But besides this, its added here, that he humbled himself. Having taken on him the form of a servant, he humbled himself. Where we may observe what made the suffering of our Saviour so meritorious: It was because it was active, free and voluntary. Our Passions are contrary to our Will: We are drawn to it, as it is said of Peter, When thou art old, they shall lead thee whether thou wouldst not, John 21.18. Peter dyed the same death our Saviour did, according to the external Passion: but they led him whether he would not. Our Saviour was an Actor in it; Humbled himself. A bare suffering God regards not so much, but when it is done willingly, and in obedience to God. And as he was obedient in his death, so also in his other passions.1 In the Gospel, according to St. John, whereas the Text reads, he was troubled; the marginal note hath it, [Greek or Hebrew], he troubled himself: he was the Author of his own sufferings, John 10.17. He was not humbled as a mere patient; but he humbled himself, and so it is said in Scripture oft, He gave himself for us, and in all his passive obedience he had an eye to do the Will of God. The merit of his passive obedience ariseth from a mixture with his active. This was a great part of his Priest-hood, his humbling. ⟨p. 373⟩And how doth he take his Priest-hood upon him? it was by his Fathers call. He was called unto it as was Aaron. Heb. 5.4. No man, saith the Apostle, taketh this honour upon him, but he that is called. Now Christ being called to it, he did it to follow his call. And thus he did it actively: it was not a bare suffering as those in hell suffer, but according to his Fathers call. Observe, Heb. 10.9. That place taken out of the Psalm, I am come to do thy Will O God, &c. What, was it only in his active obedience? No, it was thy Will that he should suffer: as the words following in the tenth verse import, By the which Will we are sanctified, and by the body of Jesus Christ once offered: so that Christ offered up himself to do his Fathers Will, so that his passive obedience was in his active. So John 10.17. Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it up again; no man taketh it from me, but I lay it down. Our Saviour when he laid down his life, put it off, as a man that puts off his cloak, and lays it from him.
But besides this, its added here, that he humbled himself. Having taken on him the form of a servant, he humbled himself. Where we may observe what made the suffering of our Saviour so meritorious: It was because it was active, free and voluntary. Our Passions are contrary to our Will: We are drawn to it, as it is said of Peter, When thou art old, they shall lead thee whether thou wouldst not, John 21.18. Peter dyed the same death our Saviour did, according to the external Passion: but they led him whether he would not. Our Saviour was an Actor in it; Humbled himself. A bare suffering God regards not so much, but when it is done willingly, and in obedience to God. And as he was obedient in his death, so also in his other passions.1 In the Gospel, according to St. John, whereas the Text reads, he was troubled; the marginal note hath it, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, he troubled himself: he was the Author of his own sufferings, John 10.17. He was not humbled as a meer patient; but he humbled himself, and so it is said in Scripture oft, He gave himself for us, and in all his passive obedience he had an eye to do the Will of God. The merit of his passive obedience ariseth from a mixture with his active. This was a great part of his Priest-hood, his humbling. ⟨p. 373⟩And how doth he take his Priest-hood upon him? it was by his Fathers call. He was cal'd unto it as was Aaron. Heb. 5.4. No man, saith the Apostle, taketh this honor upon him, but he that is called. Now Christ being called to it, he did it to follow his call. And thus he did it actively: it was not a bare suffering as those in hell suffer, but according to his Fathers call. Observe, Heb. 10.9. That place taken out of the Psalm, I am come to do thy Will O God, &c. What, was it only in his active obedience? No, it was thy Will that he should suffer: as the words following in the tenth verse import, By the which Will we are sanctified, and by the body of Jesus Christ once offered: so that Christ offered up himself to do his Fathers Will, so that his passive obedience was in his active. So John 10.17. Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it up again; no man taketh it from me, but I lay it down. Our Saviour when he laid down his life, put it off, as a man that puts off his cloak, and layes it from him.
- 1John 13.21.
