CHAPTER VIII: What Christ did for satisfaction brings more honour to God than ever sin had done
hath given him to have life, so glory in himself also, as in that John 5.
And here in the Philippians he is said to exist in this glory, Phil. 2:6, not that his human nature had this glory actually put upon it at first
(for he was born as we are, and took upon him the form of a servant); but because thus to exist in this glory was his due, from which he could not be put by; so as, if God would ordain him to subsist personally in a human nature, it was his due to have existed thus gloriously in the form of God, and not in the form of a servant, which is put in to shew how the form of a servant was merely arbitrary in him, in that another form was due to him, and in respect of that dueness is accounted as really existent, with an existency of right (for it should so have done), which is a real existency; even as one that is born a king, though he for some end take on him a mean condition, yet he being born a king does so exist, and it prejudiceth not his right all that while, for it is innate and bred with his existing. And therefore the Scripture speaks of Christ even as Son of man, as if as Son of man he had been in heaven, and had come down: not that actually he had been there, but because it was his right to have been there the first moment of the assumption of that nature. Thus John
3:13, 'And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man who is in heaven.' He (you see) says, that he is in heaven.
Thus much shall suffice to have shewn the foundation of satisfaction, from the qualifications and requisites in the person.
CHAPTER VIII
What this excellent and glorious person did for satisfaction, brings more honour to God than ever sin had done dishonour.—The glory which redounds to God from this person's condescending to assume human nature, and that too in such a low condition, and meanest circumstances.
Now to come to the second head proposed, namely, to shew what it is in or of such a person that may become, or is the matter of this satisfaction offered up to God, for the debasement of his glory by sin.
To clear this, I will first shew what it is that God reckons not upon for satisfaction in this person; what God cuts off from the account, because he would be sure to have full satisfaction in specie, in kind, which will also serve the more to set forth the fulness, the abundancy of Christ's satisfaction, when God accepts not of what might have been so accounted, but stands upon more; which Christ performs to him.
As, 1. The very condescending of the second person, who natively and essentially is so great, to assume man's nature, although in this form of God described, invested with all that manifestative glory spoken of, and this from and upon the first moment of his assuming it; if this act of assuming had been done and undertaken principally in order and with intention to satisfy God, by bringing in a new glory to him, greater than that which he lost by him, and this without the least humbling of himself; I ask, why might not this in just reason have been accounted satisfaction?
For (1.) he had thereby lessened himself to give glory to God. For in that assumption, and in that communication of himself to a creature, he takes on him such relations as do in some respects abate of the height of his native personal glory, as he is considered merely as second person; and in respect to this assumption, he is made less than what before he was. For now it may be said of him, as it was by himself, that 'his Father is greater than he,' John 14:28, whereas he might have kept himself in a full equality to him in all respects for ever, and to have had no such diminishing respect affixed to him.
And (2.) by this voluntary act alone he had brought in unto God a new and further revelation of the Godhead than ever was obscured by sin; and it is certain that he had never assumed man's nature, and thus lessened himself, but that so he might manifest the glory of the Godhead in such a manner as otherwise it never should have been.
Therefore for him thus to lessen himself, to the end to manifest and exalt the glory of the Godhead the utmost way it could be, or more than otherwise it should have been, might not this make amends for the glory that sin would take from God? And the reason of this is, that satisfaction being a return of as much glory as was lost, and that by this means (if no other were added) more manifestative glory would come in unto God than either was or ever could have been debased or impaired by sin, why therefore might it not have been accounted satisfactory, if it had been ordered simply unto this end?
And further also, even this would have served to fill up many of those disproportions found in the evil of sin. For as the evil of Adam's sin
(which was the first sin) lay in this, that he who was a creature affected and aspired to be as God—He is become as one of us, said
God, Gen. 3:22—so Christ's obedience, in assuming our nature, would herein have answered it, that he that is God becomes a creature, and on the other side is become as one of us men; so to bring in a new honour unto God. So that, look how high our nature would have ascended, so low doth he descend; and as sin is a turning from God to the creature, so in this act the Creator descends from the height of his glory to become a creature, and join himself in a nearer union with us than wherein we in sinning affected to join ourselves to the Creator.
And then again, 2. All the works and actions which, in that nature thus assumed, in this height of glory that becomes due to it, he will set himself about to work, and to shew forth the glory of the Godhead of his Father, and of himself; even these also, by reason of that worth which his personal perfections do contribute unto them, might haply be estimated sufficient to give satisfaction in point of honour, though no further debasement be laid upon our nature in him. As suppose that he would have done nothing therein but work miracles, utter his treasures of wisdom, shew forth his holiness and power, &c.; yet these being from a person so infinitely glorious, have therefore an infinite worth in them all, even as all his actions, now he is in heaven, have; for the person is infinite, and he it is that gives this acceptance and this lustre to them. And these would also have brought more
glory to God than was lost, and so would have countervailed our sins.
For all the actions that he doth, and all the glory that he hath now he is glorified, are all 'to the glory of God the Father' (as this text hath it), and therefore if in all that he had ever done he had as directly glorified himself as now in heaven, yet all of those actions being further and besides, to the glory of God the Father, they might superabundantly have made amends for the dishonour that sin brought him.
But God reckons all this not as any part of that satisfaction which we are a-seeking after. He accepts not simply the assumption of our nature, though never so glorious, and he accepts it not, although it were a lessening of the second person. In the Scripture I find nothing for it, and what God reckons not satisfaction to him, we must not account such. Neither do I affirm it, having only pleaded what might be argued (and what haply God might have reckoned), thereby the more to advance that satisfaction which Christ hath performed in this human nature; the like whereof I did when I discoursed the point of satisfaction for goods. It is indeed the foundation of satisfaction, and makes way to it, but is not a part of it. And so the actions of him now glorified in heaven, though they have so much worth in them, yet God reckons them not to be a part of satisfaction; for that was all finished here in his humbled estate, ere ever he ascended.
And the reason of this, why this assumption of our nature in a glorious condition, or the actions thereof, are not mentioned in Scripture as any part of satisfaction may be; both because the sole end of Christ's assuming our nature, quoad substantiam mysterii, for the substance of this mystery, was not (as I have elsewhere* shewed) the redemption of man; but there were other ends, which taken all together are as great as this, if not greater; as, the manifestion of God to the utmost. God could not have been manifested to the utmost, but by lessening one of the persons of the Trinity by an hypostatical union; as also because God would make the subject of all the parts of satisfaction to be Christ, God-man, and not the second person simply
so considered, and therefore he must be supposed ordained to assume man's nature, ere he becomes a fit subject for satisfaction.
But the act of assuming our nature is the act of the second person, merely so considered; and so, though done in order to satisfaction, as being the foundation of it, yet is not a part of it. And thus all this glory spoken of being due to the person in this nature, and so to shine forth in this nature; for him to lay it aside when he assumes this nature, and for him then to take the form of a servant, instead of this glorious form and manifestation of the Godhead; this draws the manhood also into the merit of such a debasement, because a greater glory was due unto him; and he might be truly said to exist in his glory whenever that nature was assumed, for so he ought to have done, and it might have been stood upon.
So then, the first ingredient into this satisfaction lies in the laying aside the glory due to the second person when he should dwell in a human nature; and instead thereof, taking on him the form of a servant, and the likeness of men, or of 'sinful flesh,' as Rom. 8:3, that is, frail flesh, subject to infirmities and miseries, as ours is here. And so the total sum of that satisfaction which God reckons of as such, is here also cast up first and last to have been, the taking the form of a servant, humbling himself, being emptied, or of no reputation, and becoming obedient in his life, and this to the death of the cross, as being the last part of this payment. And this (you will see) will in so great a person amount to and become the matter of a full and just satisfaction indeed, even to a flowing over. Which is the second thing in this head we inquire and seek for.
In the second place therefore, positively to lay down and define wherein Christ's satisfaction unto God for sin in point of honour lies; it is in brief this, viz., Christ's voluntary laying aside all the glory that was due to his person in his human nature assumed, and his submitting himself to the utmost debasement due to sinners, in pure obedience to his Father, thereby to restore and return glory unto God for the diminishing of it by sin. This God required, and this Christ
performed, and this is satisfaction indeed, even to flowing over. God in his demanding satisfaction stood so much upon his glory, that,
1. He would not be contented with the mere lessening of this great person, in assuming our nature glorious; but he will have him take upon him (as this text hath it) the form of a servant, and be found as men here on earth, even clothed with the same frail condition of passible nature that sinful men are found in; nor,
2. Will he be contented with such actions from Christ in that nature debased, whereby Christ might seek and shew forth his own glory immediately and directly—'I seek not my own glory' (says Christ,
John 8:50), 'but the glory of him that sent me'—but he will have him perform such actions, and submit to such sufferings, as shall take away glory from him, and obscure and veil his glory due to him. He will have him take the form of a mere servant, and become wholly obedient, and not be for himself at all; who yet might think it no robbery to seek his own glory directly with God's. Nor,
3. Will God be satisfied to have this his glory a little veiled, and in some parts clouded; but he will have him robbed and spoiled of all manifestative glory whatsoever due unto him. He will have him emptied, or made of no reputation, as it is here; the Messiah shall have nothing left (as Daniel speaks, Dan. 9:26), not a grain or mite of the riches of his glory which he could call his own, as God doth. Yea, if there be any debasement worse than other, he will have him obedient to it, even to death; and if any death be more shameful than other, he will have him submit to it, even the death of the cross. And,
4. God will have all this come from him willingly, heartily, and freely.
He is not only thus to be humbled, but he must 'humble himself,' as the text also hath it; who indeed was so great that no other could do it, without his own free consent; and all this to the glory of God the Father.