii 
 
 miliation and exaltation of Jefus Chrift j 
 i. e. being afFe6led painfully with " the 
 " gold, filver, precious ftones, wood, hay, 
 ** and ftubble j that work of man which 
 ** fhall be burnt up, when the fire fhall try 
 ** every man's work of what fort it is !" he 
 has made this remonftrance. 
 
 Perfuaded he is alfo, that if there be any 
 true religion in the world attended with full 
 evidence, it muft be that of the chriftian. 
 Not indeed as it appears in any civil church 
 eflablifhment ;* nor, in any fe6l or party of 
 profefTors, under the name of Luther, Calvin, 
 Arminius, Socinus, Pelagiui\ or others ; but as 
 found in the Nev/ Teftament written Code. 
 Neither is it with him probable, that any one 
 profefling Chriftian fhould be able to form a 
 juft idea of that religion, who does not derive 
 his knowledge from an unprejudiced, care- 
 ful, and honeft examination of that facred 
 canon. The Berean inquiring fpirit is the 
 moft noble : and the idle uninquiring one is 
 the moft debafmg. In all fecular purfuits 
 and claims, men demand much better fe- 
 curity — an implicite faith will not fatisfy 
 them in little things j though it does in 
 great things. 
 
 * " Religion may be evaporated with little or no da- 
 *' mage to the eftabjifhment." See the Confessional, 
 ■3d Edit, p, viii, 
 
 Finally, 
 
viii IntroduBory Addrefs. 
 
 Finally y the Author pretends not to have 
 done more, in thefe difcourfes, than to have 
 flated the do6lrinal teachings of our Lord's 
 humilmtion and exaltation in a light, which to 
 him appears to be mod rational and benefi- 
 cially inriru6tive ; manifefting a deftgn full 
 of divinely wife and fatherly goodnefs ! a 
 defign, which has the moft falutary afpeft 
 on a world of creatures made rational, in- 
 telligent, and accountable -, probationers 
 for a world of recompeiice. Appointments 
 they therefore arc, altogether worthy of 
 that infinite fpirit, who is fupremely ado- 
 rable in the whole of the Gofpel-difcoveries 
 made both of his truth and grace; and 
 which muft confequently fix the charge of 
 ingratitude upon the unbeliever, who may 
 confult the evidence. 
 
 Whatever imperfe61:ions may be found in 
 the method, ftyle, language, or fentiment ; 
 thefe difcourfes fpeak the genuine concep- 
 tions of a man who mufl, according to the 
 courfe of nature, foon have a perfonal in- 
 terview with that fame divine perfonage, 
 whom the one God the Father has confti- 
 tuted the one Lord both over the dead and 
 over the living.—. 
 
 Hoxton- Square, 
 Jan. 20. 1775. 
 
 C. F. 
 
. . .^.. lUJH , . i iw 
 
 O N T H E 
 
 HUMILIATION 
 
 O F 
 
 JESUS CHRIST. 
 
 ST; John, who perfe6lly well underftood the 
 nature and evidence of the Chriftian In- 
 ftitution, fays, " Hereby perceive we the love 
 *' of God, becaufe he laid down his life for us 5 
 "' and we ought to lay down our lives for the 
 " brethren." See his firfl: epiftlej third chapter 
 and fixteenth verfe,— 
 
 There is not any thing which more diflin- 
 guifheth the Gofpel-religion from all others, than 
 the divine benevolence which it breathes towards 
 mankind ; and the apt tendency which its doc- 
 rines have, to infpire all fincere profeflbrs with 
 that fame divine fpifit. It has all the charafteriftic 
 lines and features of an heavenly complexion ; 
 for this reafon it claims a fuperlative excellence j 
 and has this peculiar glory, that it is the laji, and 
 therefore muft be the moft perfedl revelation 
 which fhall ever be made of the truth and grace 
 of God, in this probationary ftate of man. No 
 other difcoveries can he expert to be made of the 
 divine mind, until the future openings of the hea- 
 
 B venly 
 
2 On the iJumiliation of Jefus Chriji. 
 
 vnenly Icenes. Which openings, will rather be a 
 revelation of the fi?ml confeqiiences of virtue and 
 piety, and of their contraries, by the judicial de- 
 termination of the man Chrifl Jefus, whom God 
 has appointed to judge the world in righteouf- 
 nefs. Of the certainty of which, he has given 
 ground of credit to all men, in that he has raifed 
 him from the dead. 
 
 It is an humiliating view which we take of the 
 depravity of the profelTing Christian world, "jiz. 
 that the great defign of the death of Chrift, feems 
 to be but very little underftood. The which un- 
 grateful truth, affords a powerful reafon why 
 it fhould be yet farther confidered, and held up 
 to the public eye, in Come more rational point of 
 view. Attend we then to this apoftolical declara- 
 tion. And let us, 
 
 I. Enquire how it is we may perceive that 
 the love of God is made manifeft, becaufe, or by 
 reafon of Jefus Chrift laying down his life for 
 us. And 
 
 II. What is the extenfive fpirit of benevolence, 
 which it lays every Chriftian under to the bre- 
 thren. 
 
 Here it fhould be obferved, that the word 
 God, is fcarce found in any of the Greek co- 
 pies, and is not in the Syriac, as critics have re- 
 marked. But it runs thus, hereby perceive ive the 
 LOVE ; becaufe, &c. The love is then emphati- 
 cal. Now a careful reader of this Epiftle will 
 find, that the love of God is the burden of its 
 addrefs. And it is the manner of love which 
 
 the 
 
On the Humiliation of Jeftis Chriji^ g 
 
 the Father hath bellowed upon us, in calling us 
 his fons, which gives the fpirit of the foregoing 
 context. Perfonal moral righteoufnefs, is what 
 conftitutes the filiation. And for the purpofe of 
 promoting this, " the Son of God was mani- 
 " felled, that he might deflroy the works of the 
 *' devil." Confequently, the love here mentioned 
 in my text, muft reipeft the divine meafures of 
 promoting man's righteoufnefs, and difcountenanc- 
 ing his un righteoufnefs. 
 
 Certain it is, that the love here mentioned, 
 has not to do with things of a fecular and civil 
 nature •, but it is a love which St. John is illuf- 
 trating, as it has for its obje6l, the fuperlative 
 good of man. No one can acquaint himielf well 
 with the New Teftament canon, but mufl be 
 perfuaded, that its falutary grace^ favour, or love, 
 neither is, nor can be exprefled by the fenli- 
 tive, the material, perifhing good j forafmuch as 
 its profeffed defign is, to take off the eye of 
 the chriflian from the things that are vifible and 
 earthly •, and to fix his fir'll defire upon things 
 invifible and heavenly. It would perfuade to a 
 mortifiednefs to the world, and to all its trea- 
 fures; in othf^r words, it would implant a fettled 
 averfion in him to its luftingSj evil-maxims and 
 manners. 
 
 Indeed the love which God has for us, is a 
 fatherly concern for our becoming regular, vir- 
 tuous, and amiable in the whole of our .mo- 
 rals ; as what will render us peaceful, comfort- 
 able, and happy in every mode and fituation of 
 our exillence. 
 
 B z We 
 
On the Humiliation of Jefus Chriji. 
 * we do. ,omy .iftaUe in ^^^^^ 
 
 ^e form of divme ^^^^;^^^^^ "«hlch «>U thu» 
 the moft adorable benevolenc ^^.^^^^ ^^^_ 
 
 be manifeft ^^':;£« and IL-/ ,,ho gave us 
 ception of his '^fl'"Jr%. j^e could not be 
 being; «e muft ^e per« ^^ ,„ attam- 
 unconcerned about oj .^^";'^^„,„i love did pro- 
 ing to thofe ends, ^j^^'l " gut thofe ends, 
 pole by givmg "^, .f ,^^;"^^,, frioral reaitudei 
 ^„„ld be ■l«'?,'"|,f„^d permanent felicity. We 
 the bafis of all reai ^"° >" erceiving or expe- 
 have no other way of either P"^, ■ , ° j^es the 
 
 addrefs.— 
 
 St. y.^» placeth before us, a fpeck^ 
 
 <3ifputable inftance ^.^ */ '°d'ji,oy the works 
 ^hom God had mamfefted to dett y ^,^ 
 
 of the devil, has Imd dcwn h,s Uje J ^^^^^ 
 
 may then be «,t^oluteW certa n tha^t^*^^^ ^„,„ 
 
 laid down his ife, ^^W notek word (*"'») '«"- 
 not, forafmuch as ^^ Greek w" , ^ _ 
 
 dered life, f'S^'^^f \f " ans apP hcable to "cod : 
 and therefore IS by no mean apP .^^^^ _^ 
 
 it is too low, grofs, and "«"",' be part- 
 f:,ppofesfomethingor|amzed,whihmay. P.^^_ 
 
 r ■t%i;;Tb'aferL^r^^onourable appreh^^^^ 
 ^lof tTeV caufe and -ator o aU^.^f .e 
 
 „o liablenefs w/^f'^'lP^Se eternal fpirit: 
 cable to an "'^7' ""S^ abatement of his 
 *^-^"PP° rnZences Ind in prefiions would ficken 
 enUvemnsinauencesana ^ j^ j „eation-, the 
 all nature, and enfeeble tne wn . jj^^^ght 
 
On the Humiliation of Jefiis Chrifi. 5- 
 
 thought of any poffible change in him would be 
 horrible ! and inlupportably Ihocking ! 
 
 Thefe are not to be reckoned idle, imper- 
 tinent, or needlefs remarks, when we have iuch 
 numbers around us fo depraved, by their wild 
 conceptions and aftonifhing credulity, as to a- 
 fcribe thofe abfolute incommunicable perfe(^ions 
 to a man who laid down his life; which afcrip- 
 tions, would conclude him unoriginated and in- 
 dependent ; for how common is it for men to 
 fpeak of Jefus Chrilt, as God equal with the Father 
 in power and glory ^ as well as alfo of the fame fub~ 
 fiance ? The daring impiety flares in ones face, as 
 we walk the ftreets of this great city '. the Popifli 
 hand-writing upon the walls, is, Jesus Christ is 
 THE ETERNAL GoD, Jehovah ! whcrcas his lay- 
 ing dov^n his life, determines him to be truly 
 and properly man. And that he would do this, 
 he himfelf beforehand declared to his difciples 
 more than once.* We cannot therefore miftake in 
 applying the perfon whom St. John fpeaks of in 
 the text, to the man Chrift Jefus ; that good fhep- 
 herd, who did not only lay down his life for 
 the fheep, but who received a commandtnent from 
 the Father, which rendered it fo highly fit and 
 proper he fhould fo do : For, in truth, he had 
 not made any forfeiture of life : neither did he lie 
 expofed to the common fentence of mortality. 
 If therefore his life was taken away, it muft 
 be by his own confent, and in an obedient con- 
 formity to the plan of his divine mifTion ; of 
 which he had been previoufly informed by the 
 Father. 
 
 • Job. X. 15, 17, 18. And Chap. xv. 13, 
 
 B 3 The 
 
6 Oh the Humiliation of Jefus Chriji. 
 
 The great end for which he laid down" his life, 
 was, to demonllrate the love of God to mankind, 
 in that he laid it down for us. And hence it 
 is that he fays, " therefore does my Father 
 " love me, becaufe I lay down my life for the 
 iheep." 
 
 The great inquiry will now be, in what re- 
 fpefts he did truly die for us ; i. e. for our 
 benefit ?— ■ 
 
 But here we fhould premife a few things—- 
 Jefus Chrift, did not give his murderers the leaft 
 ground of accufation, either of impiety, or crime : 
 there was not fo much as any guile found in his 
 lips ; and he even held up beforehand to their 
 eye, the aggravated crime they would commit, 
 the enormous guilt they would contrail, by their 
 ungrateful and cruel treatment of him. Nay, he 
 even led them to pafs that fentence of condemna- 
 tion upon theiiifelves.* 
 
 Neither did he die in our room and Head : 
 this was impoflible ; becaufe he was no finner : 
 nor could he fuftain either the guilt or the punilh- 
 ment of fin. So that in the eye of truth and 
 of God, he could neither have our iniquities im- 
 puted to him, nor fuftain the demerit of them ; 
 For, " though he died the juft by the hands of 
 " the unjuft i" yet, he could not die in their 
 room and ftead : but it was by wicked hands he 
 was crucified and (lain. The very Roman Go- 
 vernour who pafied the fentence of death upon 
 him, declared his innocence before all the peo- 
 
 * Matt. xxi. 33 to 40. 
 
 pie 5 
 
On the Humiliation of Jefus Chriji. .7 
 
 pie; and he never once owned, that he could 
 be chargeable with, or accountable for otherji 
 crimes. — 
 
 yigain, his laying down his life for us, does not 
 imply in it an atoning,, placating facrifice ; cal- 
 culated to appeafe and reconcile the holy God ; 
 or to make him more propitious to a world of 
 finful creatures : But it was to demonflrate, that 
 Deity, is, in his own nature, and in all his mea- 
 fures with mankind, propitious. Hence it was, 
 he appointed that Jelus Chriil fliould lay down 
 his life, in order to reconcile finners to himfelf ; ' 
 or, that he fliould thus die, *' the juft by the 
 " hands of the unjuft, that he might bring us to 
 " God" His death was truly a propitiatory, 
 which more than anfwered to the mercy-feat, with 
 which the Jews had been favoured : forafmuch as 
 a demonftration is thereby given, that a righteous 
 God does not impute fin to the penitent ; fince 
 repentance and remijfwn of fins was the exprefs di- 
 vine meifage to his murderers — Apoftles were to 
 begin to proclaim this general pardon firfi at Je- 
 rufalem. Not any conceiveable event could have 
 given fuch demonftration of the merciful nature 
 of God ; thus pure, unmerited, unpurchafed di- 
 vine love to a finful world, is rendered illuftrious, 
 in the appointment of Chrift's death. A method 
 of making the manifeftation, quite out of the 
 reach of any created, derived goodnefs either ta 
 have defigned, or contrived -, and which idea, 1 
 apprehend St. Paul had, when he calls the dodrine 
 of the crofs, (in the eye of men) i\iQ foolipnefs 
 of God, and the weaknefs of God. — And yet, 
 how very wonderful is the apparatus of prophecy 
 .running through all the ages of the world, for fo 
 
 B 4 many 
 
S On the Humiliation of Jefus Chriji. 
 
 many thoufand years ! and abundantly confirmed 
 
 by miracle. — 
 
 But here obferve, we are not to flop fhort in 
 the event of Chrift's death j for he himfelf has 
 faid, " therefore does my Father love me, becaufc 
 ^ I lay down my life, that I might take it up 
 •' again." We are, accordingly, to carry our 
 views onward to his afcenfion to the right hand 
 of power ; and to thofe high offices which he 
 fuftains as the one Lord. "We thus take a view 
 of the joy that had been fet before him : the recom- 
 mence of reward which was to be bellowed on him 
 by the Father ; " who, in order to the bringing 
 " of many fons to glory, thus m.ade the captain 
 of their falvation perfefi through fufferings." So 
 far therefore is the death of Chrift from being 
 the meafure of reconciling God to men^ that the 
 moft exprefs do6lrine of the crofs, is, to recon- 
 cile men to Gody and an Apoftle thus argues, 
 " we being reconciled unto God by the death of 
 " his fon, much more fhall we be faved by his 
 « life."-- 
 
 Artful priefls, and deluded fyftematical profef- 
 fors are wont to lay the emphafis of man's falva- 
 tion, wholly upon the death of Chrift ; whereas, 
 there could have been no meaning, no efficacy at 
 all in his death, had he not rifen again. So fays 
 St. Paul, " if Chrift be not raifed, your faith is 
 " vain, you are yet in your fins."* A full proof 
 that his death was not the purchafe of remiffion, 
 or the term of man's juftification in the fight of 
 
 * J Cor, XV. 17, 
 
 God t 
 
On the Humiliation of J ejus Chriji. 9 
 
 God ; " for though he was delivered for our of- 
 '* fences, or, to expofe the malignity of fin ; yet 
 *' he was raifed again for our juftification ;" for 
 by this means it is, that our hopes in the mercy 
 of God unto eternal life^ are juftified.* There 
 could not then be any atoning virtue in his death, 
 when applied to God ; but it was to give us an 
 abhorrence of fin j and to cure us of all faulty dif- 
 pofitions ; to purge our confciences from dead 
 works; and to enable us to ferve the living 
 God. 
 
 Again, his obedience to the death, cannot be 
 a compenfation, or make the leaft fatisfaftion for 
 our want of obedience : i. e. it cannot, by any 
 means, be imputed to us, or reckoned as our obe- 
 dience, however ftrong our faith is in his having 
 been perfectly conformable to the divine will, 
 throughout his very painful endurance. 
 
 The idea is abfurd and full of extravagance, 
 and a very perverfe application of the defign of 
 his death. In truth, for us to fuppofe, that either 
 the obedience or the difobedience of another can 
 be reckoned ours, is to confound all ideas of 
 truth and right : it is to rob the holy God of the 
 glory of his perfediions j and to deny there is any 
 equity in his ways, or any righteoufnefs in his 
 dealings with man : he would no longer be an 
 objed: of our truft, hope, or confidence -, neither 
 fhould we be able to pay the leafl: regard to his 
 moral government. The romantic idea of a trans- 
 fer either of righteoufnefs or of fin, is extremely 
 reproachful to the chriftian profefiion : not any 
 
 * Rom. iv. 2j. 
 
 idea 
 
/ 
 
 JO On the Humiliation of J ejus Chrifi. 
 
 idea or notion being more difhonourable to the 
 
 Supreme Governor. 
 
 On the other hand, the love of God, rightly 
 underftood, in the appointment of the death of 
 Chriil, has wifdom and goodnefs in it which de- 
 mands our admiration, thankfgiving and praife ! 
 inafmuch as it has lliewn the inefficacy of all 
 fymbolical bloody facrifice, by having far more 
 exprefTively expofed the evil of fin, or of that 
 worldiinefs which had covered the earth with igno- 
 rance, fuperllition, idolatry and vice. The ma- 
 lignity of which worldiinefs flagrantly appeared, 
 in mens putting to death God's well-beloved Son, 
 by whom he had revealed all his truth and all his 
 grace. Even the molt illufirious difplays of omni- 
 potent goodnefs, throughout his miniftrations, had 
 not been fufficient to prevent fuch an unexampled 
 outrage of impiety and crime. 
 
 In confequence of this depraved Hate of the 
 world, the paraclete, or pr^mife of the Father^ 
 was to convince the v/orld of fin ^ becaufe they 
 had not believed on him who had had the moft 
 complete credentials to a divine charader and 
 miffion : — and to convince alfo of the unfpeakable 
 advantage of righteoufnefs ; fince, by virtue of his 
 obedience he is gone to the Father j and is by him 
 placed at the right hand of power ; — and alfa 
 to convince of judgement : becaufe the prince of 
 this world is judged i which I fhould read con- 
 vince of condemnation j becaufe a worldly fpirit is 
 by him condemned ; which worldly fpirit, is called 
 the prince of this world :* Here is a fulnefs of 
 
 * John xiv. 30. 
 
 force. 
 
On the liumiliatlcn of Jefus Chrijl. 1 1 
 
 force, energy, and efficacy in the evidence. 
 Moreover^ as his death was the pre-reqiiifice to 
 his after-appointments, fo the openings of a fu- 
 ture Hate, under the adminiftration of this cruci- 
 fied man, do abundantly flievv, tlie falutary fenfe 
 in which he laid down his life for us -, for fo it 
 is that all the precious promifes are in him yea, 
 and in him amen^ to the praile and glory of 
 God the Father; and v/e thus perceive the em- 
 phatical love there was in his laying down his life 
 for us. 
 
 We are in the fecond place, to take fome notice 
 of that extenfive benevoltnce which it lays every 
 chrillian under to the brethren : the text fays, 
 " and we ought to lay down our lives for the 
 " brethren." — It may be alked, who are the bre- 
 thren ? I Ihould anfvver, the chriftians. — Indeed 
 I find this defcription given of Chriftianity in a 
 late publication, viz. — " The view which chrif- 
 " tianity always gives of mankind is the natural 
 " one, a community of brethren, the free and 
 " equal fubjefts of a divine government, the heirs 
 " of immortality, and the Ions of God." — Which 
 I fliould take to be a much more proper de- 
 fcription of the Chriftian-church, than of man- 
 kind in general; as its divine touches and linea- 
 ments fons of God^ heirs of immortality, are what 
 give a 'peculiar luftre and excellence to the lad 
 difpenfation of the truth and grace of God. Be- 
 fides, the compellation, brethren, in the New 
 Teftament v/ritings, is ufually characfteriflic of 
 chriftians. In my text it muft have this precife 
 meaning, and does aptly diftinguifh them froni 
 the unbelieving world. So it is St. Feter would 
 be underllood when he fays, honour all men^ love 
 
 the 
 
1 2 On the Ilumiliatmi of Jefus Chrijl. 
 
 the brotherhood; — agreeably to which the blefled 
 Jefus is wont to fpeak of believers in him, as a 
 little flock J a diftind community from the reft of 
 mankind ; and he prays for them, as men hated 
 by the world. 
 
 What are we now to underftand, by laying 
 down our lives for the brethren ? — at the very firft 
 view it feems plainly to import, the utmoft ftretch 
 of human benevolence •, anfwerable to that ob- 
 iervation of our Lord's, " greater love hath no 
 " man than this, that a man lay down his life 
 *' for his friends." — Now if the New Teftament 
 doflrine of Chrift's death be carefully examined, 
 it will be found, that its beneficial or lalutary 
 effeft is always fpecified under fome moral influ- 
 ence and beneficial impreflion which it makes up- 
 on the human mind. Some good difpofition which 
 it is calculated to promote. And to the chrlftian 
 it is the great examplar or pattern of the moft 
 perfecfl: human benevolence ; but if whilft man- 
 kind univerfally lay in a ftate of enmity to truth 
 and goodnefs^ God's meflenger, and beloved fon 
 Jefus Chrift, bore teftimony to their infinite im- 
 portance, by laying down his life in their caufe, 
 and for their fupport ; we thereby have a demon- 
 ftration given, that the reftitude of the human 
 mind, its qualification for happinefs does wholly 
 confift in an unreferved obedience to the will of 
 God ; or in a ftedfaft conformity to that will, un- 
 der the fevereft trials of humanity. This being 
 the cafe, the Chrirtian, in imitation of his Lord, 
 ought to be willing and ready to lay down his 
 life for the brethren, whenever the caufe of Gof- 
 pel truth requires fuch teftimony ; i. e. he is to 
 Ihew a like devotednefs to the divine will, and a 
 
 like 
 
On the Humiliation of Jefus Chriji. 1 3 
 
 like benevolence towards the children of truth 
 and goodnefs. 
 
 D" 
 
 It afluredly cannot intend, we fhould draw the 
 fword, or expofe our lives in an hoflile manner 
 for the defence of the brethren -, it cannot : for 
 the religion of Jefus utterly difowns and con- 
 demns any unfriendly, inimical, or bloody mea- 
 fures in its propagation, or defence. It abhors 
 both the Mahometan, and the Fopijh fpirit, and 
 in its caufe, will not permit the ule of any ofFen- 
 live weapon whatfoever. It puts none to pain, 
 torture, or death. Nor does it allow of any the 
 leall malevolence towards the unbeliever. It re- 
 quires a readinefs to lay down our lives in tefti- 
 mony of the high efleem and veneration we have 
 of our holy religion, whenever the hand of per- 
 fecution makes the demand upon us ; or when, 
 in the language of an ingenious pen, " we have 
 " nothing left us to do, but to remonflrate and 
 "fufFer."* 
 
 This devotednefs to the caufe of truth, is not 
 only to operate in an age of perfecution, but 
 will upon all occafions whatfoever which try the 
 patience, meeknefs, and fortitude of the chrif- 
 tian. His temper and behaviour will uniformly 
 Ihew, he has fuch ideas of God's love to the 
 world, made manifeft in his Son's laying down 
 his life for us, as habitually difpofe him to de- 
 vote all his powers to the fervice, and in the caufe 
 of truth and virtue -, an imitation of his Lord, 
 that is moil beneficial to the brethren. Herein 
 the fame fpirit of benevolence operates in the 
 
 • 4^ friend in North Britain. 
 
 chriflian 
 
■14 On the HumUtaiion of J ejus Chriji. 
 
 chriftian which did operate in him " who gave 
 *' himfelf for us, that he might deliver us from 
 " the evil of this prefent world i" and confpicuoufly 
 place before us the mod joyous profpecls of 
 the final recompence ; an afflirance being thereby 
 given of eternal life to ail, who by a patient con- 
 tinuance in well-doing, do feek glory, honour, 
 and immortality ! In a word, the moral obliga- 
 tion, here mentioned by St. Jck7z, arifing from 
 the death of Chriit, intends, our being poiTeffed 
 of and animated by that fame fpirit of benevo- 
 lence, which always conlults the reputation and 
 honour of our holy religion ; and renders it amia- 
 ble in the eyes of all, who fee our ccnverfation 
 to be thus exemplary towards our brethren. 
 
 If the apoftolic obfervation has been rightly 
 nnderftood, feveral ufeful inftruftions will be de^ 
 ducible therefrom. — Such as, 
 
 I. The moft interefling and engaging capital 
 truth, held up to us in the death of Chriff, is, 
 the love of God to mankind. His death certainly 
 is the moft convincing evidence that can be given 
 of God's good-will to a fmful world •, as it proves 
 him placable and propitious to the worft of fin- 
 ners. " Go, fays the rifen Jefus^ preach repent- 
 " ance and remilTion of fms to all nations ; and 
 " begin at Jerufalem, the city of my murder- 
 *' ers 1 Let them and all mankind know, that 
 *' God would have none of his human offspring 
 *' periih ; but would have all of us come to re- 
 " pentance : or, to a knowledge of the truth, 
 *' and be faved." This is the exprefs dodtrine of 
 Chrift's death ; therefore there could be no marks 
 of divine difpleafure Ihewn to th^blelTed Jefus, 
 
 in 
 
On the Humiliation of J efusChrifl. 15 
 
 in the article of his fiifFcrings ; there could not 
 poflibly be any thing like the lead token of God's 
 difpleafure to a well beloved Son, who was ex- 
 prefling the higheft aft of obedience and refigna- 
 tion to the will of his Father, in thus laying down 
 his life for us: 
 
 They therefore muft have very injuftiiiable no-, 
 tions of the Supreme^ who imagine, he poured out 
 his wrath upon his obedient beloved Son, in whom 
 he was always well pleafed. On the contrary, he 
 faw, he approved, he delighted in the fingularly 
 inftrudive, and moft compleat examplar of obe- 
 dience. Nay, our bleffed Lord himfelf had the 
 confcioufnefs that his v/hole behaviour under the 
 fevered trials of humanity, was not only approved 
 of, but would be abundantly rewarded by his Fa- 
 ther : he knew he had not forfaken him ; though 
 the chief priells and people looked upon him and 
 reviled him as if he had : 'They did ejieem him 
 Jiricken^ [mitten of God^ forfaken. 
 
 Again, notwithftanding the atrocious wicked- 
 nefs of his murderers, who had accumulated a 
 moft aggravated guilt, deferving of the hotteft 
 vengeance ; yet fo far from pouring down his 
 wrath upon this ungrateful provoking people, the 
 merciful, long luffering God, vouchlafed to the 
 truly penitent murderer, not only pardon, but 
 the promile of eternal life ; for though at the cru- 
 cifixion, the holy God gave them awful and alarm- 
 ing evidence of this matchlefs impiety, by the 
 earth's trembling, the rocks rending, the fun's 
 withdrawing his rays ! yet the offended Majefty 
 proceeded not to fwallow up that wicked city, 
 which had perpetrated the moft daring and pro- 
 2 voking 
 
1 5 On the Humiliation of Jefus Chrijt, 
 
 voking infuks to the light of the iz-orld ! that 
 o;reat revealer of divine truth and grace. 
 
 As to thofe Jews who remained impenitent) 
 and retained an hatred of truth, thefe, having 
 filled up the meafure of their iniquity, either 
 fell a facrifice to the Roman vengeance ; or elfe 
 became vagabonds, fcattered over the face of the 
 earth : and to this day, are but wanderers, vainly 
 expelling that promifed deliverer, whom their na^ 
 tion had rejefted and crucified. 
 
 One might now afk, w^ho is it that cannot per- 
 ceive the love of God made illuftrious in this great 
 event ? who can contemplate the death of Chrift, 
 and not difcover it to be the moft powerful per- 
 fuafive difplay ever made of God's love to man- 
 kind ? for by means of that finilhed a6t of obe- 
 dience to the divine will, the malignity of world- 
 linefs is expofed in all its flagrant enormity ! Sin 
 could not have appeared fo exceedingly finful, nor 
 a love of truth fo divinely powerful a principle, 
 had not Jefus Chrifl given fuch demonftration of 
 it, by laying down his life for us. 
 
 11. No man is able to form a right judgment 
 of the reafon and end of Chrift's death, who does 
 not confider it in an infeparable connexion with 
 its confequences ; or, unlefs he takes into his 
 view, thofe effects which are afcribed to its caufa- 
 lity i for an apoftle fays, that " becaufe he hum- 
 " bled himfelf, and became obedient unto death, 
 " even the death of the crofs ; therefore God did 
 " highly exalt him, giving him a name above 
 « every name :" For which reafon we are to com- 
 prehend along with his death, its confequences, 
 2 as 
 
On the HumiliatioH of JefUs Chrijt^ 1 7 
 
 as they did affed himftflf -, a firm truft and con- 
 fidence in whichj was what enabled our Lord thus 
 to glorify his Father, who delighted to exalt him ; 
 and alfo becaufe of the beneficial effeds which 
 his death has upon mankind ; in that the adora- 
 ble God in his infinite wifdom and goodnefs, has 
 been pleafed to exemplify in him^ the plan of his 
 benevolence and abundant mercy towards man- 
 kind. We can alfo at the fame time, enjoy the 
 diftinguifhed honour he has been pleafed to con- 
 fer on one of our own fpecies ; by conftituting 
 him the prime minifter of his providence, and the 
 inftrument ufed by him of raifmg the dead, and 
 judging the world. 
 
 Now, admitting thefe views of Chrift*s death to 
 be not only real, but divinely %vife and good^ 
 every way beneficial to mankind, we are naturally 
 led to folace^ ourfelves in this event, and make it 
 the fubjed-matter of our rejoicing before God* 
 St. Paul did fo, who faid, " he determined to 
 •' know nothing * fave Jefus Chrift, and him 
 " crucified :" and again^ " he would glory in the 
 •' crofs of Chrift, by which the world was cruci- 
 " fied unto him, and he unto the world." — Not 
 to do this, muft be difing-enuous and unerate- 
 fuL 
 
 III. Since the Chriftian is capable of imita- 
 ting his Lord, or refembling him even in his 
 death, by laying down his own life for the bre- 
 thren J it is evident, that what is fo currently 
 called the orthodox opinion of the death of Chrift, 
 cannot be juft, nor tenable. No one, I pre- 
 
 • i. e. Nothing h much as Jefus Chrift, &c. 
 
 C fume. 
 
1 8 On the Humiliation of Jefus Chrijt. 
 
 fame, will dare to affirm, that the chriftian's lay- 
 ing down his life for the brethren, can operate 
 like a price paid to divine juftice, or as a com- 
 penfation ; and to fatisfy the demands of a vio» 
 fated law, in behalf of the brethren : this would 
 be too open an abfurdity •, too bold an extrava- 
 gance : — and yet, how many are there who will 
 have it, that the blood of Chrift has this very 
 appearing effed; ? Indeed, the do^rine of fatis^ 
 faliion is amazingly prevalent ; and fadly depraves 
 the fentiments of men, called chriftians ; for it 
 leads to a falfe refuge and dependence, inafmuch 
 as thereby men are pleading a claim, and fixing 
 a reliance upon the merits of Chrift's blood for 
 their juftification and acceptance with God, to 
 which they can have no manner of right. And 
 moreover, they thus exclude the very idea of 
 God's pardoning mercies being unmerited and 
 free: forafmuch as if he has received 2l price^ or 
 a fatisfadlion has been made on account of the 
 finner's crime and guilt, in the nature of a com- 
 penfation, or a purchafe of his pardon, there can 
 be no favour or mercy in the juftification. The 
 pardoned finner, fo far from being indebted to the 
 love of God, is folely beholden to the benevo- 
 lence of Jefus Chrift. 
 
 Thefe apprehenfions are extremely dilhonour- 
 able and difmgenuous to the love of God ! They 
 are a Hiameful perverfion of the defign of Chrift's 
 laying down his life for us. But verily, there is 
 a much more rational, juft, and fatisfaclory fenfe 
 to be given of that fingularly great event, viz. 
 that of its moral cffed, infpiring with the fpirit 
 of divine benevolence, which is feen in the chrif- 
 2 tian's 
 
On the Humiliation of ^ejus Chrift. i^ 
 
 tian's being thereby led to an imitation of his 
 Lord, in laying down his life for the brethren. 
 
 IV. Methinks, no one cati read the Ne\V Tefta- 
 ment with an horieft and unprejudiced mind, 
 without being convinced, that Jelus Chrift did 
 enjoin upon all his difciples and followers, d 
 thankful celebration of the memorials of his 
 death. But this being the truth of the cafe, it 
 mud appear to be very furprifing, that fo very 
 few profeflbrs do reckon themfelves under that 
 obligation. It cannot but be matter of painful 
 concern to a benevolent mind, that one of the 
 very plaineft and mod exprefs of our Lord's in- 
 jun6lions or iriftitutions, in the celebration of 
 which he has the fuUeft demonftration that was 
 ever given of the loije of God, fhould be the lead 
 underftood and obferved among profefiing chrif- 
 tians. A lively writer, in fome fermons lately 
 publiflied, has fpoken thus nervoufly upon this 
 fubjeft — he fays^ " he Ihould be glad there was 
 *' no diftinflion in his fociety between worfhip- 
 " pers and communicants j for we itiuft have 
 *' very extraordinary charity to fuppofe a man a 
 *' real difciple of Chrift, at the fame time that he 
 *' negle(5ts a requeft, a defire of his mafter, given 
 *' under circumllances that muft fenfibly afFed: his 
 *' heart, and folely addreffed to his humanity and 
 *' gratitude." — He adds, " in the apoftolic age, 
 *' for a man to have pretended to be a chriftian, 
 " and not attend the memorial rite, would have 
 *' been as abfurd, as if one fhould pretend to reli- 
 " gious chara6ler, whofe conduft was prophane 
 *' and immoral."* So far my Author. 
 
 * David Williaqis's Sermons, Vol. i. p. 142, and 180. 
 
 C 2- Somd 
 
20 On the Humiliation of Jefus Chrifi. 
 
 Some learned and good men have, I appre- 
 hend, carried the obligation to an extreme by 
 pleading for Infant-Communion ; which furely can 
 have no tendency to recommend the celebration 
 of the memorial rite •, fmce there is no ability 
 either of felf-examination, or any capacity of dif- 
 covering the moral intention. J Yet, as foon 
 as our youth, of either fex, are capable of con- 
 templating the love of God, as displayed in our 
 Lord's laying down his life for us, or can fee that 
 it condemns all worldly luftings, they ought to 
 celebrate the memorial rite. That learned and 
 amiable confelfor, Mr. T. Emlyn, has faid, *•" fo 
 *' long as this memorial was kept up, fo long 
 " the chriftian religion could never be defaced ; 
 *' and this being handed down from one age to 
 *' another, became a Handing evidence of the 
 
 " matter 
 
 X It differs greatly from Baptifm, which when applied either 
 to infants or grown perfons, only initiates into a kingdom, 
 wherein Jefus Chrift prefides as the one Lord; and entitles 
 to the privileges and immunities of that kingdom. Thus the 
 frll converts and their houOiolds were dillinguiflied from the 
 families of unbelievers, both among Jews and Gentiles ; and 
 tiius the infant-offspring of Chriftians are put under the pro- 
 tedtion and government of that one Lord, and are to be edu- 
 cated in the nurture and admonition of his teachings. Where- 
 as, in the celebration of the Eucharift, there muft be a diiHn- 
 guifhing mind in the communicant ; he is to difcerii the hordes 
 hody, halving examined bimj'elf, and feen the reafon and ufe of 
 this memorial rite. I prefume no unprejudiced man, who 
 reads St, PuuVs account of this Inftitution, the qualification 
 of the communicant, the abufive perverfions of it among 
 the Corinthians,* would once be led to fuppofe any infants 
 were communicated. 
 
 And fhould we be of opinion, that the Eiithariji did fuc- 
 cecd and fuperfede the paflbver, it does not appear that infants 
 had ever eat of that memorial lamb : for we have no account 
 ef the child Jefus being taken to that feftival at Jcrufalem till 
 
 • I Cor, xj, 20, end, 
 
 he 
 
On the Humiliation of Jefus Chrijl. 2 r 
 
 *' matter of facfb on which chriftianity is found- 
 " ed.'^f What that matter of fad was, See Tit. ii. 
 14. Gal i. 4. John xvi'i. 14, 15. and many other 
 places. 
 
 V. From the powerful influence which a love 
 cf truth actually had within the brcaft of the 
 blelTed Jefus, we can conclude with confidence 
 the fuperiority over all temptation which it will 
 give to every one fo animated : as is to be feen 
 in the aftonifhing ferenity and calmnefs pre- 
 ferved in our Lord, under a feries of unexam- 
 pled provocations ! Indeed the greatnefs of his be- 
 haviour under the infults of his enemies, and the 
 tortures of a crucifixion,;]; is no other way to 
 be accounted for, but from his love of truth 
 
 he was twelve years of age ; which was agreeable to the 
 Jewiih cuftom : but before that time he is not faid to have 
 been with his parents, though they went up every year. Luk. 
 ii. 41,42. 
 
 The argument of the learned Pierce adopted by the very 
 celebrated DttP'riestley, as taken from a cuftom that ob- 
 tained in an early age of the Church, has no binding autho- 
 rity ; for many extravagancies were introduced by both Jewifli 
 and Pagan converts. No traces of infant communion are to 
 be found in the New Teftament canon ; but its whole tefli- 
 raony is againfl the pradice. Had it been intended for in- 
 fants, would not our Lord, or his apoftles have informed us ? 
 one thing I fee in the difguflful idea of Infant Communion, 
 which it is to be fuppofed thefe great men would condemn, 
 'viz. it would countenance the giving of the Eucharift to the 
 dying, or in artUulo mortis; fince, with them, it does not require 
 any knowledge of its intention in the receiver. And the 
 Quaker as well as others might well look upon it, as a childilh 
 and unmeaning ritual. Do this in remembrance of me : cannot 
 bean injumflion upon infants. 
 
 t Emlyn's Traclsy Vol, iii. p. 240. 
 
 X ConfultDr Lardner's excellent Sermon, (7,1 //y^jt^/;;^- 
 f>f y{/'»s in his loft fuffering. 
 
 C 3 ainl 
 
ft On the Humiliation vf Jefus Chriji, 
 
 and God ; which was what filled him with 
 To much concern to recover and fave a lolt 
 world, deluged in ignorance, fuperflition, idolatry 
 ^nd vice. 
 
 After all, it is extremely difficult to perfuade 
 men of the infinite importance of an unreferved 
 devotednefs to the will of God ; and yet, no ma^. 
 thematical demonftration can be more clear and 
 convincing : but the difficulty arifes from an aver- 
 iion to religious inquiries, and to the labors of 
 virtue. A faulty education, rooted prejudice, bad 
 example, fafhionable evil-maxims and cuftoms, 
 do enervate the mind fo much, as to rob its 
 powers and faculties of their freedom ; and reduce 
 them to a flaviffi fubjedtion to the tyranny of 
 the appetites and paffions. Ignorance, idolatry, 
 and fuperflition have taught men to build upon 
 this fingular unparallelled a<fl of obedience, a fuper-: 
 ftrutflure, quixe full of rank and otfenfive abfurdi- 
 ty : and much weaknefs, inconfiftency and prcr 
 fumption, have taken place of thofe genuine 
 efitdls, viz. ferenity, regularity, fortitude, and 
 firmnefs of miind under the preffijres of mor- 
 tality ; though thefe foundations of exiftence are 
 found to be Iblid and unfhaken, and the relifhes 
 of them truly refined, fatisfying, and refrefhing, 
 They manifestly difovyn materialism ; and allow 
 it to have no relation at all to the fpiritual and 
 rnoral fyftem, or to the life-principle of immor- 
 tality. 
 
 It muft be owned, that the doctrine of Chrift's 
 death, has been deplorably depraved and corrupt- 
 ed in the popular opinions ; infomuch that the 
 mind of the unbeliever revolts and takes offence at 
 
 the 
 
On the HumiliatioH of Jefus Chriji, 25 
 
 tKe reprefentations which are full of nonfenfe and 
 impenetrable myftery :--but however keen may- 
 be the infidel fneer, we may be well afTured of 
 this, viz. that the New Teftament dodrine of 
 the death of Chrift, as it evinceth the love of 
 God, fo it fhews the energy there is in a love of 
 that fyfteni of truth, which has enough in it, 
 either to ftnk an unbelieving, or to fave a be- 
 lieving world. — " To God only wife, be glory 
 " through Jefus Chrift for ever. Amen.'* 
 
 C 4 ON 
 
O N T H E 
 
 EXALTATION 
 
 O F 
 
 JESUS CHRIST. 
 
 Col, i. 15. to the 19th verfe inclufively, — " 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 thrones, 
 *' or dominions, or principalities, or powers : 
 *' all things were created by him and for him, 
 " And he is before all things, and by him all 
 *' confift ; and he is the head of the body the 
 *' church : who is the beginning, the firft-born 
 '* from the dead ; that in all things he migh^ 
 " have the pre-eminence. For it pleafed the 
 *' Father, that in him fliould all fulneis dwell.'* 
 
 THAT celebrated ecclefiaftical hiftorian an4 
 biblical Critic, the late Reverend Dr. Lard- 
 KER, has ihewn, that " this epiftle was proba- 
 *' bly written and fent to the church at ColofTe 
 " towards the end of the year of Chrift 62 ; 
 ^' about the fame time with that written to the 
 *' Philippians, and in the fecond year of St. Paul's 
 *' imprilonment at Rq.ne. And alio that it is 
 
 ^' re^fon- 
 
On the ExaUation of Jefus Chrlfi. 25 
 
 *' reafonable to conclude, this fame apoflle had 
 " planted a church there ; for St. Ltike in- 
 ** forms us, of his having been twice in Phrygia» 
 ** in which were the three capital cities of Colojfe, 
 " Laodicea, and HierapoUs. See A^s xvi. 6. and 
 " ch. xviii. 23. He alfo informs us, that the apoftle 
 *' went over all the countries of Galatia and Phrygia 
 *' in order, ftrengthening the brethren, ch. xix. i. 
 *' In both of his journeys it is reafonable to con- 
 " elude, he would vifit thefe chief cities,"* 
 
 In this epiftle, the apoftle exprefles great fo- 
 licitude about the chriftians at Colofle, that they 
 would profefs the chriftian doftrine in its pu- 
 rity i keeping themfclves free from erroneous con- 
 ceptions of its truth and grace. And he urges 
 their thankful acknowledgment for the know- 
 ledge they had of God ; a people who had lately 
 been more generally ignorant and idolatrous Gen- 
 tiles; he would have them direft their homage 
 " to God the Father, who had made them meet 
 *' to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints 
 *' in light ; and had delivered them from the 
 *' power of darknefs, and trandated them into the 
 " kingdom of his dear Son ; in whom they 
 *' had redemption through his blood, even the for- 
 " givenefs of fins." 
 
 He proceeds, in the words of my text, to deli- 
 neate the delegated dignity and pre-eminence of 
 Jefus Chrift. A reafon of which was evidently 
 this, — they had, in their Gentilifm, been ac- 
 cuftomed to worfhip Gods many^ and Lords many: 
 
 * See his fuppleraent, Vol. ii. and the chapter on this 
 Spiftle. 
 
 but 
 
ft 6 On the Eiiahation of Jefus Chr'ifi. 
 
 but now, as chriftians they are to acknowledge 
 only one God, and one Lord •, in which unity 
 of idea, they would find theniielves free from all 
 confufion in their religious worfhip. — 
 
 This premifed, — in difcourfing upon this figura- 
 tive defcription here given of that dignity which 
 the great God has conferred on the man Chrift 
 Jefus ; I would Firjly attempt the genuine fenfe 
 and meaning of the defcription. Secondly^ enu- 
 merate fome of its moil highly beneficial inftruc- 
 tions to mankind. 
 
 Much obfcurity, I apprehend, has been thrown 
 upon this account of our Lord's exaltation. 
 In attempting the fenfe of fo very fublime 
 a defcription, a careful view fhall be taken of it, 
 in the order in which it lies before us. — • 
 
 And the firfl: thing which our apoftle fays 
 of Jefus Chrift, is, that he is the image of the in- 
 vifible God. — Now an image may be either an 
 artificial reprefentation, or vifible likenefs taken 
 by the pencil, chifel, &c. of a vifible material 
 objed : Yea, it may be whatever has an apt 
 tendency to raife in us juft ideas. and concep- 
 tions of what is invifible. For example, the in- 
 forming fpirit and power of language, either by 
 the lip or by letters, will give us the image of 
 one anothers inward thoughts, tempers, dilpofi- 
 tions, defigns, or of the mental complf^xionj 
 as will alfo in fome degree, be difcovered by the 
 eye, the air and mien, and outward gefture of a 
 man. 
 
 That 
 
On the ExaUation of Jefus Chriji. IJ 
 
 That the apoftle could not by the word, image, 
 intend an artificial, figured, corporeal, vifible re- 
 prefentation and form of that which has no figure 
 or bodily-form, is fclf-evident ; forafmuch as by 
 reafon of the Archetype of the image having no 
 form nor figure, and being abfolutely invifible ; 
 becaufe without limit or boundary of prefence ; 
 it is impoflible that the vifible figured, circum- 
 fcribed, organized man Jefus Chrift, (hould in 
 that fenfe be the image of God. There can be 
 no fimilitude pofllbly taken of what is infinite and 
 immenfe ; no adequate, no competent idea can 
 be formed, no comprehenfivc metaphyfical idea 
 of an infinite, uncaufed Being. But in the other 
 fenfe of an image^ underftood as what has an 
 apt tendency to raife in us an idea or conception 
 of what is abfolutely invifible, or of what is the 
 internal purpofe, the will, defire or defign of 
 another intelligent being, our Jefus may be juftly 
 (tiled, the image of the invifiule God-., inafmuch 
 as he has been enabled fully to reveal to us 
 what is the determinate, immutable mind and 
 will of the invifible God. — -In which fenfe, he is 
 fo perfedl an image of him, as to fay, *' he that 
 *' hath feen me, hath feen the Father; — and I 
 *' and the Father are one •," — which can only be 
 underltood of that faithful and complete revela- 
 tion which he has made of the will of God, 
 confidered both as Governor and Father; for 
 God's truth and grace he has made plainly intel- 
 ligible to man. Nay, fo far as we ourfclves are 
 attempered and formed by that manifeftation 
 which he has made of the mind and will of 
 God ; fo far we are alfo made in the image of 
 the invifible God, — fo fays St. Paul, ch. iii. lo. 
 of this epiftle — " putting on the new man, we are 
 
 '* renewed 
 
zS On the Exaltation ofjefus Chn/!: 
 
 *' renewed in righteoufnefs, after the image of hirri 
 •' who created us." — I might add, tliat Adnni, the 
 firft parent of mankind, was created in the image 
 of God ; becaufe capable of knowing and doing 
 his will, and becaufe he had a dominion alTigned 
 him over the lower creation. 
 
 Whereby we are led to another view, in which 
 the man Chrift Jefus may be laid to be the image 
 of the invifible God ; and that is, his being ap- 
 pointed to a fupreme dominion ; the Jirji-born of 
 every creature. 
 
 The Greek word (7rp«T0T5)t^) rendered firji- 
 horn^ cannot mean the Jirji in order of time, but 
 in office, rank, and dignity •, he had a name 
 given him above every name •, not before every 
 name. The firit born imports, excellence ; and has 
 refped: to a new, and not to the old creation : viz. 
 the Gofpel-kingdom, the laft and finifhed difpen- 
 fation of God's truth and grace And hence all 
 ihirgs that are in heaven, and that are in earthy 
 vifible and invifible^ whether thrones^ or dominions^ 
 cr "principalities, or powers, are f aid to ^^ created 
 Z'y him and for him, — 
 
 Here it fhould be carefully obfervcd, that the 
 word rendered, create, does not by any means 
 fignify, that they were brought into exiftencc 
 by him ; but as the great Locke well remark- 
 ed, Sr. Paul is wont to fpeak of the Gofpel-dif- 
 penfation, as a neiv creation-, and of the con- 
 verts to chriftianity as new creatures. So that 
 he uferh the word {^.r/ffi^) which literally figni- 
 fies a proper creation ; or, a bringing into ex- 
 iilence that which was not j but mull: here have 
 
 a figU' 
 
On the Exaltation of Jefus Chrift, 29 
 
 a figurative, or a metaphorical meaning, and 
 import, a change of condition : * for the fame 
 apoftle, when Ipcaking of the myllery which from 
 the beginning had been hid in God, who created 
 all things by Jefus Chrift ; muft undoubtedly have 
 a reference to the all things in this 7iew and hea- 
 venly kingdom. — To the fame purpofe, it is 
 obferved " of the Hebrew word Bara^ which 
 *' fignifies in the literal fenfe to create, whenever 
 " applied to God's bringing into exiftence what 
 " had not been before :" yet, even that fame 
 word is applied in a very figurative fenfe in the 
 Hebrew fcriptures, as in Numb. xvi. 30. to ex- 
 traordinary divine operations, in which there is no 
 producftion of any 7iew being ; but it is ufed for 
 the earth's being made to fwallow up Korah and 
 his company ; and for the wonderful fcenery, 
 Exod. xxiv. 10. And for the moral renewal of 
 the human heart, " create in me a clean heart, 
 •'O God,'* Plal. li. 10. and for the di- 
 vine influences in his moral kingdom •, " I form 
 " the light, and create darknefs, I make peace 
 " and create evil." \ And once more^ it is ufed 
 for the putting a nation into a new and more 
 happy condition, Ifa. xliii. i. and 15. Which 
 laft ufe of the term, will throw much light upon 
 the creation fpoken of in the text : all things in 
 heaven and in earth, vlfible and invifible, having 
 Jefus Chrift placed at their head, are, for that 
 very reafon, faid to be created by him and for 
 him. It is therefore with propriety faid, 
 
 * See his notes on Eph. iii. g. 
 
 t See Dr. D. Jenning's introduflion to the Globes, p. 162. 
 and Dr. Taylor's Hebrew Concordance, No. 224. Ifa. xlv. 7. 
 
 2 And 
 
30 On the Exaltation of Jefus Chrifl. 
 
 And he is before all things^ and by him all things 
 CONSIST. So that there is no want of regula- 
 rity, order, and harmony throughout the plan of 
 his adminiftration in God's kingdom. With which 
 agree the accounts given of him in the firft 
 chapter of the epiftle to the Hebrews, where the 
 Angels are commanded to obey his orders, and 
 fo to worfliip him. And can we now wonder^ 
 that an apoftle who was a Jew, and converfant 
 with the Hebrew fcriptures Ihould ufe the word 
 create^ in a figurative lenfe, when fpeaking of 
 our Lord's exaltation ? we cannot, when we have 
 found that the prophets of old had fo ufed the 
 word create \ and efpecially when we confider that 
 metaphor is common in all languages. To pro* 
 cced, 
 
 And he is the head of the hdy^ the church. 
 
 In the epiftle to the Ephefians, this apoftle 
 fays, " God has placed Jefus Chrift far above 
 ** all principalities and powers, and might, and 
 " dominion, and every name that is named, not 
 " only in this world, but in that which is to 
 *' come : and has put all things under his feet, 
 " and has given him to be head over all things 
 " to the church, which is his body, the fulnefs 
 *' of him who filleth all in all." Ch. i. 21, 22, 23. 
 compare this with Colof. ii. 9, 10. " In him 
 *' dwelleth all the fulnefs of the Godhead bodily^ 
 " (i. e. as the church is his body.) and ye are 
 " complete in him who is the head of all prin- 
 " cipality and power." The great God is farther 
 faid to be, " in the difpenfation of the fulnefs of 
 " times, gathering together in one, all things in 
 
 "Chrift, 
 
On the Exaltation of Jeftis Chrijf. '31 
 
 ** Chrift, both which are in the heaven, and on 
 " the earth, even in him." Eph. i. 10. 
 
 Jefus Chrift is alfo faid to be the heginningy 
 the firjl-horn from the dead. 
 
 The Greek word (*p^»)) rendered, beginnings 
 properly imports, a firft authority *, for we find 
 it tranflated. Rule, 1 Cor. xv. 12. and Magifirate^ 
 JLuke xii. 11. and Principality, Tit. iii. i. we 
 may therefore, I apprehend, very jiiftly iinder- 
 ftand it here, of the firft or chief potentate in 
 God's creation. — And then the firjt-born from the 
 dead, fhould feem to denote, a fingularity of 
 idea; none other in any age ever rifing from 
 the dead in a public chara<5ter. Or, as Lord both 
 of the dead and of the living ! the fure pledge 
 and earneft of the refurredion of all his faith- 
 ful followers. And for which reafon he ftiles 
 himfelf, the refurre^ion and the life I and affirms, 
 " that all Vv'ho believe in him fliall never die, i. e. 
 *' death fhall have no power over them •, or, 
 '* though they die, yet ftiall they live ; for becaufe 
 " he liveth, they fhall live alfo." This deter- 
 mines him to be the chief potentate, as he is the 
 firft- born from the dead, and has aboliihed, or 
 made void the dominion of death. 
 
 In thefe great refpefls it is, that in all things he 
 might have the pre-ejuinence. — Which muft be the 
 cafe with him, " who is the brightnefs of the Fa- 
 *' ther's glory, and the exprefs charafter of his 
 *' perfon." Nor can any one call in queftion the 
 propriety of thefe high defcriptions given of him, 
 if he can credit an apoftle who has faid fo ex- 
 
 prefsly, 
 
3 2 On the Exaltation of Jefus Chrifli 
 
 prefsly, that it has pleafed the Father that in hitft 
 Jhould all fulnefs dwell.* 
 
 We plainly perceive, that St. Panl here has 
 his eye upon the Gentile Converts, who had theif 
 Pantheon^ and had been accuftomed to the ido- 
 latrous worfhip of many Gods : to each of which 
 they were wont to afcribe diftinft powers, pro^ 
 vinces, and fundry divine influences ; they had 
 alfo a great variety of demons and Lords, to 
 whom they paid homage : they even fancied, that 
 their Gods had different fenfitive taftes and re- 
 lifhes. So that fome were pleafed with human 
 facrifices ; others, with thofe of beafts of various 
 kinds ; others, with herbs only, and the fruits of 
 the earth. 
 
 To diflipate and remove this thick palpable 
 darknefs, to correft and cure thefe grofs and de- 
 bafing ideas of the objedt of worfhip, it pleafed 
 the Father to conftitute the man Chrift jefus, the 
 Shechinah of his Almighty power, the minifter of 
 his rule and providence; and to put all things 
 under his feet : But then, this was not done, till 
 after he had revealed all his truth and grace 
 by him. So that now the chriftian has the 
 whole of that good, he can either hope for or 
 rcafonably defire, fecured to him everlaftingly in 
 the apprehended great appointments of his exalted 
 head and Lord. 
 
 The adorable Father communicates all his fa- 
 vours and bleffmgs through this intelligible me- 
 
 * N. B. Though the words, the Fat her ^ are not in the text, 
 but as a fupply, yet it mull be a proper one. 
 
 dium 5 
 
On the Exaltation of Jefus Chrift. 3 g 
 
 dium, whether they relate to the prefent, or to 
 the future life of man. And what can be more 
 reafonable, or more worthy of God, when the 
 terms of his favour are fo divinely made known, 
 and authenticated to mankind ? well might St. 
 John fay, " the word was made flefh, i. e. was 
 *''■ Jhechinized in flefh, and dwelt among us, full 
 " of grace and truth *, and of his fulnefs we all 
 *' receive even grace after grace.*' He being thus 
 qualified for all the purpofes of his exalted ap- 
 pointments, we may reft fully fatisfied with, and 
 truly thankful for, our having " fuch an high 
 '* pricft in the heavens, who is able to fave to the 
 " uttermoft all who come unto God by him ; fee- 
 " ing he ever lives the medium of our accefs unto 
 " and intercourfe with the one God the Father •, 
 *' whofe is the kingdom, the power, and the glory 
 *' for ever !'* 
 
 In the above fenfe this moff fublime defcriotion 
 given of the man Chrift Jefus, exalted to the 
 right hand of power ! has been underftood. — 
 
 The advantageous inftrudlions which mankind 
 might receive, from the New Teftament dodlrine 
 of our Lord's exaltation, are many. I will give 
 a fpecimen of fome of thofe beneficial teachings, 
 in the following articles i which will be enough, 
 I truft, to evince the ingratitude which there is in 
 infidelity. 
 
 I. From the doflrinal view we have taken, it 
 appears evident, that no rational and juft ideas 
 can be formed of this account of our Lord's ex- 
 altation, unlefs we confider it as having imme- 
 diately to do with the Gofpel kingdom j i. e. 
 
 D with 
 
g4 On the Exaltation of Jefus Chrifi. 
 
 with that new creation which St. Paul has in hrs 
 eye in this defcription ; for fo he is wont to fpeak 
 of the converted Gentiles, as men delivered from 
 darknefs, by Gofpel addrefs -, and brought into 
 God's marvellous light ! as children of light and 
 of the day ; in contrail to the unbelievers re- 
 maining in darknefs. Nor is there any other idea 
 to be formed of that creating^ here applied to 
 the man Chrift Jefus ; for though fome would 
 urge St. John's beginning his Gofpel with the 
 word or logos^ and faying that all things were 
 created by him ; he does not mean, any other 
 than the omnipotent creative word or will of 
 God. The which word cannot conftitute the per- 
 fon of Chrift, though the fame word of God did 
 dwell with him. Or, as that Evangelift fays, by 
 its dwelling with him, it was what gave him the 
 glory of being the only begotten of the Father, 
 full of " grace and truth." That Evangelical 
 hiftorian, I apprehend, makes no mention of 
 jefus Chrift, till he has iinifhed the preface to his- 
 Gofpel, which he does at v. 14. 
 
 BefidiSy as to our Lord's creating, it can never 
 mean, that he brought any new creature into 
 being : or, that he had any hand in the firft crea- 
 tion i for this good reafon, 'viz. becaufe he never 
 once fays that he had : Whereas, had he been 
 the inftrument by whom God created the hea- 
 ven and the earth, he muft have with-held from 
 the people, to whom he v/as fent to deliver the 
 Gofpel- mefia^e, a moft pov/erful argument for 
 their reverehSs of him, as their creator. 
 
 Moreover, it is impofllble either that there 
 could be more than one creator, or, that the 
 
 one 
 
On the Exaltation of Jefus Chrijli 35 
 
 one Creator could employ any inftrument in 
 bringino; into exiilence that which was not. God 
 creates without any inftrument-* becaufe in fuch an 
 a6l of omnipotence there could be no medium 
 fuppofeable between caufe and efFeifl. And of 
 this we are informed, by the account given of 
 God's creating power -, he fpake, " and it was 
 " done ; he faid, let there be light, and there 
 *' was light : he commanded, and it flood faft.'* 
 Neither is there a fmgle inftance upon record of 
 our Lord's ever bringing any new fpecies of mat- 
 ter into exiftence ; re-produdlions indeed there 
 were many : but proper creation is only to be 
 afcribed to the infinite fpirit, the firft unoriginated 
 and uncaufed caule of all ! — 
 
 I will add, tkat our apoflle appears, to me, to 
 lay the greateft emphq/is upon the change made in 
 the fpirits and morals of men by the Gofpel, as 
 if it were a new-creation : for he compares it to 
 the firft creation ; and fays, if any man be in 
 Chrift, he is a new creature : old things are pafled 
 away •, behold all things are become new, Alfo 
 he fpeaks, of our putting on the new man -, and 
 all this with great propriety, for our Lord calls 
 it, a new birth : and fays, except a man he born 
 again, he cannot fee the kingdom of God. 
 
 II. All thofe things in heaven and earth, over 
 which he was placed, had a prior exiftence to his 
 having the rule over them : or they had a being 
 antecedent to his high appointments. Confe- 
 qucntly, for any one to fuppofe him, to have 
 
 • See tlie Creed of the Orthodox Mahometans, in Oakley's 
 Hiftor^ of the Saracens, Vol. 11. p. 5a. 
 
 P 2 been 
 
3.6 Oh the Exaltation of Jefus Chrifi. 
 
 been the creator of all thefe things, and then to 
 imagine his being exalted or raifed above them •, 
 would imply a very flagrant grofs abfurdity. In 
 truth, we are not able to form any juft idea of 
 his exaltation, if it was not fubfequent to his 
 death and reliirreftion. It moft certainly was in 
 futuro^ and was the joy fet before him ; by virtue of 
 which he endured the crofs, and defpifed the 
 fhame •, and to which he has an eye when he tells 
 his difciples, " that they fhall lee the heaven 
 " openy^ and the Angels of God, afcending and 
 " deicending upon the fon of man." And when 
 he, in the face of the Sanhedrin, as their prifon- 
 er, faid, *' hereafter ye fhall fee the fon of man 
 *' fit on the right hand of power j" and again, 
 *' the fon of man, fays he, fhall come in his 
 *• glory, and all the holy Angels with him." — 
 His exaltation mufh therefore have been fubfequent 
 to his public miniftrations here on earth. And 
 I freely own, it does not appear to me that the 
 bleffed Jefus had any real exiilence before he was 
 conceived m the womb of the Virgin ; when " in 
 '^. the fulnefs of time he was made of a woman, 
 *' made under the law," — He had verily in the 
 divine purpofe, and in prophecy, a place before 
 the. birth of Abraham ^ or even before the forma- 
 tion of Adam : for he had a glory defigned him 
 before the foundation of the world. But then, 
 this was in no other fenfe, than as he was a Ijamb 
 flain from the foundation of the world. And, it 
 feems probable that our apoftle, looks upon " this 
 " revelation of the myltery, which was kept fecret 
 *' fince. the world began, but is now made mani- 
 *' fefr, and by the icriptures of the prophets ac- 
 *' cording to the commandment of the everlafting 
 " God, made known to all nations for the obe- 
 
 " dience 
 
On the Exaltation of Jefus Chrifi. ^7 
 
 " dience of faith " to be fuch, that becaufe of the 
 
 aftonifhing and adorable wifdom of the plan, he 
 
 afcribes to God only wise glory through Jefus Chriji 
 
 for ever. Amen. 
 
 Thefe ideas will be very confident with that 
 of our Lord's exaltation j whereas, the -pre-ex- 
 ijlent hypothefis, and the notion of the world's 
 being made by him, will not at all accord with his 
 humiliation and exaltation : will not agree to his 
 proper humanity : nor allow him to be an exam- 
 ple of our imitation, as a partaker of flefh and 
 blood. But when we view him as the feed of 
 the woman, and promifed to Abraham as his de- 
 fcendant, and to be of the family of Davidj we 
 can claim the relation to him of brethren : and re- 
 frefli ourfelves with the honours which the Father 
 has conferred upon him as our vital head, and as 
 Lord both of the dead and of the living : ten 
 thoufand benefits we derive from the adorable plan 
 of the Gofpel-Inftitution.* 
 
 in. The exaltation of Jefus Chrift, all his 
 high appointments are the gracious and Fatherly- 
 beftovvments of the infinite Spirit-, whofe incef- 
 fant prefence with him, is what furnifheth his 
 capacity of exercifing thofe high offices to which 
 he has been exalted. — We have full evidence of 
 this i fince it was to the end of God's making 
 himfelf fo glorioufly known in his paternal re- 
 gards to mankind, that the Gofpel-plan was ori- 
 
 * If any one would fee the argument, in its full force, let 
 him confiilt the Letter ivritten in the year 1730. — Alfo the true 
 dodrine of the Ne-w Tejiament concerning Jefm Chriji ccnfdered ; 
 which deny the pre-exiftence of Chrift. 
 
 D 3 ginally 
 
3 8 On the Exaltation of Jefus Cbrijl. 
 
 ginally laid, and to which end all preparatory 
 meafures have been taken from the beginning. — 
 ^' Father, fays Jefus, gloi'ify thy name. Again, 
 *' now is God glorified in the fon of man." — . 
 St. Paul, to the fame purpofe, fays, " every 
 *' tongue (hall confefs him Lord to the praife and 
 *-' glory of God the Father, — and he tells us, that 
 ♦' the adoption of us as Sons, is to the praife and 
 f^ glory of his grace !'' 
 
 And yet, becaufe of thofe fuperior honours 
 which the Father has been pleafed to confer on 
 the man Chrift Jefus, many have afcribed to this 
 our blefied Lord an uncreated, underived divine 
 nature ; and to reprefent him as " God equal 
 *' with the Father !'* nay, there are not a few 
 who pay him the homage which is due only to 
 the one God: but then, thefe have imagined, that 
 the infinite fpirit can be divided, and fplic into 
 " three parts or perfons, the fame in fubdance, 
 " as well as equal in power and glory */' which 
 when duly confidered, will be feen to be the 
 quinteffence of a prophane and enormous abfur- 
 dity ; or, the mod debaftng, depraved idea of the 
 one objccl of fupreme homage. 
 
 They therefore mud have their eyes fafl fealed, 
 who can be fo ftupid as to fuppofe, that an eternal 
 being of infinite wifdom, almighty power, and 
 an immenfity of prefence can be either abafed, or 
 exalted -, that God can be both fovereign and fub- 
 je6l : or, be pafTively obedient unto, and then re- 
 ward himfelf. — Again, what extravagance would 
 there be in fuppofing the unbeginning, unchang- 
 able, everlafting God, to be the firjl -horn of every 
 creature, and the irr.age of himfelf! to be the 
 
On the Exaltation of J ejus Chrifi. 39 
 
 frfl'born from the dead ! the beginning or the 
 chief of his own creation ! And all this, when on 
 the contrary, thefe epithets are the nioll exprefsiy 
 defcriptive chara<5teriftics of a created being; or, 
 of one individual of that fame fpecies ot crea- 
 tures, whereof he is faid to be the firjl-born ; i. e. 
 over whom God has given him fuch pre-emi- 
 nence. So that the all things^ faid to be created 
 by him and for him muft only denote God's order- 
 ance, difpofal, guidance and government of them 
 by his inftrumentality. No other fnould here 
 feem to be the natural fenfe of the word, create^ 
 as, I truft, has been fufficiently (hewn. 
 
 And in confirmation of this fenfe, God's not 
 giving the Spirit by meafure to the man Chrift 
 Jefus i during his earthly miniftrations, was need- 
 ful to the purpofe of preparing mankind for 
 giving due credit to his high and heavenly ap- 
 pointments. — The whole fcenery of his public- 
 life, was accordingly an earneft to himfelf, as 
 well as to the world, that the great God defigned - 
 to make him the inftrument of his power and 
 goodnefs, in the Government' and Providence 
 which he exercifeth both in heaven and earth. But 
 the being who has thefe honours conferred upon 
 him, can be no other than a creature^ who muft 
 owe thofe very divine honours to the one fupremc 
 God and Father of all ! — Again, 
 
 To fuppofe the receiver of the recompence of i 
 reward, to be equal to the giver of that recom- - 
 pence, can be no other than an aftonifhing ex- 
 travagance ' or, to afcribe to him the receiver 
 incommunicable perfeftions, is to give the glory 
 due only to God, to a man, who is but the 
 
 D 4 re- 
 
40 On the Exaltation of Jefus Chrifi. 
 
 recipient •, God having exalted him to the right 
 hand of power. 
 
 At the fame time, we chearfully own, the 
 blefTed Jcfus, whom we view as thus exalted, 
 claims an honourable regard due to God's reprefen- 
 tative ; the prime minifter in his church and king- 
 dom i but not as the original infinite fource of fuch 
 delegated authority and power. — 
 
 This fame St. Paul, has given us the cleareft 
 and moft determinate ideas of xht fubordination of 
 the exalted JeTus to his God and Father — when he 
 fays to the Corinthians, '' I would have you 
 " know, that the head of every man, is Chrift ; 
 " that the head of the woman, is the man \ and 
 " that the head of Chrift, is God." No fcale of 
 ideas can be more expreffive and inftrudlive, 
 than this of the feveral claiTes of fuperiority and 
 fubordinacy which are in the eftablilhed plan of 
 God's rule and government. 
 
 It was a good obfervation made by a learned 
 
 pen, upon Htb. iv. 9. that the character of 
 
 fttting on the throne^ belongs only to God the 
 father.* 
 
 IV. The didincruifhed honours conferred on the 
 man Chrift Jefus, had for their obvious reajon and 
 ground^ his diftjnguifhed, his matchlefs piety and 
 obedience. Nor can any view of his exaltation 
 be more fatisfa£^ory and refrefhing to an human 
 
 * k«9h//«(/®j «-t/ t» Ofof'« never belongs to Chrift in 
 St. John's ftyle. See an anonymous pamphlet, entitled, the 
 ApojUes Ciecd better thc-n the JJftmbltes Catechifm, p. 6l. Printed 
 J 7 20, laid ;o be by iVir. Joleph Hallet junior, 
 
 mind ; 
 
On the Exaltation of Jefus Chriji. 41 
 
 mind ; as it gives the moll adorable ideas of Al- 
 mighty God, contemplated as a moral Governor. 
 —We fee in it his love of right eoufnefs^ and his 
 fatherly concern to infpire mankind with a firft 
 folicitude to pleafe him, by doing all his will : — 
 and hence it is, that the Chriftian is exhorted to 
 look to Jefus as the author, the leader-on, and 
 the finilher of his faith j — and as the captain of 
 his falvatlon, who was perfected through fufFer- 
 ings : — God thus placeth before the eye of man, 
 the fixed, eternal connexions which there are be- 
 tween a love of truth, and fupreme happinefs. — It 
 thus renders the vaft defigns of heaven familiar 
 to us : and we can read the tranfporting lines of 
 his truth and grace, in their infeparable and 
 everlafting eftablifhment — 
 
 No Sceptic^ no Infidel can point out fo much as 
 the Ihadow of human contrivance in any part of 
 the Gofpel plan ; nor can he produce one mark 
 of defedt in the evidence of our Lord*s exalta- 
 tion ; or fhew it to be unworthy of our higheft 
 gratitude and praife ! for it holds up to open 
 view, the infinite importance of our doing the 
 will of God, from the reward conferred on the 
 perlbnal obedience of Jefus Chrifl: •, and leaves no 
 room for the leaft excufe, or apology for our dif- 
 obedience, in any given circumftance of human 
 trial ; and it alfo thus indulges, with the utmoft 
 fcope of exertion, the moft refined, fublime, and 
 boundlefs wilh, defire, and delight of the foul of 
 man. — Hence we may be bold to fay, it appears 
 to us, that the great and good God could not 
 have mo^G glorified himfelf j or have appeared more 
 adorable to the human race, than in this laft dif- 
 penfacion of his truth and grace by the man Jefus 
 I Ohrift 
 
42 On the Exaltation of Jcfus Chriji. 
 
 Chrifl our Lord. So that there muft be ingrati- 
 
 iude in infidelity. 
 
 V. All fcrnples in the Chrlftian about making 
 his addrefTes in the name, or through the media- 
 tion of the exalted Jefus, do inftantly die away, 
 when once contemplated by him as that She- 
 CHiNAH of God, by whofe inftrumentality he is 
 directing, protedting, and governing his church 
 and world.— We are likewife, by this contempla- 
 tion, much more able to form an idea of locality 
 in the prefence of the beatifying glory ! i. e. we 
 can better conceive of the blifsful heavenly 
 abodes, by a circumfcribed, vifible, converfible 
 perfonage of our own fpecies, placed at the right 
 hand of power ; the moft glorious manifeftations 
 of an invifible incomprehenfible fpirit, are, by 
 this medium made more fatherly, familiar, and 
 felicitating ! 
 
 However, to the Infidel, the mediation of Jefus, 
 as fyflematically or generally underftood, has been, 
 and yet is a great Humbling- block. Whereas, 
 would he but fix his eye upon the New Tefta- 
 ment, that divine and rational reprefentation of 
 this medium of accefs and addrefs -, he would be 
 perfuaded, that this is the moft informing, di- 
 vinely pleafmg, and delightful plan that could be 
 laid for the direcflion of our homage ; forafmuch 
 as fince *' it has pleafed the Father, that in him 
 ^^ fiwuld all fulnefs dvoelly* we are naturally led to 
 reverence him as the great medium^ or minifter of 
 all divine communications of grace and mercy. 
 We addrefs the one God, through the mediation 
 of this one Lord, whom he has made head over 
 ail things to his church, the fulness of him ij^hu 
 
On the Exaltation of Jefus Chrijl. 43 
 
 filleth all in all! But yet, in this direftion of 
 our homage, we confider the man Chrift Jefus, 
 as no other than the medium *, and not as that 
 being, between whom and us he mediates. And how 
 clearly does this correfpond with the natural ideas 
 of man, who ever fought a medium of worlhip ? — 
 
 It is aftonifhing that any fhould pretend to 
 make uie of the name of Jefus as a mediator -, 
 and all the while worfhip him as if he was no 
 mediator ; but ultimately as the one fupreme ! 
 On the contrary, the rational Chriftian diflin- 
 guifhes in the object of his worlhip, between the 
 Father and the Son — between the fovereign and 
 \.hQ fuhje^^* or minifter of his rule and govern- 
 ment. He knows, that that fulnefs of the God- 
 head which dwells bodily, or fo communicatively 
 in Jefus Chrift, is not that Jefus Chrift himfelf, 
 with whom, or in whom fuch a fuln;;fs dwells. — 
 and thus the purity of Chriftian worftiip is pre- 
 ferved, and appears to be rational, and be- 
 coming the moft perfed manifeftations of divine 
 truth and mercy. — 
 
 VI. Our blefled Lord's being exalted above 
 all order of beings, invifible as v/ell as vifible, 
 will relieve the human rriind from any manner of 
 uneafy or painful apprehenfions about apparitions, 
 evil-fpirits, or demons. — 
 
 Under former difpenfations, the great God did 
 make ufe of the vifible minillration of Angels •, 
 and by their hands did both preferve and punilh 
 
 * I Cor. XV. 27, 28. 
 
 man- 
 
44 ^^ ^^-'^ Exaltation of Jefus Chrifi. 
 
 mankind. The Sacred Scriptures do plainly teach 
 this doflrine ; but inalmuch as under the Gofpel- 
 difpenfation, all created powers, vifible and in- 
 vifible, are put in fubjeftion to the fceptre of 
 Jefus, we have no reafon to apprehend any kind 
 of injury or harm from evil angels, or demons. — 
 The JewSy we know, were wont to afcribe all 
 incurable diflempers and calamities to their caufa- 
 lity. 
 
 And much noife has been made in the world 
 about apparitions and prodigies preter-natural. 
 Even in the darker ages of a corrupted Chriftian 
 profeffion, men have not come behind either Jews 
 or Pagans in various inventions to fill vulgar 
 minds with fearful images. And a very learned 
 v/riter on prodigies, fays, " Rome Pagan was as 
 " good at inventing ftories of prodigies and appa- 
 " ritions of the Gods, as Rome Chriftian of mira- 
 ^' cles and apparitions of Saints."* 
 
 It is no fmall fatisfadion to the Chriftian, that 
 his Lord has a name given him above every name : 
 and that all muft bow to him, whether things 
 in heaven, in earth, or under the earth. This 
 confideration fets the chriftian free from all dread 
 of apparitions, or of evil fpirits -, aad will not 
 fuffer him to be difturbed by fanciful ideas of 
 their mal-influence. For notwithftanding there 
 has been no vifible afliftance afforded from good 
 Angels, fmce the Apoftles, as there was in their 
 age i yet we may reafonably conclude, that in 
 every fucceeding age of the church, they muft 
 
 • Spencer on prodigies, p. 8. 
 
 be 
 
On the Exaltation of Jefus Qhrift. 45 
 
 be employed in the Chriftian's favor ; forafmuch 
 as they are all fent forth to minifter to them 
 who are, or fhall be the heirs of falvation. 
 
 VII. The exaltation of the man Chrift Jefus, 
 peremptorily and abfolutely forbids all creature-wor- 
 jhip. There are feveral inftances on facred re- 
 cord, where the worlhip of Saints and Angels is 
 exprefsly condemned. St. Paul and Barnabas 
 when they had miraculoufly healed the cripple at 
 Lyfira^ forbad the idolatry •, and St. Peter would 
 not fuffer any religious worfhip to be paid him 
 by Cornelius, though he had confidered that apo- ^ 
 ftle as only a divine melTenger. — And St. John's 
 conductor through the vifionary heavenly Icenes, 
 reprimanded his falling down at his feet. — " See^ 
 " faid he, thou do it not : for I am thy fellow 
 *' fervant, and of thy brethren the prophets, &c. 
 " worlhip thou God." 
 
 A learned writer obferved, that the idolatry of 
 Angel-worjhip is condemned in this epiftle, ch. ii. 
 18, 19. "The Jews had received the doftrine, 
 " and the converts from among them brought 
 *' along with them what was borrowed in a great 
 ** meafure from the heathen Philofophers ; and 
 *' Philo fays,* there are other fouls mofi pure and 
 *' good, who have a greater and more divine judg- 
 " ment and underjlanditig, and who defire nothing at 
 " all that is earthly : thefe are the prefuhnts or 
 " princes of the Almighty, like the eyes and ears of 
 " fome great King, beholding, and hearing all things : 
 '* thefe the Philofophers call demons, but the Htbrew 
 
 * De Somnis, p 586, 
 
 " fcrip- 
 
A.S On the Exaltation of Jefus Chrijl. 
 
 " fcriptures life to call them^ and that mojl properlyy 
 *• Angels ; for they carry the Father'' s commandments 
 " to his children^ and the children to the Father : 
 ' ' and therefore the fcripture reprefenti them as afcend- 
 *' ing and defcending. It is expedic/it^ fays he, for us 
 *' mortals to make ufe of fuch mediators. Again, if 
 " Angels were fuch mrdiators^ a ivorfhip was due to 
 *' them^ viz. the faints fJoould offer up their prayers 
 *' to God by theni^ offering them up to them, that they 
 ** might prefent them to God.^* 
 
 Now, my Author obferves, " this mifchief con- 
 *' tinned long in Phrygia and Piiidiai hence the 
 " council, that met at Laodicea in Phrygia, made 
 " a law againft praying to Angels ; and to this 
 " very day,* fays Theodoret^ are to be {tzw among 
 " them, and in the neighbouring parts, the ora- 
 " tories of St. Michael i and that the Effenes, took 
 *' great care about the name of Angels." 
 
 I would add, that the worfliip of the papal- 
 church is anti-chriftian, and idolatrous : for it makes 
 ufe of many mediators. But unto us Chriftians, 
 *' there is but one God j and but one mediator 
 *' between God and man, the man Chrift Jefus.'* 
 
 It is faid, I am afraid too juftly, that that fliock- 
 ing popifh Superflition is now gaining ground, in a 
 proteftantChriftian nation — but if it be true, it can 
 do no other than deprave and unchriftianize the 
 fpirit of our people — for the worlliip of papal- 
 Rome, is not at all fit for men, confidered either 
 
 * About the fourth century, So Mr. James Pierce on the place. 
 See his paraphrafe. 
 
 2 as 
 
On the ExaUatmi of Jefus Chrijt. 47 
 as rational beings, or as chriftianSi And were it 
 not for the difTipation and debauchery, which are 
 become epidemical, and an avowed aim in pub- 
 lic a n, to give a defpotic fway to the 
 
 Britilh Sceptre, we might well be aftonifhed at the 
 delufion. To conclude^ 
 
 It is prefumed, that the truth of the propofition 
 in the Title-page has been made evident, viz. 
 ** that the ingratitude of infidelity is proveable, 
 •' from the humiliation and exaltation of Jefus 
 " Chrift being the moft beneficial appointments 
 " that are within the known plan of God's moral 
 *' government-," fgr that whoever ruminates upon 
 the feven views above taken of the advantageous 
 inftruftion which mankind may receive from thofe 
 appointments, muft have the highefl reverence of 
 the New Teftament writings, as an inefimable 
 treafure ! which informs us, that he is of God 
 made unto us wifdom, and righteoufnefs, and 
 fanftification, and redemption ; for by the whole 
 of Gofpel addrefs, we are led to glory in it, as the 
 wifdom of God, and the power of God ; inafmuch. 
 as Jefus Chrift was railed from the dead, and glory 
 given him, that our faith and hope misht be ia 
 
 ^' J 
 
 FINIS. 
 
ERRATA. 
 
 Page 4. 1. 22. for "^vkh read '^vy^^, 
 
 5. 1. 5. from bottom, for //V, read Jyi, 
 
 25, Note, dele a;iif. 
 
 26. 1< 3. from bottom, for /i/ read <iv/&/V/&.