Secondly, That he is God, and so fitted for this work. In times of delusion it is good to settle foundations, and give you grounds of faith. It may be a discourse upon the godhead of Christ men may think unnecessary : 1 John v. '20, ' This is the true God and eternal life ; ' Isa. ix. 6, ' The mighty God ;' and here in the text he is called 'the great God ; ' Kom. ix. 5, ' God blessed for ever.' These proofs are so pregnant that they need no illustration. And certainly he is not God by grant or courtesy, but it doth unavoidably follow, if he be God, he must be so by nature, for the Lord will not give his glory to another. Nay, Col. ii. 9, ' In him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily,' that is, essentially ; not only divine qualities, such as are infused into us, but the whole essence of the Godhead was in him as in its proper residence. Again, Phil. ii. 6, ' Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God.' It was not a usurpation of another's right. And you know this doctrine Christ himself preached : John V. 18,"' Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he said that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.' Certainly when Christ said God was his Father, he did not mean it in an ordinary sense, as he is our God and Father, but as his eternal ever- lasting Son. Thus Christ is the great God.
Use 1. Let us observe the love of Christ in becoming man, and let us improve it.
1. Observe it. Men show love M'hen they have another's picture about their necks. What love did Christ show when he took our natures ! To see the great God in the form of a servant, hanging upon the cross, this is wonderful condescension. Christ's incarnation was a glorious contrivance : 1 Tim, iii. 16, ' Great is the mystery of godliness, God manifest in the flesh.' If God had not revealed it, it would have been blasphemy for us to think it. Angels stoop to see it, the prophets studied it again, how should the saints admire it ! Among the friars they count it a mighty honour done to their order if a great prince, when he is weary of the world, cometh and taketh their habit, and dieth in their habit. Certainly it is a mighty honour to mankind that the Son of God should take upon him the nature of man, and die in our nature, and that the Word should not only be made flesh, but bo made sin, and made a curse for us.
2. Improve it.
YeR. 13.] SERMONS UPON TITUS II. 11-14. 237
[1.] Let us he desirous to be made partakers of his nature, as he is of our nature : 2 Peter i. 4, ' Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises, that by these ye may be partakers of the divine nature.' Christ's partaking of our nature was his abasement ; the sun of righteousness went backward ; but our partaking of the divine nature is our preferment.
[2.] Let us use ourselves more honourably for Christ's sake. The Philistines would no more tread on that threshold on which their idol Dagon fell, 1 Sam. v. 5. Shall we defile that nature which the Son of God assumed ? Certainly * every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour,' 1 Thes. iv. 4.
Use 2. Here is an invitation to press us to come to Christ, or by Christ to God, Christ is worth a thousand of us. We are to seek a match for our master's Son. Our way to win you is to tell you what he is, that those who have given up their names to him may keep themselves as pure virgins till his coming : 2 Cor. xi. 2, ' I am jealous over you with godly jealousy ; for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin unto Christ.' Now, that you may be wrought upon, I will tell you what he is. He is God-man in one person ; he is man, that you may not be afraid of him ; and God, that he may do you good. He is the Lord of lords, the King of kings, the heir of all things, the Saviour of the world, a proper object for your faith : 1 Peter i. 21, ' Who by him do believe in God, who raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory, that your faith and hope might be in God.' He knows your wants, and is able to supply them ; yea, ' he is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him ; Heb. vii, 25. Though we are unworthy, yet he needeth no portion with us ; we can bring nothing to him, but he hath enough in himself, I am God all-sufficient ; as Esther had all things for her purification given her at the king's cost. Nay, it is danger to neglect him : Heb. xii. 25, ' See that ye refuse not him that speaketh; for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven.' It is God wooeth you ; he will take you with nothing ; you bring him nothing but necessity, but he will pay all your debts. Nay, nothing can hurt you as long as he is on your side : Eom. viii. 31, ' If God be for us, who can be against us ? ' Do not leave, then, till you can say as Thomas, John xx. 28, 'My Lord and my God.' Take him, but give him the honour of a God, adoration, invocation, faith, and love.