5. Hence comes also the tmioii between Christ and ns. 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. AVe 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 iii. 18.
6. Hence likewise comes the sympathy between Christ and iis ; for Christ is said to sufier with us. ' Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me ? ' Acts ix. 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 afi'ection and sympathy between Christ and us.
7. Hence hkewise comes the efficacy of what Christ did, that the dying of one man should be sufiicient 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 ice think that so great a mystery as this icas 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
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greatness of his person ? If angels bad done so ; alas ! * they were inferior creatures ; thoy were servants to God ; hut for the Son of God to take our nature -when it was so low, for so excellent a person to ho ahased so low ! There was none ever sull'ered that, that ' God in our llesh ' 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 be 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 sulferiug 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 crjang sins. Oh despair not, despair not ! This gi'cat 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. v. 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 satisfection. 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 Eom. iii. 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, v,hich 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 dis- couraged 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 ? There- fore 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.