That which we inquire after at present, is, the glory of Christ herein, and how we may behold that glory. And there are three things wherein we may take a prospect of it.
1. In his susception of this office.
2. In his discharge of it.
3. In the event and consequence thereof, or what ensued thereon. In the susception of this office we may behold the glory of Christ, —
I. In his condescension ; II. In his love.
I. We may behold this glory in his infinite condescension to take this office on him, and our nature to be his own unto that end. It did not befall him by lot or chance; — it was not imposed on him against his will ; — it belonged not unto him by any necessity of nature or condition, he stood not in need of it ; — it was no addition unto him; but of his own mmd and accord he graciously condescended unto the susception and discharge of it.
So the apostle expresseth it, Phil. ii. 5-8, " Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus : who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God; but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men; and being found in fashion as a man,
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lie humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."
It was the mind that was in Jesus Christ which is proposed unto our consideration and imitation,— what he was inclined and disposed unto from himself and his own mind alone. And that in general which is ascribed unto him is xhugig, exinanition, or self-emptjdng ; he emptied himself. This the ancient church called his evyxaru- /Sac/g, as we do his condescension ; an act of which kind in God is called the " humbling of himself," Ps. cxiii. 6.
Wherefore, the susception of our nature for the discharge of the office of mediation therein was an infinite condescension in the Son of God, wherein he is exceedingly glorious in the eyes of believers.
And I shall do these three things: — 1. Show in general the gr-eat- ness of his condescension ; 2. Declare the especial nature of it ; and, 3. Take what view we are able of the glory of Christ therein.
1. Such is the transcendent excellency of the divine nature, that it is said of God that he " dwelleth on high," and " humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth," Ps. cxiii. 5, 6. He condescends from the prerogative of his excellency to behold, to look upon, to take notice of, the most glorious things in heaven above, and the greatest things in the earth below. All his respect unto the creatures, the most glorious of them, is an act of infinite condescen- sion. And it is so on two accounts.
(1.) Because of the infinite distance that is between his essence, nature, or being, and that of the creatures. Hence all nations before him " are as the drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance ; " yea, that they " are as nothing, that they are counted unto him less than nothing, and vanity." All being is essentially in hun, and in comparison thereunto all other things are as nothing. And there are no measures, there is no proportion between infinite being and nothing, — nothing that should induce a regard from the one unto the other. Wherefore, the infinite, essential greatness of the nature of God, Avith his infinite distance from the nature of all crea- tures thereby, causeth all his dealings with them to be in the way of condescension or humbling himself. So it is expressed, Isa. Ivii. 15, " Thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones." He is so the high and lofty one, and so inhabiteth eternity, or existeth in his own eternal being, that it is an act of mere grace in him to take notice of things below ; and there- fore he doth it in an especial manner of those whom the world doth most desjoise.
(2.) It ariseth from his infinite self-sufficiency unto all the acts and
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ends of his ovm eternal blessedness. What we have a regard imto, what we respect and desire, it is that it may add unto our satisfaction. So it is, so it must be, with every creature ; no creature is self-sufficient unto its own blessedness. The human nature of Christ himself in lieaven is not so ; it lives in God, and God in it, in a full dependence on God, and in receiving blessed and glorious communications from him. No rational creature, angel or man, can do, think, act any thing, but it is all to add to their perfection and satisfaction ; — they are not self-sufficient. God alone wants nothing, stands in need of nothing ; nothing can be added unto him, seeing he " giveth unto all life, and breath, and all things," Acts xvii. 25. The whole creation, in all its excellency, cannot contribute one mite unto the satisfaction or blessed- ness of God. He hath it all in infinite perfection from himself and in his own nature. Our goodness extends not unto him. A man can- not profit God, as he may profit his neighbour. " If thou sinnest, what doest thou against him? or if thy transgressions be multiplied, what doest thou unto him?" God loseth nothing of his own self- sufficiency and blessedness therein by all this. And " if thou be righteous, what givest thou him? or what receiveth he of thine hand?" Job XXXV. 6, 7. And from hence also it follows that all God's con- cernment in the creation is by an act of condescension.