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4. There are conjoined in the person of Christ infinite worthiness of good, and the greatest patience under sufferings of evil. He was perfectly innocent, and deserved no suffering. He deserved nothing from God by any guilt of his own; and he deserved no ill from men. Yea, he was not only harmless and undeserving of suffering, but he was infinitely worthy, worthy of the infinite love of the Father, worthy of infinite and eternal happiness, and infinitely worthy of all possible esteem, love, and service from all men. And yet he was perfectly patient under the greatest sufferings that ever were endured in this world. Heb. xii. 2, "He endured the cross, despising the shame." He suffered not from his Father for his faults, but ours; and he suffered from men not for his faults, but for those things on account of which he was infinitely worthy of their love and honor; which made his patience the more wonderful and the more glorious. 1 Pet. ii. 20–24, "For what glory is it, if when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? But if when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. For even hereunto were ye called; because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps; who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth; who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously; who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed." There is no such conjunction of innocence, worthiness and patience under sufferings, as in the person of Christ.
5. In the person of Christ are conjoined an exceeding spirit of obedience, with supreme dominion over heaven and earth. Christ is the Lord of all things in two respects: he is so, as he is God-man and mediator; and so his dominion is appointed, and given of the Father, and is by delegation from God, and he is, as it were, the Father's vicegerent. But he is Lord of all things in another respect, viz., as he is (by his original nature) God; and so he is by natural right the Lord of all, and Supreme over all as much as the Father. Thus, he has dominion over the world, not by delegation, but in his own right: he is not an under God, as the Arians suppose, but, to all intents and purposes, Supreme God.
And yet in the same person is found the greatest spirit of obedience to the commands and law of God that ever was in the universe; which was manifest in his obedience here in this world. John xiv. 31, "As the Father gave me commandment, even so I do." John xv. 10, "Even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love." The greatness of his spirit of obedience appears in the perfection of his obedience, and in his obeying commands of such exceeding difficulty. Never any one received commands from God of such difficulty, and that were so great a trial of obedience, as Jesus Christ. One of God's commands to him was, that he should yield himself to those dreadful sufferings that he underwent. See John x. 18: "No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself."—"This commandment received I of my Father." And Christ was thoroughly obedient to this command of God. Heb. vi. 8, "Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things that be suffered." Philip. ii. 8, "He humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." Never was there such an instance of obedience in man nor angel as this, though he that obeyed was at the same time Supreme Lord of both angels and men.
6. In the person of Christ are conjoined absolute sovereignty and perfect resignation. This is another unparalleled conjunction. Christ, as he is God, is the