himself as sent by the Father, and as receiving a com- mandment from him. We must not, however, conceive from hence that he is only a creature ; for though in his official capacity he was inferior to the Father, in his own nature he was equal to the Father, as St. Paul tells us ; " He was in the form of God, and thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant0."
Christ's work as a servant was, to reveal the Father's will to mankind, to make atonement for their sins, and to reduce them to a state of holy obedience ; or, in other words, to execute the offices of a prophet, a priest, and a king, in compliance with the Father's appoint- ment, and in subserviency to his honour. Now that he delivered his doctrines in the capacity of a servant, is evident from his own repeated confessions ; " My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me :" " What- soever I speak, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak'1." It was also in obedience to his Father's will that he offered himself a sacrifice for sin. Our Lord himself says, " Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life that I might take it again : no man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself: I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again : this commandment have I re- ceived of the Father* :" and St. Paul also says, that " being found in fashion as a man, he became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross f." Thus also in the manifold exercises of his regal power, whether he cured diseases, rectified abuses, or forgave sins, he acted by an authority delegated to him for that pur- pose. When, at the very beginning of his ministry he took the sacred volume into his hands to read out of it to the people in the synagogue, he selected this passage, which fully declared to them by what autho- rity he acted ; " The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor, he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted:"
c Phil. ii. 6, 7. d John vii. 16. and xii. 50.
e John x. 17, 18. f Phil. ii. 8.