duced and turned from the straight paths of holy obedience, and have wandered in some crooked paths of their own.

§4. (III.) The special reason of the qualifications is,-"for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity." (Exe, quoniam) seeing it is so, (na avlos) "that even he himself; his own state and condition will mind him of his duty in this matter (περικείται ασθένειαν) is compassed with infirmity: this is more than if he had said that he was (aabens) weak and infirm. He is beset, and "compassed about on every hand with infirmity." Nothing hinders but that we may take the word here in its most comprehensive signification, for infirmities of all sorts, natural, moral, and occasional. For the first sort do naturally attend the condition of human nature, and therefore are inseparable from him that would discharge aright the office of a priest. And the following verse affirming, that "for this cause," it was necessary for him to "offer a sacrifice for himself," declares directly, that his moral or simple infirmities are included. The high priest himself was subject to sin as the rest of the people. Whence there were pe culiar sacrifices appointed for the anointed priest.to offer for himself and his own sin. And for the last, or infirmities in bodily distempers, sickness, and death, it is a necessary consequent of the former. Wherefore, as these words respect them that go before, or yield a reason why the high priest is such a one as can have compassion on the ignorant, they express the infirmity of nature, which inclined him thereunto from a sense of his own weakness and sufferings. As they respect what ensues, ver. 3, they intend his moral or simple infirmities, with their consequences, from whence it was necessary that he should offer sacrifice for himself. And in the latter sense, the things intended be

long intirely to the real High Priest; that natural infirmity whereof our Lord Christ had full experience, is every way sufficient to answer the ends of the priestly office. And this alone was that which qualified the legal high priest with due compassion; for his moral infirmity was of no advantage to him, so as to help his compassion towards the people, which was, as all other graces, weakened thereby: it is therefore mentioned by the apostle only, as a reason why he was appointed to offer sacrifice for himself, which Christ was not to do. Now Christ being absolutely free from this kind of infirmity, yet made sensible of one by the other, doth in a most perfect manner perform all that is needful to be done on our behalf.

§5. (IV.) Obs. 1. "Compassion," and meek forbearance in those from whom we expect help and relief, is a great motive and encouragement to faith, affiance, and expectation of those favors. No man will expect any good or kindness from one whom he looks upon as severe, incompassionate, and ready to lay hold on occasions of wrathful anger. Wherefore God himself doth not more properly, or in a more engaging manner, set forth any property of his nature, than he doth his compassion, long suffering, and forbearance towards sinners. And as he proposeth them to us for our encouragement, so he declares his approbation of our faith in them. "He delighteth in them that hope in his mercy," Psal. xxxiii, 18. Wherefore the great recompense that God gives to sinners from first to last, is from his compassion and forbearance. And for our Lord Jesus Christ, as mediator, we have evinced, that all things were so ordered with respect to him, that he might be filled with tender compassion and forbearance towards sinners, which we greatly stand in need of, and which is the greatest encourage

ment of which we are made partakers. Considered either as to our sins or sufferings, we cannot maintain a life of faith without a due apprehension of it.

§6. Obs. 2. Wherefore the life of our souls is principally maintained upon this "compassion" of our High Priest: being able to bear with us in our provocations, and to pity us in our weakness and distresses. To this purpose is the promise concerning him, Isa. xl, 11. What believer is there that doth not constantly admire how the Lord Jesus Christ hath patiently borne with him in the frequency of his daily failings? There is not a day wherein we make good the engagements of our own hearts. And that we are yet accepted with him, is wholly owing to his being able to bear with us in all patience and gracious moderation.

$7. Obs. 3. Though every sin hath in it the whole nature of sin, rendering the sinner obnoxious to the curse of the law, yet there are several degrees of sin, some being accompanied with a greater guilt than others. The papists have a distinction of sins into mortal and venial, which is the foundation of one moiety of their superstition. The former, they say, are such as in their own nature deserve death eternal, so that there is no deliverance from the guilt of them without actual contrition and repentance: but the latter are slight and small sins, such as are easily expiated by an observance of some outward rites of the church, at least they endanger no man's eternal salvation, whether repented of or not. The worst is but a turn in purgatory, or the expense of a pardon. Because this distinction is rejected by Protestants, they accuse them for teaching that all sins are equal. But this they do unjustly; for we maintain that there is a distinction of sins with respect to the persons that commit them.

But whence is this difference? Is it that the sin is less in believers than in other men? or is it because God is less displeased with sin in them than the unbelieving? Nay, God is equally displeased with equal sins in whomsoever found; and if there be any difference, he is more displeased with sin in believers than in any others; but the difference ariseth merely from the event. Regenerate persons will, through grace, certainly use the means of grace and repentance for the obtaining of pardon, which the other will not; and if they also are assisted so to do, even they in like manner shall obtain forgiveness. No man therefore can take any true relief against the guilt of sin from his state and condition; which may be an aggravation, but can be no alleviation of it. Again, there are degrees of sin amongst the unregenerate, who live in a course of sin all their days. And sometimes here, but certainly hereafter, God deals with them not only according to their state of sin, and their course of sin, but according to the degrees and aggravations of sin in great variety. All do not sin equally, nor shall all be equally punished.

$8. Obs. 4. Our "ignorance" is both our calamity, our sin, and an occasion of many sins to us. Having declared that the high priest was first to offer sacrifices for the sins of men, and then that he was to be compassionate towards them, both in their sins and sorrows; the first instance which the apostle gives of those who are concerned herein, is of "them that are ignorant." How small a portion is it that we know of God! We cannot by searching find out the Almighty to perfection, such knowledge is too wonderful for us. If we know him so as to believe, fear, and obey him, it is all that is promised us in this life. Wherefore let the best of us take care that we be not

puffed up with a vain conceit of our knowledge. Alas! how many things are to be known in God, that we have no knowledge of; and nothing do we know as we ought, or as it shall be known. Let us endeavor, therefore, in the constant use of all means, to grow in the knowledge of God, and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; and the more we learn, the more we shall see is to be learned. Let us long for the time, or rather that eternity, when all these shades shall fly away; all darkness be removed from our minds, and all intercepting veils from about the Divine Being and glory; when we shall see him as he is, with open face, and know as we are known, which is the eternal life and blessedness of our souls. But while we are on earth, who is not sensible of the inconveniences and perplexities that he is continually cast into by the remains of darkness and ignorance? who is not sensible how much his love and obedience are weakened by them? Herein then our merciful High Priest exerciseth "compassion" towards us, and leads us on, if we are not slothfully wanting to ourselves, with fresh discoveries of divine light and truth, which—although they are not absolutely satisfactory to the soul, nor do utterly take away its thirst after the all-fulness of the eternal fountain of them; yet-hold our souls in life, relieve us from frequent surprisals, and constantly increase our knowledge to the perfect day.

$9. We shall conclude with the following additional observations.

1. Sin is a wandering from the way; see chap. iii, 10.

2. No sort of sinners are excluded from an interest in the care and love of our compassionate High Priest, but only those who exclude themselves by their unbelief.