The Fountain of Life Opened

The Heathen Chaldeans told the King of Babel, that the dwelling of the Gods is not with flesh. Dan. 2.11. But now God not only dwells with flesh, but dwells in flesh. Yea, was made flesh: and dwelt among us.

For the Sun to fall from its Sphere, and be degraded into a wandering Atom. For an Angel to be turned out of Heaven, and be converted into a silly fly, or worm, had been no such great abasement; for they were but Creatures before, and so they should abide still, though in an inferior order or species of creatures. The distance betwixt the highest, and lowest species of creatures, is but a finite distance. The Angel and the worm dwell not so far asunder. But for the infinite glorious Creator of all things, to become a creature, is a mystery exceeding all humane understanding. The distance betwixt God, and the highest order of creatures, is an infinite distance. He is said to humble himself to behold the things that are done in Heaven. What a humiliation then is it, to behold the things in the lower world! But to be born into it, and become a man! Great indeed is the mystery of Godliness. Behold (saith the Prophet) Isai. 40.15, 18. The nations are as the drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance; he taketh up the Isles as a very little thing. ⟨p. 226⟩All nations before him are as nothing, and they are accounted to him less than nothing and vanity. If indeed this great and incomprehensible Majesty will himself stoop to the state and condition of a creature, we may easily believe that being once a creature, he would expose himself to hunger, thirst, shame, spitting, death, or any thing, but sin. For that once being man, he should endure any of these things is not so wonderful, as that he should become a man. This was the low stoop, a deep abasement indeed.

For the Sun to fall from its Sphear, and be degraded into a wandring Attom. For an Angel to be turned out of Heaven, and be converted into a silly fly, or worm, had been no such great abasement; for they were but Creatures before, and so they should abide still, though in an inferiour order or species of creatures. The distance betwixt the highest, and lowest species of creatures, is but a finite distance. The Angel and the worm dwell not so far assunder. But for the infinite glorious Creator of all things, to become a creature, is a mystery exceeding all humane understanding. The distance betwixt God, and the highest order of creatures, is an infinite distance. He is said to humble himself to behold the things that are done in Heaven. What a humiliation then is it, to behold the things in the lower world! But to be born into it, and become a man! Great indeed is the mysterie of Godliness. Behold (saith the Prophet)