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$19. And this further appears,

1. Because all God's regard of man in this way is a fruit of mere sovereign grace and condescension. It was all of grace, both towards the head and members. The human nature of Christ, neither did, nor could merit the hypostatical union; and this being of inconceivable grace and the foundation of all the consequent fruits of God's regard to us; so must these fruits be also; which therefore leave place for nothing but eternal admiration and thankfulness.

2. Had not God been thus mindful of man, and visited him in the person of the Son incarnate; all par takers of that nature must have utterly perished in their lost condition. And this also renders the grace of it an object of admiration. We are not only to look what God takes us to by this visitation, but to consider also what he delivers us from. Now a great part of that vile and base condition which the psalmist wonders that God should have a regard to, is, that we have "sinned and come short of his glory," and thereby exposed ourselves to eternal misery. In that condition we must have perished for ever, had not God freed us by this visitation. It had been great grace to have taken an innocent, a sinless man into glory; singular grace to have freed a sinner from misery, though he should never be brought to the enjoyment of the least positive good; but to free a sinner from the most inconceivable misery in eternal ruin, and to bring him to the highest happiness in eternal glory, and all this in a way of mere grace; this is to be everlastingly admired!

3. It appeareth, that God is more glorified in the humiliation and exaltation of the Lord Christ, and the salvation of mankind thereby, than in any or all of the works of the first creation, None almost is se

stupid, but that on the first view of the heavens, the sun, moon, and stars, he will confess, that their fabric, beauty, and order is wonderful, and that the glory of their all-wise and omnipotent builder is for ever to be admired in them; but all this comes short of that glory which ariseth from this condescension and grace. And therefore, it may be, the day will come, and that speedily, wherein the heavens and this whole creation shall be utterly dissolved and brought to nothing. For why should they abide as a monument of his power for their sakes, who, enjoying the blessed vision of him, shall see it and know it far more eminently in himself? However, they shall undoubtedly, in a short time, cease as to their present use; but the effects of this regard of God to man shall abide to eternity, and the glory of God therein; and this is the foundation of heaven as a state and condition, as it denotes the glorious presence of God among his saints. Without this there would be no such heaven; all that is there, and all the glory of it depends thereon. Take away this foundation, and all that beauty and glory disappear. Nothing indeed would be taken from God, who ever was, and ever will be eternally blessed in his own self-sufficiency; but the whole theatre which he hath erected for the manifestation of his eternal glory depends on this his holy condescension and grace, which assuredly render them meet for ever to be admired and adored.

$20. In this then let us exercise ourselves. Faith having infinite, eternal, incomprehensible things proposed to it, acts itself greatly in this admiration. We are every where taught, that we know but imperfectly, "in part," and that we see "darkly" as in a glass. Not that the revelation of these things in the word is dark and obscure, for they are fully and clearly proposed;

but that such is the nature of the things themselves, that we are not in this life able to comprehend them; and therefore, faith doth principally exercise itself in an holy admiration of them. And indeed no love or grace will suit our condition, but that which is incomprehensible. We find ourselves, by experience, standing in need of more grace, goodness, love, and mercy, than we can fully understand. But when that which is suitable, infinite, and incomprehensible is proposed, there all fears are overwhelmed, and faith finds rest with assurance. And if our admiration of these things be an act, an effect, a fruit of faith; it will be of singular use to endear our hearts to God, and to excite them to thankful obedience. For who would not love and delight in the eternal foundation of this inconceivable grace? And what shall we render unto him who hath done more for us, than we are any way able to conceive?

$21. Obs. 4. Such was the inconceivable love of Jesus Christ the Son of God, to the souls of men, that he was willing to condescend to any condition for their good. Hence, when the eternal counsel of this whole matter is mentioned, it is said of him as the wisdom of the Father, that he "rejoiced in the habitable parts of the earth, and his delights were with the sons of men," Prov. viii, 13. He delighted in the counsel of redeeming and saving them by his own humiliation and suffering. And so great was this love of his, that he declined nothing that was proposed to 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 our sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich." He condescended to a poor and low condition, and to suffer therein, that we might be made partakers of the durable riches of the

grace of God. Now the Holy Ghost makes an especial application of this truth to us; Phil. ii, 5, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” If this mind was in Christ, should not we endeavor after a readiness and willingness to submit ourselves to any condition for his glory? "Forasmuch then as Christ," saith Peter, "hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind," 1 Pet. iv, 1. Many difficulties will be in our way, many reasonings will rise up against it, if we consult with flesh and blood; but, saith he, "arm yourselves with the same mind that was in Christ;" get your souls strengthened and fortified by grace against all oppositions, that you may follow and imitate him. Some that profess his name will suffer nothing for him; if they may enjoy him or his ways in peace and quietness, well and good; but if persecution arise, immediately they fall away. But what if he had been unwilling to be humbled and suffer for us? If the same mind had been in Christ, as was in us, what had been our state and condition to eternity? In this grace, love, and willingness of Christ, hes the foundation for all our happiness, of all our deliverance from misery and ruin; and shall we reckon ourselves to have an interest therein, and yet find ourselves altogether unwilling to be conformed to him. Besides, the Lord Christ was really rich when he made himself poor for our sakes: he was in the form of God, when he took upon him the form of a servant, and became for us of no reputation; nothing of this was he obliged to but merely on our account. But we are in ourselves really poor, and obnoxious to infinitely more miseries for our own sins, than any thing he calls us to endure for his name. Are we unwilling to suffer a little light transitory trouble in this world from him, without whose sufferings for us we must have suffered

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endless misery, whether we would or no? And I speak not so much about suffering itself, as about the mind and frame of spirit wherewith we undergo it.

Some suffer when they cannot avoid it; but so unwillingly, so uncheerfully, as makes it evident they act from no generous principle; they reluctantly submit because they dare not resist their convictions. But the mind that was in Christ will lead us to it out of love to him, with freedom and enlargedness of heart, which is justly required of us.

$22. Obs. 5. The blessed issue of the abasement of Jesus Christ, in his exaltation to honor and glory, is an assured pledge of the final glory and blessedness of all that believe in him, whatever difficulties and dangers they may be exercised with in their way. His humiliation, as we have seen, proceeded out of God's condescension and love to mankind; his electing love, the eternal gracious purpose of his will to recover lost sinners, and to bring them to the enjoyment of himself, was the ground of this dispensation; and therefore what he hath done in Christ, is a certain pledge what he will do in and for them also. He is not crowned with glory and honor merely for himself, but that he may be a "captain of salvation," and bring others to a participation of his glory. Blessed is the state and condition, great is the spiritual and eternal security of the church; seeing all things are under the very feet of its Head and Savior.

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