ANSW. Christ humbled himself in his life by subjecting himself to
the law, which he perfectly fulfilled, and by conflicting with the
indignities of the world, temptations of Satan, and infirmities in
his flesh; whether common to the nature of man, or particularly
accompanying that his low condition.
In considering Christ’s low and humble state, while he was in this
world, we may observe, that this is styled his _emptying himself of his
glory_, when _he took on him the form of a servant_: thus the apostle
expresses it, in Phil. ii. 7. for the words,[208] which we render, _he
made himself of no reputation_, are to be so understood. Now, since his
incarnation is so expressed, we must, before we proceed any farther on
this subject, enquire, how this was inconsistent with his Godhead? and,
whether he might be said, in taking our nature, to empty or humble
himself? and also, whether his incarnation may, properly speaking, be
called a part of his humiliation?
There is a sense in which he may be said to humble himself in his divine
nature; as, when we read of _God’s humbling himself, to behold the
things that are in heaven and in the earth_, Psal. cxiii. 6. This is so
far from being a dishonour to him, that it is expressive of his glory,
as it argues, that there is an infinite distance between him and the
creature. In this sense, the second Person of the Godhead might be said
to humble himself, in assuming the human nature, and thereby, as it
were, casting a veil over his glory. This is such a sense of Christ’s
humiliation, as denotes infinite condescension, but no diminution, or
loss of divine glory; neither can this be styled his emptying himself of
glory, or humbling himself, in that sense in which the apostle expresses
it, as above mentioned. It cannot be denied, but that Christ’s
incarnation was the highest instance of condescension; and, if nothing
more be intended than this, when persons speak of Christ’s humbling
himself in his incarnation, or taking our nature into union with his
divine, we are far from denying it.
But we are not now speaking of Christ’s humbling himself in a relative
sense, as God, but his being in a state of humiliation, as God-man
Mediator; in which sense, the act of incarnation, or taking the human
nature into union with his divine Person, cannot, properly speaking, be
styled a branch of his mediatorial humiliation; for that which tends to
constitute the Person of the Mediator, cannot be said to belong
antecedently to him as Mediator. For the understanding of which, we may
observe,
1. That the Person of Christ is to be considered in two different
respects, _viz._ as God, or as Mediator; in the former sense, he was,
from eternity, a divine Person, and would have been so, if he had not
been Mediator: but when we speak of his Person, as Mediator, we always
consider him as God-man.[209]
2. Every mediatorial act,[210] according to the most proper and literal
sense thereof, supposes the constitution of his Person, as God-man
Mediator, and consequently it supposes him to be incarnate. This is
evident, because what he did here on earth was performed by him, in
obedience to, and as having received a commission from, the Father;
which could not be performed any otherwise than in his human nature.
3. Christ could not be said to assume the human nature into union with
his divine Person, as God-man, for that implies a contradiction in
terms; nor could it be said, that, before this, he performed any act of
obedience to the law, for that supposes the human nature to be assumed,
and therefore is consequent to his incarnation.
4. For our farther understanding this matter, we may distinguish between
the act of incarnation, or taking the human nature into union with his
divine Person; and the state in which he was, after this. The former was
an instance of divine condescension; the latter, in the most proper
sense, was a branch of his mediatorial humiliation. And this leads us to
consider the various instances in which Christ is said to have humbled
himself, in some following answers, namely, in his birth, life, death,
and after his death.