Page:Works of President Edwards vol. 4.pdf/200

II. This admirable conjunction of excellencies appears in the acts and various passages of Christ's life. Though Christ dwelt on the earth in mean outward circumstances, whereby his condescension and humility especially appeared, and his majesty was veiled; yet his divine dignity and glory did, in many of his acts, shine through the veil, and it illustriously appeared, that he was not only the Son of man, but the great God.

Thus in the circumstances of his infancy, his outward meanness appeared; yet there was something then to show forth his divine dignity, in the wise men's being stirred up to come from the east to give honor to him, their being led by a miraculous star, and coming and falling down and worshipping him, and presenting him with gold, frankincense, and myrrh. His humility and meekness wonderfully appeared in his subjection to his mother and reputed father when he was a child: he therein appeared as a lamb. But his divine glory broke forth and shone, when, at twelve years old, he disputed with the doctors in the temple. In that he appeared, in some measure, as the Lion of the tribe of Judah.

And so, after lie entered on his public ministry, his marvellous humility and meekness was manifested, in his choosing to appear in such mean outward circumstances, and in being so contented in them, when he was so poor that he had not where to lay his head, and depended on the charity of some of his followers for his subsistence; as appears by Luke viii. at the beginning; as also in his meek, condescending, and familiar treatment of his disciples; in his discourses with them, treating them as a father his children; yea, as friends and companions; and in his patient bearing such affliction and reproach, and so many injuries from the Scribes and Pharisees, and others: in these things he appeared as a lamb. And yet he at the same time did many ways show forth his divine majesty and glory, particularly in the miracles that he wrought, which were evidently divine works, and manifested omnipotent power, and so declared him to be the Lion of the tribe of Judah. His wonderful and miraculous works plainly showed him to be the God of nature; in that it appeared by them that he bad all nature in his hands, and could lay an arrest upon it, and stop, and change its course as he pleased. In healing the sick, and opening the eyes of the blind, and unstopping the ears of the deaf, and healing the lame; he showed that he was the God that framed the eye, and created the ear, and was the author of the frame of man's body. By the dead's rising at his command, it appeared that he was the author and fountain of life, and that "God the Lord, to whom belong the issues from death." By his walking on the sea in a storm, when the waves were raised, he showed himself to be that God spoken of, Job ix. 8, "That treadeth on the waves of the sea." By his stilling the storm, and calming the rage of the sea, by his powerful command, saying, "Peace, be still," he showed himself to be he that has the command of the universe, and to be that God that brings things to pass by the word of his power, that speaks and it is done, that commands and it stands fast; and he that is spoken of, Psalm lxv. 7, "Who stilleth the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves." And Psalm cvii. 29, "That maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still" And Psalm lxxxix. 8, 9, "O Lord God of hosts, who is a strong Lord like unto thee, or to thy faithfulness round about thee? Thou rulest the raging of the sea; when the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them." Christ, by casting out devils, remarkably appeared as the Lion of the tribe of Judah, and showed that he was stronger than that roaring lion, that seeks whom he may devour, He commanded them to come out, and they were forced to obey They were terribly afraid of him; they fall down before him, and beseech him not to torment them; he forces a whole legion of them to forsake their old