vant." He was to do his Father's will, to seek his Father's glory, and to advance the interests of his Father's kingdom. On this account the scriptures frequently speak of him as a servant; "Behold my servant whom I uphold;" by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many;" "I will bring forth my servant the Branch." Our Lord himself also often speaks of himself under this character: "I have not spoken of myself, says he, but the -Father who sent me, he gave me a commandment what I should say, and what I should speak." In above thirty other passages in St. John's gospel he represents himself as sent by the Father, and as receiving a commandment from him. We must not, however, conceive from hence that he is only a creature; for though in his official capacity he was inferior to the Father, in his own nature he was equal to the Father, as St. Paul tells us; "He was in the form of God, and thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant." Christ's work as a servant was, to reveal the Father's will to mankind, to make atonement for their sins, and to reduce them to a state of holy obedience; or, in other words, to execute the offices of a prophet, a priest, and a king, in compliance with the Father's appointment, and in subserviency to his honour. Now that he delivered his doctrines in the capacity of a servant, is evident from his own repeated confessions; " My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me:" "Whatsoever I speak, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak." It was also in obedience to his Father's will that he offered himself a sacrifice for sin. Our Lord himself says, Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life that I might take it again: no man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself: I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again: this commandment have I received of the Father" and St. Paul also says, that "being found in fashion as a man, he became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." Thus also in a Isai. xlii. 1. and liii. 11. and Zech. iii. 8. b John xii. 4, 9. e John x. 17, 18. the manifold exercises of his regal power, whether he cured diseases, rectified abuses, or forgave sins, he acted by an authority delegated to him for that purpose. When, at the very beginning of his ministry he took the sacred volume into his hands to read out of it to the people in the synagogue, he selected this passage, which fully declared to them by what authority he acted; "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor, he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted:" and at another time he told his disciples, that "the Father had appointed unto him a kingdom." Thus plain is it, that whether he executed the office of a prophet, priest, or king, he acted in the capacity of a servant. In the whole of his work he prospered. The text says, "My servant shall deal prudently;" but in the margin of the Bible it is put, "shall prosper." This rendering of the word seems rather better to agree with the context, and with that expression in the following chapter, "the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand." The very same word also is used in reference to Christ by Jeremiah, where our translators have given this sense to it; "I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper." Let us view this servant of Jehovah in the various offices he performed, and we shall see that he prospered in them all. Was he teaching the people? behold, what wonderful things he brought to light; things, which from eternity had been hidden in the bosom of the Father! How did the clouds of ignorance and superstition vanish before him! the corrupt glosses, with which the Jewish doctors had obscured the law, were refuted: the truths of God were established on the firmest basis; the most subtle objectors were put to silence; the most ignorant were instructed in the deepest mysteries; and all, with such condescension, such ease, such wisdom, and such authority, that his very enemies were constrained to say, "Never man spake like this man." Was he setting up his kingdom? he rejected with disdain pomp of earthly monarchs, and laid the foundations the Jer. xxiii. 5. of his throne in the hearts of his people. Nor did he bring any into subjection by outward force: a single word was sufficient to subdue the stoutest heart. If he said to Matthew, "Follow me," not all the wealth of kingdoms could detain the willing captive. If he said, "Come down, Zaccheus," behold, a covetous extortioner is instantly transformed into a benevolent and obedient servant. Whomsoever he would, he called: and such was the constraining power of his voice, that, without hesitation, they left all that they had, and followed him. And though he commanded his subjects to make no account even of their own lives when standing in competition with his will, and promised them nothing but poverty and persecution in this world, yet they all delighted in his law, and gloried in the cross for his sake. So entirely did they yield up themselves to him, that opposition served but to rivet their affections to him, and to confirm them in their determination to live and die in his service. Did he expiate his people's sins? behold, there was not any thing, wanting either to complete his obedience, or to fill up the measure of his sufferings. He fulfilled all righteousness, even though by so doing he made himself appear to be a sinner like unto us: he not only was circumcised by his parents, but voluntarily submitted to the ordinance of baptism, as though he had needed it for the washing away of his own iniquities. Nor was there any kind of suffering which he did not endure, that he might fully expiate our guilt by bearing in our stead all that our sins had merited. But must we confine our views of his success to past or future times? Are there not many living witnesses of his power and grace? Is he not teaching some amongst us by his good Spirit, and "revealing unto babes the things that are hidden from the wise and prudent?" Do not many of us also experience the virtue of his blood, and reap the fruits of his continual intercession? Is not his almighty arm yet stretched out to deliver us from our spiritual enemies, and to bring our hearts into captivity to his will? Wherever there is one who is brought out of darkness into marvellous light, one who enjoys peace with God through the blood of sprinkling and whose corruptions are mortified through the influence of divine truth, there is a monument of our Lord's success, an epistle of Christ known and read of all men." We might further illustrate his success by enumerating the benefits which his mediation has procured: but as these constituted a part of that reward which was conferred on him, we shall wave the mention of them in this place, and proceed to consider II. His advancement after he had completed his work. Our Lord, as a servant, "had respect unto the recompence of reward:" "for the joy that was set before him he endured the cross and despised the shame." Nor was this reward withheld from him, when he had finished his work. St. Paul tells us expressly, that his resurrection and consequent ascension are to be regarded in this view: "He became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross; therefore God hath exalted him." Of this also the prophet spake in the words before us: "He shall be exalted, and extolled, and be very high." Whether the prophet meant to point out three different steps of our Lord's advancement, we cannot positively say: but his words may well bear that interpretation;." he shall be exalted" by God to a throne of glory; "he shall be extolled" by men with adoration and thanksgiving; and he shall be very high," reigning as Head over men and angels for ever and ever. In this view his advancement may be considered as immediate, remote, and final. His immediate advancement consisted in his resurrection from the dead, and his elevation to the right hand of the Majesty on high, according to what is said by the apostle; God hath highly exalted him, and given him a name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth." He, who left his glory for our good, resumed it again; and his human nature is made to participate his glory: yes; that very body, which endured fatigue and hunger, which was torn with scourges, and pierced with nails, which agonized in the garden, and expired on the cross, is now at the right hand of God in the highest seat of dignity and honour. That human soul also, that once was harassed with the temptations of Satan, and that endured the wrath of a sin-avenging God, is now assumed into such an union with the godhead, as to be exalted infinitely above the highest archangel. It is in his human nature that the brightest effulgence of the Deity is seen: so that, while he appears as a lamb that has been slain, he is the very joy and glory of heaven, the sun that illumines the regions of the blest; "the glory of God doth lighten them, and the Lamb is the light thereof." And who does not rejoice that the Saviour should be thus glorified? Who does not even leap for joy at the thought, that he, who loved us unto death, should be thus exalted far above all principalities and powers? Surely, independent of the interest which we ourselves have in his advancement, we ought to be exceeding glad that our greatest friend and benefactor should be thus gloriously rewarded The next, and more remote step of his advancement was, the extending of his kingdom throughout the earth. It is true that, in a very short space of time, there were thousands of souls subjected to his dominion; and gradually his empire was enlarged among the Gentile world: multitudes in every place took, as it were, an oath of allegiance to him, and were made willing even to lay down their lives for his sake. But yet his kingdom has hitherto been only partially established: there is a time coming when, in the most literal sense, that prophecy of Daniel shall be accomplished, and "there shall be given him dominion and glory, and a kingdom, and all people, nations, and languages shall serve him." This methinks is that prospect, to which our Lord looked forward with peculiar delight as to the joy set before him." When he shall see the whole human race bowing before his footstool, and hear them" extolling" and magnifying his name, he will look back upon the travail of his soul with pleasure and satisfaction, and account himself amply recompensed for all that he has done and suffered. O'that this glorious season might speedily begin; that his kingdom might come, and his will be done on earth as it is in heaven! But if we be not favoured to behold this period, let us at least make him the most accept |
