Preached November 9, 1681.
“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, hi humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” — Phil. ii. 5–8.
The apostle tells us, 1 Tim. ii. 5, that “there is one God, and one mediator between God and men.” The difference, by reason of sin, between God and men was such as could not be made up without a mediator. God himself could not be this mediator; so the same apostle tells us, Gal. iii. 20, “A mediator is not of one, but God is one.” A mediator must be a middle person, and God in his divine nature is one: “A mediator is not of one.” Suppose this mediator be taken from among men, for one man sinning against another, “the judge shall judge him: but if a man sin against the Lord who shall entreat for him? 1 Sam. ii. 25. “There is no umpire betwixt us,” saith Job, chap. ix. 33, “that might lay his hand upon us both.” Who, then, is this mediator? Why, “There is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” How comes he so to be? This office was not imposed upon him against his mind and will; it did not befall him by chance; we did not choose him; it was not a matter of any advantage unto him; neither did it befall him by necessity of nature or condition. How, then, did he come unto this office? how came it that this mediator was “the man Christ Jesus”? Why, it was his mind; it was from his own mind. Not to insist upon the designation of the Father, the apostle places it there: “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” What was the mind that was in Christ Jesus? This was the mind, that when he was “in the form of God,” and “thought it not robbery to be equal with God,” he “made himself of no reputation:” which was the original of Christ’s mediation.
There are three things in the words:— First, The substance of them, — a description of the self-humiliation and condescension of Jesus Christ, in becoming the mediator between God and men by the taking up of this office. And there are two parts of it:— 1. Ἐκκένωσις, — his emptying of himself; 2. Ταπείνωσις, — the humbling of himself. He “being in the form of God, took upon him the form of a servant.” Ἐκκένωσε, saith the apostle. We say, “He made himself of no reputation;” he emptied himself. Having taken this form of a servant, what did he do? Why, “he humbled himself.” He emptied himself to take the form of a servant; and he humbled himself in that form, to engage in obedience, to undergo death. There is an infinite distance between the ἐκκένωσις, the self-emptying of Christ, when, “being in the form of God, he took upon himself the form of a servant,” and the ταπείνωσις, the taking on him the form of a servant to obey and die. The one infinitely excels the other.
Secondly, There is in the words the principle from whence these distinct acts arise, — self-emptying, by taking our nature; self-humiliation, engaging in our nature to do and suffer. Whence doth it proceed? It proceeds solely from his own mind: “Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not: then said I, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God.”
Thirdly, There is the application and improvement of these things unto our practice: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus;” which is the thing I principally aim at, though I cannot reach unto it at this time.
The words, so far as we are concerned, will be opened in our passage. I shall take these two propositions from them:—
First, That it was an infinite, mysterious self-humiliation and condescension in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, to take our nature upon him, with reference unto the office of a mediator. That is the truth which the apostle designs here to demonstrate.
Secondly, That there is a spiritual greatness of mind, like unto the mind that was in Christ, required of all believers, unto that self-denial and unto those sufferings which they may be called unto for the gospel, and are like to be: “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.”
I shall now treat of the first, that it was an infinite, mysterious self-humiliation of the Son of God, in taking upon him our nature, for the discharge of the office of a mediator. I shall, — 1. Prove it in general; 2. Show wherein it consists; and, 3. Make some use of it, if I am able.
1. For the proof of it, I would lay down but that one consideration which you have, Ps. cxiii. 5, 6, “Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high, who humbleth himself to behold the thing that are in heaven, and in the earth!” Such is the infinite perfection of the divine nature, that it is an act of self-humiliation, it is a condescension from the prerogative of his excellency and glory, to take notice of the most glorious things in heaven, and of the greatest things upon the earth.