the Father nor the Son can by us at all be seen, as they are simply and entirely in their own essence.  Therefore the person of the Father must be seen by us through the Son, as consisting of God and man; the Godhead, by working effectually in the manhood, showing clearly there through the infinite perfection and glory of the Father.  “The word was made flesh, and” then “we beheld his glory, the glory of the only begotten of his Father”—­he being in his personal excellencies, infinitely and perfectly, what is recorded of his Father, “full of grace and truth.”

When Jesus Christ came down from glory, it was that he might bring us to glory; and that he might be sure not to fail, he clothed himself with our nature—­as if we should take a piece out of the whole lump instead of the whole, Heb. 11:l4—­and invested it with that glory which he was in before he came down from heaven.  Eph. 2:6.

The humanity of Christ.

We perceive love, in that the human nature, the nature of man, not of angels, is taken into union with God.  Whoso could consider this as it is possible for it to be considered, would stand amazed till he died with wonder.  By this very act of the heavenly Wisdom we have an inconceivable pledge of the love of Christ to man; for in that he hath taken into union with himself our nature, what doth it signify but that he intends to take into union with himself our persons?  For this very purpose did he assume our nature.  Wherefore we read that in the flesh he took upon him, in that flesh he died for us, “the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God.”

The psalmist saith of Christ, that “he was fairer than the children of men;” and that, as I believe in his outward man as well as in his inward part, he was the exactest, purest, completest, and beautifulest creature that ever God made, till his visage was so marred by his persecutions; for in all things he had, and shall have the preeminence.

THE HUMILIATION OF CHRIST

Christ did not only come into our flesh, but also into our condition, into the valley and shadow of death, where we were, and where we are, as we are sinners.

That which would have been death to some—­the laying aside of glory, and the King of princes becoming a servant of the meanest form—­this he of his own goodwill was heartily content to do.  Wherefore he that was once the object of the fear of angels, is now become a little creature, a worm, an inferior one, born of a woman, brought forth in a stable, laid in a manger, scorned of men, tempted of devils, was beholden to his creatures for food, for raiment, for harbor, and a place wherein to lay his head when dead.  In a word, he made himself of no reputation, took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men, that he might become capable to do this kindness for us, to give himself a ransom for us.