offered up to God, for the debasement of his glory by sin. To clear this, I will first shew what it is that God reckons not upon for satisfaction in this person; what God cuts off from the account, because he would be sure to have full satisfaction in specie, in kind, which will also serve the more to set forth the fulness, the abundancy of Christ's satisfaction, when God accepts not of what might have been so accounted, but stands upon more; which Christ performs to him.

As, 1. The very condescending of the second person, who natively and essentially is so great, to assume man's nature, although in this form of God described, invested with all that manifestative glory spoken of, and this from and upon the first moment of his assuming it; if this act of assuming had been done and undertaken principally in order and with intention to satisfy God, by bringing in a new glory to him, greater than that which he lost by him, and this without the least humbling of himself; I ask, why might not this in just reason have been accounted satisfaction?

For (1.) he had thereby lessened himself to give glory to God. For in that assumption, and in that communication of himself to a creature, he takes on him such relations as do in some respects abate of the height of his native personal glory, as he is considered merely as second person; and in respect to this assumption, he is made less than what before he was. For now it may be said of him, as it was by himself, that his Father is greater than he,' John xiv. 28, whereas he might have kept himself in a full equality to him in all respects for ever, and to have had no such diminishing respect affixed to him.

And (2.) by this voluntary act alone he had brought in unto God a new and further revelation of the Godhead than ever was obscured by sin; and it is certain that he had never assumed man's nature, and thus lessened himself, but that so he might manifest the glory of the Godhead in such a manner as otherwise it never should have been. Therefore for him thus to lessen himself, to the end to manifest and exalt the glory of the Godhead the utmost way it could be, or more than otherwise it should have been, might not this make amends for the glory that sin would take from God? And the reason of this is, that satisfaction being a return of as much glory as was lost, and that by this means (if no other were added) more manifestative glory would come in unto God than either was or ever could have been debased or impaired by sin, why therefore might it not have been accounted satisfactory, if it had been ordered simply unto this end? And further also, even this would have served to fill up many of those disproportions found in the evil of sin. For as the evil of Adam's sin (which was the first sin) lay in this, that he who was a creature affected and aspired to be as God-He is become as one of us, said God, Gen. iii. 22— so Christ's obedience, in assuming our nature, would herein have answered it, that he that is God becomes a creature, and on the other side is become as one of us men; so to bring in a new honour unto God. So that, look how high our nature would have ascended, so low doth he descend; and as sin is a turning from God to the creature, so in this act the Creator descends from the height of his glory to become a creature, and join himself in a nearer union with us than wherein we in sinning affected to join ourselves to the Creator.

And then again, 2. All the works and actions which, in that nature thus assumed, in this height of glory that becomes due to it, he will set himself about to work, and to shew forth the glory of the Godhead of his Father, and of himself; even these also, by reason of that worth which his personal

perfections do contribute unto them, might haply be estimated sufficient to give satisfaction in point of honour, though no further debasement be laid upon our nature in him. As suppose that he would have done nothing therein but work miracles, utter his treasures of wisdom, shew forth his holiness and power, &c.; yet these being from a person so infinitely glorious, have therefore an infinite worth in them all, even as all his actions, now he is in heaven, have; for the person is infinite, and he it is that gives this acceptance and this lustre to them. And these would also have brought more glory to God than was lost, and so would have countervailed our sins. For all the actions that he doth, and all the glory that he hath now he is glorified, are all to the glory of God the Father' (as this text hath it), and therefore if in all that he had ever done he had as directly glorified himself as now in heaven, yet all of those actions being further and besides, to the glory of God the Father, they might superabundantly have made amends for the dishonour that sin brought him.

But God reckons all this not as any part of that satisfaction which we are a-seeking after. He accepts not simply the assumption of our nature, though never so glorious, and he accepts it not, although it were a lessening of the second person. In the Scripture I find nothing for it, and what God reckons not satisfaction to him, we must not account such. Neither do I affirm it, having only pleaded what might be argued (and what haply God might have reckoned), thereby the more to advance that satisfaction which Christ hath performed in this human nature; the like whereof I did when I discoursed the point of satisfaction for goods. It is indeed the foundation of satisfaction, and makes way to it, but is not a part of it. And so the actions of him now glorified in heaven, though they have so much worth in them, yet God reckons them not to be a part of satisfaction; for that was all finished here in his humbled estate, ere ever he ascended.

And the reason of this, why this assumption of our nature in a glorious condition, or the actions thereof, are not mentioned in Scripture as any part of satisfaction may be; both because the sole end of Christ's assuming our nature, quoad substantiam mysterii, for the substance of this mystery, was not (as I have elsewhere* shewed) the redemption of man; but there were other ends, which taken all together are as great as this, if not greater; as, the manifestion of God to the utmost. God could not have been manifested to the utmost, but by lessening one of the persons of the Trinity by an hypostatical union; as also because God would make the subject of all the parts of satisfaction to be Christ, God-man, and not the second person simply so considered, and therefore he must be supposed ordained to assume man's nature, ere he becomes a fit subject for satisfaction. But the act of assuming our nature is the act of the second person, merely so considered; and so, though done in order to satisfaction, as being the foundation of it, yet is not a part of it. And thus all this glory spoken of being due to the person in this nature, and so to shine forth in this nature; for him to lay it aside when he assumes this nature, and for him then to take the form of a servant, instead of this glorious form and manifestation of the Godhead; this draws the manhood also into the merit of such a debasement, because a greater glory was due unto him; and he might be truly said to exist in his glory whenever that nature was assumed, for so he ought to have done, and it might have been stood upon.

So then, the first ingredient into this satisfaction lies in the laying aside *In the Discourse of God the Father, and his Son Jesus Christ,' Book iii., chap. 1, 2, 3, 4, in the second volume of his Works. [Vol. IV. of this Edition.-ED.]

the glory due to the second person when he should dwell in a human nature; and instead thereof, taking on him the form of a servant, and the likeness of men, or of 'sinful flesh,' as Rom. viii. 3, that is, frail flesh, subject to infirmities and miseries, as ours is here. And so the total sum of that satisfaction which God reckons of as such, is here also cast up first and last to have been, the taking the form of a servant, humbling himself, being emptied, or of no reputation, and becoming obedient in his life, and this to the death of the cross, as being the last part of this payment. And this (you will see) will in so great a person amount to and become the matter of a full and just satisfaction indeed, even to a flowing over. Which is the second thing in this head we inquire and seek for.

In the second place therefore, positively to lay down and define wherein Christ's satisfaction unto God for sin in point of honour lies; it is in brief this, viz., Christ's voluntary laying aside all the glory that was due to his person in his human nature assumed, and his submitting himself to the utmost debasement due to sinners, in pure obedience to his Father, thereby to restore and return glory unto God for the diminishing of it by sin. This God required, and this Christ performed, and this is satisfaction indeed, even to flowing over. God in his demanding satisfaction stood so much upon his glory, that,

1. He would not be contented with the mere lessening of this great person, in assuming our nature glorious; but he will have him take upon him (as this text hath it) the form of a servant, and be found as men here on earth, even clothed with the same frail condition of passible nature that sinful men are found in; nor,

2. Will he be contented with such actions from Christ in that nature debased, whereby Christ might seek and shew forth his own glory immediately and directly- I seek not my own glory' (says Christ, John ix. 50), 'but the glory of him that sent me'-but he will have him perform such actions, and submit to such sufferings, as shall take away glory from him, and obscure and veil his glory due to him. He will have him take the form of a mere servant, and become wholly obedient, and not be for himself at all; who yet might think it no robbery to seek his own glory directly with God's. Nor,

3. Will God be satisfied to have this his glory a little veiled, and in some parts clouded; but he will have him robbed and spoiled of all manifestative glory whatsoever due unto him. He will have him emptied, or made of no reputation, as it is here; the Messiah shall have nothing left (as Daniel speaks, Dan. ix. 26), not a grain or mite of the riches of his glory which he could call his own, as God doth. Yea, if there be any debasement worse than other, he will have him obedient to it, even to death; and if any death be more shameful than other, he will have him submit to it, even the death of the cross. And,

4. God will have all this come from him willingly, heartily, and freely. He is not only thus to be humbled, but he must humble himself,' as the text also hath it; who indeed was so great that no other could do it, without his own free consent; and all this to the glory of God the Father.

And ere we go any further, do but think with yourselves that if a person, such as in the first head hath been described, who is equal with God in glory, will, to glorify God and exalt him, not only condescend to lessen himself, and that so much as to have it said, the second person is made a creature; but will further, at the command of his Father, lay aside even that glory which is still due to him when thus made man, yea, even empty

himself wholly of all that glory personally due to him, and take on him the form of a servant instead thereof; and yet further, will actually become obedient in the performance of all such actions, not only which it was meet so great a person glorified in heaven should employ himself in, and shew his own, and his Father's glory jointly in, but such as men on earth shew their subjection in, both as mere creatures and as sinners; yea, and not only so, but will be obedient to the utmost of sufferings, even to death, and to the most shameful and ignominious death, the death of the cross; and will perform all this voluntarily, with an intention of mind and will, directing all to this sole end, so to make God alone glorious by and through his own utter debasement and obscurement, falling down thus low to exalt and set God up thus high, by his having so great a person, and in himself so glorious, thus obedient to him, and lowered for his glory's sake; I appeal even to the justice that is in all men's hearts, if it doth not both equalise the dishonour done to God by sin, and also bring in a greater overplus of glory than was taken from God by it, and so make a full amends.

CHAPTER IX.

The principal matter of Christ's satisfaction was not only in a diminishing of his glory, but despoiling him of it.—And that he did this willingly, he humbled himself.-And that his person was the subject of this debasement and humiliation.

But to speak yet more distinctly, the matter of his satisfaction lies in these three things principally, all which are in the text.

I. That it was not only a lessening of his glory, but a despoiling and emptying him of it, or a making him of no reputation.

II. That this was voluntary in him; he humbled, actively; it is not said he was humbled, passively.

III. That the subject of this humbling was himself, considered both as the subject-author of all this obedience, and also as the subject-matter involved in this obedience and debasement: he humbled himself.'

I. It was an emptying himself of glory to glorify God; which, in the strictest way that justice can require, becometh properly and truly satisfaction in point of glory debased. To clear this, let us consider the difference between giving honour simply, and giving satisfaction for honour. We give mutual honour to one another without debasing ourselves, as inferiors to superiors, and superiors to inferiors, by mutual uncovering of the head each unto other. But if satisfaction in point of honour be strictly stood upon, then some acts of humbling are exacted from the party that is to satisfy, even a taking down of the glory of the one, to restore it to the other; examples whereof we often see, by the sentence of such courts as deal in point of honour and the restitution of it. Now to make use of this in the point in hand. A mere creature indeed cannot give the simple tribute of glory that is due unto God, but by humbling itself some way, either in obedience or worship; all the acts of which have a humbling of the creature in them. Thus the angels cover their faces, and cry, Holy, holy, holy,' &c., and the elders cast down themselves and their crowns, and cry, Worthy art thou to receive honour and glory.' And the reason is, because of the transcendent distance and disproportion between God and mere creatures; his glory

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being so high and sovereign, that they cannot shew forth the greatness of it, but by veiling their own glory before him. Thus the distance between kings and ordinary men, being in the institution of it so high and sovereign, the greatness of their majesty and glory cannot be held forth but by their subjects debasing of themselves, and falling down before them. And in this respect, the creature's debasement could never have satisfied for God's honour lost and impaired; because all its debasements are but suitable ways to give and shew forth that glory of God which is simply due from them although they had never sinned. But Christ, though he were lessened indeed (as became God-man), yet still, this man being one person with God, and so God as well as man, and so being by right of inheritance in joint commission with his Father, and set up in such a kind of equality, as hath been shewn, hence, as two kings in joint commission for the government of a kingdom, and by a like right, though they give glory each to other, yet not by debasement of their glory; so nor was Christ to have done, as now in heaven he doth not, where, though he intercedes for us, yet more regio, as a king, sitting' (not kneeling, as on earth) at God's right hand;' and stilo regio, in the language of a king-Father, I will,' as John xvii. 24. It is not performed in a way of a humbling debasement, though in a way that argues a lessening of him. And thus he might have kept his state and majesty, as now in heaven he doth, and have given glory to God for ever, upon such terms, and by such ways, as should withal have held forth his own glory jointly and as directly as his Father's. Thus, at the latter day, when he comes to judge the world, he will come in his fullest glory, and every knee shall bow to him, to the glory of God the Father; this being his due, that he should be honoured together with his Father: That all should honour the Son' (says Christ, speaking of that judgment committed to himself), even as they honour the Father,' John v. 22, 23. Thus indeed he might (as now he doth) have glorified God. But then all this in him would not have been satisfaction for the impairing and diminution of God's glory by sin. This is no way to be effected (no, not by Christ), but by a humbling, a lowering, a debasement, an emptying himself of glory, to restore it to his Father. For look, as in point of goods restitution is not made but by a parting with some of that man's goods that is to satisfy, to be added to his who is to be satisfied, so in point of honour, if satisfaction for dishonour (which is a taking away of honour, or reflecting disparagement on him who is dishonoured) be to be performed, there must in like manner be a taking away of, or a parting with, honour and glory in the satisfier, done for the injured person's sake, to give again unto the dishonoured, so as his glory shall be made up, or shewed forth by the other's debasement. For else it ariseth not to a proportion, which is the rule of justice in such cases. Therefore, nothing but a debasement can make a full amends for a debasement; but when so, then a proportion is observed; and honour can never be repaired but out of another's honour impaired, for it must be paid in its own coin; and in this case, you cannot repair a loss to the one, but you must impair it to the other. And this is the true reason why Christ, now he is glorified in heaven, though he be as full of action and employment as ever, and all to the glory of his Father, as much as those actions were which he performed here below; yet all that now he doth in heaven hath not a meritoriousness in it, nor is it accounted of as being satisfactory for sin, as what he did here below was; yet all those actions have an infinite worth in them, in respect of the person performing them, considered merely as an agent and efficient cause of them;

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