God Manifested in the Flesh
dross, in comparison of them,' Philip. 3:8. That knowledge is only saving knowledge that works the heart to a love, to a joy and delight, that works the whole man to practice and obedience; that is only spiritual knowledge. All other knowledge serves for nothing but to minister God matter of justifying our damnation; that our damnation will be just; that knowing these things, we do not work our hearts to love them, but we rest in the naked barren knowledge of them. It is a pitiful thing, to know things no further and no deeper, than to minister matter of our just damnation. Now all that have not a transforming knowledge, that have not a spiritual knowledge, they are in this state. Therefore we should labour to see spiritual things, in a spiritual light; for where spiritual light is, there is alway spiritual heat; where spiritual evidence is in the understanding, there is spiritual embracing in the affections. Evidence brings quickness.
Supernatural light and supernatural life, they go together. Let us labour, therefore, that our apprehension of these great mysteries may be supernatural and spiritual; and then as the judgment apprehends them 'without controversy' to be true, the affections will be present, to close with them. So much for the preface, 'without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness.' Now we come to the particulars of this great mystery, 'God Manifested in the Flesh.'
This, and the other branches that follow, they are all spoken of Christ. Indeed, the 'mystery of godliness' is nothing but Christ, and that which Christ did. Christ was 'manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached to the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in glory.' So that from the general we may observe this, that
Christ is the scope of the Scripture Christ is the pearl of that ring; Christ is the main, the centre wherein all those lines end. Take away Christ, what remains? Therefore in the whole Scriptures, let us see that we have an eye to Christ; all is nothing but Christ. The mystery of religion is Christ 'manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit,' &c., all is but Christ.
And that is the reason the Jews understand not the Scriptures better, because they seek not Christ there. Take away Christ, take away all out of the Scriptures, they are but empty things. Therefore, when we read them, think of somewhat that they may lead us to Christ, as all the Scriptures lead, one way or other, to Christ, as I might shew in particular, but I only name it in general.
He begins here with this, 'God manifested in the flesh;' not God taken essentially, but taken personally. God, in the second person, was manifested. All actions are of persons. The second person was incarnate. The three persons are all God; yet they were not all incarnate, because it was a personal action of the second person.
Quest. And why in that person?
Ans. 1. Because he was the image of God. And none but the image of God could restore as to that image. He was the Son of God, and none but the natural Son could make us sons. He is the 'wisdom' of the Father, to make us wise, and he is the 'first beloved' to make us beloved. Such reasons are given by the school-men, and not disagreeable to Scripture. For, indeed, it is appropriate to the second
Person, the great work of the incarnation, 'God in the flesh.'
Therefore they usually compare the incarnation of Christ to a garment made by three virgins, sisters; and one of them wears it. So all the three persons had a hand in the garment of Christ's flesh. The
Father had a work in it, and the Holy Ghost sanctified it, yet he only were it. Therefore the second person is 'God manifest in the flesh.'
By 'flesh,' here, is meant human nature; the property of human nature, both body and soul. And by 'flesh' also, is usually understood the infirmities and weakness of man, the miserable condition of man.
So 'God manifest in the flesh,' that is, in our nature and the properties of it, he put that on; and not only so, but our infirmities, and weaknesses, our miseries, and which is more, he took our flesh when it was tainted with treason, our base nature after it was fallen, which was a wondrous fruit of love. As if one should wear a man's colours or livery after he is proclaimed traitor; it is a great grace to such a man. For Christ to wear our garment when we were proclaimed traitors, after we were fallen, it was a wondrous dignation.* And he took not only our nature, but our flesh. He was
'God manifest in the flesh,' that is, in the infirmities of our nature. He took our whole nature, a human body and human soul. And he took our nature upon him when it was at the worst; not in innocency, but with all the infirmities that are natural infirmities, not personal.
Therefore he came to be so that he might be pitiful.
Quest. You will say, How can he be pitiful? There are many infirmities that he took not upon him; he took not upon him all infirmities.
Ans. I answer, by proportion to those that he took, he knew how to be pitiful to those he took not. He is infinitely wise. He knows how to make the proportion. It is often set down, in Heb. 2:18 and Heb.
4:15, as one end of his taking our nature upon him, that he might be a pitiful and merciful redeemer.
Obj. But some will say, Indeed, he took my nature and the general infirmities, as weariness, and hunger, and the like; but I am sick and
troubled in mind and conscience.
Ans.
Though he felt not all particular grievances, yet notwithstanding, having taken our nature upon him, that he might be pitiful and merciful, according to the proportion that he felt himself, he knows how to pity us in our sicknesses, and losses, and crosses, every way. And for the chief, the trouble of mind, alas! he knew it in that great desertion, when he cried out, 'My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me!' So we may comfort ourselves that we have a merciful, and pitiful, and gracious Saviour, 'God in the flesh.'
He hath taken our flesh upon him for that purpose, that he might have experimental knowledge of our infirmities and weaknesses, and from that he might be the more sweet, and kind, and gentle to us. He was not sick himself; but by experience of labour, and thirst, and the like, he knew what it was to be sick by that he felt. He knew not what it was to sin and to be troubled for sin, because he felt it not in himself; but being our surety for sin, and feeling the wrath of God for it, he had experience to be compassionate from this. He was weary, to pity those that are weary; he was hungry, to pity them that are hungry; he was poor, to pity those that are so; he was misused and reproached, to pity those that are in the like condition. You can name nothing, but he can out of his own experience be merciful and pitiful unto.
In that God, the second person, appeared in our nature, in our weak and tainted disgraced nature after the fall; from hence comes,
1. First of all, the enriching of our nature with all graces in Christ, as it is in Col. 2:3, 'All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are in him,' in our nature. In Christ there is abundance of riches. Our nature in him is highly enriched. Hence comes again,
2. The ennobling of our nature. In that God appeared in our nature it is much ennobled. When our nature is engraffed into a higher stock, a mean graff or syens,* into so glorious a stock as Christ, it is a high dignity. That now our flesh is married to the second person, it is a wondrous advancement of our nature, even above the angel call, 'He took not the nature of angels,' Heb. 2:16. It was a great exaltation to our nature, that God should take it into the unity of his person, for the human nature of Christ had no subsistence but in the second person. And this doth not any way debase the human nature of Christ, that it had no subsistence but in the Godhead. Peter, and James, and John, &c., had a subsistence of their own, but Christ had no subsistence but in the second person. And yet, I say, it did no way demean the human nature of Christ, because it was advanced to a higher stock, where it hath a glorious subsistence and being.
3. In the third place, hence comes the enabling of our nature to the work of salvation that was wrought in our nature. It came from hence, 'God was in the flesh.' From whence was the human nature enabled to suffer? Whence was it upheld in suffering, that it did not sink under the wrath of God? 'God was in the flesh.' God upheld our nature. So that both the riches, and dignity, and the ableness of our nature to be saving and meritorious, all came from this, that God was in our nature.
4. And hence comes this likewise, that whatsoever Christ did in our nature, God did it, for God appeared in our nature. He took not upon him the person of any man, but the nature. And therefore our flesh and the second person being but one person, all that was done was done by the person that was God, though not as God. Therefore when he died, God died; when he was crucified, God was crucified. If he had been two persons, he had died in one person, and the other had not died. Now, being but one person, though two natures,
whatsoever was done in the [one] nature, the person did it according to the other nature. He could not die as God. Therefore, because in love he would die, and be a sacrifice, he would take upon him such a nature wherein he might be a sacrifice. This is a great dignity, that our nature is taken into the unity of the person of the Son of God.
Therefore hence it comes, I say, that whatsoever was done in our nature God did it.
5. Hence comes also the union between Christ and us. Whence is it that we are 'sons of God?' Because he was the 'Son of man,' 'God in our flesh.' There are three unions: the union of natures, God to become man; the union of grace, that we are one with Christ; and the union of glory. The first is for the second, and the second for the third; God became man, that man might be one with God; God was
'manifested in the flesh,' that we might be united to him; and being brought again to God the Father, we might come again to a glorious union. By this, that God was 'manifest in the flesh,' it is that he was married first to our nature, that we by union might be married to him. We had never had union with God unless God had united our flesh to him, and in that flesh had satisfied God. All that Christ did, saith Peter, it was to 'bring us back again to God,' 1 Peter 3:18.
6. Hence likewise comes the sympathy between Christ and us; for Christ is said to suffer with us. 'Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?'
Acts 9:4. He is said to be imprisoned in us; and we are said to ascend gloriously with him, because he took upon him our nature. So if he be honoured, we are honoured; if we be despised, he is despised.
There is a mutual affection and sympathy between Christ and us.
7. Hence likewise comes the efficacy of what Christ did, that the dying of one man should be sufficient for the whole world. It was, that 'God was in the flesh.'
The apostle may well call this, 'God manifest in the flesh,' a 'mystery,' and place it in the first rank. For God to be included in the womb of a virgin; for happiness itself to become a curse; for him that hath the riches of all men to become poor for our sake; for him that ever enjoyed his Father's presence, to want the beams of it for a time, that he might satisfy his Father's justice, and undergo his wrath for our sins—here is a matter of wonderment indeed!
Use 1. And shall we think that so great a mystery as this was for small purpose? that the great God should take upon him a piece of earth? that he should become a poor and weak man? the immortal God to take upon him our flesh and to die? that he whom heaven and earth cannot comprehend should be enclosed in the womb of a virgin? for him to be so abased as there was never any abasement like unto
Christ's, because of the greatness of his person? If angels had done so; alas!* they were inferior creatures; they were servants to God; but for the Son of God to take our nature when it was so low, for so excellent a person to be abased so low! There was none ever suffered that, that 'God in our flesh' suffered. For as communion with his
Father was sweeter to him than to all men besides, so for him to want communion with his Father upon the cross, when he cried, 'My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?' it was the greatest abasement to him, being the most sensible of it. † Therefore there was no suffering like that of Christ's. And shall we think so great a matter was for small purpose, for little sins or for few sins only? Oh no. It was to give a foundation to our faith in all extremity of temptations; to stay our conscience in the guilt of great and crying sins. Oh despair not, despair not! This great mystery the apostle speaks of, for the great God to become man, it was for great sins; that where 'sin hath abounded, grace might superabound,' Rom. 5:20. God intended in this to set down the accusing conscience, to quiet and still it. God is offended, it is true; but 'God manifest in the flesh' hath made
reconciliation and satisfaction. He was a sacrifice for sin, and God will answer God. God the Son will answer the displeasure of God the Father, because he is appointed to this office by him. He is 'set forth,' as it is Rom. 3:25, 'to be the propitiation.' Therefore in all risings of conscience in the time of trouble, in the hour of death, let us remember this great mystery, 'God manifest in the flesh.' God's purpose in this was to triumph, as it were, over all the clamours of conscience whatsoever, over all things that Satan and the power of hell can object. Let Satan object what he will, here is a shield put into the hand of faith to beat back all his fiery darts.
God in the covenant of grace, which is founded in Christ, in God in our nature, doth intend to be gracious to sinners. It is a greater mystery than that of the creation. For God there did good to a good man; he made Adam good, and continued him good while he stood; but after the fall, God intended to raise up the doubting, unbelieving soul against the greatest ills of sin and despair, and against all objections for sin whatsoever; from the greatness of sin either natural or actual. It is the glory of God in the gospel to glorify his mercy and goodness in prevailing and triumphing over the greatest ills that can be. Now he is good to sinners, and to great sinners; so that if there be faith wrought by the Spirit of God, raising up our souls to lay hold of this 'God manifest in the flesh,' let us not be discouraged with any sin. Our sins are but the sins of men; but 'God manifest in the flesh' was made a sacrifice for our sins, and hath given a price answerable. What temptation will not vanish as a cloud before the wind when we see God's love in sending his Son, and Christ's love in taking our nature on him, to reconcile us by the sacrifice of his blood? Therefore let us treasure up this comfort. It is a spring of comfort, a well of consolation, as the Scripture speaks; therefore let us suck comfort out of this breast of consolation.
We may turn over things now, in the time of peace, with ease; but in time of temptation, when the soul is touched with guilt, and Satan plies us with temptations, the soul will have no rest but in an infinite ground of comfort. The soul is prone naturally to misgive, and to forecast the worst, and to conceive hardly of God in the time of temptation, as an enemy, and Satan is then busy about nothing so much as that we should have hard conceits of God, and to make us forget the main end of the great work of our redemption; which is, to undermine our unbelief by all means, by setting before the soul such grounds as the most unbelieving heart in the world, if it did consider of, would fasten and lay itself upon. Therefore let us labour to cherish, at such times especially, large thoughts of the infinite goodness and mercy of God, and of the love of Christ condescending so low as to be manifest in the flesh for our sakes.
It is a point of wondrous comfort, that now in Christ Jesus, God becoming man, we can in him break through the justice of God. For, as I said, when conscience is awaked, there are other manner of conceits of God than when it is sleepy and drowsy. A sleepy Christian hath a slight conceit of God, as if he as little thought of his sins as he doth himself. Oh but when conscience is awaked, and when we are drawn from the pleasures of sin, and they from us, and conscience hath nothing to do but to look upon God and upon the time to come, which is eternity, then if there be not somewhat for conscience to oppose that is equal to the justice of God, if there be not somewhat about us to clothe us and arm us, to pass through the justice, what will become of us? Therefore it is a fruitful consideration, that God was 'manifest in our flesh,' and that, to give satisfaction to God, that so conscience might have full satisfaction.
This teacheth us what we should do when we find any trouble rise in our conscience for sins and unworthiness. Cast ourselves upon 'God
in our flesh,' God that became 'flesh' for us and died for us: let us stay ourselves there. I am unworthy! a lump of sin! There is nothing in me that is good. Oh but I have all in Christ. He is righteousness for me. He hath abundance for me. His fulness is for me. Therefore you have it, Col. 2:9, 'The fulness of the Godhead dwells in him bodily.'
To what purpose is this fulness in him? He shews in the words following, 'In him we are complete,' ver. 10. Suppose in ourselves we be sinners and weak, that we are as ill as sin or the devil can make us in the time of temptation, yet 'in him we are complete.' And for this end 'the fulness of the Godhead dwells in him bodily.' Therefore, in all doubts in regard of sin and unworthiness, let us labour for faith
(for faith is a grace that carries us out of ourselves, and plants and fixeth us in Christ), let us consider of ourselves in him, and consider of whatsoever is in him, it is for us. It is no matter what we are ourselves; in him we are in a glorious condition.
And oppose him to the wrath of God and the temptations of Satan; for all will fall before this 'God manifest in the flesh.' He is God, therefore he can subdue all; he is man, and therefore he will love us.
'I know whom I have believed,' 2 Tim. 1:12—him that is merciful, because he is man, and he hath taken my nature; and him that can subdue all enemies, because he is God, God in the flesh: a fit bottom and foundation for faith to rely upon. Let us have recourse to this therefore in all temptations whatsoever. We cannot glorify God and Christ more than to go out of ourselves and fix our comfort here.
By this we have communion with the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
This incarnation of Christ, it brings us into fellowship with the blessed Trinity; and it teacheth us what conceits we should have of God, to have loving thoughts of him. Whence is that that we can call
God Father? From this, 'God manifest in the flesh.' The second person, to take away enmity, was 'manifest in the flesh.' Hence it is
that I can call God Father, that I can boldly go to God, that I can conceive of God as gracious and lovely. And whence is it that our persons are become lovely to God? From this, that God hath taken our nature upon him. Our nature is become lovely to him, and his is sweet and fatherly to us.
This should help us against Satan's transforming of God and Christ to us in the time of trouble. He presents him as a terrible judge.
Indeed, so he is to sinners that will go on in sin. His wrath shall 'smoke against such,' Deut. 29:20. There is no comfort to them in Scripture. But to repentant sinners all is comfort: 'Come unto me, ye that are weary and heavy laden,' Mat. 11:28; and, 'Christ came to seek and to save that which was lost,' Mat. 18:11; and, he came 'to save sinners,' as St Paul saith, 1 Tim. 1:15. Let us conceive of God now as lovely, as a father; and of Christ as a sweet saviour, made 'flesh' for this purpose. He is God and man, because he came to be a mediator between God and man; a friend to both, being to deal with both.
Therefore we should thus conceive of Christ: as a great and mighty God, the ruler of the world, as Isaiah describes him, Isa. 9:6, and conceive of him likewise as a meek, humble man—the one, to stablish our faith, that we be not shaken, having such a great God to rely upon; and the other, to stablish our faith in his good will, 'God in our flesh.' God, a name of power; 'God in our flesh' implieth mercy and love, pity and compassion.
Therefore, let not Satan abuse our imaginations, if we have a mind to turn to God; for, as I said, there is no comfort to them that go on in their sins. God will wound the 'hairy scalp of them that go on in iniquity,' Ps. 68:21; and, 'they treasure up wrath against the day of wrath,' Rom. 2:5. There is nothing but discomfort to such: 'The wrath of God abides upon them,' John 3:36. They are in danger of damnation every minute of their lives. There is but a step between
them and hell. But for such as intend to turn to God, God meets them half-way. We see the prodigal did but entertain a purpose to come to his father, and his father meets him. 'God in our flesh' hath made
God peaceable to us. If we go to Christ, and lay hold on him for the forgiveness of our sins, God in him is become a loving, gracious, sweet Father to us. Let us frame our conceits of God as the Scripture doth. When sorrow for sin possesseth our souls, take heed of going away from God, that took our nature for this very purpose, that we may boldly go to him.
Oh what boldness have we now to go to 'God in our flesh.' To think of God absolutely, without God in the flesh, he is 'a consuming fire,'
Heb. 12:29, every way terrible; but to think of God in our nature, we may securely go to him: 'He is bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh,' Gen. 2:23. We may securely go to God our brother, to him that is of one nature with us, and now having our nature in heaven. Think of God born of a virgin, of God lying in the cradle, sucking the breast!
Think of God going up and down teaching and doing all good! Think of God sweating for thee, hanging on the cross, shedding his blood, lying in the grave, raising himself again, and now in heaven 'sitting at the right hand of God,' our intercessor! Eph. 1:20. Conceive of God in this 'flesh' of ours, lovely to us; and now our nature must needs be lovely to him. The nature of God must needs be lovely to us, since he hath joined our poor beggarly flesh to the unity of the second person.
Let us thus think of 'God manifest in the flesh.' To think of God alone, it swallows up our thoughts; but to think of God in Christ, of God 'manifest in the flesh,' it is a comfortable consideration. To see the sun alone in itself, in the glory and lustre of it, it is impossible, without hurting of the eye; but to see the sun in water, as we do in an eclipse, &c., we may do it. So we cannot conceive of God alone absolutely; but to conceive of 'God in our flesh' is to look upon the sun as it were in the water, or upon the ground. God in himself is so
glorious that we could never see him, as he tells Moses, Exodus 33:20, 'None can ever see God and live;' that is, God nakedly or absolutely. Oh but 'God manifest in our flesh' we may see; and it shall be our happiness in heaven to see him there, to see 'God in our flesh face to face,' Exodus 33:11.
We cannot too often meditate of these things. It is the life and soul of a Christian. It is the marrow of the gospel. It is the wonder of wonders. We need not wonder at anything after this. It is no wonder that our bodies shall rise again; that mortal man should become afterwards immortal in heaven, since the immortal God hath taken man's nature and died in it. All the articles of our faith and all miracles yield to this grand thing, 'God manifest in the flesh.' Believe this, and believe all other. Therefore, let us often have these sweet cherishing conceits of God in our flesh, that it may strengthen, and feed, and nourish our faith, especially in the time of temptation.
Use 2. Again, From this, that God was 'manifest in our flesh,' let us take heed that we defile not this flesh of ours, this nature of ours.
What! Is this 'flesh' of mine taken into unity with the second person?
Is this 'flesh' of mine now in heaven, 'sitting at the right hand of God?' And shall I defile this flesh of mine that I profess to be a member of Christ? 'Shall I make it the member of an harlot?' 1 Cor.
6:15. Shall I abuse it, as intemperate persons do? Let us honour our nature, which Christ hath so honoured; and let us take a holy kind of state upon us, to think ourselves too good, since God hath so advanced our nature, to abase it to the service of sin.
Use 3. Likewise, it should teach us to stoop to any service of Christ or our brethren. What! Did the love of God draw him into the womb of the virgin? Did it draw him to take my nature and flesh on him? And shall I think much to be serviceable to my poor brethren, for whom
God was made flesh, and not only so, but was crucified? Such thoughts will take down such proud conceits as enter into our hearts when we are about any work of charity for the members of Christ.
Shall I have base conceits of any man, whose flesh Christ hath taken?
Especially, when I see any goodness in him, let me abase myself to any work of charity.
Take hood of pride. God himself emptied himself, and wilt thou be full of pride? He became of 'no reputation,' Philip. 2:7, and wilt thou stand upon terms of credit? He 'took upon him the form of a servant,' and wilt thou be altogether a lord and king in thy affections, and not serve thy brethren? Did Christ do this that thou shouldst be a proud person? He came to expiate thy pride. Away with thy proud conceits!
If thou be too proud to follow and imitate humble men, yet think not thyself too good to imitate an humble God. There is no spirit more opposite to the spirit of a Christian than a spirit swelling and lift up, that thinks itself too good to be abased in the service of others, that carries itself loftily. A proud spirit is most opposite to the spirit of God, that became man to expiate this pride of ours, and to work out salvation in this flesh of ours. Of all sins let us take heed of this diabolical satanical sin; let us be abased for Christ that was abased for us; and as he left his heaven—to do us good he left heaven itself— so let us. If we have a conceited heaven and happiness in ourselves, leave it, and become base and low, to do any good we can. Shall he stoop and bend to us from heaven to earth, and conceal his majesty, not to be known to be as he was; and shall not we stoop one to another to do good, and come down from our conceited excellency?
Use 4. Here we have a good ground likewise not to envy the blessed angels their greatness; nay, here we have that wherein we are above the angels themselves; for 'he took not upon him the nature of angels,' Heb. 2:16, but he was 'God manifest in our flesh.' Christ
married our nature to himself out of his love, that he might marry us to himself by his Spirit; and now, by our union with Christ, we be nearer him than the very angels are. The angels are not the spouse of Christ, but now, by reason of his taking our nature, we are kin to Christ: 'He is bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh,' Eph. 5:30, and we are 'bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh.' We are the body,
Christ is the head. We are nearer to Christ than the very angels. No wonder, then, if those blessed spirits daily pry into this great mystery, 1 Peter 1:12.
5. Lastly, Let us labour that Christ may be manifested in our particular flesh, in our persons. As he was God manifest in the flesh in regard of that blessed mass he took upon him, so we would every one labour to have God 'manifest in our flesh.'
Quest. How is that?
Ans. We must have Christ as it were born in us, 'formed in us,' as the apostle speaks, Col. 1:27. Certainly the same Spirit that sanctified
Christ doth sanctify every member of Christ; and Christ is in some sort begotten, and conceived, and 'manifested' in every one that is a Christian. We must labour that Christ may be 'manifest' in our understandings, in our affections, that he may be manifest to us, and conceived, as it were, in us; as St Paul's phrase is, 'That the life of Christ may be made manifest in our mortal flesh,' 2 Cor. 4:11. The life and spirit of Christ must be 'manifest' in every true Christian, and their 'flesh' must be sanctified by the same Spirit that Christ's flesh was sanctified withal. As Christ's flesh was first sanctified, and then abased, and then glorious, so the flesh of every Christian must be content to be abased, as the flesh of Christ was, to serve Christ, to be conformable to Christ in our abased flesh. And let us not make too much of this flesh of ours, that shall turn to rottenness ere long. It