2. He was like unto us in passions, affections and fenfitive apprehenfions: only there is this difference; in us they ebb and flow, we feel fudden motions and transportations; but in our Saviour, paffions, and affections, and fenfitive apprehenfions were exactly governed. You have fomething of this in the prayer of our Saviour Christ in the garden; let this cup pass away from me; nevertheless, not my will, but thine, be done. Matt. xxvi. 39.

3. He was like unto us in our neceffities of relief and support, as eating, drinking, fleeping, ceffation from action. Therefore, we read, that he was weary, John iv. 6. Hungry, Mark xi. 12. and the like. So that you fee, our Saviour by partaking with us in our natures, partook with us in our weakness and infirmity: but we, by partaking with him, partake of the divine nature, 2 Pet. i. 4. which is free from all want and imperfection.

But

But if any stumble at what hath been faid; I will fatisfy him. Our imperfections are either negative or privative: negative are those that belong to God's creation; for God made us in fuch a measure, in all negative shortnefs, imperfections and weakness; and our Saviour did share with us in these. privative imperfections are fruits of our apoftacy, degeneracy, and the like; and in these our Saviour did not partake with us; nor in those things which are founded in them. Now as the confideration of our shortness, infirmities, paffion and imperfection, fhould make us humble, fober, modeft; fo alfo the confideration of our Saviour's partaking with us in these things, fhould make us not to defpife this

ftate.

ftate. For there is nothing in it fo bad, which our Saviour, out of good-will, did refuse for our fake; and they may be without fin. And this should make us moderate towards one another and patiently bear one with another, and make no ill interpretation. God hath not fo deeply refented the fall of man, as he did the apoftacy of the angels. He remembers that we are but duft, and confift of body and fpirit, and fo are disposed to various inclinations, temptations, &c. and for this, God makes allowance, for thefe, I fay, God makes abatement. And then the fenfe of thefe infirmities fhould awaken us to expect the happy change that is declared. For Chrift hath promised, that he will change these vile bodies of ours, that they may be fashion'd like unto his glorious body; Phil. iii. 21. and this mortality shall put on immortality, and this corruption incorruption; and we fhall have a fpiritual body, by our participation of the Lord from heaven. 1 Cor. xv. 53, 54.

In the next place it follows, that he was like unto us, that he might be a merciful and faithful high-prieft.

This was done with refpect to us; in a way of compaffion and pure good-will. Two things evidence this unto us, that the ftate which our Saviour fubmitted to, the principle that moved him was pure good-will. (1.) The motive of God's sending him, and of his coming. (2.) The end and bufinefs of his coming, was all from goodwill. (1.) In refpect of God, it is faid, John iii. 16. that God fo loved the world, that he gave his only begotten fon, that whofoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Chrift Jefus was

the

the defire of all nations, Hag. ii. 7. that is, the defire of their states, their condition did require it; and God fent him of love and good-will to men. And then, (2.) The business that he came about; which doth give us a full account of our Saviour's intention, and doth justify our Saviour's work. For he came about a work as certainly divine, as the very creation itself was: for it is no less divine, to reftore God's creation, than to raise a creation out of nothing and this was our Saviour's defign: which fhews, that he was no cheat nor impoftor; for he did only pretend to good, which never any one that came with a defign to cozen the world, did ever do. Our Saviour's great work was, to bless the world, and to turn it from iniquity: what pretence was there ever in the world fince the creation, in which we could not find a flaw, but this only of Chrift Jefus ; whofe defign was the restoring of God's creation and workmanship, deformed by fin? And therefore let us admire the divine goodness. We, guilty wretches, our hearts might have fail'd us, and mifgiven us, that we might have done like Adam, when he heard God coming to him, he hid himself, and made himself a covering of fig-leaves, Gen. iii. 7, 8. We all might have fufpected, becaufe of our guiltinefs that if ever we did hear God it would be in a way of indignation, and we should hear of his judgments. But behold the revenge that God hath taken; he hath fent his only begotten Son to restore the lapfed creation, and to bring finful man into a nearer relation to himself. Now, let us remember, that kindness, of all things, is leaft

to

to be neglected therefore let this kindness be thankfully received and entertained; and take encouragement from hence to return to God, who hath invited us to him. And our own neceffity doth impel us; and our return is both fuitable and profitable let us thankfully accept and own his grace. And, laftly, let us revenge ourselves on our enemies as God doth us; that is, relieve, help, and compaffionate them, and do all we can to reclaim them, and bring them into good order. Do not exafperate one another, nor meditate revenge. If God had dealt fo by us, where had we been, and how fad had been our cafe? Let us be ready to fhew mercy, who ftand in need of fo much compaffion'Tis a fhrewd fign a man is not partaker of this goodness and kindness of God, that hath not fuch a sense of it in himself, as to refine his fpirit, and regulate and moderate the temper and complexion of his mind, fo as to make him full of goodnefs and kindness to others. And, to conclude this particular, let us truft God for our future ftate for when he found us in our apoftacy, he did not only bear with us, but made fair proposals to us; he did pity and compaffionate us when we were in a state of enmity; will he now caft us off? No. As Manoah's wife faid, if God would have killed us, he would not bave fhewed us fo great kindness, Judg. xiii. 23.

In the next place it follows, that our infirmities are compaffionable: fo we find by the text: he was in all things like unto us, that he might be a merciful and faithful high-priest, &c.

These

These three things put together, do fomething leffen the fins of man, and procure him pity with God. I. That he is liable to fail and be mistaken. 2. That in his conftitution he doth confift of body and fpirit: and, 3. That he is exposed to all forts of temptations from without, in this dangerous and hazardous world. So that through the grace of God it is not so much what fin is, as what the demeanour of a person is after sin. Therefore these two cafes differ extremely. ft. A finner that is awakened, and confiderate, that leaves off to fin, that deprecates God's difpleasure, and asks his forgiveness and returns to his duty, that importunes God for mercy, and follows God's direction, this man's cafe is compaffionable. 2dly. A finner that fill goes on in a way of wickedness, and hardens his heart against God. I tell you these cases differ as much as poffible. And the very self-fame goodness that inclines God to pardon the former, requires him to condemn the latter. The fame goodness that doth pardon penitents, doth punish obftinacy. For these propofitions are both true, that it is good, and worthy of God, to pardon fin that is left and repented of; and also to controul obftinacy and impenitency. Let these two be confidered; and then tell me, if you are not engaged to repent: for it is not, you fee, out of God's feverity, that he punifheth; but it is the rule of right, and the law of goodnefs that require it, that all obftinacy in fin fhould be controuled. And here the way of heaven and hell part. 'Tis not infirmity, 'tis not fhortness and weakness; but voluntary acts of fin, and wilful fins, that do

distinguish