Looking unto Jesus a view of the everlasting gospel, or, the souls eying of…

4. Christ the Son of God, was yet the Son of Man; there was yet in him a duplicity of Natures really distinguished; and in this respect, the greatest Majesty, and the greatest humility that ever was, are found in Christ; so we, though sons of God, must remember our selves to be but sons of men; our privileges are not so high, but our poor conditions, frailties, infirmities, sins, may make us low: who was higher than the Son of God? and who was lower than the son of man? as he is God, he is in the bosom of his Father; as he is man, he is in the Womb of his Mother; as he is God, his Throne is in Heaven; and he fills all things by his immensity; as he is man, he is circumscribed in a cradle, I mean a Manger, a most uneasy Cradle sure; as he is God, he is clothed in a robe of Glory; as he is man, he is wrapped in a few course swaddling bands; as he is God, he is encircled with millions of bright Angels; as he man, he is in company of Joseph and Mary, and the Beasts; as he is God, he is the eternal Word of the Father, all-sufficient, and without need; as he is man, he submits himself to a condition imperfect, inglorious, indigent, and necessitous: well, let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus,¹ who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God; but he made himself of no Reputation, and took upon him the form of a Servant, and was made in the likeness of men, and being founded in fashion as a man, he humble himself: he that thought it no robbery to be equal with God, humbled himself to become man; we should have found it no robbery to be equal with Devils, and are we too proud to learn of God? what an intolerable disproportion is this, to behold an humble God, and a proud man? who can endure to see a Prince on foot, and his Vassal mounted! shall the Son of God be thus humble for us, and shall not we be humble for our selves? I say for our selves, that deserve to be cast down amongst the lowest Worms, the damnedst Creatures? What are we in our best condition here on ⟨p. 163⟩earth; had we the best natures, purest conversations, happiest endowments that accompany the Saints, pride overthrows all; it thrust proud Nebuchadnezzar out of Babel, proud Haman out of the Court, proud Saul out of his Kingdom, proud Lucifer out of Heaven; poor man how ill it becomes thee to be proud, when God himself is become thus humble?