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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 pro-posed 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 suf fering. 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

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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 26

VOL. II.

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.

VERSE 1C.

For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

§1. The propriety and force of the connexion. 2-4. The principal words explained. $5. The subject stated. $6.-8. (1.) The design of God to bring many sons to glory. $9. (II.) The means of accomplishing that deep design. $10 (III.) Christ's qualification for this arduous work. $11--13. (IV.) The reason why Christ was to be consecrated by his sufferings. $14---23. Observations, 1. The whole work of bringing the sons to glory is committed to Christ, $24. 2. Christ by suffering hath consecrated the way of suffering $25. 3. Such is the desert of sin, that sinners could not be saved without the sufferings of the Son of God.

§1. THE apostle in the verses foregoing,made mention of that which, of all other things, the Jews generally were most offended at, but which was of the greatest importance to be believed; namely, the sufferings of the Messiah: wherein a great part of the discharge of his sacerdotal office (whereunto he here makes a transition) consisted. This his own disciples were slow to believe, Matt. xvi, 22, and chap. xvii, 22, 23; Luke xxiv, 25, 26; and at this the Jews generally stumbled. They thought it strange that the Messiah, the Son of God, the Savior of his people, and captain of their salvation, concerning whom so great and glorious things were promised and foretold, should be brought into so low and despised a condition, and therein suffer and die. Hence they cried unto him on the cross, "If thou be the Christ, come down and save thyself;" intimating, that by his sufferings he was actually proved not to be so; for why any one should suffer, that could deliver himself, they saw no reason, Besides, they had inveterate prejudices about the sal, vation promised by the Messiah, and the way whereby it was to be wrought, arising from their love and over-valuation of temporal or carnal things, with their contempt of things spiritual and eternal. They ex

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