John xvii. 22. The glory which thou gavest me I have given
them.
THE dignity of human nature is a favourite sub- ject with many: nor, if man be considered in his primeval state, can it be estimated too highly. But man is a fallen creature, and reduced to the most abject condition. The Scriptures speak of him in the most humiliating terms: nevertheless, through the grace of the Gospel, he is restored to his primitive honours: he in some respects is elevated even above the angels of heaven. No words can express his dignity more fully than those of the text. Do we in- quire what that glory is which the Father gave to Christ, and Christ gives to his Church and people ?
We will specify it in five particulars :
I. The glory of manifesting the Divine power — Angels have been used as instruments of Divine
power both for the preservation and destruction of mankind ; but it is peculiar to Christ and his people to manifest the Divine power in conflicts with their enemies.
Christ had this glory given him —
[He had innumerable enemies, both men and devils a; but he conquered sin, Satan, death, and hellb. This he did through the support and influence of his Father0.]
This glory has Christ given us —
[His people are in a state of warfare3: but the very weakest of them triumph at last through Christ e. Paul acknowledges this to the praise of his Divine Master f.]
II. The glory of displaying the moral perfections of
the Deity — The material world displays the natural perfections of God ; but not even the angels in heaven can set forth all his moral perfections —
a Ps. ii. 2. Luke xxii. 53. b Col. ii. 15. Eph. iv. 8.
c Isai. xlii. 1. d Eph. vi. 12.
e Rom. viii. 37. f 2 Cor. xii. 9.