I. The respect, care, love, and grace of God, unto mankind, ex- pressed in the person and mediation of Jesus Christ is a matter of singular and eternal admiration.
366 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. II.
We have before showed, from the words of the psalmist, that such in general is the condescension of God, to have any regard of man, considering the infinite excellency of the properties of his nature, as manifested in his great and glorious works. That now proposed followeth from the apostle’s application of the psalmist’s words unto the person of Christ; and consequently from the regard of God unto usin his mediation. And this is such, as that the apostle tells us that at the last day it shall be his great glory, and that he will be “admired in all them that believe,’ 2 Thess. i. 10. When the work of his grace shall be fully perfected in and towards them, then the glory of his grace appeareth and is magnified for ever. This is that which the admiration of the psalmist tends unto and rests in, that God should so regard the nature of man as to take it into union with himself in the person of his Son, and in that nature, humbled and exalted, to work out the salvation of all them that believe on him. There are other ways wherein the respect of God towards man doth appear, even in the effects of his holy, wise providence over him. He causeth his sun to shine and his rain to fall upon him, Matt. v. 45. He leaves not himself without witness towards us, “in that he doth good, and gives us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness,” Acts xiv. 17. And these ways of his providence are singularly admirable. But this way of his grace towards us in the person of his Son assuming our nature into union with himself, is that wherein the exceeding and un- speakable riches of his glory and wisdom are made manifest. So the apostle expresseth it, Eph. i. 17-23. He hath that to declare unto them, which, because of its greatness, glory, and beauty, they are no way able of themselves to receive or comprehend. And therefore he prays for them that they may have the spirit of wis- dom and revelation, to give them the knowledge of Christ, or that God by his Spirit would make them wise to apprehend, and give them a gracious discovery of what he proposeth to them; as also, that hereby they may enjoy the blessed effect of an enlightened understanding, without which they will not discern the excellency of this matter. And what is it that they must be helped, assisted, prepared for to understand, in any measure? what is the great- ness, the glory of it, that can no otherwise be discerned? ‘ Why, saith he, ‘marvel not at the necessity of this preparation: that which I propose unto you is the glory of God, that wherein he will princi- pally be glorified, here and unto eternity; and it is the riches of that glory, the treasures of it.” God hath in other things set forth and manifested his glory; but yet as it were by parts and parcels. One thing hath declared his power, another his goodness and wisdom, and that in part, with reference unto that particular about which they have been exercised; but in this he hath drawn forth, dis-
VER. 5-9.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 8367
played, manifested all the riches and treasures of his glory, so that his excellencies are capable of no greater exaltation. And there is also in this work the unspeakable greatness of his power engaged, that no property of his nature may seem to be uninterested in this matter. Now whereunto doth all this tend? Why, it is all to give a blessed and eternal inheritance unto believers, unto the hope and expectation whereof they are called by the gospel. And by what way or means is all this wrought and brought about? Even by the working of God in Jesus Christ; in his humiliation, when he died ; and in his exaltation, in his resurrection, putting all things under his feet, crowning him with glory and honour; which the apostle shows by a citation of this place of the psalmist ; for all this is out of God’s regard unto man; it is for the church, which is the body of Christ, and his fulness. So full of glory, such an object of eter- nal admiration, is this work of the love and grace of God; which, as Peter tells us, the very angels themselves desire to look into, 1 Pet. i. 12. And this further appears,—
First, Because all God’s regard of man in this way is a fruit of mere sovereign grace and condescension. And all grace is admirable, especially the grace of God; and that so great grace, as the Scripture expresseth it. There was no consideration of any thing without God himself that moved him hereunto. He had glorified himself, as the psalmist shows, in other works of his hands, and he could have rested in that glory. Man deserved no such thing of him, being worthless and sinful. It was all of grace, both in the head and members. The human nature of Christ neither did nor could merit the hypostatical union. It did not, because being made par- taker of it fiom the instant of its conception, all antecedent opera- tions that might procure it were prevented; and a thing cannot be merited by any after it is freely granted antecedently unto any deserts. Nor could it do so; hypostatical union could be no reward of obedience, being that which exceeds all the order of things and rules of remunerative justice. The assumption, then, of our nature into personal union with the Son of God, was an act of mere free, sovereign, unconceivable grace. And this is the foundation of all the following fruits of God’s regard unto us; and that being of grace, so must they be also. Whatever God doth for us in and by Jesus Christ as made man for us,—which is all that he so doth,—it must, I say, be all of grace, because his being made man was so, Had there been any merit, any desert on our part, any preparation for or dis- position unto the effects of this regard,— had our nature, or that por- tion of it which was sanctified and separated to be united unto the Son of God, any way procured or prepared itself for its union and assumption,—things had fallen under some rules of justice and equality, whereby they might be apprehended and measured; but