Nor must it be forgotten, that to worship Christ is the highest act of obedience to the Father —
[It is the Father who enjoins it in the text ; and that, not to men only, but to angels also : " He has committed all judgment to his Son for this very purpose, that all men may honour the Son even as they honour the Father^;" he even swears that all, at the peril of their souls, shall bow to Jesus'; and, so far from thinking himself dishonoured by it, he ex- pressly requires it, in order that he himself may be more abundantly glorified^.]
The text leads us further to observe respecting Christ,
11. That his incarnation affords a special call to all both in heaven and earth to worship him — " The bringing in of the First-begotten into the world," may comprehend the whole period of his reign under the Gospel dispensation ; in which case the command to worship him is general: but if we confine the expression to the time of his incarnation, the command to worship him will be a sjjec'ial call, arising from the circumstance of his incarnation, and founded on it. To elucidate it in this latter view we may observe that,
^ Compare Acts vii, 59, 60. with Luke xxiii. 34, 46.
" 2 Cor. xii. 8, 9. f 1 Cor. i. 2. s Rev. vii. 9, 10.
'" John V. 2-J, 23. * Rom. xiv. 10, 11. ^ phU. ii. lo, n.
1. It (his incarnation) affords the brightest dis- covery of the Divine perfections —
[The angels had doubtless seen much of the Divine glory before : they had seen God's wisdom, power, and goodness in the creation and government of the world. But they never before had such a view of his condescension and grace as when they beheld him lying in the manger, a helpless babe. Now also the design of God to glorify all his perfections in the work of redemption was more clearly unfolded. Hence the whole multitude of the heavenly choir began to sing, " Glory to God in the highest." And if their hosannas increased with their discovei'ies of the Divine glory, should not ours also ? Have not we also abundant reason to magnify our incarnate God ; and to exalt our thoughts of him in proportion as he has debased himself for our sakes ?]
2. It opens a way for our reconciliation with God—
[Men were indeed accepted of God before Christ's advent in the flesh ; but it was through him who was to come, as we are accepted through him who has come. But when Christ was manifested in the flesh, his mediatorial work commenced; and that course of sufferings and obedience, which is the meritorious ground of our acceptance, was begun. It may be said, that, though we are bound on this account to adore him, the angels feel no interest in it. But can we suppose that those benevolent spirits, who minister to the heirs of salvation, and bear them on their wings to the realms of glory, feel no delight in our happiness? Doubtless they do; and are themselves made happier by their sympathy with us. If they rejoice over one sinner that repenteth, they also have reason to adore the Saviour for opening both to us and them such an inexhaustible fountain of blessedness and joy.]
3. It reunites men and angels under one Head —
[Christ was the Creator and sovereign Lord both of men and angels^ ; but man, by casting off his allegiance to his Lord, lost also his connexion with angels. Jesus however, by be- coming man, gathers together agairi^ both men and angels under himself as their common head : yea, he comes, as it were, to the very gates of hell, that he may take from thence sinners of the human race to fill the thrones once vacated by the apostate angels. It is by no means improbable that the very same humiliation of Jesus that exalts men to glory, is the source of establishment to the angels that retained their