Let us reverently consider this lowliness of the Son of God in self-abasement, and perfection of obedience to God, here as a man among men.

While Adam's first act, after being surrounded here with blessing, was to seek his own will, involving his posterity in ruin and misery, Christ came in this world of misery, devoting Himself in love to do His Father's will.

Coming down here, He emptied Himself of all that was His by right. He came here in devoted-ness to His Father, at all cost to Himself, that God might be glorified. He was in the world, the obedient man, whose will was to do His Father's will. It was the first grand act of all human obedience and of divine glory by it. This will of obedience and devotedness to His Father's glory, spread a sweet savor on all that He did-all He did partook of this fragrance.

It is impossible to read John's Gospel, or indeed any of the Gospels, without meeting at every moment this blessed fragrance of loving obedience and self-renouncement. It is not a history of it, but Himself, what He is, that shines out everywhere. We cannot avoid seeing it; and in contrast to this, the wickedness of man which violently forced its way through the coverture and holy hiding-place which love had wrought around Him, forcing into view Him who passed in meekness through the world that rejected Him. But it only gave force and blessedness to the self-abasement, which never faltered, even when forced to confess His divinity. It was the " I AM," but in the lowliness and loneliness of the most perfect, self-abased obedience, with no secret desire to hold His place in His humiliation. His Father's glory was the perfect desire of His heart. It was indeed the " I AM " that was there, but in perfectness of human obedience.

This reveals itself everywhere. Replying to the enemy, He answers, "It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." " It is written" was His constant reply. "Suffer it thus far," He says, to John the Baptist, " thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness." To Peter He said, Though the children be free, "that give for me and for thee." In John, where His Person especially shines forth, it is more directly expressed thus:"This commandment have I received of my Father." " I know that His commandment is eternal life." "As the Father has given me commandment, so I do." "The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He seeth the Father do." "I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in His love."

Many of these citations are on occasions where the careful eye sees, through the blessed humiliation of the Lord, the divine nature-God the Son, only more bright and blessed because thus hidden-as the sun, on which man's eye cannot gaze, proves the power of its rays in giving full light through the clouds which hide and soften its power.

If the Son of God humbles Himself, He still is God. He does it in voluntary obedience and love to His Father.

This absolute obedience gave perfect grace and savor to all He did. He appeared ever as One sent. He sought the glory of the Father that sent Him. He saved whoever came to Him, because He tame to do the will of Him that sent Him :their coming was His warrant for saving them, for He was to do implicitly the Father's will. But what a spirit of obedience is here! He saves all whom the Father gives Him-He is the servant of His will. Is glory to be given ?-" It is not mine to give, but to those for whom it is prepared of my Father." He does nothing of Himself, but wills to accomplish all that His Father pleased.

But who could have done all this, save He who could and did undertake to do -whatever the Father would have done ? The infiniteness of the work, and capacity for it, identify themselves with the perfectness of obedience which had no will but to do that of the Father! Oh, humble, lowly Man! God's beloved Son, in whom the Father found His delight.

Let us now see the fitting of this humanity in grace for this work. This meat-offering of God, taken from the fruit of the earth, was of the finest wheat:- all that was pure, separate, and lovely in human nature was in Jesus under all its sorrows, but in all its excellence, and excellent in its sorrows. There was no unevenness in Jesus, no predominant quality to produce the effect of giving Him a distinctive character. He was, though despised and rejected of men, the perfection of human nature. The sensibilities, firmness, elevation, and calm meekness which belong to human nature, all found their perfect place in Him. In a Paul we find energy and zeal; in a Peter, ardent affection; in a John, tender sensibilities, united to a desire to vindicate what he loved which scarce knew limit. But the quality which we observe in Peter predominates, and characterizes him. In a Paul, blessed servant though he was, he assays to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit suffered him not. He had no rest in his spirit when he found not Titus, his brother, and goes off to. Macedonia, though a door was opened in Troas. He is compelled to glory of himself to the Corinthians who were readily deceived by pretentious false apostles. John, who would have vindicated Jesus in His zeal, knew not what manner of spirit he was of, and would have forbidden the work of God if a man walked not with them. Such were Paul, and Peter, and John.

But in Jesus, even as man, there was none of this unevenness. There is nothing salient in His character, because all was in perfect subjection to God, in His humanity; all had its place, and did exactly its service, then disappeared. God was glorified in it, and all was in harmony. When meekness became Him, He was meek; when indignation, who could stand before His overwhelming rebuke ! Tender to the chief of sinners in the time of grace; unmoved by the heartless haughtiness of the cold Pharisee (curious to judge who He was). When the time of judgment is come, no tears of those who wept for Him moved Him to other words than, " Weep for yourselves and your children "-words of deep compassion, but of deep subjection to the due judgment on the dry tree, which had prepared itself to be burned. On the cross, when His service was finished, tender to His mother, in human care He entrusts her to one who leant on His bosom; but no ear to recognize her word or claim when His service occupied Him for God. What calmness, which disconcerted His adversaries! What moral power, which dismayed them by times ! What meekness, which drew out the hearts of all not steeled by wilful opposition! What keenness of edge to separate between the evil and the good!

In a word, then, His humanity was perfect-all subject to God, all in immediate answer to His will, the expression of it, and so in harmony all through. The hand that struck the chord found all in tune- all answered to the mind of God in His thoughts of grace, and holiness, and goodness, yet of judgment of evil ; fulness of blessing and goodness were sounds of sweetness to every weary ear, and found in Christ their perfect expression. Every element, every faculty in His humanity, responded to the impulse which the divine will gave to it, and then ceased in a tranquility in which self had no place. Such was Christ in human nature. While firm, where need demanded, meekness was what essentially characterized Him in contrast with others, because He was in the presence of God, His God-and all that in the midst of evil. His voice was not heard in the street-far joy can break forth in louder strains when in rest according to God, all shall echo, "Praise His name ! "