Sermon Xviii.
SERM . XVIII.
The Fountain of Life. fuſpenſion ofthe care ofChrift for onehour, that hourwould bethy ruin.
Thousands ofevils ſtand round about thee, watchingwhen Chriſt willbut remove his eye from thee, that they may ruſh inanddevour thee.
Could we thus ſtudy the providence of Chriſt in all thegood and evil that befals us in the world, then in every ſtate we ſhouldbe content, Phil. iv. 11.
Then we should never be ſtopt, but furthered in ourwayby all that falls out ; then would our experiences ſwell to great volumes, which we might carry to heaven with us ; and then ſhould we anſwer all Chriſt's ends in every ſtate he brings us into. Do this, and ſay, Thanks be toGodfor Jesus Christ.
SERMON XVIII.
Opens the Neceffity of Chriſt's Humiliation, in order to the Execution of all theſe his bleſſed Offices for us; and particularly of his Humiliation by Incarnation.
PHIL. ii. 8. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient to death, even the death of the cross.
YOU have heard how Chrift was inveſtedwith the offices of prophet, prieſt, and king, for the carrying onthe bleſſeddeſign of our redemption ; the execution of theſe offi-
ces neceffarily required that he ſhould be both deeply abafed, and highly exalted. He cannot, as our Priest, offer up himfelf a facrifice toGod for us, except he be humbled, and humbled todeath.
He cannot, as a King, powerfully apply the virtue of that his facrifice, except he be exalted, yea, highly exalted. Had he not ſtooped tothe low eſtate of a man, he had not, as a Priest, had a facrifice of his own to offer ; as a Prophet, he had not been fit to teach us the will ofGod, ſo as thatwe shouldbe able to bear it; as aKing, he had notbeen aſutable head to the church : and, had he not beenhighly exalted, that facrifice had not been carried within the vail before the Lord.
Thoſe discoveries ofGod could not have been univerfal, effectual and abiding.
The government ofChrift, could
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The Fountain of Life. not have ſecured, protected, and defended the ſubjects of his kingdom.
The infinitewisdom proſpecting all this, ordered that Chriſt ſhould firſtbe deeply humbled, then highly exalted : both which ſtates of Chriſt are preſented to us by the apoſtle in this context.
まHe that intends to build high, lays the foundation deep and low.
Chriſt must have a diſtinct glory in heaven, tranfcending that ofangels and men, (for the faints will know him from all others by his glory, as the fun is known from the leffer ſtars.) And, as he must be exalted infinitely above them, fo he must first, in order thereunto, be humbled and abaſed as much below them: " His form was marred more thanany man's, and " his viſage more thanthe fons of men."
The ground colours are a deep fable, which afterward are laid on with allthe ſplendor and gloryof heaven.
Method requires that we firſt ſpeak to this ſtate ofHumiliation.
And, to that purpoſe, I have read this ſcripture to you, which preſents you the Son under an (almost) total eclipse.
He that was beautiful and glorious, Iſa. iv. 2. yea, glorious as theonly begottenofthe Father, Johni. 14.; yea, * theglory,
James ii, 1.; yea, the ſplendor and " brightness of the Father's " glory," Heb . i. 3. was ſo vailed, clouded, and debafed, that he lookednot like himſelf; aGod, no, nor ſcarce as aman ; for, with reference to this humbled ſtate, itis ſaid, Pfal. xxii. 6.
" I am aworm, and no man;" q. d. rather write me worm, thanman : I am become an abjelt among men †, as that word,
Ifa. liii. 3. fignifies.
This humiliation of Chriſt we have here expreſſed, in the nature, degrees, and duration or continuance of it.
1. The nature of it, εταπεινωσεν εαυτον, he humbled himself.
The word imports both a real and voluntary abaſement †.
Real; he did not perfonate a humbled man, nor act the part ofone, in adebaſed ſtate, butwas really, and indeed humbled ;
יבעל דיבכלו * The Hebrew words in Ifa. iv. 2. literally, fignify, for beauty orforglory.
The words Ιησε Χρισε της δόξης, in James ii. 1. fignify, Jesus Christ, theglory. απαύγασμα της δοξης» is, brightness ofhisglory .
† The ſcorn of men, an abject among men.
† Buthe ſpeaks not ofafeigned and counterfeit but of a true and real humiliation.
Zanch. in loc.
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andthat not only before men, but God. As man, he was humbled really, as God in reſpect of his manifeſtative glory : and, as itwas real, ſo alſo voluntary : * It is not faidhe was humbled, buthe humbledhimself; he was willing to ſtoopto this low and abject ſtate forus. And, indeed, the voluntarineſs of hishumiliation made it moſt acceptable toGod, and fingularly commends the love ofChrift tous, that hewould chuſe toſtoop to allthis ignominy, fufferings and abaſement for us.
2. The degrees of his humiliation; it was not only ſo low as tobecomea man, aman under law; but he humbled himself tobecome " obedient todeath, even the death ofthe croſs "
Here you fee the depth of Chriſt's humiliation,both specified, itwas untodeath, and aggravated,eventhe deathofthe croſs : notonlytobecome amanbut adeadcorps, andthat toohanging onatree, dying the deathofa malefactor.
3. The duration, or continuance ofthis his humiliation : it continuedfrom the firſt moment ofhis incarnation, to the ve. ry momentofhis vivification and quickninginthe grave.
So theterms of it are fixedhereby the apoſtle; from thetime he was found in faſhion as a man, that is, from his incarnation, untohisdeath on the croſs, which alſo comprehends the time ofhis abode in thegrave ; ſo long his humiliation laſted. Hence the obſervation is, Doct. That thestate ofChrist, from his conception to hisre. furrection, was a state of deep abasement and humiliation.
WearenowenteringuponChriſt's humbled ſtate, which I ſhall caſt under three general heads,viz. his humiliation, in his incarnation, in his life, and inhis death. My preſentwork is to open Chriſt's humiliation, inhis incarnation, imported in theſe words, Hewas found infashion as a man.
By which you are nottoconceivethathe onlyaffumed a body, as an aſſiſtingform, toappear tranfiently to us in it, and ſo lay it down again.
Itisnot fuchanapparition ofChriſt in the ſhape ofaman, that ishere intended; but his trueandreal affumptionofournature,
* He was not humbled by another, like the fallen angels who were byGod thrown headlong intothe infernal pit.
Ibid.
† In theſe few words he confirms the things he had faid before ' ofthe true nature of man (which he calls the form ofa fervant) affumedby the Son ofGod into unity of perfon, by which hewas made like to men in allthings, fin excepted. Zanch.
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which was a ſpecial partofhis humiliation; as will appear by the following particulars.
1. The incarnation of Chriſt was a moſt wonderful humiliationofhim, inasmuch as thereby he is brought into the rank and orderofcreatures, who is over all, " Godbleſſed for ever,"
Rom. ix. 5. This is the aſtoniſhing mystery, 1,Tim. iii. 16. that Godſhouldbe manifeſt in the fleſh; that the eternalGodſhould truly and properly becalled the MAN Chriſt Jeſus, 1 Tim. ii. 5.
Itwasawonderto Solomon, thatGodwoulddwell in that ſtately andmagnificent temple at Jerufalem, 2 Chron. vi. 18. "Butwill
" God inverydeed dwellwith men onearth ! Behold the heaven, andheaven ofheavens cannotcontainthee; how much
" leſs this houſe which Ihave built?" But it is a far greater wonder, thatGodſhoulddwell inabody of fleſh, and pitch his tabernaclewith us, Johni. 14.
Itwould have ſeemed, a rude blafphemy, had not the ſcriptures plainly revealed it, tohave thought, or ſpoken of the eternalGod,asborn in time; the world's Creatoras a creature; theAncient ofDays, asan infant ofdays.
The Heathen Chaldens told the king of Babel, that the " dwelling ofGods is not with fleſh," Dan. ii. н . Butnow
Godnot only dwells with fleſh, but dwells in fleſh; yea, was made fleſh, and dwelt among us.
Forthe fun tofall from its ſphere, and be degraded into a wandring atom; for an angel tobe turned out of heaven, and be convertedintoa filly fly or worm, had been no ſuch great
abaſement; for they were but creatures before, and ſo they would abide ſtill,though inan inferior order or ſpecies of crea. tures.
The diſtance betwixt the highest and loweſt ſpecies of creatures, is buta finite diſtance.
The angel and the worm dwell notfofar aſunder.
But for the infiniteglorious Creator of all things, tobecome a creature, is a mystery exceeding all human underſtanding.
The distance betwixt God and the highest order of creatures, is aninfinite diſtance. He is ſaid tohumble himself, tobehold the things that are done in heaven.
Whatahumiliation then isit, tobeholdthe things in thelower world ! but to be born intoit, andbecome aman ! Great indeed isthemysteryofgodliness. "Behold,(faith the prophet, Iſa. xl.
" 15, 18.) the nations are asthedropofa bucket, andarecoun- " ted as the ſmallduſt of the balance; he taketh up the ifles
" as a very little thing. Allnations before him are as nothing " and theyare accountedtohimleſs thannothing, and vanity."
If, indeed, this great and incomprehenſible majesty willhimself Hh 2
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ſtoop tothe ſtateand conditionof a creature, we may easilybelieve, that being oncea creature, he would expoſe himself to hunger, thirſt, ſhame, ſpitting,death, or any thing but fin. For that oncebeing man, he ſhould endure any of theſe things, is no ſo wonderful, as that he ſhould become a man. This was the low ſtep, adeep abaſementindeed!
2. It was a marvellous humiliation to the Son of God, not only to become a creature, but an inferior creature, a man, and not an angel.
Had he took the angelical nature, though it had been awonderfulabaſementto him,yet he had ſtaid (it Imay fo ſpeak) nearerhis ownhome, andbeen ſomewhat liker to aGod, than now he appeared, when hedwelt with us: for angels are thehigheſt, and most excellent ofall createdbeings: For their nature, they are pure ſpirits ; for their wisdom, intelligences ; for their dignity, they are called principalities andpowers ; for theirhabitations, they are ſtiled the heavenly host ; and for their employment, it is tobeholdtheface ofGod in heaven.
The high- ' eſt pitch, both of our holiness and happiness, in the coming world, is expreſſed by this, we shallbe ισαλγελοι, " equal to the " angels," Lukexx. 36.
Asman is nothing toGod, ſo he is much inferior to the angels ; ſo muchbelow them, thathe isnot abletobearthefightof anangel, though in ahuman ſhape, rendering himself as familiarly as may be to him, Judges xiii . 22.
When the Pfalmiſt had contemplated the heavens, and viewed the celestial bodies, the glorious luminaries, themoonand ſtars whichGodhad made, he cries out, Pfal. viii. 5. "What isman,
" that thou art mindful ofhim, or the ſon ofman that thou " viſiteſt him ! " Take man at his best whenhe came a perfect andpurepiece outofhisMaker'shand, in the ſtateofinnocency; yet he was inferior to angels. They always bare the image of God, in amore eminentdegreethanman, as beingwholly ſpiritual ſubſtances, and ſo more lively representing God, than man could do, whoſenoblefoul is immers'd in matter, and cloſed up in flesh andblood: yet Chriſt chuſeth this inferior order and fpecies of creatures, and paſſeth bythe angelical nature ; Heb. ii. 16. "He tooknot on him the nature ofangels, but the feed
" of Abraham ."
3. Moreover, Jeſus Chriſt did not only neglect the angelical, andaffume the human nature; but he alſo affumed the human nature, after ſin had blotted the original glory of it, and witheredup thebeautyand excellency thereof.
For he came not inour nature before the fall, whilst as yet its glory was freſh in it ; but he came, as the apoſtle ſpeaks, Rom. viii. 3.
66 In the likeness of finful fleſh," i. e. in fieſh thathad the
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marks, andmiferable effects, and confequents of fin upon it.
I ſay not that Chriſt aſſumed ſinful fleſh, or fleſh really defiled by fin.
That which was born of the Virgin was aholy thing.
For by the power of the Highest (whether by the energetical command and ordination of the Holy Ghoſt, as fome ; or by hisbenediction andbleſſing, I here dispute not) that whereof the body of Chriſt was to be formed, was ſo ſanctified, that notaint or fpot oforiginal pollution remainedin it.. But yet though ithad not intrinfical native uncleanneſs in it, it had the effects of fin upon it; yea, it was attended with the whole troop of human infirmities, that fin at firſt let into our come mon nature, ſuch as, hunger, thirſt, wearineſs, pain, mortality, and all theſe naturalweakneſſes and evils that clog our miferable natures, and make them groan from day today under them.
By reason whereof, though he was not a ſinner, yet he looked like one: and they that ſaw and converſed with him, took him for a finner; feeing all theſe effects of fin upon him.
In theſe things he came as near to fin as his holineſs could admit.
O what a ſtoop was this ! to be made in the likeneſs of fleſh, though the innocent fleſh of Adam, had been much ; but to bemade in thelikeness of finful fleſh, the flesh of finners, rebels; fleſh, though not defiled, yet miferably defaced by fin !
Owhat is this! and who candeclare it! Andindeed, ifhewill be a Mediator of reconciliation, itwas neceſſary it should be fo.
Itbehoved him to aſſume the fame nature that finned, to make fatisfaction in it.
Yea, theſe ſinleſs infirmities were neceſſary tobe affumedwith the nature, foraſmuch as his bearing themwas a part ofhis humiliation, andwentto make up fatisfaction for us.
Moreover, by them our Highprieſtwas quali fied from his own experience, and filledwith tender compaffion tous.
ButO the admirable condeſcenſions of a Saviour, to take fuch a nature! to put on fuch a garmentwhen to very mean and ragged! Did this become the Son ofGod to wear ? O grace un ſearchable !
: 4. And yet more, by this his incarnationhe was greatly hum bled, inasmuch as this ſo vailed, clouded, and disguised him, thatduring thetime helivedhere he looked not like himself, as God; but as a poor forry contemptible ſinner, in the eyes of the world; theyſcorned him.
This fellowfaid, Mat. xxvi . 6r.
Hereby " he made himselfof no reputation," Phil. ii. 6. It blot tedhis honour and reputation.
By reafon hereof he loft all e ſteem andhonour from those that faw him, Mat. xiii. 55. "Is
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" not this the carpenter's fon ?" To ſee a poor man travelling upand down thecountry, inhunger, thirst, wearineſs, attendedwith a company ofpoor men; one ofhis companybearing thebag, andthat whichwas put therein; John xiii. 29. Who thathadſeen him, would everhave thought this had been the Creatorof the world, thePrince of thekings of the earth ?
64 He was deſpiſed, and we eſteemedhim not." Now which ofyou is there that would not rather chuſe to endure much mifery as a man, than to be degraded into acontemptible worm, thatevery body treads upon, and no man regards it ? Chrift looked to unlike aGod in this habit, thathe was ſcarce allowed thenameofa man ; a worm rather than aman.
And think with yourſelves now, was not this aſtoniſhing ſelf-denial ? Thathe,whofrometernity,hadhis Father's ſmiles and honours ; he that from the creation was adored, and worſhippedbyangels, as theirGod,mustnowbecomea footſtool for every miſcreant to tread on; and not to have the reſpects due toaman; ſure this was adeep abaſement.
It was a black cloud that for fo manyyears darkned, and ſhut up his manifeftative glory, that it could not ſhineout to the world ; only fome weak rays oftheGodheadſhone toſomefew eyes, through thechinksofhishumanity : As thecloudedfun ſometimes opens alittle, and caſts ſome faint beams, and is muffled up again.
" We sawhis glory, as ofthe only begottenSon:" but the world knew him not, Johni. 14. If a princewalk upanddown in adiſguiſe, hemuſl expectno morehonour thanamean ſubject.
Thiswas the case ofour Lord Jesus Chriſt, this diſguiſe made him contemptible, and anobject ofſcorn.
5. Again, Chriſt wasgreatlyhumbledbyhis incarnation, inaſmuch as thereby he was putatadiſtance from his Father, and that ineffablejoyandpleaſureheeternallyhadwith him. Think not, reader, but the LordJeſus lived at a high and unimitable rate ofcommunion withGod while he walkedhere in the fleſh :
But yet to liveby faith, asChriſt here did, is onething ; and to beinthe boſom ofGod, ashewas before, isanother.
To have the ineffable delights ofGod perpetuated and continuedto him, withoutone moment's interruption from eternity, isonething ; and tohave his foul ſometimes filled with the joy ofthe Lord, andthen all overcast with clouds ofwrath again; to cry, and Godnothear, ashecomplains, Pfal.xxxii. 2. nay, tobereduced to fuch a low ebb ofſpiritual comforts,astobe forcedtocryout fobitterly, as he did, Pfal. xxii. 1. "MyGod, myGod, why
*" haft thou forſaken me?" This was a thing Chrift was very unacquainted with, tillhe was found inhabitas aman.
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6. And lastly, itwas agreatſtoop andcondeſcenſionofChrift ifhewould become aman, to take his nature fromfuchobſcure parents, andchuſe ſuch a low and contemptible ſtate in this worldas hedid. He will be born, but not of the blood of nobles, but of a poorwoman in Iſrael, eſpouſed toacarpenter : yea, and that too, under allthedisadvantages imaginable; not inhis mother's houſe, butan inn; yea, in the ſtable too. He fuited all tothat abaſed ſtate he was deſigned for ; and came amongus under all the humbling circumstances imaginable:
" You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Chriſt," (faith the apoſtle) " how that tho' he was rich, yet for our fakes he be66 came poor," 2 Cor. viii. 9. And thus I have ſhewn you ſome few particulars of Chriſt's humiliation inhis incarnation.
Next we shall infer ſome things from it that are practical.
Inference 1. Hencewegather thefulness and compleatness of Christ's fatisfaction, as the fweet first fruits of his incarnation.
Didman offend and violate thelaw ofGod? behold, Godhimſelf is become man to repair that breach, and fatisfy for the wrongdone. The highest honour that ever the law ofGod received, was to have ſuch aperſon as the man Chriſt Jeſus is, to ſtandbefore its bar, andmake reparation to it.
This is more than ifithad poured out all ourblood,and builtup itshonour upon the ruins ofthe wholecreation.
Itisnot so much to fee all the ſtars inheaven overcaſt, as to ſeeone funeclipſed. ThegreaterChriſtwas,thegreaterwashis humiliation; andthegreater his humiliationwas,the more full and compleatwas his fatisfaction ; and the more compleatness there is inChriſt's fatisfaction, the more perfect and steady is the believer's confolation.
Ifhehadnot ſtoopt ſo low, our joy and comfort could notbe exalted ſo high.
Thedepth of the foundation is the ſtrengthofthe ſuperſtructure.
Inference 2. Did Christfor our fakes stoopfrom the majesty, gloryanddignity he was poffeffed of in heaven, to themean and contemptibleftate ofaman? What a pattern ofself-denial is berepresented to Chriſtians ? Whatobjection against, orexcuſes toſhiftoff thisduty, canremain, after ſuch an example as is here propounded? Brethren, let me tellyou, the paganworld was never acquaintedwith ſuch an argument as this, topreſs them to felf-denial. DidChriſt ſtoop, and cannot you ſtoop? did Chriſt ſtoop ſo much, and cannot you ſtoop inthe leaſt?
Washe contenttobecomeany thing, a worm, a reproach, a curſe; and cannot you digest any abaſements ? Do the leaft flights and neglects rankle your hearts, and poiſon themwith diſcontent, malice and revenge ? O how unlike Chrift are you !
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Hear; andblush inhearing, what your Lordfaith in John xiii.
14. " If I then, your Lord and Maſter, waſh your feet ; ye ought alfo to wash one another's feet."
" The example obliges not, (as * a learned man well obſerves) to the ſame " individual act, but it obliges us to follow the reaſon ofthe στ " example;" thatis, after Chriſt's example, we mustbe ready to perform the lowest and meaneſt offices of love and ſervice to one another.
And indeed to this it obliges moſt forcibly ; for it is as if a maſter ſeeing a proud ſturdy ſervant, that grudges at the work he is employed about, as ifit were too meanandbafe, ſhould come and take it out of his hand; and when he has done it, ſhould ſay, doth your Lord and Mafter think it not beneath him to do it ? and is it beneath you ? I remember it is an excellent ſaying that + Bernard hath upon the nativity of Chrift; faithhe, " What moredeteftable, what more unworthy,
" or what deſerves feverer punishment, than for a poor man to " magnify himſelf, after he hath ſeen the great andhighGod,
" ſo humbled, as to become a little child? It is intolerable
impudence for a worm to ſwell with pride, after it hath feen " majeſty emptying itſelf; to ſeeone ſo infinitely aboveus, to ſtoop ſo far beneath us." O how convincing and ſhaming ſhould it be ! Ah how oppoſite ſhouldpride and ſtoutneſs be tothe ſpirit of a Chriſtian ! I am ſure nothing is more ſo to the fpirit of Chrift.
Your Saviour was lowly, meek, felfdenying, and ofa moſt condeſcending ſpirit; he looked not at his own things, but yours, Phil. ii. 4. Anddoth itbecome you to be proud, felfiſh, and ſtout ? Iremember Jerom, in his epiſtle to Pamachius, a godly young nobleman, advised him to be eyes to the blind, feet to the lame; yea, faith he, if need be, I would not have you refuse to cut wood, anddraw water for the faints : And what, faith he, is this to buffeting and ſpitting upon, to crowning with thorns, ſcourging and dying ! Chrift did undergo all this, and that for the ungodly.
Inference 3. Did Chriſtſtoopſo low as to become aman tofave us? Then those that perish under the Gospel, must needs perish without apology.
What would you have Chrift domore to fave * Obligas nos ad rationem exempli, magis quam ad individuum altum.
Chamier. Tom. 3. 1. 19. c. 7.
+ Quid magis indignum, quid deteftandum amplius, quid gravius puniendum, quam ut videns Deum parvulumfactum, homose magnificet ?
Intolerabilis est impudentia, ut ubifefe exinanivit majeftas, vermiculus infletur, et intumefcat.
Bern. Serin. 1. de nativ.
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you ? Lo, he hath laid aſide the robes of majeſty andglory, putonyour own garments of fleſh, camedownfrom his throne, and brought ſalvation home to your own doors.
Surely, the lower Chriſt ſtooped to ſave us, the lower we ſhall fink under wrath that neglect ſo great falvation.
The Lord Jeſus is brought low, but the unbeliever will lay him yet lower, even under his feet ; he will tread the Son ofGod under foot, Heb . x. 28.
For fuch (as the apostle there ſpeaks) is refervedſomething worse than dying without mercy.
What pleas and excuſes others will make at thejudgment-feat, I know not ; but once, it is evident, you will be ſpeechless . And, as † one well obſerves, the vileſt ſinners among theGentiles, nay, the Devils themſelves, will have more to ſay for themſelves thanyou.
Imust be plainwith you ; I beſeech you conſider, how Jews, Pagans, and Devils will riſe up injudgment against you.
The Jewmay ſay, I had a legal yoke upon me, which neither I nor my Fathers were able to bear ; Chriſt invited me only into the garden ofnuts, where I might fooner break my teeth with the hard ſhells of ceremonies, than get the kernel of goſpel-promiſes.
In the best of our facrifices, the ſmoak filled our temple ; ſmoak only to provoke us to weep for a clearer manifeſtation.We had but the old edition of the covenant of grace, in a character very darkly intelligible : You have the laſt edition, with a commentary of our rejection, and the world's reception, and the Spirit's effufion.
You had all that heart could with.
I periſh eternally, may the poor Pagan fay, without all poſſibility of reconciliation, and have only finned against the covenant of works ; having never heard of a gofpel covenant, nor of reconciliation by a Mediator.
O had I but heard one fermon! had Chrift but once broke inupon my soul, to convince me of myundone condition, and tohave ſhewn a righteouſneſs to me !
But wo is me ! I never had so much as one offer of Chrift.
But ſo have I, muſt you say that refuſe the goſpel : I have, or might have heard thousands of fermons ; I could fcarce,efcape hearing one of other ſhewing me the danger of my fin, and my neceffity of Chriſt.
But notwithstanding all I heard, I wilfully refolved I would have nothing to do with him.
I could not endure to hear ſtrictneſs preſſedupon me : It was all thehell I had upon earth, that I could not fin in quiet.
Nay, may the Devil himself ſay, it is true, I was ever ſince my fall maliciouſly ſet againstGod.
But alas ! as foon I had finned, + Vide Morning exerciſe at St. Giles's inthe Fields, p.256.
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God threwme outofheaven,andtoldme he would neverhave mercyupon me : and tho I lived inthe time ofall manner of gracious diſpenſations, I faw facrifices offered, and Chriſt in the flesh, andthe goſpel preached; yethow could all this chuſe but enrage me the more, to have God, as it were, ſay,
Look here, Satan, I have provided a remedy for fin, but none for thine ! This ſet me uponrevenge against God, as far as I could reach him.
But alas ! alas ! had God entered into any covenant with me at all; hadGod put meon any terms, tho' never fohard, for the obtaining of mercy; had Chriſt been but once offered to me, What doyou think would I not have done? &c.
O poor finners ! Your damnation isjuſt, ifyou refuſe grace broughthomeby Jeſus Chriſt himself to your verydoors.
The Lordgrant this may not be thy cafe who readeſt theſe lines .
Inference 4. Moreover; hence itfollows, that none doth, ar can love like Christ: His love to man is matchless.
The freeneſs, ſtrength, antiquity, and immutability of it, puts a luftre onitbeyond all examples.
Surely it was a strong love indeed, thatmade him lay afide his glory, to be found in faſhion asa man, to become any thing, though never ſo much below himfelf, for our falvation. We readofJonathan's love to David, which paſſedthe love of women; of Jacob's love to Rachel, who for her fake endured the heat of ſummer, and cold of winter ; of David's love to Abtalom; of the primitive Chriftians love toone another,who coulddie one for another : but neither had they that to denywhich Chriſt had, nor had he thoſe inducements fromthe object of his love that they had.
His love, like himself, is wonderful.
Inference 5. Didthe LordJeſus ſodeeply abaſe andhumble himselffor us ? What an engagement hath he thereby put on us, to exalt andhonourhim, whofor ourfakes wasso abused ? It was agood ſaying of * Bernard, " By how much the viler he was
" made for me, by ſomuch the dearer he ſhall be to me."
And Othat all, to whom Chrift is dear, would ſtudy to exalt and honourhim, theſe four ways.
1. By frequent and delightfulspeaking ofhim, andfor him.
WhenPaulhadonce mentionedhisname,he knows not how to partwith it, butrepeats itno lefs than tentimes inthe compaſs of ten verſes, in 1 Cor. i.
It was Lambert's motto, " l'one " but Chrift, none but Chriſt."
It is said ofJohannes Miltas, that after his converfion, he was ſeldom or never obſerved to ‡ Quantopro me vilior, tantomihi charior.
Bern..
SERM . XVII.
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mentionthe name ofJeſus,buthis eyes would drop; ſo dear was Chriſt to him.
Mr. Foxneverdeniedany beggar that aſked an alms in Chriſt's name, or for Jeſus ſake.
Julius Palmer, when all concluded he was dead, being turned as black as a coalinthe fire, at laſt movedhis ſcorchedlips, and was heard to fay, SweetJesus, and fell asleep.
Plutarch|| tells us, thatwhen Titus Flaminiushad freed the poorGrecians from the bondage withwhich theyhad been long ground by their oppreffors, and theheraldwas toproclaimintheir audiencethe articlesofpeace, hehadconcluded forthem,they ſopreſſedupon him, (not being half of them able to hear),that he was in greatdanger to have lost his life in the preſs; at laſt, reading them a ſecond time, when they came to understanddistinctlyhow their cafe ſtood, they ſhouted for joy, crying, Σωτηρ, Σωτηρ, "a' Saviour,
" a Saviour," that they made the veryheavens ring againwith their acclamations, and theverybirds felldownastonished. And allthat night the poorGrecians, with inſtruments of music, and fongs ofpraiſe, dancedand fang abouthis tent, extolling him as a god thathaddeliveredthem. Butfurely you have more reafon tobe exaltingthe author ofyour falvation, who, at adearerrate, hath freedyou from a more dreadfulbondage.
Oyethat haveeſcaped the eternalwrath ofGod,by the humiliation oftheSon ofGod, extolyourgreatRedeemer, and for ever celebrate his praiſes!
2.Byactingyourfaithonhim,for whatsoever lies inthepromises yet unaccomplished.
In this you fee the great and most difficult promiſe fulfilled, Gen. iii. 15. "The feed of thewoman ſhall
" break the ferpent's head;" which contained this mercyof Chriſt's incarnation for us in it: Iſay, you see this fulfilled : and feeing that which was most improbable anddifficult is come to paſs, even Chriſt come in the flesh, methinks our unbelief ſhouldbe removedfor ever, and allotherpromisesthemore eafily believed.
It seemedmuch more improbable and impoſſible to reaſon, thatGodſhouldbecome aman, and ſtoop tothe conditionof a creature, than being aman, to perform all that good which his incarnation and death procured.
Uubelief uſually argues fromone oftheſe two grounds, Can Goddo this ? or, WillGoddo that ? Itis queſtioning either hispower or his will; butafter this, let it ceaſefor ever to cavil againſt either.
His power toſave ſhould never be queſtioned by any that know what ſufferingsand infiniteburdenshe ſupported in our nature :
Ii 2 Plutarch in vita Titi Flamirii.
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SERM . XVIII.
and ſurelyhiswillingness toſave ſhouldneverbeput to a queſtion, by anythat confider how low he was content to ſtoop for our fakes.
3. By drawing nigh toGod with delight, " through the veilof " Chriſt's fleſh," Heb. x. 19. God hath made this fleſh of Chriſt a veilbetwixtthe brightneſs ofhisglory and us : itſerves torebate the unſupportable glory, and alfo to give admiſſion to it, as the veil did inthetemple.
Through this body of flesh, which Chrift affumed, are all decurſus et recurfus gratiarum,
" outlets ofgrace fromGod tous, and through it, alío, muſt " be all our returns to God again."
It is made the great medium of our communion withGod.
4. By applying yourselves to him, under all temptations, wants and troubles, ofwhat kindfoever, as to one that is tenderly fenfible of your cafe, and most willing and ready to relieve you.
O remember, this was one ofthe inducements that perſuaded and invited him to take your nature, that he might be furnished abundantly with tender compaffion for you, from the ſenſe he ſhould have ofyour infirmities in his own body *. Heb. ii . 17. " Wherefore inall things it behoved him tobe made like
66 unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful " High priest, in things pertaining toGod, tomake reconcili- " ation for the fins of the people." You knowby this argument the Lord preſſed the Ifraelities to be kind to ſtrangers ; for,
(faith he), " youknow the heart of a stranger," Exod. xxii, 9.
Chriſt, by being in our nature, knows experimentally what our wants, fears, temptations, and diſtreſſes are, and ſo is able tohave compaffion. O let your hearts work upon this admirable condeſcenſion ofChriſt, till they be filledwith it, andyour lips ſay, Thanks be to Godfor Jesus Chrift.
* Haud ignara mali, miferisfuccureredifco.
Virg.
Like you, an alien in aland unknown, I learn to pitywoes, ſo like mine own.
Drydena