图书图片
PDF
ePub

first derived being who had been employed under God the Father in making all things, should, some time after the world was made, have so limited dominion and authority, as to be the president and governor of the Jewish people only; whilst other angels had like power and dominion over other people and countries.

What reason can be assigned, why the being, who under God the Father had been creator of all things, visible and invisible, should be put quite, or well nigh, upon a level with his creatures? There is no ground, from reason or scripture, to believe any voluntary or imposed humiliation of the Son of God before his incarnation.

I might likewise ask what reason can be assigned, why any good angels should, after our Lord's resurrection and ascension, be deprived of any advantages, which they before enjoyed? For it may be well supposed, that if they were acquainted with our Lord's transactions here on earth, by the will of the Father, for the good of mankind, they approved, admired, and applauded them. And some of the angels may have been, yea, were employed in attending upon, and ministering to Jesus, whilst he dwelt on this earth.

However, this may be reckoned by some to be an exception only to the scheme of the learned commentator before cited; I therefore place these observations here by themselves.

But for the present, setting that aside, all, I think, who are in this scheme, that the Word, the Son of God, is a distinct being, inferior to God the Father, suppose, that he was employed under God the Father, in creating the heavens and the earth, and all things that are therein; that afterwards he was incarnate, humbled himself, suffered and died, and was exalted.

Against this scheme then, as distinguished from the foregoing particular, (though that has been introduced as a plausible supposition,) I object as follows.

1. The Lord Jesus, in the New Testament, is often spoken of as 66 a man ;" which means a being with a reasonable soul and human body. But, if the Word, a transcendently great and excellent spirit, far superior to human souls, animated the body of Jesus, as a soul, then our Lord was not, properly speaking, a man; though this be often said in scripture, and spoken of as a thing of importance. I do not now allege any texts by way of proof. There may be occasion to produce them distinctly in another place.

2. It appears to be an impropriety, and incongruity, that

any spirit, except a human soul, should animate a human body. It would, I apprehend, be an incongruity not paralleled in any of the works of God, of which we have any knowledge.

3. Jesus Christ, as we evidently know from his history in the gospels, had all the innocent, sinless infirmities of the human nature. He was weary with journeyings, be bungered, and had thirst, he needed the refreshment of food, and of rest, or sleep; and he endured pain, and at some times piercing affliction and grief, and at last died.

But this could not have been, supposing the body of Jesus to have been animated by so transcendently powerful and active a spirit as the Word, or the Son of God, in this scheme is supposed to be. He could not have been diminished or weakened thereby. Supposing such an union of so great a spirit with a human body, it would swallow it up. I mean, that spirit would not be straitened and confined, or diminished by the body, but would infuse vigour, and activity into the body; so that it would be no longer liable to the weaknesses to which human bodies, actuated only by human souls, are incident. How can a spirit, creator of all things under God the Father, be straitened and incommoded by so small a portion of matter, which was originally created by him? Will the residence of so great a spirit in a human body make no alteration? Shall that body be still as feeble, as liable to wants, and as sensible to pain, as an ordinary body, which has only a human soul?

4. We do not perceive the Lord Jesus to insist upon his pre-existent greatness and glory, as an argument of obedi ence to his doctrine. He does not represent himself to those who were his hearers, as their creator under God. But he says, "the Father had sent him," that he acted by commission under God, and that the Father bad sealed him, by the miraculous works which he had enabled him to do, and that he had authority from him to do and teach as he did.

5. If so glorious a being as the Word, or Son of God, is represented to be in this scheme, had taken upon himself a human body, and submitted to animate and act in it as a soul: that condescension would have been clearly and frequently shown, and insisted on, in the gospels and epistles. It would have been as much enlarged upon as our Lord's resurrection and ascension: but there are no clear texts asserting this; none but what are capable of another sense, and are better interpreted in a different manner.

6. In this way Jesus Christ is no example of imitation to

us; for no such thing, as the condescension just represented, is required of us. We are not taught to be willing to descend into some inferior species of beings, and therein to be debilitated and incommoded, and lose all our rationality, for a while at least. But what we are taught is, that we should act modestly and meekly in the condition assigned us, and in which God has made us.

7. If the body of Jesus had been animated by so great a spirit as its soul, there would have been nothing at all extraordinary in his resurrection and ascension. And yet how does the apostle labour in describing this great instance of divine power? Eph. i. 19, 20, "That ye may know what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward, who believe, according to the working of his mighty power; which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places." But what is there extraordinary in it, that a being who, under God, had made the world, should be raised up, and ascend, and be seated in the heavenly places, where he had been long before?

8. Once more; this doctrine of the transcendent glory and power of Christ before his coming into the world, is inconsistent with the representations given throughout scripture of his exaltation after his death, as a reward of his humility and obedience upon earth. For the text, agreeably to many others, says: "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him." But there is no exaltation, to which any being can be advanced, that would exceed what the creator was entitled to, as such. Has he not as creator, under God, of all things visible and invisible, a natural right to dominion and authority over them, and to precedence before and above all others? How then could dominion and authority over all things be the reward of Christ's humility and patience, and other virtues here on earth?

What adds weight to this consideration is, that this doctrine weakens, and even destroys the argument set before us to humility and meekness, which is taken from the exaltation of Jesus. For according to it, he has no advancement, and indeed could have no advancement, after all he had done here, but what he was entitled to without it.

[ocr errors]

I must not stay to state and answer objections. But there is one text, so likely to occur to the thoughts of many, that it may be best to take notice of it. It is in the prayer recorded, John xvii. where at ver. 5, is this petition of our Lord." And now, O Father, glorify thou me with the

66

glory which I had with thee before the world was." It any should urge this text, as an objection against some things just said, I would answer; the most likely meaning of these words is to this purpose. Our Lord was here approaching to the affecting scene of his last sufferings, and the conclusion of his life here on earth, in which he had acted with great zeal and faithfulness for the glory of God, and the good of men. And having so fulfilled the commission given him, he solemnly and humbly addresses God, saying, "I have glorified thee on earth. I have finished the work, which thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with the glory which I had with thee before the world was:" that is, which had been always, and from the beginning designed for me. So Rev. xiii. 8, "The lamb slain," that is, designed to be slain, " before the foundation of the world." Eph. i. 4, "According as he has chosen us in him, before the foundation of the world.” Col. iii. 3, "Your life is hid with Christ in God." See also Eph. iii. 9, and Matt. xxv. 34; and other like places. So the glory, which was to be the reward of what Jesus should do on earth, was always with God. It was "with him,” in his purpose: "hid with him, before the world was." To the like effect St. Augustin very largely. And if there is any reward annexed to our Lord's services and sufferings here on earth, (as certainly there is,) very probably that is what is here intended.

These things I have now proposed to your consideration. I do not dictate. But let it be considered, whether this scheme be not attended with difficulties. Many pious and learned men may have taken it up, for avoiding difficulties in the commonly received doctrine. Nevertheless this also may be found to have difficulties that must weaken the persuasion of its truth and probability.

God willing, I intend to represent another opinion hereafter. For the present I shall conclude with the following remarks.

We may hence receive instruction. We should not be too much opinionated of ourselves, because we know more truths than others. Let us rather suppose that we may be mistaken; sensible, that in many points of speculation there

b Cut ergo videret illius prædestinatæ suæ clarificationis venisse jam tempus, ut et nunc fieret in redditione, quod fuerat in prædestinatione jam factum, oravit, dicens: "Et nunc clarifica me, tu Pater, apud teipsum, claritate quam habui priusquam mundus esset, apud te:" tanquam diceret, claritatem quam habui apud te, id est; illam claritatem, quam habui apud te in prædestinatione tuâ, tempus est, ut apud te habeam etiam vivens in dexterâ tuà. In Joan. Evang. xvii. tract. 105. p. 8. tom. III. Bened. p. 2.

are difficulties which may be overlooked by us; and that our scheme may be liable to objections which we have not observed. Neither all wisdom, nor all truth is monopolized by any one man, or sect of men. He who has gained truth fairly, by impartial and laborious examination and inquiry, will be under little temptation to insult or despise others whom he thinks to be in error or ignorance, if they be but open to conviction. He knows that things appear in different lights to different persons, and to the same person at different times. He has, perhaps, been positive in some points, which he has afterwards seen to be mistaken opinions; though he was all the while sincere. He must therefore allow the innocence of error in some cases. Let us not be too desirous that others should agree with us in opinion. Let us love and honour them, if they are honest and virtuous; which many may be, who are not of the same scntiment with us, and see not things in the same light that we do. If we desire to experience moderation from others, let us show it ourselves, as there is occasion. Let not our faith, our knowledge, or opinion of it, produce arrogance and censoriousness. But as St. James directs; if we are wise men, and endued with knowledge, let us show out of a good conversation our works with meekness of wisdom, Jam. iii. 13. Or, let us show our wisdom by a truly pious and virtuous conversation, and by meekness of behaviour towards others.

DISCOURSE III.

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. And what follows. Philip. ii. 5–11.

I HAVE proposed to explain this text largely and distinctly. And though this design may lead me to be somewhat controversial, and to treat some points which are, and long have been, disputed among christians; I have hoped that I should have no reason to decline freedom and plainness of expres sion. It is very common for men in public, as well as private discourses, to assert their own sentiment, and to refute, or do what lies in their power to refute, the schemes and sentiments of others. Nor is it uncommon for men of low rank and condition, to think themselves capable judges of what are reckoned the most sublime and mysterious doc

« 上一页继续 »