_ ashamed to be called their God.” And this distance between Christ
and us, which makes his condescension so marvellous, relates unto a fourfold head :—
1. The immunity of the nature wherein he was of one with us in his person from all sin. He was made like unto us in all things, sin excepted. The nature of man in every other individual — person is defiled with and debased by sin. We are every one “ gone astray, and are become all together filthy” or abominable. This sets us at no small distance from him. Human nature defiled with sin is farther distanced from the same nature as pure and holy, in worth and excellency, than the meanest worm is from the most glorious angel. Nothing but sin casts the creature out of its own place, and puts it into another distance from God than it hath by being a crea- ture. This isa debasement unto hell, as the prophet speaks: “Thou didst debase thyself even unto hell,” Isa. lvii. 9. And therefore the condescension of God unto us in Christ is set out by his regarding of us “when we were enemies” unto him, Rom. v. 10; that is, whilst we were “sinners,” as verse 8. This had cast us into hell itself, at the most inconceivable distance from him. Yet this hindered not him who
422 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP, II.
was “holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners,” to own us as his brethren. He says not, with those proud hypocrites in the pro- phet, “Stand farther off, I am holier than you;” but he comes unto us, and takes us by the hand in his love, to deliver us from this con- dition.
2. We are in this nature obnoxious unto all miseries, in this world and that which is to come. Man now is “born to trouble,” all the trouble that sin can deserve or a provoked God inflict. His misery is great upon him, and that growing and endless, He, just in himself, free from all, obnoxious to nothing that was grievous or irksome, no more than the angels in heaven or Adam in paradise. ‘Poona noxam sequitur ;’—“Punishment and trouble follow guilt only naturally.” He “did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth ;” so that God was always well pleased with him. Whatever of hard- ship or difficulty he underwent, it was for us, and not for himself. Might not he have left us to perish in our condition, and freely enjoyed his own? We see how unapt those who are in prosperity, full and rich, are to take notice of their nearest relations in poverty, misery, and distress; and who among them would do so if it would cast them into the state of those who are already miserable? Yet so it did the Lord Christ. His calling us brethren, and owning of us, made him instantly obnoxious unto all the miseries the guilt whereof we had contracted upon ourselves. The owning of his alliance unto us cost him, as it were, all he was worth; for being rich, “for our sakes he became poor.” He came into the prison and into the furnace to own us. And this also renders his condescension marvellous.
3. He is inconceivably distanced from us in respect of that place and dignity which he was designed unto. This, as we have showed at large, was to be “ Lord of all,” with absolute sovereign au- thority over the whole creation of God. We are poor abjects, who either have not bread to eat, or have no good right to eat that which we meet withal. Sin hath set the whole creation against us. And if Mephibosheth thought it a great condescension in David on his throne to take notice of him, being poor, who was yet the son of Jonathan, what is it in this King of kings to own us for brethren in our vile and low condition? Thoughts of his glorious exaltation will put a lustre on his condescension in this matter.
4, He is infinitely distanced from us in his person, in respect of his divine nature, wherein he is and was “God over all, blessed for ever.” He did not so become man as to cease to be God. Though he drew a veil over his infinite glory, yet he parted not with it. He who calls us brethren, who suffered for us, who died for us, was God still in all these things. The condescension of Christ in this respect the apostle in an especial manner insists upon and improves, Phil. ii, 5-11. That he who in himself is thus over all,
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eternally blessed, holy, powerful, should take us poor worms of the earth into this relation with himself, and avow us for his brethren, as it is not easy to be believed, so it is for ever to be admired.
And these are some of the heads of that distance which is be- tween Christ and us, notwithstanding his participation of the same nature with us. Yet such was his love unto us, such his constancy in the pursuit of the design and purpose of his Father in bringing many sons unto glory, that he overlooks as it were them all, and “is not ashamed to call us brethren.” And if he will do this because he is of one with us, because a foundation of this relation is laid in his participation of our nature, how much more will he continue so to do when he hath perfected this relation by the communication of his Spirit!