lity, and Patience. The Former is to be expreffed, by thinking no good Offices beneath us, whereby we may contribute to the Relief of our Brethren, in Their Sufferings; The Latter, by Contentedness and Conftancy of Mind, in fubmitting to our Own. In order to excite and establish thefe good Difpofitions in us, the Son of God, and Saviour of the World, is here fet forth as our Pattern. His Love and Condefcenfion, for our Example; That We, fo far as the difference of Circumftances will allow, may not grudge to do, as He hath done before us. His Exaltation and Reward is alfo mentioned, for our Encouragement; That We may depend upon the like being done to Us in proportion, which hath already been done to Him, by way of Recompence for fuch kind Humiliation. To treat this Subject, as we ought, it will be requifite to confider, First, What our Lord did, and how we are bound to imitate him. Secondly, What he received, and how this affures Us, of being rewarded like him. 1. A juft Senfe of what our Lord did we never can have, without right Notions concerning the Dignity of his Perfon. Which therefore the Apostle hath here illuftrated, in Terms, that speak him Very God, and Very Man. The Form of God as strongVer. 5, 6, 7. ly inferring the Former, as the Likeness and Fafbion of Men does the Latter; if we regard only the force of the Expreffions themselves. And, as the whole Courfe of his Converfation, the things he did and fuffered, living and dying, made uncontestable proof of the truth of his Human Nature: So, if we will allow St. Paul to argue with any Confiftence, his Argument here overthrows the Cavils, ufually objected to the Truth of his Divine Nature. For how can any Ver. 7, 8. taking the Likeness or Fashion of Men deferve to be thought an emptying or humbling of himself, in a Perfon who is no more than Man? How How can the Government of the whole World be committed to, or adminiftred by, a mere Man? How can Univerfal Adoration become due Ver. 10. to fuch a one? How can it agree with the defign of the Christian Religion, to enjoin it, which aimed fo directly at curing Idolatrous Mankind of their Monftrous Sin and Folly; confifting properly in deifying Men for their Merits, and, in that Ignorance of the One true God, doing Service to them which by Nature Gal. iv. 8. Phil. ii. 6. are no Gods? But especially, how should a Perfon deferve and obtain Divine Honours, as a Reward for his unparallelled Humility, and Piety, and moft exemplary Meeknefs, Who, if he were not Real God, and yet thought it not Robbery to be equal with God, (but suffered himself to be elteemed fo, gave occafion from his own Words to be thus efteemed, never warn'd those who took the occafion, of any Error or ill Confequence in fuch an Opinion) was certainly the proudeft and moft prefumptuous, the profaneft and moft deteftable Blafphemer? To Them therefore, who acknowledge our Lord's Divinity, St. Paul's Reafoning is just and very preffing. But, to refer it to fuch Condefcenfions, as Washing his Difciples Feet, or even the Indignities of his Paffion, in a Man only, renders it weak and trifling. The Terms, expreffing this voluntary Humiliation, are an empty Pomp in comparifon; and fuch as then indeed, but only then, are full of Significance and found Argument; when the Perfection and Majefty of Chrift's Divine, and the Impotence and Vilenefs of Our Human Nature, are understood, for the Height he came down from, to the Depth he defcended to. Concerning This Condefcenfion, how Marvellous it is in felf, and how forcible an Engagement to Humility and Charity, upon all who believe and reap the benefits of it, I did endeavour to make Men fenfible, when the Church commemorated the Bleffing of our Ee 2 Lord Lord taking upon him the form of a Servant, and being made in the likeness of Men. Gospel for That yet more amazing Humiliation, of becoming obedient unto Death, even the Death of the Crofs, is Matter more peculiarly fuitable to the Devotions of this Day. And to It therefore I fhall chiefly confine my Difcourfe. That Crucifixion was of all Deaths the most Painful, the most Opprobrious; A Punishment referved for the Vileft of Slaves, and the Heinouseft of Malefactors; I can scarce fuppofe any of my Readers Ignorant. But if they be, the Hiftory of our Dear Redeemer's Sufferings, fo particularly rehearfed, fo often repeated, in the Service of this Week, will not fail to poffefs them with right Apprehenfions of it. Waving therefore any farther Enlargement at prefent, concerning that, which our Thoughts will, for fome fucceeding Days, find themselves obliged to dwell upon; I apply my felf immediately to the force and fitnefs of this Example, for producing, in the Minds of all who confider it, thofe Two Difpofitions already mentioned, which the Collect hath taught us at this time moft feasonably to pray for. Matth. xi. 29. 1. The First of thefe is Humility. Which, it is evident, no Perfon, no Inftance, no Action, ever had, ever could have, fo direct a tendency to promote. Well therefore might this Saviour invite Men to learn of Him, as being Meek and Lowly; fince none was ever by Nature so Exalted, none by Choice fo Abafed: None could fo empty himself of Glory and Power as He had done; even tho' his Appearance upon Earth had been made, in all the Riches and Splendor of the greatest Monarch, that ever the World knew. But to render his Goodness still more aftonishing, He came not to be miniftred unto, but to minifter: Thought the giving of his own Life a Ranfom an Office not too kind; and doing Matth. xx. 28. 2 doing this in the quality of a Servant and a Criminal, a Character not too mean, for the fake of doing Good. The most fatal, and pehaps the Corruption that sticks clofeft to our Nature, is Pride. Fit therefore, above all others, to be particularly countermined, and quite beat out of countenance, by Him, who came into the World, on purpose to correct our Corruptions, and to renew our Nature. This Vice confifts in undue Exaltations of our felves, and, in confequence of thefe, Difdain and Contempt of Others. But, Who are those Selves? Who thofe Others? Loft and Undone Wretches all; Loft and Undone by the Pride of the Firft; and fo must have continued to Eternity, if not rescued by the Humility of the Second, Adam. Do We then infift upon Points and Niceties of Refpect, upon Place and Precedence, with the utmost rigor, and caft away our own, or invade another's Life (Murderers in both) upon the very jealoufy of an Affront? Do We neglect our poorer, or in any refpect meaner Brethren, behold their Miseries with Indifference, hold them fo far unworthy our Pains, or Coft, or perfonal good Offices, as scarce to allow them Pity or Regard? Nay but, O Man! Look upon the Bleffed Jefus. See the King of Heaven, making himself of no Reputation, eating with the Traitor, admitting his unfaithful Kifs, mute before his Judges, crucified with Thieves. And all for Them, whom Thou parfueft with Revenge, or paffeft over with Difdain. For Thee, who thus reproacheft the Mercy by 'which thou art Redeemed, the Lord that thus Redeemed thee. Compare the Indignities He submitted to, with Thine: His unbounded Charity, with thy Angry Refentments, Scornful Mien, and Hard-hearted Coldnefs; And thou wilt foon perceive, that the Pride, the Cruelty, the Unconcernedness, which in any Man is Wicked, in the Difciples of a Crucified Mafter, is perfectly Abfurd. A Contradiction to the Name of Chriftian, Ee 3 ftian, while thou wilt not let the fame Mind be in Thee, which was in Chrift Jefus. 'Tis true indeed, He hath far exceeded all, that is poffible for us to imitate. But the lefs proportion the utmost we can do bears to His amazing Condefcenfion for our fakes; the more must They, for whom he ftooped fo low, if they think any thing too much for Them, for whom he likewise stoop'd fo low, find their own Narrownefs of Spirit, and too delicate Diftinctions, (where there is fo little ground for fuch) reproached and condemned. And well it were, if They would feriously reflect, that this Saviour is one Day to be their Judge; if they would afk themfelves, how they fhall then be able to stand before Him, Who though he was in the form of God, and thought it not robbery to be equal with God, yet bumbled himself to the form of a Servant, and became obedient unto Death, even the Death of the Crofs. 2. The other Virtue, I would recommend, is Patience. Eafy to be attained, when that, Laft mentioned, hath opened the way to it. For it is Pride especially, that difpofes us to be Angry and Revengeful, Fretful and Querulous, Uneafy with our Fortunes, and Unthankful to Providence. Against all which evil Difeafes of the Mind, what Antidote more proper, more powerful can we think of, than the Example of the Meek-fuffering Jefus? If our Quiet be disturbed, our Poffeffions invaded, our Perfons infulted, our Reputation afperfed, by the Malice of unreafonable wicked Men; Let us remember the perpetual Vexations, the Injuries and Affronts, the Lies and Contradictions of Sinners against himself, which, through the whole Courfe of his Ministry, he endured; but which, in the Tragical Scene this Week prefents us with, were Outrageous beyond any comparifon. If Poverty or Friendlefs Trouble be our Grievance; This refembles us but more to that Son of God, who for our fakes became Poor, fubfifted on the pious Bounty of his Hearers and Atten |