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of afflictions that his faints meet withal here below. He doth not deal with believers as the Samaritans with the Jews; that fawned on them in their profperity, but difpifed them in their trouble. He is as a tender father, who though perhaps he love all his children alike, yet he will take most pains with, and give most of his prefence unto one that is fick and weak, though therein and thereby, he may be made moft froward, and as it fhould feem hardest to be borne with. And which is more than the pity of any father can extend to, he him felf fuffers with them, and takes fhare in all their troubles.

Now all the fufferings of the faints in this world, wherein their head and husband exerciseth pity, tendernefs, care, and compaffion towards them are of two forts, or may be referred to two heads. 1. Temptations. 2. Afflictions,

1. Temptations, (under which head, I comprize fin alfo, whereto they tend) as in, from, and by their own infirmities, as alfo from their adverfaries without. The frame of the heart of Chrift, and his deportment towards them in this condition you have, Heb. iv. 15. We have not an high priest which cannot be touched with our infirmities. We have not fuch an one, as cannot. The two negations do vehemently affirm, that we have fuch an highprieft as can be, or is touched; the word, touched, comes exceedingly fhort of expreffing the original word; it is oumtathoas to fuffer together. We have faith the apoftle fuch an high Prieft as can, and confequently doth fuffer with us, endure our infirmities. And in what refpect he fuffers with us, in regard of our infirmities, or hath a fellow-feeling with us in them, he declares in the next words, for

he was tempted like unto us, ver. 16. It is as our infirmities, our temptations, fpiritual weaknefs; therein, in particular hath he a compaffionate fympathy and fellow-feeling with us. Whatever be our in

firmities fo far as they are our temptations, he doth fuffer with us, under them and compaffionates us. Hence at the last day he faith I was hungry, &c. There are two ways of expreffing a fellow-feeling and fuffering with another.

ing.

1. Per benevolam condolentiam; a friendly griev

2.

Pergratiofemopitulationem; a gracious fupply: both are eminent in Chrift.

1. He grieves and labours with us, Zech. i. 12. The angel of the Lord anfwered and faid, Oh 'Lord of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerufalem. He speaks as one intimately affected with the state and condition of poor Jerufalem, and therefore he hath bid all the world take notice, that what is done to them is done to him, chap. ii. 8, 9. Yea to the apple of his eye.

2. In the fecond he abounds, Ifa. xl. 11. He fhall feed his flock like a fhepherd, he fhall ga⚫ther the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his ⚫ bofom, and gently lead them that are with young.? yea we have both here together, tender compaflionatenefs, and affiftance. The whole frame wherein he is here described, is a frame of the greatest tendernefs, compaffion, condefcenfion that can be imagined. His people are fet forth under many infirinities; fome are lambs, fome great with young; some very tender, fome burdened with temptations, nothing in any of them all strong or comely. To them all Chrift is a fhepherd, that feeds his own fheep, and drives them out to pleasant pasture; where

where if he fees a poor weak lamb doth not thrust it on, but takes him into his bofom, where he both eafeth and refresheth him. He leads them gently and tenderly. As did Jacob them that were burdened with young fo doth our dear Lord Jefus with his flock in the feveral ways and paths wherein he leads them. When he fees a poor foul weak, tender, halting, ready to fink and perish, he takes him into his arms by fome gracious promife adminiftred to him, carries him, bears him up when he is not able to go one step forward. Hence is his great quarrel with those fhepherds, Ezek. xxxiv. 4. Wo be to "you fhepherds, the diseased have ye not strengthned, neither have ye healed that was fick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven a"way, neither have ye sought that which was lost.” This is that which our careful, tender husband would have done.

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So mention being made of his compaffionatenefs and fellow fuffering with us; Heb. iv. 15. it is added ver. 16. that he adminifters, feasonable grace,, grace for help in a time of need. This is an evidence of compaffion when like the Samaritan we afford feafonable help. To lament our troubles, or miferies without affording help, is to no purpose. Now this Chrift doth, he gives feasonable help. Help being a thing that regards want, is always excellent: but its coming in feafon, puts a crown upon it. A pardon to a malefactor when he is ready to be executed, is fweet and welcome.. Such is the affiftance given by Chrift. All his faints may take this as a fure rule, both in their temptations and afflictions; when they can want them, they fhall not T3

want

want relief; and when they can bear no longer, they fhall be relieved, 1 Cor. x. 13.

So it is faid emphatically of him; Heb. ii. 18. In that he himself hath fuffered, being tempted, he is able to fuccour them that are tempted. It is true, there is fomething in all our temptations more than was in the temptation of Christ. There is fomething in ourfelves to take part with every temptation; and there is enough in ourselves to tempt us, though nothing else should appear against us. With Chrift it was not fo, John xiv. 30, but this is fo far from taking off his compaffion towards us, that on all accounts whatever it doth increafe.it; for if he will give us fuccour because we are tempted, the forer our temptations are, the more ready will he be to fuccour us. Take fome inftances, of Chrift's giving feafonable help in, and under temptations. unto fin; now this he doth feveral ways.

1. By keeping the foul, which is liable to temptation and expofed to it, in a ftrong habitual bent, against that fin that he is obnoxious to the affaults of. So it was in the cafe of Jofeph: Chrift knew that Jofeph's great trial, and that whereon if he had been conquered he had been undone, would lye upon the hand of his mistress tempting him to lewdnefs; whereupon he kept his heart in a steady frame against that fin: as his anfwer without the leaft deliberation; argues, Gen. xxxix. 9. In other things wherein he was not fo deeply concerned, Jofeph's heart was not fo fortified by habitual grace; as it appears by his fwearing by the life of Pharaoh. This is one way whereby Chrift gives fuitable help to his, in tendernefs and compaffion. The faints in the course of their lives, by the company, fociety, business they are caft upon, are liable and expofed

posed to temptations, great and violent; fome in one kind some in another. Herein is Chrift exceedingly kind and tender to them in fortifying their hearts with abundance of grace, as to that fin, unto temptations whereunto they are moft expofed; when perhaps in other things they are very weak and are often furprized.

2. Chrift fometimes, by fome ftrong impulfe of actual grace recovers the foul from the very borders of fin. So it was in the cafe of David, 1 Sam. xxiv. 4, 5, 6. He was almost gone as he fpeaks himself, his feet had well nigh flipt. The temptation was, at the door of prevalency when a mighty impulfe of grace recovers him. To fhew his faints what they are, their own weakness and infirmity, he fometimes fuffers them to go to the very edge and brow of the hill, and then caufeth them to hear a word behind them faying this is the right way walk in it, and that with power and efficacy, and fo recovers them to himself.

3. By taking away the temptation itfelf, when it grows fo ftrong and violent that the poor foul knows not what to do. This is called delivering the godly out of temptation, 2 Pet. H. 9. As a man is pluckt out of the fnare, and the fnare left behind to hold another. This have I known to be the cafe of many in fundry perplexing temptations. When they have been quite weary, have tried all means of help and affiftance, and have not been able to come to a comfortable iffue, on a fudden, unexpectedly the Lord Chrift in his tenderness and compaffion, rebukes Satan, that they hear not one word more of him as to their temptation. Chrift comes in, in the ftorm and faith peace, be still.

4. By giving in fresh fupplies of grace, accord

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