'cuse me, my dear lady, if I observe, that it is not for us to determine, in what way we can be most useful. Will you allow me to suggest my own ideas on the subject; which are, that we with all the circumstances of our lives, are at the disposal of an all-perfect Being." "Here you will please to allow me to add a desire, which at times I am happy in the operation of in my own breast; a desire, that my own will should never interfere with the Divine will; but that it should be brought to a subserviency, equal to the production of a desire, that the Divine glory may be effected, let my circumstances be what they may."-"Was it not for a deeply rooted veneration for the rectitude of the Divine government, how could the mind be supported?" "I wish you the influences of that blessed Spirit, which must breathe upon all means of comfort, to make them efficacious.""Is it not of the first consequence, that we contemplate frequently the excellency of the example, which our blessed Redeemer has left us, and pray over it-pray that we may be struck with and delight ed by the infinite condescension discovered in the indulgence allowed us to aim at imitation?""With regard to myself, though few have had so much to lose, I think I can with pleasure do justice to the sovereignty of God, and can, according to my weak capacity, with composure say, 'through he slay me, yet will I trust in Him.' I acknowledge there is much chaffiness in the heap, yet I hope there may be found some few grains of just sentiment and sincere desire to render due praise for the many,

many indulgencies, through grace, from that fountain of compassion, upon which we may all have liberty to draw."-"Far, very far, be it from me, to question the justice of any of the Divine dealings with me-perfectly satisfied, that every expression of the Divine Mind toward me is founded in wisdom and goodness. I would gladly suffer any thing rather than dishonor that all-bountiful Benefactor, who has encircled me in the rise, and now, in the decline of life, with blessings, which I am sure I do not deserve even a shadow of.” —lu 1804 she thus writes to the same, "I really should think I had suffered to some valuable purpose, could I afford you any new source of comfort from my experience; but why, let me ask, will you not avail yourself of those precious promises, which abound in the sacred volume? O how many richly encouraging invitations have we to commit all our ways to that Almighty Being, who is infinite in wisdom and power; who has graciously declared that none shall seek his face in vain;' and condescends to teach us, how we are to ask favors, viz. in faith, nothing wavering.' O how precious the liberty, that we may call upon Him at any time, in any place! Let us, my dear lady, improve the privilege. Let us be constant in our applications at the throne of grace, for grace, rightly to judge of all things, which pertain to this life, and that which awaits us beyond the grave. How can we help loving a Character, so replete with excellence? And, if we love, shall we not necessarily commit ourselves, with all our concerns to the dis

tion and that of God. For to you says he, it is given, in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but to suffer for his sake. That they might be prepared for evil report, and to endure hardness as good soldiers, he exhorted them to be of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. In order the more fully to show them what they ought to be, Paul brings to view the humiliation of Christ. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God. But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:--And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

The apostle evidently intends to represent Christ as having humbled himself exceedingly in condescending to be found in in fashion as a man. But I do not recollect as we ever read of the peculiar humility of those angels who have appeared, at different times, in the form of men.

Leaving the context, however, we will attend more particularly to the words under consideration, in which Paul asserts, that Christ, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God. The apostle either labored under a mistake, or he did not, when he wrote the verse just quoted. He communicated an important and interesting truth, or a very dangerous error.

If it be acknowledged, that he was not deceived, but advanced truth, and that in an intelligible manner, which I think must be acknowledged by all, then the two expressions, being in the form of God, and thought it not robbery to be equal with God, are full of a meaning, which is infinitely important. The common interpretation of this portion of Sacred Writ is abundantly justified by other passages of Scripture, particularly by the discoveries of himself by our Divine Lord when with his disciples in person. Christ said many things in public assemblies, and private circles, which tended directly to lead his disciples and others, and actually did lead them, to suppose, that he made himself equal with the Father, and thus meant to be received and treated by all who would be his followers. He gave those, who were instructed by him to understand, that if they did not receive him as equal with the Father, they did not receive the Father; and unless they honored him they did not honor the true God. The writer of these words, says, without any hesitation, that Christ was in the form of God. But if Christ, in his highest character, be inferior to the Father, would there not be as much propriety in saying, that any other creature is in the form of God, as that the Savior himself is? There is an infinite disparity between infinite and finite, and this disparity will remain, however high the finite being may be raised. It is impossible to progress toward infinite. The atom in the sun beam is as near infinite as the globe we inhabit; the worm of the dust as the highest seraph in heaven. Hence, however high

Christ may be exalted above angels and every other creature, unless he is considered as equal with God, there will be an infinitely greater difference be tween him and God, than between him and the smallest insect. We can by no means suppose that Christ was in the form of God because he was free from sin; for in this sense all angels and the spirits of just men, when they are made perfect in heaven, may be said to be in the form of God.

By the word form we naturally understand, when used in this connexion, the perfections of Jehovah. One being or thing cannot be in the form of another, unless it have all the essential properties, which belong to that of which it is in the form. Taking away one of the essential properties would destroy the idea of the same form, and make deformity. Speaking of the material part of man, or his body, we do hot say that one has the same form as another, when he lacks some essential member; but rather say he is deformed, and unlike the other. So Christ, if he be in the form of God, must have all those perfections which are essential to the existence of God, as an infinite being. It may be said a child is in the form of his father, though much smaller. This is true, but it could not be, if size were essential to the form of the father. Some may say Christ is in the form of God, in as much as he has most of the divine attributes, particularly the moral. But take away eternity from God, and does it not destroy the idea of a Supreme Being; and after taking it from him, who was found in fashion as

a man, how can he be said to be in the form of God?

It may be said, that one being can be in the form of another without being of the same duration; but this is not true if duration without beginning be essential to the existence of that other, which is the case when applied to God. Christ might be said, with as much propriety, to be in the form of God without holiness as without eternal independent existence; for the former is as essential to the existence of God as the latter. Reader, would you say your Savior was in the form of God without goodness? Then do not take away his eternity, and say he is in the form of the Father. To say that Christ is in the form of God because he has

every perfection in an inferior degree, is childish. Who can get any idea of subordinate infinite power, and inferior eternal existence? And so with regard to the other attributes. To say, that Christ is in the form of God, because through him the divine glory is manifested, would be as absurd as to say, that the body is in the form of the soul, because it is the medium by which the properties of the soul are discov ered. Then Christ must in every respect be in the form of God, without any limitation, or the great apostle leads us into error and perplexity.

It

The second clause is equally expressive-thought it not robbery to be equal with God. seems as though the former expression justified the latter, and is the foundation of the claim to equality with the Father, which Christ thought it not robbery to make. If Christ be equal to the Father then he is justifiable in

claiming such equality; but if he be not equal, how can he be clear of robbery in making the claim. The character of our Savior eannot be maintained as a good man, if we set aside his absolute and eternal equality with the Father. As Abbadie says, his system is directly calculated to lead us in to error; from error to idolatry, and from idolatry to damnation. If Christ be not equal with the Father, the same may be said of Paul and Christians generally that he said of the Gentiles, in his epistle to the Romans: When they knew God they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing themselves to be wise they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image like to corruptible man, and birds and four-footed beasts, and creeping things. Instead of worshipping the eternal God, and him only, they worship as the self-existent God, one who by no means possesses this character.

His

It is said, that the titles Jehovah, Lord, God, Most High, I AM, and the like, are not to be understood in their full latitude when applied to Christ. name shall be called the Mighty God the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. This he shall be called, but this he never was and never will be. If such an interpretation is to be admitted, the Scriptures are chargeable with using language that cannot be understood by man. Is not this destroying the utility of the Bible? For the origin of the many opinions concerning Christ, we must no longer look to the depravity of the heart, but to the

want of perspicuity in revelation. If we are authorized in one instance to say, that the word Jehovah represents the eternal God, by what authority do we say that in another instance it has quite a different meaning and represents a dependent being, when the spirit of truth does no give us any intimation of a different meaning? On the other hand, if the word Jehovah is to be understood as representing a dependent being in one part of the Bible, whence do we derive scriptural authority for saying, that this name ever represents the everlasting God? So with respect to all other titles of the Deity; for they are all given to the Father and the Son. If we are to put such a construction upon the language of Scripture, we may conclude that the orig. inal and first cause is no where spoken of in the sacred pages. If I AM, when Christ applies it to himself, does not represent independent existence, I see no reason why we should suppose that the being, who said to Moses, tell them I AM hath sent thee, was self existent. To form such an opinion of revelation must be derogatory to the character of God, and calculated to bring the Bible into disrepute among those for whom it was intended to be a guide to heaven.

Here suffer me to repeat to those readers, who doubt the equality of the Son with the Father, a question proposed by a worthy divine; viz. Whether they should not have used different language from that in the Bible, had it been left to them to represent Christ's character, as they view it? In answer to this question, they must acknowl