There is matter of wonder likewise in that from whence he is a servant;2 whence comes it that Christ is a servant? It is from the wondrous love of God, and the wondrous love of Christ, to be so abased, it was wondrous love in God to give him to us to be so abased, and ⟨p. 12⟩the wondrous misery we were in, that we could not otherwise be freed from; for such was the pride of man, that he being man would exalt himself to be like God, God became man, he became a servant to expiate our pride in Adam, so that it is wondrous in the spring of it. There was no such love as Christs to become a servant, there was no such misery as we were in out of which we were delivered by this abasement of Christ, becoming a servant, so it is wondrous in that regard, springing from the infinite love and mercy of God,2 which is greater in the work of Redemption, and Reconciliation, then in the Creation of the world, for the distance between nothing and something was less then the distance between sin and happiness. For nothing adds no opposition, but to be in a sinful state there is opposition, therefore it was greater love and mercy for God when we were sinful, (and so obnoxious to eternal destruction) to make us of sinners not only men, but to make us happy, to make us heirs of heaven out of a sinful and cursed estate, then to make us of nothing something, to make us men in Adam, for there God prevailed over nothing, but here his mercy triumphed over that which is opposite to God, over sinfulness and cursedness. To show that the creature cannot be so low, but there is somewhat in God above the misery of the creature, his mercy shall triumph over the basest estate where he ⟨p. 13⟩will show mercy, therefore there is mercy above all mercy, and love above all love, in that Christ was a servant.
There is matter of wonder likewise in that from whence he is a servant;2 whence comes it that Christ is a servant? It is from the wondrous love of God, and the wondrous love of Christ, to be so abased, it was wondrous love in God to give him to us to be so abased, and ⟨p. 12⟩the wondrous misery we were in, that we could not otherwise be freed from; for such was the pride of man, that he being man would exalt himselfe to bee like God, God became man, he became a servant to expiate our pride in Adam, so that it is wondrous in the spring of it. There was no such love as Christs to become a servant, there was no such misery as we were in out of which we were delivered by this abasement of Christ, becomming a servant, so it is wondrous in that regard, springing from the infinite love and mercy of God,2 which is greater in the worke of Redemption, and Reconciliation, then in the Creation of the world, for the distance betweene nothing and something was lesse then the distance betweene sin and happinesse. For nothing adds no opposition, but to be in a sinfull state there is opposition, therefore it was greater love and mercy for God when wee were sinfull, (and so obnoxious to eternall destruction) to make us of sinners not onely men, but to make us happie, to make us heires of heaven out of a sinfull and cursed estate, then to make us of nothing something, to make us men in Adam, for there God prevailed over nothing, but here his mercy triumphed over that which is opposite to God, over sinfullnesse and cursednesse. To shew that the creature cannot be so low, but there is somewhat in God above the misery of the creature, his mercy shall triumph over the basest estate where hee ⟨p. 13⟩will shew mercy, therefore there is mercy above all mercy, and love above all love, in that Christ was a servant.
- 2Whence Christ was so abased.
- 2Gods love in Redemption greater then in Creation.Gods love in Redemption gre•ter then in Creation.
