volume 4

VER. 15.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 423
nature; for this was the way and means of his entrance into glory:
He "
revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living,"
Bom. xiv. 9. And this was the testimony that he was acquitted and
discharged from the penalty of the law, and the whole debt he had
undertaken to make satisfaction of unto God for sinners, Acts ii. 24,
Rom. viii. 33, 34 ; without which we could have said of him only
as the disciples did when they knew not of his resurrection,
" We
trusted that it had been he who should have redeemed Israel," Luke
xxiv. 21. And hereby had he an illustrious and uncontrollable testi
mony given to his being the Son of God, Rom. i. 4 ; as also, he laid
the foundation and gave an infallible pledge of the future blessed
resurrection, which all that believe in him shall by him obtain. But
this being also past and over, what further concernment hath the
church in the continuation of the union of his natures? I might
mention many, and those of the greatest importance. For there yet
remained some parts of his mediatory work to be discharged, which
could not be accomplished without this nature; for he had not yet
appeared in the holy place with his own blood, whereby he had made
atonement, that the whole sacrifice might be completed. And the
exaltation of our nature in glory was needful for the supportment
and consolation of the church. But I shall mention that alone
which is here proposed by our apostle, namely, his ability from
thence to be affected with a sense of our infirmities and sufferings.
This, as I have showed, is appropriate unto him on the account of
his human nature. And on this account we may consider his com
passion four ways:
1. As it is an eminent virtue in human nature as absolutely in
nocent. So was the nature of Christ from the beginning ; for therein
was he "holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners." Now,
though in that blessed estate wherein we were created there was no
O
actual object for us to exercise compassion upon or towards, seeing
every thing was at rest in its proper place and order, yet was there
no virtue more inlaid in our rational constitution, as being abso
lutely inseparable from goodness and benignity, upon a supposition
of a suitable object. Hence they are justly esteemed to be fallen
into the utmost of degeneracy from our first make, frame, and state,
and to be most estranged from our common original, who have cast
off this virtue where it may and ought to have its actual exercise.
Nor are any more severely in the Scripture reflected on than those
who are unmerciful and without compassion, fierce, cruel, and im
placable. No men more evidently deface the image of God than
such persons. Now, our nature in Christ was and is absolutely pure
and holy, free from the least influence by that depravedness which
befell the whole mass in Adam. And herein are the natural virtues
of goodness, benignity, mercy, and compassion, pure, perfect, and