SERMON XIV.

FIFTH TITLE OF CHRIST-"THE LORD OF GLORY."

Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 1 Cor. ii. 8.

In this chapter, the apostle discourses to the Corinthians of the excellency of his ministry, both to obviate the contempt which some cast upon it for want of human ornaments, and to give the greater authority to it among all; and as the spiritual simplicity of his ministry brought it under the contempt of some, he removes it by showing,

That it was not suitable to the design and end of his ministry, his determination being to know nothing among them, save Jesus Christ and him crucified, verses 1, 2.

Neither was it for the advantage of their souls; it might please their fancy, but could be no solid foundation of their faith and comfort, verses 4, 5.

Though his discourses seemed dry to carnal hearers, yet they had a depth and excellency which spiritual and judicious Christians saw and acknowledged, verses 6, 7.

Therefore, this excellent wisdom which he preached, far transcended all the natural wisdom of this world; yea, the wisdom of those that were most renowned and admired in that age, Which none of the princes of this world knew," verse 8.

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In these words we have, first, a negative proposition: none of the princes of this world knew that spiritual wisdom which he taught. By princes of this world, or, rather, the princes of that age, he means the learned Rabbies, Scribes, and Pharisees renowned for wisdom and learning among them, and honoured upon that account as so many princes. But, he adds a diminutive term, which darkens all their glory: they are but the princes of this world, utterly unacquainted with the wisdom of the

other world, of which he adds a clear and full proof; for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory." In which words we find one of Christ's glorious and royal titles, the Lord of glory, on which title my present discourse will be founded. The words being clear, with nothing of ambiguity in them, give us this

DocT.-Christ crucified is the Lord of glory.

Great and excellent is the glory of Jesus Christ. The Scriptures every where proclaim his glory; yea, we may observe a notable climax or gradation in those Scriptures that speak of his glory. The prophet Isaiah, speaking of him, calls him glorious: "In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious," Isa. iv. 2. John, speaking of his glory, rises a step higher, and ascribes to him a "glory, as of the only begotten of the Father," John i. xiv, that is, a glory becoming the Son of God; proper to him, and incommunicable to any other. The apostle James rises yet higher, and not only calls him glorious, or glorious as the only begotten of the Father, but the glory-glory in the abstract: "My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glory, with respect of persons," Jam. ii. 1; for the word Lord, in our translation, is a supplement. Christ is glory itself, yea, the glory emphatically so styled; the glory of heaven; the glory of Zion; the glory of our souls for ever. The Epistle to the Hebrews goes yet higher, and calls him the brightness of the Father's glory, Heb. i. 3; as though he should say, he is the beaming forth of his Father's glory-the very splendour or refulgency of Divine glory. O, what a glorious Lord is Jesus Christ; the bright, sparkling diamond of heaven, who shines in glory there above the glory of angels and saints, as the glory of the sun excels the lesser twinkling stars. The glory of Christ must be unspeakable; he reflects glory upon all that are with him, John xvii. 24; and stamps glory upon all that belong to him. His works on earth were glorious works, Luke xiii. 17; the purchased liberty of his people a glorious liberty, Rom. viii. 21; the church, his mystical body, a glorious church, Eph. v. 27; the gospel which reveals him is a glorious gospel, 1 Tim. i. 11.

But more particularly, let us consider the glory of Christ. as it is distinguished into his essential, or his mediatorial glory.

I. THE ESSENTIAL GLORY OF CHRIST, which he has, as God, from everlasting, is unspeakable and inconceivable glory: for he "being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God," Phil. ii. 6, that is, he has equality with the Father in glory. "I and my Father are one," John x. 30. And again, "All things that the Father hath are mine," John xvi. 15; the same name, the same nature, the same essential properties, the same will, and the same glory.

II. THE MEDIATORIAL GLORY OF CHRIST is proper to him, as the Head of the church which he hath purchased with his own blood. Of this glory the apostle speaks: "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name," Phil. ii. 9; the original means, exalted above all exaltation. Now, the mediatorial glory of our Lord Jesus Christ consists,

1. In the fulness of grace inherent in him. The humanity of Christ is filled with grace, as the sun with light: "Full of grace and truth," John i. 14. Never was any creature filled by the Spirit of grace as the man Christ Jesus is filled; for God gives not the Spirit to him by measure, John iii. 34. By reason of this fulness of grace inherent in him, he is "fairer than the children of men," Psa. xlv. 2; excelling all the saints in spiritual lustre and gracious excellencies.

2. In the dignity and authority put upon him. He is crowned king in Sion; all power in heaven and earth is given unto him, Matt. xxviii. 18. He is the lawgiver to the church, James iv. 12; all acts of worship are to be performed in his name; prayer, preaching, censures, ordinances, all to be administered in his name. Church officers are commissioned by him, Eph. iv. 11. The judgment of the world in the great day will be administered by him, Matt. xxv. 31.

3. Jesus Christ shall have glory and honour ascribed to him for evermore by angels and saints, on account of his mediatorial work. "And when he had taken the book, the four beasts, and four and twenty elders, fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;

and hast made us unto our God kings and priests," Rev. v. 8, 10.

INFERENCE 1. How wonderful was the love of Christ, the Lord of glory, to be so abased and humbled for us, vile and sinful dust! It is astonishing to conceive that ever Jesus Christ should strip himself of his robes of glory, to clothe himself with the mean garment of our flesh. If the sun had been turned into a wandering atom, if the most glorious angel in heaven had been transformed even into a fly, it had been nothing to the abasement of the Lord of glory. This act is everywhere celebrated in Scripture as the great mystery, the astonishing wonder of the whole world, 2 Tim. iii. 16; Phil. ii. 8; Rom. viii. 3. The Lord of glory looked not like himself, when he came in the habit of a man, we hid as it were our faces from him," Isa. liii. 3; he became "a reproach of men, and despised of the people," Psa. xxii. 6. The birds of the air and beasts of the earth were provided with better accommodations than the Lord of glory, Matt. viii. 20. stupendous abasement! O love unspeakable! "Though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor, that we through his poverty might be rich," 2 Cor. viii. 9. He put off the crown of glory to put on the crown of thorns. And as said Bernard, "The lower he humbled himself for me, the dearer he shall be to me."

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2. How transcendently glorious is the advancement of believers, by their union with the Lord of glory! This also is an admirable and astonishing mystery; it is the highest dignity and glory of which our persons are capable, to be mystically united to this Lord of glory; to be bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh. Christian, dost thou know and believe all this, and does not thy heart burn within thee with love to Christ? This is the great mystery which the angels stoop down to look into. Such an honour as this could never have entered into the heart of man. It would have seemed blasphemy in us to have thought or spoken of such a thing, had not Christ made first the motion. Wilt thou not say, Lord, what am I, and what is my father's house, that so great a King should stoop so far beneath himself to such a worm? that strength should unite itself to weakness, infinite glory to such baseness! O, grace, grace for ever to be admired!

3. Is Jesus Christ the Lord of glory? Then let no man

count himself dishonoured, by suffering the vilest indignities for his sake. The Lord of glory puts glory upon the very suffering you undergo in this world for him. Moses esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt, Heb. xi. 26; he left a kingdom to be crowned with reproaches for the name of Christ. The diadem of Egypt was not half so glorious as self-denial for Christ. This Lord of glory freely degraded himself for thee, and wilt thou stand hesitating with him as to what he requires of thee? It is certainly your honour to be dishonoured for Christ, Acts v. 41. "Unto you it is given in behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake," Phil. i. 29. The gift of suffering is there matched with the gift of faith; it is given as a badge of honour to suffer for the Lord of glory. As all have not the honour to wear the crown of glory in heaven, so few have the honour to wear the chain of Christ upon earth. Thuanus reports of Ludovicus Marsacus, a knight of France, that being led to suffer with other martyrs who were bound, and he unbound, because a person of honour, he cried out, "Why don't you honour me with a chain too, and create me a knight of that noble order?" "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations," James i. 2; that is, trial by sufferings.

4. Is Christ the Lord of glory? How glorious then shall the saints one day be, when they shall be made like this glorious Lord, and partake of his glory in heaven! "The glory which thou gavest me I have given them," John xvii. 22. Yea, the vile bodies of believers shall be made like to the glorious body of Christ, Phil. iii. 21. What glory then will be communicated to their souls! True, his essential glory is incommunicable; but there is a glory which Christ will communicate to his people. When he comes to judge the world, he will come "to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe," 2 Thess. i. 10. Thus he seems to account his social glory, which shall result from his saints, a great part of his own glory. As we have now fellowship with him in his sufferings, so we shall have fellowship or communion with him in his glory when he shall appear, then shall we also appear with him in glory; then the poorest believer shall be more glorious than Solomon in all his royalty. It was a pious saying of Luther, that he had rather be a Christian clown than a pagan emperor. The righteous is more