moral innocency is the glory of a buman creature. Sin inherent in the natures of men, is their debasement and difhonour; it renders them vile and inglorious. Inaf much then as the human nature of Chrift was without all fin, not having the leaft taint of fin upon it, it was a glorious nature.

2. By replenishing his human nature with the graces of bis holy Spirit. The humanity of Jefus Chrift, received the Spirit from God, in an unmeasurable ful nefs. Fab. ii. 34. God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. His human nature was perfectly fan&tified, in the very inftant of its formation. And therefore it is in a way of fingularity and eminency called, That boly thing. Luk. i. 35. Now this plenitude of inherent grace in the human nature of Chrift, rendred it ex. ceeding glorious. For true grace, is real glory. Hence the church of Chrift, on the account of their inherent holinefs, is faid to be all glorious within. Pfal. xlv. 13. And in this refpect, Jefus Chrift is more glorious and beautiful, than all men. y. 2, 7. Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips. God bath anointed thee with the oyl of gladnefs above thy fellows, None is fo glorious in holinefs, as the man Chrift Jefus. He had that moral rectitude, which is the image of God, in perfection.

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3. By conitituting him in the office of a Mediator. Jefus Chrift is the mediator between God and man, and he only is fo. 1 Tim. ii. 5. There is one mediator between God and men, the man Chrift Fefus. With this office he was invefted by God the Father; and by this inveftiture he was greatly honoured. For the office of mediator is a moft honourable office: and he that fuftains it, is exceedingly dignified thereby. The Priestly office of Jefus Chrift, which is one branch of his mediatory office, is faid to be honourable, and that God glorified him by calling him thereunto. Heb. v. 4, 5. No man taketh this bonour to bimfelf, but he that is called of God as was Aaron. So alfo Chrift glorified not himself to be made an high Prieft; but he that faid, Thou

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art my Son, to day have I begotten thee. The mediatory office, is an exceeding high office; too great and glorious for the most excellent meer creature to fuftain. The mediator between God and man, is betrufled with the glory of God and the falvation of man, to fecure the interefts of them both. How greatly is he honoured, that has both these put into his hands, that has fo great a betrustment committed to him!

4. By giving him dominion over all creatures, as mediator. God has made him an universal King; granting to him the government of the whole creation. Heb. ii. 7. Thou didst fet him over the works of thy hands. Eph. i. 20, 21, 22. God bath fet him at his own right hand in beavenly places, far above all principalities and powers, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come; and hath put all things under his feet, and made him head over all things. I Pet. iii. 22. Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers being made Jubject unto him. Herein God has greatly glbrified and honoured Jefus Chrift, giving to him all power in beaven and earth, to order all things therein according to his own pleasure. How inconceivable a dignity is this! to have the whole management of the kingdom. of providence put into his hands! and the whole cre ation put under him!

5. By authorifing him to be the judge of the whole world. The Lord Jefus Chrift is appointed by God the Father to be the univerfal judge of angels and men. A&t. xvii. 31. God has appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteoufnefs, by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof be bath given afsurance unto all men, in that he bath raised him from the dead. In that day Jefus Chrift will come, and appear in a moft glorious manner. Matth. XXV. 31. When the fon of man fhall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then fhall he fit upon the throne of his glory. And before him shall be gathered all nations, &c. In this committing all judgment to Jefus Chrift, God the Father has highly honoured him. He puts into

his hands the full power of difpenfing rewards to the godly, and punishments to the ungodly. He leaves it with him, to determine the everlafting condition of all angels and men, acquiefcing fully and forever in this determination of his. Great is the glory, which in this cafe God confers on Jefus Chrift; and in that day, it will appear to be fo.

6. By clothing his human nature with the higheft created glory in the kingdom of heaven. That humanity of his, which to outward appearance was fo contemptible here on earth, is now in heaven crowned of God with greatest glory and honour. (Heb. ii. 9.) The glory thereof far exceeds all the glory of glorified faints and angels. The human nature of Chrift is, of all created objects, the most excellent. His intellectual and moral glory tranfcends that of all others, and furpaffes all understanding. Yea, his bodily glory exceeds our prefent conceptions. Some reprefentation of it was given in his transfiguration, when his face did fine as the fun, and his raiment was white as the light. Matth. xvii. 2. And the greatest glory which fhall be put upon the bodies of the faints, at the refurrection-day and for ever in heaven, will be but a likeness to the glory of the body of Chrift. Phil. iii. 21. Who fball change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body. In heaven the manhood of Chrift fhines with inconceivable glory, even above all.

Thus we have feen how God the Father glorifies Jefus Chrift.Now by way of reflection, I fhall only add one word hereupon.

Let this be an effectual engagement upon us, to honour the Lord Jefus Chrift; particularly at his holy fupper; as we are invited to do on the next Lord's day. That ordinance is inftituted in an efpecial manner for the honour and glory of Jefus Chrift; of whom we are there to maintain and exprefs an honourable remembrance. At that ordinance, we are to honour Chrift by worshipping of him as our Lord; by trufting in him as infinitely able and gracioufly willing to fave

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us; by loving him as one infinitely amiable; by giving up ourselves to him, to ferve him, as one infinitely worthy and excellent; by defiring to be with him and enjoy him, as an infinitely good and foul-fatisfying object. Thus are we to honour Chrift by our ac knowledging of him, in thefe ways, to be fuch a moft glorious perfon as he is. Herein we aft conformably to God the Father, who glorifies Chrift by declaring his glory. And our thus acting in conformity to God the Father, is exceeding pleafing to him, and will make way for the communications of his grace and favour to us, in that holy ordinance of the Lord's fupper. Yea, that facrament will then be a feal to affure us of the accomplishment of what Chrift faid in Joh. xii. 26. Where I am, there fhall my fervant alfo be and if any man ferve me, him will my Father honour.

Queft. 2. Why has the Father glorified Jefus Chrift? Anfw. 1. Becaufe of his great love to Jefus Chrift. God the Father loves Jefus Chrift with a fuperlative love. He loves him more than he does all other perfons or things. He is the dearly beloved of God, in a way of eminency. Yea, God loves Jefus Chrift as he does himself, with an eternal, unchangeable, and infinite love. As Jefus Chrift is the only and eterhally begotten Son of God, fo he was his delight from all eternity. Prov. viii. 3o. And as Jefus Chrift is mediator, fo he is the object of the Father's complacency. Matth. xii. 18. Behold my fervant, viz. in the work of. mediation, whom I have chofen, my beloved in whom my foul is well pleafed... Now from this love of God the Father to Jefus Chrift, he has therefore glorified him. His exceeding great love to Chrift, moves him to put the highest honour upon Chrift. And hence Jefus Chrift himself speaks of the glory given to him by the Father, as a fruit and effect of his ancient love unto him. Job. xvii. 24. That they may behold the glory which theu baft given me; for thou lovedft me before the foundation of the world. Love is a principle, which in

clines a man to refpect and honour the perfon beloved, and which defires that others alfo might honour him. So does the love of God to Jefus Chrift incline him to honour Chrift, himself; and to require that others alfo fhould honour him.

Anfw. 2. Becaufe of his covenant obligation to Jefus Chrift. From everlasting, there were federal tranfactions between God the Father and his Son Jefus Christ. God the Father entred into a covenant with him; wherein he required fome things of his Son, and promifed fome things to him. The things God required of him were, that he should affume an human nature unto himself, which should be prepared for him; that he should in that nature fulfil the law for his elect, have their fins imputed to him, and make himself an offering for their fins. Thefe articles the Son of God confented to. Heb. x. 5, 6, 7. When he cometh into the world, he faith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not, but a body baft thou prepared me: In burnt-offerings and facrifices for fin thou haft had no pleasure: Then faid I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me) to do thy will," O God. These were the things, required of him, and upon his fulfilling thefe conditions, God the Father made promises to him, of a most glorious reward. Ifai. lii. 13. Behold, my Jervant fhall deal prudently, be fhall be exalted, extolled, and be very high. Now Jefus Chrift on his part fulfilled the conditions of the covenant, required of him; and hereupon God the Father flood bound to fulfil his part of the covenant, in glorifying Jefus Chrift the mediator. And for this reafon, God in covenant-faithfulnefs has glorified Jefus Chrift. Phil. ii. 7, 8, 9. He made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a fervant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fabion as a man, he bumbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the crefs. Wherefore God alfo bath highly exalted him, and given him a name above every name.

Anfo. 3. Becaufe it tends to the glory of God the Fa ther, that he should glorify Jefus Chrift. The glory of

Chrift,