only refused that former offer which God made him, but he made an offer unto God of himself to sacrifice his portion in life for their good: Rather,' says he, blot me out of the book of life.' So ver. 32.

And we may observe the like zealous love in holy Paul, towards all those converts of his whom in his epistles he wrote unto; towards whom that which so much endeared his affections was the rains, the cost, the travail, the care, and the sufferings that he had had in bringing them unto Christ. Thus, towards the Galatians how solicitous was he! how afraid to lose his labour on them! I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain' so he expresseth himself, Gal. iv. 11; and, ver. 19, he utters himself yet more deeply, My little children (says he), of whom I again travail in birth, until Christ be formed in you.' He professeth himself content to be in travail again for them, rather than lose that about which he had been in travail for them once before.

Now from both these examples, whereof the one was Christ's type, and the other the very copy and pattern of Christ's heart, we may raise up our hearts to the persuasion of that love and affection which must needs be in the heart of Christ, from that which he hath done and suffered for us.

First, for Moses; did Moses ever do that for that people which Christ hath done and suffered for you? He acknowledged that he had 'not borne that people in his womb;' but Christ bare us all, and we were the travail of his soul,' and for us he endured the birth-throes of death (as Peter calls them, Acts ii. 24). And then for Paul, Was Paul crucified for you?' (says Paul likewise of himself). But Christ was, and he speaks it the more to enhance the love of Christ. Or if Paul had been crucified, would or could it have profited us? No. If therefore Paul was contented to have been in travail again for the Galatians, when he feared their falling away, then how doth Christ's heart work much more toward sinners! he having put in so infinite a stock of sufferings for us already, which he is loath to lose, and hath so much love to us besides, that if we could suppose that otherwise we could not be saved, he could be content to be in travail again, and to suffer for us afresh. But he needed to do this but once, as the apostle to the Hebrews speaks, so perfect was his priesthood. Be assured then, that his love was not spent or worn out at his death, but increased by it. His love it was that caused him to die, and to lay down his life for his sheep;' and 'greater love than this hath no man,' said himself before he did it. But now, having died, this must needs cause him from his soul to cleave the more unto them.

A cause or a person that a man hath suffered much for, according to the proportion of his sufferings, is one's love and zeal thereunto; for these do lay a strong engagement upon a man, because otherwise he loseth the thanks and the honour of all that is already done and passed by him. • Have you suffered so many things in vain ?' says the apostle to the Galatians, chap. iii. 4, where he makes a motive and an incitement of it, that seeing they had endured so much for Christ, and the profession of him, they would not now lose all for want of doing a little more. And doth not the same disposition remain in Christ? Especially seeing the hard work is over and despatched which he was to do on earth; and that which now remains for him to do in heaven is far more sweet and full of glory, and as the reaping in joy,' of what he had here 'sown in tears.' If his love was so great, as to hold out the enduring so much; then now. when that brunt is over, and his love is become a tried love, will it not continue? If when tried in adversity (and that is the surest and strongest

love), and the greatest adversity that ever was; if it then held, will it not still do so in his prosperity much more? Did his heart stick to us and by us in the greatest temptation that ever was; and will his glorious and prosperous estate take it off, or abate his love unto us? Certainly no. * Jesus the same to-day, yesterday, and for ever,' Heb. xiii. 8. When he was in the midst of his pains, one for whom he was then a-suffering, said unto him, 'Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom;' and could Christ mind him then? as you know he did, telling him, 'This day shalt thou be with me in paradise.' Then surely when Christ came to paradise he would do it much more; and remember him too, by the surest token that ever was, and which he can never forget, namely, the pains which he was then enduring for him. He remembers both them and us still, as the prophet speaks of God. And if he would have us remember his death till he comes,' so to cause our hearts to love him, then certainly himself doth it in heaven much more. No question but he remembers us, as he promised to do that good thief, now he is in his kingdom. And so much for this second engagement.

A third engagement is the engagement of an office which still lies upon him, and requires of him all mercifulness and graciousness towards sinners that do come unto him. And therefore whilst he continues in that place, and invested with that office, as he for ever doth, his heart must needs continue full of tenderness and bowels. Now that office is the office of his priesthood, which this text mentions as the foundation of our encouragement to come boldly to the throne of grace, for and grace seeing we have a great high priest entered into the heavens.' Two things I am to shew to make up this demonstration.

mercy,

First, that this office of high priesthood is an office erected wholly for the shewing of grace and mercy.

And secondly, that this office doth therefore lay upon Christ a duty to be in all his dispensations full of grace and mercy, and therefore his heart remains most certainly suited and framed thereunto.

Now this was
And therefore

For the first. The office of high priesthood is altogether an office of grace. And I may call it the pardon-office, set up and erected by God in heaven; and Christ he is appointed the lord and master of it. And as his kingly office is an office of power and dominion, and his prophetical office an office of knowledge and wisdom, so his priestly office is an office of grace and mercy. The high priest's office did properly deal in nothing else. If there had not been a mercy-seat in the holy of holies, the high priest had not at all been appointed to have gone into it. It was mercy, and reconciliation, and atonement for sinners that he was to treat about, and so to officiate for at the mercy-seat. He had had otherwise no work, nor anything to do when he should come into the most holy place. but a typical allusion unto this office of Christ's in heaven. the apostle (in the text), when he speaks of this our high priest's being entered into heaven, he makes mention of a throne of grace, and this in answer to that in the type both of the high priest of old, and of the mercyseat in the holy of holies. And further to confirm this, the apostle goes on to open that very type, and to apply it unto Christ, unto this very purpose which we have now in hand. And this in the very next words to my text, chapter v. 1st, 2d, and 3d verses; in which he gives a full description of a high priest, and all the properties and requisites that were to be in him, together with the eminent and principal end that that office was ordained for. Now the great and essential qualifications there specified,

that were to be in a high priest, are mercy and grace, and the ends for which he is there said to be ordained are works of mercy and grace. And besides what the words in their single standing do hold forth to this purpose, observe that they come in to back and confirm that exhortation in the text, wherein he had set forth Christ as an 'high priest touched with the feeling of infirmities:' and that therefore we should come with boldness for grace and mercy;' for every high priest (says he) taken from among men, is ordained for men in things pertaining to God: that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sin.' One who can have compassion,' &c. So that these words are a confirmation of what he had before said, and do set out Christ the substance, in his grace and mercifulness, under Aaron and his sons the shadows; and all this for the comfort of believers.

Now for the ends for which those high priests were appointed, they speak all nothing but grace and mercy unto sinners; it is said, he was one ordained for men, to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins.' There is both the finis cujus, the end for whom, and the finis cui, the end for which, he was ordained.

(1.) For whom. He was ordained for men, that is, for men's cause, and for their good. Had it not been for the salvation of men, God had never made Christ a priest. So that he is wholly to employ all his interest and power for them for whose cause he was ordained a priest, and that in all things that are between God and them. He is to transact τὰ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, all things that are to be done by us towards God, or for us with God, he is to take up all our quarrels with God, and to mediate a reconciliation between us and him. He is to procure us all favour from God, and to do all that which God would have done for our salvation. And that he might do this willingly, kindly, and naturally for us, as every high priest was taken from among men,' so was Christ, that he might be a priest of our own kind, and so be more kind unto us, than the nature of an angel could have been. And how much this conduceth to his being a merciful high priest, I shall shew anon.

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(2.) The end for which every high priest was ordained, shews this; he was to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins:' sacrifices for sins, to pacify God's wrath against sin, and gifts to procure his favour. You know the apostle, in the foregoing words, had mentioned grace and mercy, and encouraged us to come with boldness unto this high priest for both; and answerably to encourage us the more, he says, the high priest by his office was to offer for both gifts for to procure all grace, and sacrifices to procure all mercy for us, in respect of our sins. Thus you see the ends which he is ordained for are all matter of grace and mercy, and so of encouragement unto men for the obtaining of both, verse 1.

(3.) The qualification that was required in a high priest was, that he should be one that could have compassion,' &c., and this is set forth, verse 2. He that was high priest was not chosen into that office for his deep wisdom, great power, or exact holiness; but for the mercy and compassion that was in him. That is it which is here made the special, and therefore the only mentioned, property in a high priest as such; and the special essential qualification that was inwardly and internally to constitute him and fit him for that office: as God's appointment did outwardly and externally, as verse 4 hath it. And the word duvάuevos, that can' or 'is able,' imports an inward faculty, a spirit, a disposition, a heart that knows how to be compassionate. And it is the same word that the apostle had before used to express Christ's heart by, even in the words of the text,

duváμevov ovμτaloa, that is, 'who can be touched with the feeling of our infirmities.' And he had also used it of him afore that, in the point of mercy, chap. ii. 18, dúvarai, &c., he is able' to succour, &c., which is not meant of any external power (which we usually call ability), but of an internal touch in his will; he hath a heart able to forgive, and to afford help. Now, therefore, if this be so essential a property to a high priest as such, then it is in Christ most eminently. And as Christ had not been fit to have been God's king, if he had not had all power and strength in him, which is essential to constitute him a king, so not to have been God's high priest, if he had not had such an heart for mercifulness; yea, and no longer to have been a priest than he should continue to have such a heart. Even as that which internally qualifies a minister for the ministry is his gifts, which if he loseth, he is no longer to be in that office; or as reason makes a man a man, which if he loseth he becomes a beast; thus no longer should Christ continue to be a priest than he hath a heart that can have compassion,' as this second verse hath it. And the word which we translate to have compassion,' is exceeding emphatical, and the force of it observable; it is in the original μergioab, and signifies to have compassion according to every one's measure and proportion.' He had said of Christ in the words of my text, that he was touched with the feeling of our infirmities,' or that he had a suffering with us in all our evils;' and this word also here used imports a suffering.

But then, some greatly distressed souls might question thus: Though he pities me, and is affected, yet my misery and sins being great, will he take them in to the full, lay them to heart, to pity me according to the greatness of them? To meet with this thought therefore, and to prevent even this objection about Christ's pity, the apostle sets him out by what was the duty of the high priest, who was his shadow; that he is one that can have compassion according to the measure of every one's distress;' and one that considers every circumstance in it, and will accordingly afford his pity and help, and if it be great, he hath a great fellow-feeling of it, for he is a great high priest. Thy misery can never exceed his mercy. The word here used comes from μergov, a measure, and Tale, to suffer. And that it is the apostle's scope to hold this forth in this word, is evident by what follows, for he on purpose makes mention of those several degrees, proportions, and ranks of sinners under the old law, who were capable of mercy and compassion, who can have compassion' (says he) on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way.' In the old law you may read of several degrees and kinds of sinners, for which God appointed or measured out differing and proportionable sacrifices, Lev. iv. ver. 2 and 5, and another for sins against knowledge, or such as were wittingly committed, chap. vi. ver. 2, 3, compared with ver. 6. Now when any sinner came to the high priest to make atonement for him, the priest was wisely to consider the kind and proportion of his sin; as whether it were a sin of mere ignorance, or whether it were against knowledge; and accordingly he was to proportion a sacrifice, and to mediate for him. And so he did μετριοπαθείν, ' pity him according to measure,' or according to reason or discretion, as in the margin it is varied. And therefore the apostle here mentions both the ignorant, that is, those that sin out of mere ignorance, and them that are gone out of the way, namely, by wilful and witting iniquity. And so by this property that was to be in the high priest, doth he here set forth Christ. As the measure of any man's need and distress is from sin and misery, accordingly is he affected towards him. And as we have sins of several

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sizes, accordingly hath he mercies, and puts forth a mediation proportionable; whether they be ignorances, or sins of daily incursion, or else sins more gross and presumptuous. And therefore let neither of them discourage any from coming unto Christ for grace and mercy.

So that (for the closure of this) here is both the qualification disposing him for this office, merciful compassionateness; and here are the ends of this office, even to deal mercifully with all sorts of sinners, according to the proportion and measure of their sins and miseries. From each of which do arise these corollaries, which make up the demonstration in hand, as the conclusion: 1. That he is no longer fit for this place, than he continues to be of a gracious disposition, and one that can have compassion. 2. That he can no longer be faithful in the discharge of this office, according to the ends for which it was appointed, than he shews all grace and mercy unto them that come unto his throne of grace for it.

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And that is the second thing which I at first propounded: that this office did lay a duty upon him to have compassion; and it necessarily follows from the former. And answerably to confirm this, we have both these two brought to our hands in one place together, and which is a parallel place to this last interpreted. It is Heb. ii. 17, That he might be a merciful and a faithful high priest,' &c. He is at once here said to be both merciful and faithful; and both are attributed to him, in respect of this high priest's office, faithful high priest;' and that, as it is to be executed in heaven, after the days of his flesh ended. For the apostle giving the reason of it, and shewing what it is that fits him to be such a high priest, adds, ver. 28, in that himself hath suffered;' so that it relates to the time after his sufferings ended. Now in that he is said to be merciful, this relates to that internal disposition of his heart, before spoken of, qualifying him for this office; and in that he is said to be faithful, that respects his execution of it; he is faithful in the discharge of the duty which that place lays on him.

So then this goes further than the former, for it shews, that to exercise mercy is the duty of his place, and that, if he will be faithful, he must be merciful. For faithfulness in any office, imports an exact performance of something appointed by him, who designs one to that office, and that as a duty; and that this is a true description of faithfulness, and also that this faithfulness so described is in Christ, we have at once implied, in that which immediately follows in the beginning of the 3d chap. ver. 3, 'Who was' (says the apostle, going on to speak of Christ) faithful to him that appointed him, as Moses also was faithful in all his house;' we have the same thing as expressly spoken in that fore-quoted place, Heb. v., in the next words to those we even now opened, ver. 3, And by reason hereof he ought to offer for sins.' He speaks it of Christ's type, the high priest (as the former also he had done), but thereby to shew that it is Christ's duty also to mediate for all that come to him, 'He ought to do it.' Now then to enforce this consideration, for the help of our faith herein. If this office doth by God's appointment thus bind him to it, and if it be the duty of his place, then certainly he will perform it most exactly, for else he doth not do his duty. And our comfort may be, that his faithfulness lies in being merciful; therefore, you see, they are both here joined together. Every one is to do the proper duty of his place, and exactly to see to that. And therefore the apostle, Rom. xii., exhorting to the discharge of the duties of each office in the church, ver. 7, he says, 'Let him that hath a ministry,' committed to him, wait on his ministry;' and, among others, if his place of ministration be to shew mercy,' as ver. 8 (which was an office in the