A Complete Body of Divinity, Sermons · 96 (Question 27 cont.)
SERMON XCVI.
WE have taken an account of the Nature of Chriſt's Humiliation, it … follows that we preſent it in the for … p…i…ars wherein it was exerted, in all … which we are to obſerve how he carried on the Work of Redemption, which was the very bu…eſs that this State of his was concerned in. We muſt here carry along with us, that Chriſt's Humiliation, properly conſiſted in his being ſubject to the Law for us that ſo in our ſtead he might both merit and ſatisfy, according to the tenour of the Law; ſo that our whole Salvation was to be procured by his active and paſſive Obedience, and our whole hope for eternal Life depends upon this, that he hath thus obeyed in our ſtead. We are therefore to trace this in every paſſage that follows, the particulars whereof are but ſummarily pointed at in the Anſwer before us. And in order to our methodical proſecution of theſe things, we may reduce them to their proper heads.
CHRIST then humbled himſelf both in his Life and his Death. In the former of theſe his active, in the latter his paſſive obedience did more principally appear; though both of them were exerted in each. For, he therefore did what the Law required, that by doing he might procure eternal Life for us; and he ſuffered yea died, that he might free us from eternal Death.
1. WE are to begin at his Life; for he both lived as well as died for us. His whole Life as well as his Death, was upon our account. And in the conſideration of his Life, we are to obſerve his entrance into the world, and his commoration in it. He muſt come into it, for here were they that were to be redeemed by him, and here was that work to be done, the vertue whereof muſt ſave them; And becauſe this work could not be done in a moment, but required time for the accompliſhment of it, he muſt therefore tarry here a while, and dwell among men, for ſuch a ſpace as was requiſite for the performance of it: And on this account he is ſaid to tabernacle among us, Joh. 1.14. i. e. He tarried here, as one abſent from his home, till he had fulfilled the buſineſs his Father ſent him hither about.
IN His Entrance into the Wor… there are two things of ſpecial remark, viz. His Conception and Birth, which are particularly mentioned in ou… Creed; and the obſervation whereof is helpful to eſtabliſh our Faith in him as our Redeemer. Now theſe two are conſiderable, either as they refer to his Incarnation, and ſo we have taken an account of them under a former Queſtion; or in reſpect of the circumſtances attending them, in which he was humbled in them; and that refers to our preſent Subject. Our Catechiſm mentions not the former of theſe here, but rather involves it in the latter; and indeed the circumſtances in which he humbled himſelf in theſe are the ſame; yea, the Conception itſelf was rather a preparing him to be humbled, than a part of his Humiliation, becauſe in it he was incarnated. I ſhall therefore paſs to the conſideration of his Birth, which is the firſt thing before us in the Catechiſm, viz. His being born, and that in a low Condition, being made under the Law. Touching his being made under the Law, we have already of ſerved it in the general account of his … millation; and it is well to be remem…, that he was not only made under the La…, as Adam was in his ſtate of integrity; for ſo … would only have owed his active ob…ſience to it; but ſo as fallen man, upon wha… the curſe is fallen: ſo that he alſo … … liged to pay a paſſive obedience to it and that account is ſaid to be made a cur… Gal. 3.12. And … ſuch a ſtate was … wherein the deepneſs of his H…miliation appears. And this may well be refered … the condition in which he was b… … Catechiſm ſeems to makes his Birt… … of his Humiliation, conſidered in itſelf, … his low condition that accompanied it as … junct to it, or a farther degree of it; … then we muſt look upon his Birth as di… from his Incarnation, which hath been before proved not to belong to that ſtate, but … prepare him to be a ſubject, both of the, and alſo of Exaltation. And thus we … conceive of him, as humbled in it; in … would not only be a man, for ſo he might have been as Adam was, by creation; … would be of our ſtock, lineage, kindred, … were become baſe & ignoble, & vile. … that is remarkable, Heb. 2.14. Fore… then as the children are partakers of fleſh and blood; be alſo himſelf likewiſe took part of the ſame, that through death be might deſtroy … that had the power of death, that is the … The ſame fleſh and blood with us be … be a brother of ſuch worms, and correp… as we were, that ſo the right of Redemp… might belong to him; and therefore it is emphatical, ver. 16. He doth not ſay the … ture of man, but the Seed of Abraham. … that wherein the Humiliation of his … mainly conſiſts, is the low eſtate in which it was; for he was put into that eſtate for … and the vertue of it is applied to us, and … it belonged to his Redemption. There … indeed notable appearances of his Glory which accompanied his Birth, by which … would give a Teſtimony, that he … Meſſias. As, the glorious Star that app… about that time, which was lighted … Taper, to give the World intimation … Sun of Righteouſneſs being about to … the coming of wiſe men from the eaſt, … the invitation of the Star, to viſit, wo… and pay homage to him, Mat. 2. begin. … alſo the ſtately appearance of an hoſt of … venly Angels to a company of poor … herds, proclaiming, as Heralds, his Birth, and ſinging a glorious Anthem upon it, … begin. But his Birth itſelf was accomp… with a wonderful meanneſs, he mightily … baſed himſelf in it. He was born for us, and ſo was born in a condition anſwetable and is it, it appears what ſin had made us … very Birth. And there are a few things … here be taken notice of, as properly belonging to his Humiliation, viz.
1. HE was born under a ſentence of Cond…. As ſoon as he had put out nature on, …od under the doom of the Law; He was … to dy, and was adjudged to it, as ſoon as … as Man. We are all born children of wrath, … natural ſtate, and he put himſelf in place, and therefore came to fulfil the Law, … 5.17. And this is a main article of it. …ad never been horn, if it had not been …e made a Sacrifice; God prepared him a for this Heb. 12.5. Juſtice … b…ld on … as ſoon as ever be came … world. diſcharged him not, till it had taken its faction of him: and he lived in the view … all his days, and was frequently ſpeak… it.
He was born of a Sinful Woman. It was …w ſtoop in the Son of God, that he would are of, and derive from any of Adam's …ol children. True honour in God's ac… conſiſts in Holineſs, and Sin is to Him vileſt diſgrace. Original Sin in his Mo… had made her more mean and ignoble … any thing elſe could: had ſhe been an …preſs, it had yet been in Chriſt a debaſing himſelf to derive his humanity from
That a clean thing ſhould come out of …dean is ſtrange; for though ſhe was …uy'd by Grace, yet ſhe was not arrived …leſs perfection, but had the ſtain and …ation on her. And as it is a diſgrace to … a Traytor to ones father, it is no leſs to … …inner to ones mother: and thus Chriſt, …gh without ſin, would be thus nearly and to Sinners, for whoſe ſake he came … this world.
3. JOSEPH and Mary were very Poor and …p…ible. Mary was his true mother, as by as any other woman is the mother of her …. And Joſeph, though not really, … the eſteem of men, was his father, and … reputed ſo; the honour or contempt his condition muſt reflect upon him. They …deed derive from David, but they were … our of eſteem, and reduced to a very … condition, little regarded among … wealthy neighbours. Joſeph, a Car… a Calling laborious, and not very pro… which afterwards gave them occaſion …peak ſo contemptuouſly of him, Mark 6.3. … this the carpenter, the ſon of Mary, the … of James and Joſes, and of Juda, and … and are not his ſiſters here with us? they were offended at him. And why was it but becauſe ſin had robbed us of our …, and made us ignominious; had for… out right to all things, and reduced … poverty.
4. THE Time of his Birth is here very conſider. There was a time when the Nation …ed its liberty, and had the command and near; but he was not born then, but … when the Nation was in ſlavery to the … Empire; and at ſuch a ſeaſon, when in …ſs of his ſlavery, there did go out a Tax, …ery one muſt repair to his City, there to love it; Joſeph & Mary muſt alſo do this, … a begin. And at that very time, while the ſignal token of ſlavery was acting, he muſt be born into the world: ſo to make it appear in the very circumſtances of his Birth, that he not only took on him the form of a man, but the form of a ſervant, Phil. 2.7. And why? but becauſe we now by fin became ſlaves, and brought under the moſt cruel bondage.
5. THE Place of his birth and Circumſtances of is, de farther ſee forth … of …. We have it deſcribed, in Luk. 2.7. And ſhe brought forth her firſt born ſon, and wrapped him in ſw…dling cloaths, and laid him in a manger becauſe there was no room for them in the inn. When we hear the report of the Great King of the World, the Supreme Potentate to be born, we would ſuppoſe the greateſt Preparations imaginable to be made for it, the moſt ſtately Palace, moſt ſumptuous Chamber, moſt ſplendid Furniture, the moſt royal Attendance, and magnificent Entertainment, that ſo his birth might, in ſome meaſure anſwer his Dignity. But alas! how far is it from this? Inſtead of a Palace, he is content with a Stable; for noble Attendance, he is born among the Beaſts; for coſtly Dreſſing, either ſome poor rags gotten of charity, or to be ſure as mean as the low condition of his poor Parents allowed; in the room of a coſtly Cradle richly prepared, a ſorry Manger and likely a lock of Hay for a Pillow; and the beſt Attendance on this Solemnity, a company of poor folks, who were put to it for a lodging, and ſain to take up with one like that of Joſeph's. Thus came he ſilently into the World; no Bells rung, no Bonfires made, no Proclamations iſſued to invite the World to come and pay homage to their Prince. This was becauſe we had turned ourſelves our of all, and forfeited our right to every bleſſing.
6. THE Reaſon of his being born in ſuch a place, adds to this Conſideration. Luk. 2.7. Becauſe there was no room for them in the inn. Alas! what Great Perſonages in compariſon, were they that belonged to B…thle…em, that they muſt take up all the rooms of Entertainment, and crowd out the Lord of Glory. Could none of them think or ſay, it is good manners for us to give place to our Lord and King? No. He muſt be ſo obſcure, that his Mother muſt be thruſt out, and conſent to take up a naſty hole, in which to Travail of Him who was King of Kings, and Lord of Lords; while the huffing and ſwaggering Blades of the place take up and command all the Entertainment. Such a low and mean thing ſuch a nothing and contemptible thing did Chriſt make himſelf, in his very Birth. Thus he came into the world, and this he did in our ſtead, and on our account.
USE. LEARN then from hence, how low ſin had lard us, and how much Chriſt hath loved us. Truly, this leſſon is pointed to, at every paſſage of Chriſt's Humiliation. When we conſider what Chriſt made himſelf, it ſhews us what we had made ourſelves by Sin, and when we reflect on it, that he did it for us, it then declares his unſpeakable kindneſs to us. Let us then lay out a few thoughts upon the matter before us, let me i…vite you all to come to the birth of your Saviour; ſee and be…ld the King of Glory, iva…led in obſcurity, & entring into the World under a Cloud; the L…rd of Heaven and Earth entring …to his D…m…ion, in the m…areſt a…d obſcureſt Equipage imaginable; Him who made both Heaven and Earth, not accommodated ſo much as with an…ic…ſe to be born … but to be turned among Beaſts: And why? Our Sins procured it; we had leſt our Right to all, we deſerved Poverty and Miſery, to be turned out of Houſe and Home. We were under this Curſe. The Son of God was a Great King; He could have commanded all the World, …e could with a W…rd have bu…lt a ſtately Palace, and furniſhed it mag…cently for himſelf. But how h…d he been our Redeemer then? It was for our ſake that be became poor, 2 Cor. 8.9. He was born for us. Iſai. 9.…. A…d for that reaſon he was thus born. A…d was not this c…deſcende…cy a diſcovery of his great Love? Let his Stable and Manger then, make him exceeding precious to us. And do we enjoy any benefits in our birth, let us acknowledge it hither. For though in the day of patience, God allows this favours to wicked men, yet ſhould God's People derive all their mercies through Chriſt, and aſcribe them to him; and every circumſta…ce thereof ſhould help to eſtabl…ſh and increaſe our live to him. And th…s may ſuffice to be remarked on his Birth, or his Entrance into the World.
WE are now to proceed to look on Him in …epard to His Commentation in it. And there we may follow him, firſt in his Private, and then in his Publick Life. Chriſt indeed was born to be a Publick Perſon, and he was ſo influentially from his entrance into the World; but yet firſt took upon him a private Condition of Life, before he entred upon his publick Miniſtry; in which he …en…ined …ill he was about Thirty Years of Age, Luk. 3.23. And there was Reaſon for it. For,
1. THE …te of Humanity, as he aſſumed it, 'ſo required. He might indeed have taken our nature in its compleaſage and nature: ſo our firſt Patents were made; But becauſe he muſt be born, and ſo be firſt an Infant, which Age is not fitted for publick Employment. And there is no queſtion, but if Adam had ſtood in his integrity, Children would have been Children, incapable of Service till they were grown: To be ſure it is ſo with fallen man, who muſt learn to ſpeak and go, &c. And they are all the infinities ſinleſs of this ſtate, which he took on him.
2. THE Law under which he was born pointed to it. He was ma…e under the Law, Gal. 4.4. i. e. M…ſes's Paedage…. Now the L…vites, were not to enter o… publick Service, till they were Thirty Years old, Numn. 4.3. And tho's Chriſt was not of that Tribe and Order, yet they were Types of Him in this reſpect. And therefore though he gave a wonderful Sp… men of his Accompl…ſhment at Twelve Years old. Luk. ….16, 27. yet he would acco… date himſelf to the Law, being to ſa… … righteouſneſs, as well in the poſitive precepts, as thoſe that were moral.
3. THERE are ſome of the People of God, who are to lead a private Life, and others who are called to publick Service; and Jeſus Chriſt went throught both …, that he might ſanctify both of them to His People. So that whether we are called to ſerve God in a private or publick Capacity, we … have adva…tage to exerciſe our Faith in … for the application of his Holineſs to us … either of them, ſo as to render us acceptable to G…d.
I. WE are to begin at His Private L…fe … which we may c…nſider, 1. His ſtate of … ſan…y, 2. His m…re … Age. And obſerve how he … himſelf for us in both.
1. CHRIST was … Infant, to ſanctify the Infanty …f His P…o…. Holi…eſs is required of us from th… W…mb; But our Childhood and Youth are vanity. David prays, Pſal. 25.… Remmeber not the ſies of my …. And … obtained by faith in the Child Jeſus. And … it was an humbling of himſelf for the … of God to be an Infant of de…s, and of ſtrength, to hang on his mothers Breaſts, and depend on her for his ſuſtenance; ſo there … three more peculiar paſſages, where… … Humiliation in his Infancy was Cele…, His Ci…u…ſion, His Oblation and His … into …egypt, and return fr…m thence. … touch upon each may ſuffice. In the … former of theſe he complied with the … monial Law. Not that he had in … real deſ…ement of ſin, for he was … ſin; but the Law pointed to him as … of it. Rom. 10.4. For Chriſt is the end of … law for righteouſneſs to every one that both … And it was to declare that he was a … by imputation. Had not his People … Sinners, there had been no need of theſe … remonies; they were an… band-writing of … dinances againſt the people, Col. 2….14. … therefore oboved theſe accoriding … meaning of them; and ſo acknowledged … ſelf to be the greateſt Sinner by impu….
2. CONCERNING His Circumciſion? … have the account of it. Luk. 2.21. A… eight days were accompliſhed for the circum… of the Child, his name was called JESUS, … was ſo named of the Angel before be … … ceived in the womb. Where we ſee that it was exactly attended, to the very day which the Law preſcribed. The tittles of God's Law, that are little regarded by the … are of weight to a gracious Soul; they were ſo to Chriſt. Now concerning the Circumciſion of Chriſt, let theſe few remarks be ….
(1.) CHRIST by being Circumciſed, … that He was the Auth…r and Inſtitutor of the Ordinance. For though it was conſecrated … Divine Service, long before his coming in the Fl…, even in the days of Abraham, yet he … that law to Abraham. For it was he … appeared to him, and made the Covenant with him; and now he put a note of …our upon it by his own example, hereby …ing his approbation of it: And it was a … reſpect that he put upon the Ceremo… Law, by conforming to it. …
(2.) HE hereby …ar…er intimated, that this Or… Re…ed its vertue and efficacy from … That it was he who made this ſign to …fectual to the ſpiritual end of it, when it was made uſe of by the Ancients in former ages: And that all that get any good by it, had it from him: the vertue of it depended to him, and they were led up to him as the … of that Geremony, and received at his …ds that heart circumciſion, which was … out by it; according to, Col. 2.11. … alſo ye are circumciſed with the circumciſion made without hands, in putting off the body … …s of the fleſh, by the circumciſion of Chriſt.
(3.) HE being tiped out by the Circumciſion, ſu… …ct the figure of it, by applying it to himſelf. For,
[1.] HEREBY he declares that he was of the M…r…ty of Abraham. Not only that he was …, but of ſuch a Stock: for with Abraham and his Seed was the Covenant of Circumciſion made; and by this note they were … diſtinguiſhed from all the other People in the World. By this note therefore Chriſt … himſelf, Heb. 2.16. For verily he took … him the nature of angels: but he took … the ſeed of Abraham. The Jews might … …ave cavalled againſt him, and brought ſome reaſon to reject him; for they were to … c…ma…ion with ſuch as were un…ciſed. But he herein ſubjected himſelf to the Judaical Polity, and Ceremonial Law; which being a part of inſtituted Worſhip, he could not paſs by, but muſt obſerve in his …. And though he was not active in this as …, being in his Infancy; yet, as God, He …ered it to be ſo, to prove his perfect Obedience.
[2.] HE was Circumciſed to manifest the …ng of the Type and Figure in him. The …y in which Chriſt was to remove the Law, … reſpect to the curſe of it, required this. Circumciſion, and the Law of Ordinances, … was a great ſervitude upon his People, was to be removed by him, by ſuifi…ling, Mat. 5.17. And though his main work was to …er the things which were ſpiritually ſigned by that Law; yet there was a great Curſe …sed to that Law, unto thoſe that failed is any part of it. Deut. 27.26. Now that People never did keep the Ceremonial Law exactly; as the Hiſtory of thoſe times fully de…es, and is to be gathered from that of Pe…. Act. 15.10. He therefore was Circumciſed, and ſo obliged to it; as, Gal. 5.3. For …eſtify … every man that is circumciſed, that he is a d…tor to do the whole law. And by obeying it, … took that curſe off.
[3.] CIRCUMCISION typed purity, whereas Uncircumciſion was a note of pollution or uncleanneſs. I hoſe that were Circumciſed, were Ceremonially cleanſed from Original ſin; it was a typical taking away the pollution, that man is nature had contracted by the Fall. And Chriſt was Circumciſed to ſhew that that Original ſin that His Redeemed labour of, was imputed to him; and that he was clean from pollution; and that we are to go to Him for this cleanſing. His Circumciſion is therefore declared to be made uſe of, in the helping of us to put off the body of ſin, Col. 2.11. i. e. the Circumciſion which he by his Spirit applies to us in purifying us, which he repreſented in his being Circumciſed.
[4.] CIRCUMCISION looked at, & pointed to Him. It was therefore only a directory to them before his coming, whereby they were helped to look to, and wait for him; and hence it was to be of uſe no longer, than till he was manifeſted to the World: For, when the Day brake, and the Son of Righteouſneſs aroſe, the Shades were to fly away. Hence he attended it, compleated it, and ſo conſummated, and put an end to it, and all the other legal Ceremonies with it, Col. 2.14. But now there was no more need of Types, when the Antitype was come: The Sun being riſen, the Candles were to be put out.
[5.] CIRCUMCISION was a Sign of the Engagement to the keeping of the while Law of God: In doing what was required in it, or ſuffering the ſevere Penalties of the neglect of ſo doing, Acts 13.10. Hence called the Covenant, Gen. 17.10. Chriſt therefore received this Ordinance, to ſhew that he ſtood bound to pay all our Debts of active and paſſive Obedience to the Covenant of Works, to take away the Guilt and Pollution of our Sins from us, and purify us in himſelf. The Benefit of Circumciſion is in Obedience, Rom. 2.25. For circumciſion verily profiteth, if thou keep the late: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumciſion is made uncircumciſion. By this therefore Chriſt ſtood engaged to God, to take upon him in our ſtead, all that the Law ſhould exact. His Circumciſion was the earneſt of what he was to do for us in his following Life and Death.
[6.] HENCE the Name given him at his Circumciſion intimates as much. It was a Cuſtom, &c. to give a Name by which they were liſted in the Church viſible. Now the Name given to Chriſt was the ſame which was fore-declared by the Angel, as appointed by God, and it was. JESUS, which expreſſed and ſignified his Office, and repreſented the very end of his Circumciſion, being now conſecrated to be the great Redeemer and Saviour of his People; and ſo, the reaſon of it is explained, Mat. 1.21.
USE. WHAT great Encouragement then have we to go to Chriſt as our Surety and Undertaker? When we conſider how this ſinleſs Saviour became obliged to the Law, and that by ſo ſolemn a Sacrament, and this could not be for himſelf, who had no ſin of his own to be cut away from him; it muſt needs then be … as he was our Surety, and bound himſelf to anſwer the Law, for all thoſe to whom he ſtood ſo related; and that … all that believe in him. And now we look upon him, as having in his Circumciſion, taken the curſe upon himſelf, that ſo he might remove it away from us. How may this ſerve to ſtrengthen our Faith in him, and enable us to reſt the more quietly upon him, in a co…fident expectation of his performing all that for us, which is requiſite for our Salvation.
[MAY 12. 1696.]