QUEST. II.—WHAT IS IT TO BE SAVED BY GRACE?
[Second. How poor he made himself.] Now this heaven he forsook for our sakes—"He came into the world to save sinners" (1 Tim 1:15).
[1.] He was made lower than the angels, for the suffering of death (Heb 2:9). When he was born, he made himself, as he saith, a worm, or one of no reputation; he became the reproach and byword of the people; he was born in a stable, laid in a manger, earned his bread with his labor, being by trade a carpenter (Psa 22:6; Phil 2:7; Luke 2:7; Mark 6:3). When he betook himself to his ministry, he lived upon the charity of the people; when other men went to their own houses, Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Hark what himself saith for the clearing of this—"Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head." He denied himself of this world's good (Luke 8:2,3; 9:58; John 7:35; 8:1).
[2.] Again, as he was Prince of life, so he for our sakes laid down that also; for so stood the matter, that he or we must die; but the grace that was in his heart wrought with him to lay down his life: "He gave his life a ransom for many." He laid down his life that we might have life; he gave his flesh and blood for the life of the world; he laid down his life for his sheep.
[3.] Again, he was a Prince of peace, but he forsook his peace also. (1.) He laid aside peace with the world, and chose upon that account to be a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, and therefore was persecuted from his cradle to his cross, by kings, rulers, &c. (2.) He laid aside his peace with his Father, and made himself the object of his Father's curse, insomuch that the Lord smote, struck, and afflicted him; and, in conclusion, hid his face from him (as he expressed, with great crying) at the hour of his death.
[Object.] But perhaps some may ask what Jesus Christ needed to do all this? Could not the grace of the Father save us without this condescension of the Son?
Answ. As there is grace, so there is justice in God; and man having sinned, God concluded to save him in the way of righteousness; therefore, Jesus Christ needed to put himself into our very condition, sin only excepted. 1. Now by sin we had lost the glory of God. Therefore, Jesus Christ lays aside his glory with the Father (Rom 3:23; John 17:5). 2. Man, by sin, had shut himself out of an earthly paradise, and Jesus Christ will leave his heavenly paradise to save him (Gen 3:24; 1 Tim 1:15; John 6:38,39). 3. Man by sin had made himself lighter than vanity, and this Lord God, Jesus Christ, made himself lower than the angels to redeem him (Isa 40:17; Heb 2:7). 4. Man, by sin, lost his right to the creatures, and Jesus Christ will deny himself of a whole world to save him (Luke 9:58). 5. Man, by sin, had made himself subject to death, but Jesus Christ will lose his life to save him (Rom 6:23). 6. Man by sin had procured to himself the curse of God, but Jesus Christ will bear that curse in his own body to save him (Gal 3:13). 7. Man by sin had lost peace with God, but this would cause Jesus Christ also lose, to the end, man might be saved. 8. Man should have been mocked of God, therefore Christ was mocked of men. 9. Man should have been scourged in hell, but to hinder that, Jesus was scourged on earth. 10. Man should have been crowned with ignominy and shame, but Jesus was crowned with thorns to prevent that. 11. Man should have been pierced with the spear of God's wrath, but to prevent that, Jesus was pierced both by God and men. 12. Man should have been rejected of God and angels; but, to prevent that, Jesus was forsaken of God, and denied, hated, and rejected of men (Isa 48:22; Prov 1:24-26; Matt 27:26,39,46; Psa 9:17; 11:6; 22:7; Dan 12:2; John 19:2-5,37; Num 24:8; Zech 12:10; Luke 9:22).
Thus, I might enlarge that by authority from this text—"He became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich." All the riches he stripped himself of, it was for our sakes; all the sorrows he underwent, it was for our sakes; to the least circumstance of the sufferings of Christ, there was a necessity that so it should be, all was for our sakes: "For our sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich."
And you see the argument that prevailed with Christ to do this great service for man, the grace in his heart; as also the prophet saith, "In his love and in his pity he redeemed them." According to the Corinthians, "Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ," both agree with the text, "By grace, ye are saved."
I say this was the grace of the Son and the exercise thereof. The Father, therefore, shows his grace one way and the Son his another. It was not the Father, but the Son, that left his heaven for sinners; it was not the Father, but the Son, that spilled his blood for sinners. The Father indeed gave the Son and blessed be the Father for that, and the Son gave his life and blood for us and blessed be the Son for that.
But methinks we should not yet have done with this grace of the Son. Thou Son of the Blessed, what grace was manifest in thy condescension! Grace brought thee down from heaven, grace stripped thee of thy glory, grace made thee poor and despicable, grace made thee bear such burdens of sin, such burdens of sorrow, such burdens of God's curse as are unspeakable. O Son of God! Grace was in all thy tears, grace came bubbling out of thy side with thy blood, grace came forth with every word of thy sweet mouth (Psa 45:2; Luke 4:22). Grace came out where the whip smote thee, where the thorns pricked thee, where the nails and spear pierced thee. O blessed Son of God! Here is grace, indeed! Unsearchable riches of grace! Unthought-of riches of grace! Grace to make angels wonder, make sinners happy, and astonish devils. And what will become of them that trample underfoot this Son of God?
