The First thing to which the Lord Christ bequeathed himself for the sake of believers, it was for to be a man. For the understanding of this you must know, that Christ he was, as he is, God, he was not man, he was a spirit and not flesh, he neither had blood nor bones, nor any body at all; but yet for believers did Christ dispose of himself so that he might become a man; he that was God, the second Person in Trinity, the maker of all flesh, he did so order it, that he gave up himself to Incarnation, to become a man. This is that you have excellently expressed, in Phil. 2. 6, 7. Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery ⟨p. 9⟩to be equal with God, that is, who was God, Gods equal, one and the same with God, therefore equal with God in majesty, in power, in glory, in all perfection: Well, though he was God, yet he made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. Here was the first thing Christ gave himself to, he gave himself to become flesh, to become a man, and all this for believers. This was a great act, for the Creator to become a creature, for him that was eternal, invisible, immortal, incorporeal, spiritual, for him to be of the seed of man that was mortal, that was corporeal, that was visible, and had some proportion with the nature of beasts. Nay, not only did the Lord Christ give himself to be a man, but he gave himself for believers to be of the lowest rank of men, therefore the Text saith, he took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. There are two things in those words: First, he was made in the likeness of men, the meaning is not, that he was like a man, and no man, as some heretics would have grounded upon this Text, for the Scripture plainly enough showeth that Christ was a man; but by the likeness of men here is meant, a likeness to them in all infirmities, sin only excepted; he was not only of the nature of man, but he gave himself to be like men in this frail and infirm condition wherein they are; so that he was subject to the like infirmities that men were, only without all sin: that is meant by the likeness of men.
The First thing to which the Lord Christ bequeathed himself for the sake of beleevers, it was for to be a man. For the understanding of this you must know, that Christ he was, as he is, God, he was not man, he was a spirit and not flesh, he neither had bloud nor bones, nor any body at all; but yet for beleevers did Christ dispose of himself so that he might become a man; he that was God, the second Person in Trinitie, the maker of all flesh, he did so order it, that he gave up himself to Incarnation, to become a man. This is that you have excellently exprest, in Phil. 2. 6, 7. Who being in the form of God, thought it not robberie ⟨p. 9⟩to be equall with God, that is, who was God, Gods equall, one and the same with God, therefore equall with God in majestie, in power, in glory, in all perfection: Well, though he was God, yet he made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likenesse of men. Here was the first thing Christ gave himself to, he gave himself to become flesh, to become a man, and all this for beleevers. This was a great act, for the Creator to become a creature, for him that was eternall, invisible, immortall, incorporeall, spirituall, for him to be of the seed of man that was mortall, that was corporeall, that was visible, and had some proportion with the nature of beasts. Nay, not only did the Lord Christ give himself to be a man, but he gave himself for beleevers to be of the lowest ranke of men, therefore the Text saith, he tooke upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. There are two things in those words: First, he was made in the likeness of men, the meaning is not, that he was like a man, and no man, as some heretiques would have grounded upon this Text, for the Scripture plainly enough sheweth that Christ was a man; but by the likeness of men here is meant, a likeness to them in all infirmities, sin only excepted; hee was not only of the nature of man, but he gave himself to be like men in this frail and infirm condition wherein they are; so that he was subject to the like infirmities that men were, only without all sin: that is meant by the likenesse of men.
