First, In that it shows that what he was to do and what he was to undergo in this work were proposed unto him, and that he will- ingly accepted of the terms and conditions of it. Ps. xl 6, God says unto him, that sacrifice and offering could not do this great
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work,—burnt-offering and sin-offering could not effect it; that is, no kind of offerings or sacrifices instituted by the law were available to take away sin and to save sinners, as our apostle expounds that place at large, Heb. x. 1-9, confirming his exposition with sundry arguments taken from their nature and effects. What, then, doth God require of him, that this great design of the salvation of sinners may be accomplished? Even that he himself should “make his soul an offering for sin,” “ pour out his soul unto death,” and thereby “bear the sin of many,” Isa. liii. 10, 12; that seeing “the law was weak through the flesh,’—that is, by reason of our sins in the flesh,— he himself should take upon him “ the likeness of sinful flesh,” and become “an offering for sin in the flesh,” Rom. viii. 3; that he should be “made of a woman, made under the law,” if he would “redeem them that were under the law,” Gal. iv. 4, 5; that he should “make himself of no reputation, and take upon him the form of a servant, and be made in the likeness of men, and being found in fashion as a man, humble himself and become obedient unto death, even the death of the cross,” Phil. 1. 7, 8. These things were proposed unto him, which he was to undergo, if he would deliver and save mankind. And how did he entertain this proposal? how did he like these conditions? “I was not,” saith he, “rebellious, neither turned away back,” Isa. 1.5. He declined them not, he refused none of the terms that were proposed unto him, but underwent them im a way of obedience; and that with willingness, alacrity, and delight. Ps. xl. 6-8: “Mine ears hast thou opened,” saith he; or ‘ prepared a body for me, wherein I may yield this obedience,’ (that the apostle declares to be the sense of the expression, Heb. x.) This obedience could not be yielded without a body, wherein it was performed. And whereas to hear, or to have the ear opened, is in the Scripture to be prepared unto obedience, the psalmist in that one expression, “Mine ears hast thou opened,” compriseth both these, even that, Christ had a body prepared, by a synecdoche of a part for the whole, and also in that body he was ready to yield obedience unto God in this great work, which could not be accomplished by sacri- fices and burnt-offerings. And this readiness and willingness of Christ.unto this work is set out under three heads in the ensuing words:—1. His tender of himself unto this work. Then said he, “Lo, I come, in the volume of thy book it is written of me;”— ‘ This thou hast promised, this is recorded in the head, beginning of thy book,’ namely, in that great promise, Gen. iii. 15, that the seed of the woman showld bruise the head of the serpent; ‘and now thou hast given me, in the fulness of time, and prepared me a body for that purpose; lo, I come, willing and ready to undertake it” 2. In the frame of his mind in this engagement. He entered into it
with great delight: “I delight to do thy will,O my God.” He
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did not delight in the thoughts of it only of old, as before, and then grow heavy and sorrowful when it was to be undertaken; but he went unto it with cheerfulness and delight, although he knew what sorrow and grief it would cost him before it was brought unto per- fection. 3. From the principle whence this obedience and delight did spring; which was a universal conformity of his soul, mind, and will, unto the law, mind, and will of God: “Thy law is in my heart,”—“in the midst of my bowels;’—‘ Every thing in me is com- pliant with thy will and law; there is in me a universal conformity thereunto.’ Being thus prepared, thus principled, he considered the glory that was set before him,—the glory that would redound unto God by his becoming a captain of salvation, and that would ensue unto himself. He “endured the cross and despised the shame,” Heb. xi. 2. He armed himself with those considerations against the hardships and sufferings that he was to meet withal; and the apostle Peter adviseth us to arm ourselves with the like mind when ave are to suffer, 1 Hpist. iv. 1. By all which it appears that the good-will and love of Jesus Christ were in this matter of being humbled and made less than angels; as the apostle says expressly that “he humbled himself, and made himself of no reputation,” Phil. i. 7, 8, as well as it is here said that God humbled him, or made him less than angels. Secondly, The Scripture peculiarly assigns this work unto the love and condescension of Christ himself; for although it abounds in setting forth the love of the Father in the designing and contriving this work, and sending his Son into the world, yet it directs us unto the love of the Lord Christ himself as the next immediate cause of _ his engaging into it and performance of it. So saith the apostle, Gal. ‘ii. 20, “I live by the faith of the Son of God,’—that is, by faith in him, —‘ who loved me, and gave himself for me.” It was the love of Christ that moved him to give himself for us; which is excellently expressed in that sdoxology, Rev. i. 5, 6, “ Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” All this was the fruit of his love, and therefore unto him is all praise and honour to be given and ascribed. And so great was this love of Christ, that he declined no- thing that was proposed unto him. This the apostle calls his “grace,” 2 Cor. viii. 9, “ Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.” He condescended unto a poor and low condition, and to suffer therein, for our good, that we might be made partakers of the riches of the grace of God. And this was the love of the person of Christ, because it was in and wrought equally in him both before and after his assumption of our nature. Now, the Holy Ghost makes an especial application of this truth