1. In that what he was to do and undergo was proposed to him, and he willingly accepted of the terms and conditions. When no kind of sacrifices and offerings were sufficient to take away sin and save sinners, then he said, ' Lo, I come to do thy will,' Heb. x. 6, 7. It was told him what it would cost him if he would deliver and save mankind ; all was written down in God's book ; that he must be made under the law, take upon him the form of a servant, make his soul an oflFering for sin. How did he like these conditions ? ' I was not,' saith he, ' rebellious, neither turned away back,' Isa. 1. 5. No ; he refused not the terms, but cheerfully submitted to them : ' I delight to do thy will, 0 God.' He delighted in the thoughts of it long ere it came about: Prov. viii. 31, ' Kejoicing in the habitable part of the earth, and my delights were with the sons of men.' And when it was to be actually done, he repented not.
2. The scripture assigneth this work unto the love and condescen- sion of Christ himself, as the next and immediate cause of his engage- ing in it, and performance of it : Gal. ii. 20, ' I live by the faith of the
128 SERMON UPON PHILIPPIANS II. 7.
Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me ; ' Eph. v. 25, 26, ' Christ loved the church, and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word ; ' Eev. i. 5, 6, ' Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood/ The apostle telleth us, 2 Cor. viii. 9, ' Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.' He con- descended to a poor and low condition, and suffered therein for our good, that we might be partakers of the riches of the grace of God.
III. That this was for our sakes. Christ hath a double relation — (I.) As our mediator, redeemer, and saviour ; (2.) As the pattern and example of holiness in our nature. Both ways it was for our sakes.
1. As our mediator. So he emptied himself that we might be filled with all grace. He was born of a woman that we might be born of God : Gal. iv. 4, 5, ' When the fulness of time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons ; ' 2 Cor. V. 21 , ' He was made sin for us that knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.' He was made a curse that we might have the blessing: Gal. iii. 13, 14, 'Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us ; for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree. That the blessing of Abraham might come on the gentiles through Jesus Christ, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.' He was forsaken for a while that we might be received for ever. And, to speak to the very case, 2 Cor. viii. 9, ' He was made poor for us, that we through his poverty might be rich.' There are some things in the mediation of Christ which belong to ministry, others to authority. Those which belong to ministry, as to be in the form of a servant, and die ; he must be a man for that. Some things belong to authority, as to bring us back to God, to make our peace with God, to convey the Spirit, to vanquish Satan, to raise the dead, to deliver us from hell, to make us everlastingly blessed ; he must be a God for that ; but so as first that which is necessary to be done by his manhood be done for us ; first the merit of his humiliation was to be interposed before we could be acquainted with the power of his exaltation. God took this way, partly because we were to be restored in a way contrary to that by which we fell. We fell by pride, and we must be restored by humility. We would be as God, not in a way of blessed conformity, but cursed self-sufficiency. Therefore, to expiate this pride, God must become like man, take our nature, and sufier in it. Once man, in the pride of his heart, attempted to be like God ; and God by a mystery of humility became like man, that he might bring man into a nearer degree of likeness to God. Partly because the honour of his justice required it. Reconciliation supposeth satisfaction ; for we are not at peace with God till his justice be appeased. And the Spirit of God had not been sent if God had not been at peace with us, for this is the token of his friendship. And till the Spirit be given to change both our natures and estate, we have no title to the pardon of sin and eternal life. Therefore the merit of Christ's humiliation is at the bottom of all the good we expect from God. Partly because he