But besides this, its added here, that he humbled himself. Having taken ⟨p. 73⟩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 whither thou wouldst not, Joh. 21.18. Peter dyed the same death our Saviour did, according to the external passion; but they led him, whither 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. In the Gospel according to St. John, Joh. 11.33. whereas the Text reads, he was troubled; the marginal note hath it, according to the original Greek, [Greek or Hebrew], he troubled himself: he was the Author of his own sufferings, Joh. 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 Priesthood, his humbling. And how doth he take his Priest-hood upon him? it was by his Father's 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 Father's 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 its 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 Father's Will; so that his passive obedience was in his active. So Joh. 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 ⟨p. 73⟩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 whither thou wouldst not, Joh. 21.18. Peter dyed the same death our Saviour did, according to the external passion; but they led him, whither 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. In the Gospel according to St. John, Joh. 11.33. whereas the Text reads, he was troubled; the marginal note hath it, according to the original Greek, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, he troubled himself: he was the Author of his own sufferings, Joh. 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 Priesthood, his humbling. And how doth he take his Priest-hood upon him? it was by his Father's 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 Father's 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 its 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 Father's Will; so that his passive obedience was in his active. So Joh. 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.
