" 1 John iii. 1. And "in
this was manifested the love of God toward us, that God sent his only
begotten Son into the world," 1 John iv. 9. And truly for such a design
and purpose, all the world could not have contrived such a suitable and
excellent mean as this. Nothing besides this could have declared such
love. There is no expression of love imaginable to this,--to give his Son,
and only begotten Son for us. It had been enough, out of mere compassion,
to have saved us, however it had been. But if he had given all, and done
all besides this, he had not so manifested the infinite fulness of love.
There is no gift so suitable to the greatness and magnificence of his
majesty, as this,--one that thought it no robbery to be equal with himself.
Any gift had been infinitely above us, because from him; but this is not
only infinitely above us, but equal to himself, and fittest to declare
himself.

But then, there is yet a higher rise of the mystery, or a lower descent of
God; for it is all one, God descending is the wonder ascending,--he sent
his Son. Man's admiration is already exhausted in that. But if there were
any thing behind, this which follows would consume it,--in the flesh. If he
had sent his own Son, might he not have sent him in an estate and
condition suitable to his glory, as it became the Prince and Heir of all
things, him by whom all were created and do subsist? Nay, but he is sent,
and that in a state of humiliation and condescendency, infinitely below
his own dignity. That ever he was made a creature, that the Maker of all
should be sent in the form of any thing he had made, O what a
disparagement! There is no such distance between the highest prince on the
throne, and the basest beggar on the dunghill, as between the only
begotten of the Father, who is the brightness of his glory, and the most
glorious angel that ever was made. And yet, it would be a wonder to the
world, if a king should send his son in the habit and state of a beggar,
to call in the poor, and lame, and blind, to the fellowship of his
kingdom. It had been a great mystery, then, if God had been manifested in
the nature of angels, a great abasement of his majesty. But, O what must
it be for God to be manifested in the flesh, in the basest, naughtiest,
and most corruptible of all the creatures, even the very dregs of the
creation, that have sunk down to the bottom! "All flesh is grass;" and
what more withering and fading, even the flower and per