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  THE HEART OF CHRIST (MODERNIZED)
  by Thomas Goodwin
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Goodwin reveals the heart of Christ as He now resides in heaven at God's right
hand, showing how His compassion and tenderness toward sinners remains unchanged
from His earthly ministry. The work aims to embolden believers to approach the
throne of grace confidently, knowing their exalted High Priest still intercedes
with the same merciful heart.

  Chapters: 8

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  TABLE OF CONTENTS
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    1. 0.1. The Heart of Christ
    2. 0.3. Introduction
    3. 1. Demonstrations from Christ's Last Farewell to His Disciples
    4. 2. Demonstrations from Passages and Expressions after His Resurrection
    5. 3. Demonstrations from Passages at and after His Ascension into Heaven.
    6. 4. Part II: The Evil of Affliction and the Evil of Sin
    7. 5. A Second Sort of Demonstration of Christ's Heart Toward Sinners
    8. 6. Christ's Heart is Touched with the Feeling, of our Infirmities

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  CHAPTER 1: 0.1. THE HEART OF CHRIST
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The Heart of Christ in Heaven Towards Sinners on Earth by Thomas Goodwin The
gracious disposition and tender affection of Christ in his human nature now in
glory, unto his members under all sorts of infirmities, either of sin or misery.

Updated to Modern English The text of this module was taken from a PDF created
by Monergism ©For more free books like this, and other theological literature,
please visitwww.monergism.com


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  CHAPTER 2: 0.3. INTRODUCTION
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Introduction

After describing the remarkable and profound actions of our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ—his obedience leading to death, resurrection, ascension to heaven,
seating at God’s right hand, and intercession for us, which have been thoroughly
discussed—I will now present this subsequent discourse. It pertains to the heart
of Christ as he presently resides in heaven, seated at God’s right hand and
interceding for us. It reveals how his heart is affected and filled with
gracious disposition towards sinners on earth who approach him: how willing he
is to receive them, how prepared he is to welcome them, and how tenderly he
pities them in all their weaknesses, be it their sins or their misfortunes. The
purpose and benefit of this discourse are to embolden and encourage believers to
approach the throne of grace more confidently, seeking the aid of such a
compassionate Saviour and High Priest. By understanding how sweetly and tenderly
his heart inclines towards them, even in his glorious state, they can overcome
the significant obstacle that remains unseen but impedes their path to faith. It
is the notion that, since Christ is now absent and exalted to a position of
immense glory, seated at God’s right hand, they are unsure of how to approach
him freely and with hopeful expectation to secure their salvation, as those
unfortunate sinners who were once physically present with him on Earth.

If only we had the opportunity, they think, to converse with him during his
earthly days, just like Mary, Peter, and his other disciples did, we would have
felt confident in approaching him and receiving anything from him. After all,
they witnessed him as a man, much like themselves, who possessed meekness and
gentleness. At that time, he took on the burden of sin and experienced various
forms of suffering. But now, he has ascended to a distant realm, adorned with
glory and immortality, and we are uncertain how this transformation might have
affected his heart. The aim of this discourse is therefore to assure humble
souls that his heart, in terms of compassion and mercy, remains unchanged from
his time on earth. He continues to intercede with the same compassionate heart
as he did before, displaying the same meekness, gentleness, and willingness to
be entreated, and showing tenderness in his innermost being. Consequently, they
can approach him with fairness regarding their salvation, with hope and on terms
as accessible as if they had been present with him on earth, maintaining a close
familiarity with him in all their needs. This knowledge brings immense comfort
and encouragement to those who have relinquished all other pursuits in favor of
a life of faith and whose souls yearn for a deep and intimate communion with
their Saviour, Christ.

Now I will present two types of demonstrations that can aid our faith in this
matter: the first being more external and outward, and the second more internal
and inward. The former demonstrates that it is indeed true, while the latter
delves into the reasons and justifications for its truth.

I. First, let us explore these external demonstrations. They are derived from
various instances and actions of Jesus during his different phases: his farewell
before his death, his resurrection, ascension, and his current position at God’s
right hand. I will guide you through the same topics discussed in the previous
treatise, albeit with a different purpose. I will extract observations from his
words and actions during those significant periods that directly persuade us of
the matter at hand—namely, that now, in heaven, his heart remains as graciously
disposed towards sinners who approach him as it was when he walked the earth. To
establish a foundation or introduction for these initial demonstrations, I will
cite the following scripture. As for the latter demonstrations, I will employ
another scripture more suitable for that portion of this discourse.

"When Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world to the Father,
having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end." (John
13:1)


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  CHAPTER 3: 1. DEMONSTRATIONS FROM CHRIST'S LAST FAREWELL TO HIS DISCIPLES
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Demonstrations from Christ’s Last Farewell to His Disciples

I. It was a considerable time before Christ revealed to his disciples that he
would be leaving them and ascending to heaven, for in John 16:4, he mentions
that he had refrained from telling them "from the beginning." However, when he
finally begins to disclose this information, he shares an abundance of his heart
with them all at once. He not only expresses his current feelings towards them,
but also reveals how his heart will be towards them when he is in his glorious
state. To understand this, let us briefly examine his final actions and the
sermon he delivered during the last supper, as documented and recounted by the
evangelist John. We will find that the purpose behind Christ’s extensive
discourses, spanning from John chapters 13 to 18, revolves around this very
matter. Rather than providing a commentary on these passages, I will simply
highlight concise observations that particularly emphasize this theme. The words
I have selected as the text serve as the introduction to all the subsequent
discourse that follows, including the account of Jesus washing his disciples’
feet and his subsequent sermon. This introduction sets the stage and provides a
summary of the entire discourse. The preface states: "Before the feast of the
Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world to
the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the
end. And when supper was ended, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all
things into his hands and that he had come from God and was going to God, rose
from supper and washed his disciples’ feet." This preface was intentionally
included by the evangelist to offer a glimpse into the heart of Christ,
revealing its state at the time of his departure. It sheds light on the
subsequent events and provides an interpretation for them. Its purpose is to
demonstrate the affection he would have for them in heaven. By sharing Christ’s
thoughts and unveiling the condition of his heart during that time, this preface
sets the stage for everything that follows.

(1.) He begins by describing what was in Christ’s thoughts and reflections.
Jesus deeply contemplated the fact that he was soon to depart from this world.
The text states, "Jesus knew" (indicating his active contemplation), "that he
should depart unto the Father." He also pondered the imminent installation into
the glory that rightfully belonged to him. As it continues in John 13:3, "Jesus,
knowing" (meaning he was actively considering), "that the Father had given all
things into his hands," signifying that he would possess all authority in heaven
and earth as soon as he set foot in heaven. Amidst these thoughts, he tells us
that he proceeded to wash his disciples’ feet, having first contemplated his
destination and his future role.

(2.) Secondly, amidst all these elevated thoughts, what was Christ’s primary
concern? It was not solely focused on his own glory, although it is mentioned
that he considered it to magnify his love for us. His heart was primarily
directed towards "his own." John 13:1 states, "having loved his own," using a
term that signifies the closest proximity, endearment, and intimacy based on
ownership. The elect are Christ’s own, an integral part of himself, not merely
as possessions, as seen in John 1:11 : "He came to his own, and his own people
did not receive him." The word used here indicates that he considers them his
own, not as objects, but as individuals. In this context, he refers to them as
his own in a deeper sense: his own children, his own members, his own spouse,
his own flesh. He recognises that while he was to depart from the world, they
would remain in it. Hence, it is explicitly added, "which were in the world,"
signifying their continued presence in this world. He also had others who were
his own in the world to which he was going, namely, "the spirits of the
righteous made perfect" (Heb 12:23), whom he had not yet seen. One might assume
that when he was contemplating his departure from this world, his thoughts would
revolve around Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, whom he was going to join. However,
his care extended even further to his own who were to remain in this world, a
world filled with much evil (as he himself acknowledges in John 17:15),
encompassing both sin and suffering, which would inevitably defile and afflict
them. Despite his heart being consumed with thoughts of his own glory, he
extends his compassion towards them. It is said, "having loved his own, he loved
them to the end," indicating the constancy of his love and what it will be when
Christ is in his glory. "To the end" conveys the idea of its perfection,
according to Chrysostom. Having commenced his love for them, he will bring it to
its fullness and completion. And "to the end" also signifies forever. In Greek,
the phrase is sometimes used in this sense, and the evangelist employs it here
in alignment with the scripture in Psa 103:9, where it states, "He will not
always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever," as translated. However, in
the original text, it says, "He will not keep his anger to the end." Therefore,
the purpose of this statement is to demonstrate that Christ’s heart and love
towards them will endure forever, even when he has departed to his Father, just
as it had been during his earthly presence, because they are his own. Having
loved them, he does not change or alter, and thus his love for them will be
everlasting.

(3.) And thirdly, to provide a tangible testimony regarding his love for them in
heaven, the evangelist illustrates that amidst his profound contemplation of
approaching glory and the supreme position he would hold, Jesus took water and a
towel and washed his disciples’ feet. This intention becomes apparent when we
observe the connection in the second verse: it is stated that "Jesus knowing
that the Father had given all things into his hands," then (John 13:4) "he rose
from supper, laid aside his garments, and took a towel and tied it around his
waist." (John 13:5) After that, "he poured water into a basin and began to wash
his disciples’ feet." It is evident that the evangelist’s purpose is to
highlight that when Christ’s thoughts were consumed by his glory and he
considered it to the utmost, even then, and on that occasion, amidst those
thoughts, he humbly washed his disciples’ feet. The significance of Christ’s act
was to demonstrate that while in heaven, he would be unable to perform such
visible outward displays of his heart by engaging in humble acts of service.
Thus, by undertaking this act while contemplating his glory, he indicated what
he would willingly do for them when he fully possessed that glory. Such is the
magnitude of his love for them. A similar expression by Christ can be found in
Luk 12:36-37, further affirming his intention here and reflecting his true heart
in heaven. In Luk 12:36, he compares himself to a bridegroom who is preparing to
ascend to heaven for a wedding feast, while his servants remain on earth,
eagerly waiting for his return. Understanding that they may grow weary from the
wait, Christ adds, "Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and
have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them." This does not
imply that Christ currently serves those who are seated with him or will serve
them in the future, but rather, it is an expression of overwhelming love and the
surpassing joy that awaits us—an experience beyond our expectations. It is an
extraordinary description to convey that the Lord would serve his servants and
attend to those who eagerly anticipate him. This serves to reveal his heart and
what he is willing to do for them. Therefore, you can observe what his heart was
before his ascension to heaven, even amidst contemplations of his glory.
Furthermore, you can see what it is after he has entered heaven, having been
exalted with all his glory—still willingly washing the feet of poor sinners and
serving those who come to him and eagerly await his presence.

(4.) Now, fourthly, what was the significance of his act of washing their feet?
It served as an example of mutual love and humility, while also symbolising the
cleansing of their sins. This interpretation is given by Jesus himself in John
13:8; John 13:10. It is true that now, in heaven, he cannot physically wash
their feet, but he conveys the message that those sinners who come to him in his
glory will have their sins washed away. As stated in Eph 5:25-27, "He loved the
church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed
her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church
to himself in splendour, without spot or wrinkle." This act serves as a
representation and declaration of his intentions. We can glean the main purpose
from his actions during this farewell event. Let us now examine the overarching
theme of his lengthy sermon delivered on that occasion. We will discover that
its primary aim is to further assure his disciples of what his heart will be
towards them. This understanding provides another demonstration.

It is not necessary to delve into every detail, but it is undeniable that
Christ’s efforts to reassure the hearts of his disciples, as well as all
believers, exceed the efforts of any loving husband trying to comfort his spouse
during his absence. It is essential to remember that whatever Christ said to his
disciples applies to us as well, as implied in John 17:20 : "I do not ask for
these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word." Just
as his prayer was for all believers, his words were also intended for them.

(1.) Firstly, he reveals to them what his attitude will be towards them and how
he will be mindful of them in heaven through the task he declares he is going
there to fulfill for their sake. Regarding this, note first that he lovingly
informs them in advance, demonstrating care and tenderness, akin to a husband to
his wife. Moreover, he speaks with utmost transparency, ensuring that nothing is
hidden from them. "I tell you the truth," he says, "it is to your advantage that
I go away" (John 16:7). Secondly, he tells them that his departure is entirely
for their benefit and happiness. "I go to send you a Comforter," he assures
them, for the time when they are in this world, and "to prepare a place for you"
(John 14:2), for when they depart from this world. "In my Father’s house are
many mansions," he explains, "and I go to prepare a place for you," assuring
that he will secure and keep their places until they arrive. Once again, he
communicates with openness and candour. "If it were not so," he declares, "I
would have told you." They can trust him; he would not deceive them, even for
all the glory in the place he is going to. Who could resist such sincerity and
vulnerability of heart? Thirdly, the significance of the task itself, which is
so greatly beneficial for us and our happiness, further reinforces the
assurance. In fact, Christ himself draws from it an argument for the continuance
of his love for them. As stated in John 14:3, "If I go and prepare a place for
you," indicating that if that is his mission, they need not doubt his love when
he is there, for all the glory of the place will never cause him to forget his
purpose. While on earth, he did not forget any of the reasons for which he came
into the world. "Should I not be about my Father’s business?" he declared even
as a child (Luk 2:49), and indeed, he fulfilled it to the utmost by fulfilling
all righteousness. Surely, he will not forget any of the tasks assigned to him
in heaven, which are even more delightful. As explained in the previous
discourse from Heb 6:20, he has entered as a forerunner, a harbinger, to secure
places for us there. And even if he could forget us, our names are all inscribed
in heaven around him, continually before his eyes, not only through God’s
election (as stated in Heb 12:22-24, "You have come to Mount Zion and to the
city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in
festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in
heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made
perfect"), but Christ himself marks them afresh with his blood over each mansion
he secures. Yes, he carries their names written in his heart, just as the high
priest carried the names of the twelve tribes on his breast when entering the
Holy of Holies. He sits in heaven to ensure that no one else occupies their
places above them, so to speak. Thus, in 1Pe 1:4, salvation is said to be "kept
in heaven for you," specifically reserved for them by Jesus Christ. Once, the
fallen angels held positions there, but they were replaced by others, just as
the land of Canaan was taken from the Canaanites. The reason for this is that
they lacked a Christ to intercede for them, unlike us.

(2.) Secondly, to demonstrate his attentiveness to them and all other believers
when he is in his glory, he informs them that once he has completed the
necessary preparations in heaven for them and the entire elect who are to come,
he intends to return to them himself. As stated in John 14:3, "If I go and
prepare a place for you, I will come again." This is a pure expression of love,
as he could have chosen to send for them instead. However, he desires to
personally come for them, even when he is at the pinnacle of his glory in
heaven. He will temporarily leave the splendour to return to his beloved. And
for what purpose? [1.] To see her: "I will see you again, and your heart will
rejoice." [2.] To fetch her, as mentioned in John 14:3 : "I will come again and
receive you to myself." He conforms to the customs of bridegrooms, for despite
his greatness, no lover can surpass him in displaying true love. It is customary
for bridegrooms, after preparing everything in their father’s house, to
personally come and fetch their brides, rather than sending others, as it is a
time for love. Love descends better than it ascends, and so does the love of
Christ, who is, indeed, love itself. Therefore, he descends to us himself. "I
will come again and receive you to myself," says Christ, "so that where I am,
you may be also." The latter part of his statement provides the reason and
reveals his complete affection. It is as if he were saying, "The truth is, I
cannot live without you. I will never be at peace until I have you with me, so
that we may never part again. That is the reason. Heaven and my Father’s company
cannot contain me if I do not have you with me. My heart is so devoted to you,
and if I possess any glory, you will share in it." As stated in John 14:19,
"Because I live, you also will live." It is a reason and also a solemn
affirmation. "As I live" is an oath of God, and "Because I live," declares
Christ. He stakes his life on it and desires to live on no other terms. "He
shall see his offspring" (Isa 53:10). Furthermore, to express the yearnings and
longings of his heart for them during that time, he assures them that it will
not be long before he returns to them. As stated in John 16:16, "A little while,
and you will not see me; and again, a little while, and you will see me." The
"not seeing him" does not refer to the short period of absence during his death
and burial, but rather to the time after his final ascension, forty days after
his resurrection, when he would no longer be visible on earth until the day of
judgment. Yet, he says, "A little while, and you will see me again,"
specifically at the day of judgment. In Heb 10:37, it is written, "Yet a little
while, and the coming one will come and will not delay." "As little as little
may be." Although it may seem long in itself, it is as brief as possible in
terms of his desire, with no delay in coming. He will not remain a moment longer
than necessary; he waits only until he has completed all our tasks in heaven
through his intercession. The doubling of the phrase "Coming he will come"
indicates his intense desire to come and that his mind is constantly focused on
it. He is always coming and can hardly be kept away. This Hebrew phrase also
signifies urgency, intensity, and determination in an action, such as "I have
earnestly waited," "I have fervently desired." Similarly, "coming he will come."
And not content with these expressions of longing, he adds, "and will not
delay," all to signify the infinite ardour of his heart towards his chosen ones
below and his desire to have all his elect in heaven with him. He will not tarry
a minute longer than necessary; he waits only until, through his intercession
throughout all ages, he has prepared a place for each saint, so that he may host
them all together and have them all around him.

(3.) Thirdly, he expresses his affection towards them during his absence through
the careful provision he makes and the arrangements he puts in place for their
comfort. In John 14:18, he says, "I will not leave you as orphans" (that’s what
the word means). I will not abandon you like fatherless and friendless children,
left in a state of confusion. My Father and I have only one true friend, who
resides in the embrace of both of us and proceeds from both of us—the Holy
Spirit. In the meantime, I will send him to you, just as a loving husband would
entrust his wife to his dearest friend during his absence. That’s what Christ
does. In John 14:16, he says, "I will pray the Father, and he will give you
another Comforter." And in John 16:7, he says, "I will send him to you." This
Comforter:

Firstly, will be a better source of comfort to you than I can be in this
particular form of dispensation that binds me to you while I am on earth. As he
intimates in John 16:7, "It is advantageous," he says, "for me to go away; for
if I do not go away, the Comforter will not come." The Comforter, by virtue of
his role, will comfort you more effectively than I could with my physical
presence. And this Spirit, as the apostle describes, is both the "earnest of
heaven" and the greatest sign and pledge of Christ’s love ever given, a gift
that "the world cannot receive." Yet,

Secondly, all the comfort he provides during that time will come from the
expression of my heart towards you. Just as he does not come of his own accord
but is sent by me, as stated in John 16:7, "He will not speak on his own
authority, but whatever he hears he will speak," as mentioned in John 16:13. And
in John 16:14, he says, "He will take what is mine and declare it to you." I
will purposefully send him to take my place and fulfill my role to you, my
bride, my spouse, and he will reveal to you, if you are willing to listen and
not grieve him, nothing but stories of my love. As it is said, "He will glorify
me," specifically to you, because I am already glorified in heaven. All his
words in your hearts will serve to exalt me and enhance my worth and love for
you, and he will delight in doing so. He can come from heaven in an instant
whenever he pleases, bringing you fresh news of my thoughts and sharing with you
the very ideas I have of you at that very moment. He tells you what they are
while I am still contemplating them.’ That’s why in 1Co 2:12, it is said that by
"having the Spirit," we "have the mind of Christ" (1Co 2:16), for he dwells in
the heart of Christ and also in ours, conveying to us what Christ’s thoughts are
and presenting our prayers and faith to Christ.

’So you will have my heart assuredly and swiftly, as if I were physically
present with you. The Spirit will continually stir your hearts, either with my
love for you, your love for me, or both. If either is present, you can be
certain of my love. And although you currently have the Spirit dwelling in your
hearts,’ as stated in John 14:17, ’after my ascension, he will dwell in you to
an even greater extent,’ as mentioned in the following verses. On that day, as
mentioned in John 14:20, ’you will know’ (through his guidance) ’that I am in my
Father, and you in me, and I in you.’ He will inform you, when I am in heaven,
that there is a true connection between you and me, and a genuine affection in
me towards you, just as there is between my Father and me. It will be impossible
to sever this bond and to divert my heart away from you, just as it is
impossible to separate my Father’s heart from me or mine from my Father.’

Thirdly, you can be certain that what he conveys about my love for you is true,
for ’he is the Spirit of truth,’ as stated in John 16:13, as well as John
14:16-17, where Christ refers to him as a Comforter. Just as you believe me when
I speak of my Father because I come from him, you can also believe everything he
says about me and my love for you, for he comes from me.

However, one might ask, ’Won’t he also leave us for a while, just as you have?’
’No,’ says Christ in John 14:16, ’The Father will give you another Comforter,
and he will remain with you forever.’ Christ says this in contrast to himself.
He had been their comforter, but now he was going to be absent. However, it is
not the same for the Spirit. ’He will be with you forever.’ Just as he is
presently ’with you,’ he will also be ’in you,’ as stated in John 14:17. In the
fourth place, if this is not enough to assure them of how he would feel towards
them, he assures them that he will provide them with daily experiences of it.
Just test me, he says, when I am gone, and do so by sending me word on all
occasions about what you would like me to do for you. I have left my Spirit to
be your secretary and the composer of all your petitions. "So far you have asked
nothing (or very little) in my name"—he reproaches them for not asking him to do
more for them—"but now ask, and you will receive." And if you still won’t
believe, you will believe your own eyes; ask, and you will see immediate
answers. Believe, and in doing so, believe in me, he says, "for the sake of the
works" (John 14:11). He refers to the works he would perform for them in
response to their prayers when he was gone, which would serve as epistles of his
heart, responding to theirs. As it follows in John 14:12, "He who believes in me
will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do,
because I am going to the Father." It is evident that he speaks of the works
done after his ascension. And how were they to obtain and accomplish these
works? Through prayer. As it follows in John 14:13, "And whatever you ask in my
name, I will do it." He speaks of the time when he is gone. Furthermore, he says
in John 14:14, "If you ask anything in my name, I will do it." Just let me hear
from you, whether it’s every week, every day, or every hour, you can be sure of
an answer. "Open your mouths wide, and I will fill them" (Psa 81:10). Your
prayers will serve as continual tokens of your hearts towards me, and my answers
will reflect the same towards you. And because Christ instructs them to direct
their prayers to the Father, but to send them in his name, as stated in John
16:23, they may not clearly discern that his heart is in the answer to them, but
only the Father’s hand. Therefore, he adds twice in John 14, "I will do it, I
will do it." He speaks as someone eager to act on their behalf, just as his
Father is or should be, and as someone desiring them to know and take notice of
his involvement. It is as if he is saying, even though you ask the Father in my
name, everything goes through my hands, and I will do it—my hand must provide
the authorization for everything that is done, and my heart will not be lacking.
In the fifth place, to further demonstrate his love, he not only instructs them
to pray to him and in his name on all occasions, but he assures them that he
himself will pray for them. Pay attention to how he conveys this message; it is
in the most subtle and persuasive expressions that people use to convey their
deepest care and determination to do something. John 16:26, he says, "In that
day (referring to after his ascension) you will ask, and I do not say that I
will pray to the Father for you;" no, not I. I mentioned it before; I am simply
adding this clarification. It is a manner of speech used when one wants to
express the greatest assurance and confidence in their love, "I do not love you,
no, not I." It is expressing something by stating its contrary, which emphasizes
it the most. It is like saying to a person who has received the greatest favour
imaginable, "You’re terribly hurt." It is an expression similar to what Paul
used with the Corinthians when he said, "I deceived you by trickery; forgive me
for this wrong" (2Co 12:16). Similarly, Christ says here, "I do not say that I
will pray for you," when in truth, it is the most important work he does in
heaven. "He always lives to intercede" (Heb 7:25)—just as he lives eternally, he
intercedes without ceasing and never remains silent until sinners are saved.
However, the work of Christ in heaven is a topic that deserves and requires a
separate and extensive discussion. I will not delve into it further at this
moment, nor will I mention any more specifics from this sermon. Read through
those three chapters (John 14, 15, 16), for in them you have the longest
recorded sermon of his. He spent the most time on this subject compared to any
other, because his heart was truly invested in it more than any other point he
ever preached on.

However, if anyone objects and claims that he spoke all of this to his disciples
to calm and reassure them, and that he may not have spoken in the same way if
not for their distress... In the sixth place, simply read the next chapter (John
17), and you will see that he immediately goes apart and alone to his Father and
repeats everything he had said to them. He speaks as much about them behind
their backs as he had spoken to their faces. Read it, and you will find that he
was the same in his absence as he was when he was present with them. Therefore,
he was not only sincere in what he had said, but his heart was truly filled with
it. You know that chapter contains a prayer offered just before his suffering,
and there he declares his will and his final request, for it is written in such
a manner, "Father, I will" (John 17:24), which will he has gone to see fulfilled
in heaven. And it is true what Arminius said, that this prayer is left to us by
Christ as a summary of his intercession for us in heaven. He spoke as he
intended to do in heaven, as one who had completed his work and had now come to
claim his reward; "I have finished the work which you gave me to do," he says
(John 17:4). While he speaks a word or two for himself in the first five verses,
he speaks five times as much for them, for the rest of the chapter is a prayer
for them. He uses all sorts of arguments to persuade his Father on behalf of his
children. "I have finished the work which you gave me to do," he says, and to
save them is your work, which remains to be done for me by you. "They are yours,
and you gave them to me," and I commend to you only what is already yours. "And
all that is mine is yours, and yours is mine." He implies that he has not added
anyone of his own accord, but uses all his influence only for those whom the
Father has given him. And what a motive is this? And he declares that he will
not plead for anyone else: "I do not pray for the world," he says, I will not
utter a word for any sons of perdition; but I employ all my blood, prayers, and
entire influence with you only for those whom you have given me. And, he says,
even though you have granted me a personal glory which I had before the world
existed, there is another glory that I consider almost as significant, and that
is, their salvation. "I am glorified in them," he says (John 17:10), "and they
are my joy" (John 17:13), and therefore I must have them with me wherever I am
(John 17:24). You have set my heart upon them, and you have loved them just as
you have loved me, and you have destined them to be one with us, just as we are
one, and therefore I cannot live apart from them for long; I have your company,
but I must have theirs too. "I want them to be with me where I am" (John 17:24).
If I have any glory, they must share in it. As it continues in the
aforementioned verse, "That they may behold the glory which you have given me."
He speaks all of this as if he were already in heaven, in possession of all that
glory; and therefore, it is an expression of his heart in heaven, which gives
you a solid foundation to rely upon.


========================================================================
  CHAPTER 4: 2. DEMONSTRATIONS FROM PASSAGES AND EXPRESSIONS AFTER HIS RESURRECTION
========================================================================

Demonstrations from Passages and Expressions after His Resurrection

II. These examples have been drawn from his conduct and sermon before his death,
even when he first revealed his thoughts to his disciples regarding his
departure from them. Now let us observe our Saviour’s behaviour after his
resurrection, from which we can gather further evidence of his heart and how it
would be towards sinners when he ascends to heaven. His resurrection marked the
initial step towards his glory and indeed an entry into it. When he laid down
his body, he relinquished all earthly weakness and the limitations of flesh and
blood. "It was sown," just like ours, "in weakness," but upon being raised, he
assumed the attributes and qualities of an immortal and glorious body, "it was
raised in power." "The days of his flesh," or frail state, as the author of
Hebrews distinguishes it, were over and done with at his resurrection. The
garment of his body was renewed and imbued with new properties, making it
suitable to bear and sustain the glory of heaven. Therefore, the disposition of
his heart towards us upon his initial rising is a definite indication of what it
will continue to be in heaven. To further illustrate this, consider that if
there was ever a test to determine whether his love for sinners would endure, it
was during his resurrection. During that time, all of his disciples (especially
Peter) had behaved most unworthily towards him. This occurred precisely when he
was demonstrating the greatest act of love towards them, namely, dying for them,
an act unparalleled in its display of love. By the way, this is often how God
orchestrates things: when he is in the process of bestowing the greatest mercies
upon us and bringing about our greatest good, that is when we commit the gravest
sins against him. He does this to magnify his love even more. You know how they
all abandoned him, and even in the midst of his agony in the garden, where he
sought their company as a source of solace for his troubled spirit, they slept
and remained completely oblivious to his sorrows, which they could never have
done if they had any genuine empathy. "Could you not watch with me for one
hour?" Furthermore, you are aware of how Peter shamefully denied him with oaths
and curses. And after his burial, they lost all faith in him, saying, "We had
hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel." They doubted whether
he was the Messiah or not (Luk 24:21).

Now when Christ first emerged from the realm of the dead, clothed with the heart
and body he would wear in heaven, what message did he send to them first? One
would think that just as they did not recognize him in his suffering, he would
now be as unfamiliar to them in his glory. Or at the very least, his first words
would be to rebuke them for their lack of faith and their betrayals. But that is
not the case here. In John 20:17, his initial words concerning them are, "Go
tell my brethren." Elsewhere, you read about how it is considered a great
display of love and humility for Christ to address them as brethren (Heb 2:11),
for surely his brethren had been ashamed of him. Yet, for him to still call them
brethren as he entered into his glory indicates even greater love within him
towards them. He handles it in a manner similar to Joseph when he revealed
himself to his brothers amidst his exalted status. "I am Joseph, your brother,"
he said (Gen 45:4). Likewise, Christ says here, ’Tell them that you have seen
Jesus, their brother; I still acknowledge them as brethren.’ This was his first
form of address. But what was the message that he wanted to convey to them
first? "I ascend to my Father and your Father," he says. It is a much more
amicable statement, signifying infinite love compared to Joseph’s words
(although Joseph’s were filled with compassion), for after Joseph revealed
himself as their brother, he added, "whom you sold into Egypt," reminding them
of their unkindness. Yet, Christ does not utter a word about what they had done
to him. Poor sinners, plagued by thoughts of their own sins, do not know how
they will be able to face Christ when they first encounter him on the last day.
But they can find solace in the way Christ now treats his disciples, who had
sinned so grievously against him. Do not be afraid, "your sins will he remember
no more." Furthermore, you may observe that he does not emphasize what he had
done for them. He does not say, ’Tell them I have been dying for them,’ or ’They
have no idea the suffering I endured for them.’ Not a word of that either.
Instead, his heart and concern are focused on doing more. He does not dwell on
the past, but rather forgets his sufferings, like a woman forgetting her labour
pains because of the joy of giving birth to a child. Having now completed that
monumental task on earth for them, he hastens to heaven as quickly as he can to
undertake another. Although he knew he still had business to attend to on earth,
which would keep him there for another forty days, he speaks in the present
tense to demonstrate his longing and eagerness to work for them in heaven. He
tells them, "I ascend," and expresses his joy not only in going to "my Father,"
but also in going to "your Father," to act as their advocate before him, as I
mentioned earlier. Is Jesus, our brother, truly alive? Does he call us brethren?
And does he speak of us with such affection? Whose heart would not be
overwhelmed by this? But that was merely a message sent to his disciples before
he met them. Let us now observe his behavior and words when he gathered with
them. When he first came among them, his greeting was, "Peace be to you" (John
20:19), which he repeats in John 20:21. It is in line with his previous
statement in his farewell sermon, "My peace I leave with you." After this, he
"breathes on them" and imparts the Holy Spirit to them to a greater extent,
providing evidence of what he would do more abundantly in heaven. The act of
breathing on them symbolized that this was the utmost expression of his heart—to
give them the Spirit—and that it emanated from the very core of his being, just
as a person’s breath does. It also signifies that the Holy Spirit proceeds from
him as well as from the Father. The purpose of giving them the Spirit is not
solely for their own benefit, but so that they, through the gift and assistance
of the Spirit, may forgive men’s sins by leading them to conversion. "Whose sins
you remit"—through your ministry—"are remitted to them." As you can see, his
focus is still on sinners and his concern for the conversion of their souls. In
another Gospel, specifically Mark, his last recorded words are: "Go into all the
world and preach the gospel to every creature; he who believes and is baptized
will be saved" (Mark 16:15). In Luk 24:46-47, his final words on earth that are
recorded there are: "Thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to
rise...that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name to
all nations," and he adds, "beginning at Jerusalem," where he had been crucified
just a few days earlier. One would have thought that he would have excluded
Jerusalem and instructed them to bypass it, but he tells them to begin there.
Let those who participated in my death be the first to partake of the first
fruits and benefits resulting from it. Furthermore, he says, "Behold, I send the
Promise of my Father" (Luk 24:49). On another occasion, he appears to two of
them, and indeed he rebukes them, saying, "O foolish ones, and slow of heart!"
but why? Only because they did not believe in him. It was not for any other sin
or for having abandoned him. Therefore, he continues, "O foolish ones, and slow
of heart to believe" (Luk 24:25), because he rejoices when we believe, as seen
in John 11:16. After that, he appears to all eleven disciples and reproaches
them, according to the text, but with what? It is with their "unbelief and
hardness of heart," still because they did not believe (Mark 16:14). No other
sin troubled him except their unbelief, which reveals how his heart is inclined
towards desiring that men believe in him, even now that he is glorified. Later,
he encounters Thomas and barely scolds him for his blatant unbelief, only
remarking that it was good that "having seen, he believed." Yet, he pronounces
those "blessed who have not seen and yet have believed" (John 20:29), and Thomas
is gently reproved. Another time, he reveals himself to his disciples and
specifically engages with Peter, but he does not utter a word about Peter’s sins
or his act of denying him. Instead, he seeks to draw from Peter a declaration of
his love for himself. "Peter," he says, "do you love me?" Christ loves to hear
those words. They sound pleasing to his ears when you tell him that you love
him, even though he already knows it. Just as Peter says, "You know all things,
you know that I love you" (John 21:15), and Christ repeats this question three
times. What was Christ’s intention in drawing this declaration of love from
Peter? It was that if Peter truly loved him, as he professed, and would always
demonstrate it, then he should "feed his lambs." This is the greatest testimony
of love that he would have Peter display when he [Christ] would be in heaven,
and it is the final charge he gives to Peter. This testimony reveals the
profound effect on his own heart and his utmost concern. His heart is wholly
devoted to his lambs, to souls in need of conversion. He had previously said, "I
have other sheep which are not of this fold; them also I must bring" (John
10:16), leaving the task to his apostles. But this expression here is more
moving and affectionate, for sheep can fend for themselves, whereas helpless
little lambs cannot. Therefore, Christ says to Peter, "Feed my lambs," just as
John expresses greater love to those he writes to and calls them "my little
children." Why does the evangelist record these events after his resurrection?
One of the evangelists who recorded them informs us. In John 20:30, it is stated
that "Jesus did many other signs" after his resurrection. These events, not all
of which are documented in this book, are partly recorded by other evangelists
and partly concealed. However, "these are written that you may believe that
Jesus is the Christ," so that you may approach him as the Messiah, the Savior of
the world. Therefore, most of the recorded incidents serve to demonstrate
Christ’s heart and conduct towards sinners, that we may believe in him and "by
believing, have life in his name."


========================================================================
  CHAPTER 5: 3. DEMONSTRATIONS FROM PASSAGES AT AND AFTER HIS ASCENSION INTO HEAVEN.
========================================================================

Demonstrations from Passages at and after His Ascension into Heaven.

III. Let’s now observe his behavior during his ascension; even that will further
assure our hearts of this. Luk 24:50 states, "He lifted up his hands and blessed
them." And to emphasize it, and for us to take note of it as having great
significance, Luk 24:51 adds, "While he blessed them, he was parted from them
and carried up into heaven." Christ reserved this benediction as his final act.
Its meaning was to bless them, just as God blessed Adam and Eve, commanding them
to "increase and multiply," and thus blessing all mankind who would come from
them. In blessing his disciples, Christ blesses all those who will believe
through their word until the end of the world. I only add this for further
clarification: Peter interpreted this mystery in Acts 3:26 when he spoke to the
Jews, saying, "To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him
to bless you" (and how?) "in turning every one of you from your wicked ways,"
and thus forgiving them. For "blessed is the one whose sin is forgiven." This is
a demonstration of his ascending.

IV. Next, let us consider what Christ did when he arrived in heaven and was
exalted there. How abundantly did he fulfill all that he had promised in his
last sermon!

Firstly, he immediately poured out his Spirit, and that "abundantly" (as the
apostle to Titus says). "Being exalted to the right hand of God, and having
received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this
which you now see and hear," says the apostle in his first sermon after the
ascension (Acts 2:33). Christ received the Spirit and visibly poured Him out.
Additionally, in Eph 4:8, it is stated, "He ascended on high and gave gifts to
men...for the work of ministry" (Eph 4:15), "...and for equipping the saints for
the work of ministry" (Eph 4:16), that is, for the conversion of chosen sinners
and making them saints. Some of the mentioned gifts still remain to this day in
pastors and teachers. This Spirit is still present in our preaching and in your
hearts, in hearing and in prayer. He persuades you of Christ’s love even to this
day and serves as a pledge of the continuity of Christ’s love in heaven towards
sinners. All our sermons and your prayers are evidence to you that Christ’s
heart towards sinners remains the same as it has always been, for the Spirit,
who assists in all these, comes in Christ’s name and works by His commission. Do
any of you not feel your hearts moved when these things are preached at this and
other times? And who is it that moves you? It is the Spirit who speaks in
Christ’s name from heaven, just as Christ Himself is said to "speak from heaven"
(Heb 12:25). When you pray, it is the Spirit who inspires your prayers and
"intercedes for you" in your own hearts (Rom 8:26). This intercession of the
Spirit is the evidence and echo of Christ’s intercession in heaven. The Spirit
prays in you because Christ prays for you. He is an intercessor on earth because
Christ is an intercessor in heaven. Just as he took Christ’s words and used them
when he spoke to the disciples the words of life, he also takes from Christ’s
prayers when he prays in us. He takes the very words, as it were, out of
Christ’s mouth or rather heart, and directs our hearts to offer them up to God.
He also accompanies us to the sacrament and, in that reflection, shows us
Christ’s face smiling upon us, and through His face, His heart. By helping us
see Him, we depart rejoicing that we saw our Savior that day.

Then, secondly, all those works, both miracles and the conversion of sinners in
response to the apostles’ prayers, serve as evidence of this. Just consider the
impact of Peter’s first sermon after Christ’s ascension, where three thousand
souls were converted! The apostles, as you know, continued to preach forgiveness
through Christ and in His name, inviting people to Him. And what signs and
wonders accompanied their preaching to confirm it! All of these were the fruits
of Christ’s intercession in heaven. Thus, what He promised in John 14:12, as
proof of His concern for them in heaven, was abundantly fulfilled. Upon their
request, they did "greater works than He" (John 14:12), as seen in Acts 4:29-30
during Peter’s prayers. In Heb 2:3-4, the apostle presents it as an argument,
stating, "How shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was
declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard Him,
while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles."
Additionally, consider this: the entire New Testament, with all its promises and
expressions of Christ’s love, was written after Christ’s ascension, by His
Spirit, and under His commission. Therefore, everything you find in it can be
relied upon as His very heart. Through it, you can see that what He once said on
earth, He does not retract a single word now that He is in heaven—His intentions
remain unchanged. Reflecting on this can greatly strengthen our faith in this
regard.

Thirdly, some of the apostles had conversations with Him even many years after
His ascension. Both John and Paul, with the latter being in heaven with Him,
testify to the same truth.

Paul did not hear a single sermon from Christ while on earth (at least not that
he was aware of) and did not receive the gospel from any man, apostle or
otherwise. Instead, he received it directly through the immediate revelation of
Jesus Christ from heaven, as he states in Gal 1:11-12. His conversion came
directly from Christ Himself, speaking and conversing with him from heaven, long
after His ascension. In that one instance, Christ abundantly demonstrated His
heart and His intention to extend salvation to all types of sinners until the
end of the world. Paul declares this in two places. The first is in 1Ti 1:13,
where he says, "I was a persecutor, a blasphemer, but I received mercy because I
had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ,
overflowed for me." And based on this, he openly proclaims, as if from Christ
Himself speaking from heaven, that this is "a trustworthy saying, deserving full
acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the
foremost" (1Ti 1:15). To demonstrate that this was precisely Christ’s purpose in
converting Paul himself, and also Paul’s intention in that passage to Timothy,
it becomes evident in what follows: 1Ti 1:16 states, "But I received mercy for
this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display His perfect
patience as an example to those who were to believe in Him for eternal life." It
is explicit, you see, assuring all sinners until the end of the world of
Christ’s heart towards them. This was the goal. "For this very reason..." says
Paul. The second piece of evidence I present to support this is the account of
Paul’s conversion, where he carefully includes the very words spoken to him by
Christ from heaven (Acts 26:16-18). Christ said to him, "I have appeared to you
for this purpose: to appoint you as a servant and witness...to open their eyes,
so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God,
that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are
sanctified by faith in me." Brethren, these are the words of Christ since His
ascent to heaven, and He tells Paul that He appeared to him to testify to these
things. This is regarding Paul’s encounter with Him.

Furthermore, sixty years after His ascension, the apostle John received a
revelation from Him, even after all the other apostles had died. For it was
after their deaths that the book of Revelation was written, and it is said to
be, in a more immediate sense, "the revelation of Jesus Christ" (Rev 1:1)
compared to any other writings by the apostles. You read that Christ Himself
appeared to John and said, "I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am
alive forever and ever!" (Rev 1:18). Now let us consider Christ’s final words in
this last book, the most recent words He has spoken since ascending to heaven
and the words He will utter until the day of judgment. They can be found in Rev
22:16-17 : "I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the
churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David...The Spirit and the bride
say, ’Come!’ And let the one who hears say, ’Come!’ Let the one who is thirsty
come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life." I
specifically cite these latter words in this context. The occasion for these
words was as follows: Christ was now in heaven, having previously promised to
return and take us all to heaven. In the meantime, observe the reciprocal
calling and desire between Him in heaven and believing sinners on earth. Earth
calls upon heaven, and heaven calls upon earth, as the prophet says. The bride
on earth says to Christ, "Come to me," and the Spirit in the hearts of the
saints below also says "Come" to Him. In response to their desire, Christ loudly
cries out from heaven, "Come," inviting them to come to Him for mercy. They
cannot desire His coming to them as much as He desires their coming to Him. Now,
what does this mean, that upon their invitation for Him to come, He should
likewise call upon them to come? In essence, it is as if He plainly expressed
Himself in this way: "I have a heart to come to you, but I must have all My
elect on earth come to Me first. You want Me to come down to you, but I must
remain here until all those whom the Father has given Me come to Me. Then you
can be sure that I will be with you quickly." This clearly demonstrates how much
His heart longs for them. This meaning is evident from the words He adds in Rev
22:20 : "He who testifies to these things says, ’Surely I am coming soon.’"
Furthermore, if we observe how these words of Christ are presented, almost
incidentally, it makes them even more remarkable, highlighting His heart in
uttering them. This book was primarily intended as a prophecy of the gospel era
until His return. When John concluded that prophetic account, he portrays the
bride longing for the coming of Christ: "The bride says, ’Come.’" And as soon as
she utters these words, Christ, by way of response, also says "Come" to her. In
fact, it is noteworthy that He had previously spoken the same words in Rev 21:6,
yet He chooses to repeat them again and make them His final words. All of this
demonstrates how much His heart is focused on inviting sinners to Him. When He
is about to speak just one more sentence until the day of judgment, He
specifically selects these words. Therefore, let them forever remain with you,
as they are worthy to be your final thoughts when you face death or when you are
about to go to Him. He does say something else afterward, but it serves to
affirm these words and the rest of the Scriptures, of which this is the primary
message. Moreover, to emphasize that these words were chosen as His last and
that He intends not to speak further until the day of judgment, He adds a curse
to anyone who "adds to them or takes away from them." Indeed, He does speak
again after that, but it is merely to reiterate His willingness to come quickly
if all His elect would come to Him (Rev 22:20). All of this assures us that this
is truly His heart, and we will find Him of no other mind until His second
coming. And to emphasize that these words were deliberately chosen by Him as His
final words, so that they may remain with us, let me make another observation
about them. It is this: on another occasion when He was on earth, He similarly
singled out the very essence of these words as the conclusion of His preaching
after many days. In John 7:37, it is written, "On the last and greatest day of
the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, ’Let anyone who is thirsty
come to me and drink.’" These words were spoken on the "last day of the
festival," after which He would not preach to them anymore for a considerable
time. He had already preached on all the preceding days of the festival, as was
His custom. And on the "great day of the festival," when He had the largest
audience, He chose this sentence as the conclusion of His last sermon. It was
His parting gift to them, something for them to take home and ponder above all
else. These were His words: "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink." He
Himself explains that this means believing in Him (John 7:38). He stood up and
proclaimed it, even crying out with utmost fervor, so that everyone could hear
it above all other sayings. Similarly, at this present time, when He will speak
no more and will remain silent until the day of judgment, and when He will not
write any more Scriptures, He sends His angel to testify that these are His
final words, even though He had spoken them before. This was undoubtedly done to
reveal His heart in these words. They were His last words then, and they shall
be mine as I bring this discourse to a close, for what more can be added to
them?


========================================================================
  CHAPTER 6: 4. PART II: THE EVIL OF AFFLICTION AND THE EVIL OF SIN
========================================================================

Part II: The Evil of Affliction and the Evil of Sin For we have not an high
priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in
all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.—Heb 4:15. The only purpose I
will use these words for is as a foundation for the second part of the doctrine
I have introduced, which is to demonstrate the gracious inclination and
disposition of Christ’s heart towards sinners now that He is in heaven.

II. The external demonstrations of this, which I have addressed as the first
part, have been discussed. As a basis for the more internal demonstrations,
which form the second part, I have chosen this text because it speaks most
deeply of His heart and reveals the nature and workings of His heart towards
sinners. It does so in such a palpable way that it feels as if it guides our
hands to rest upon Christ’s chest and allows us to feel the beat of His heart
and the compassion He has for us, even now that He is in glory. The purpose of
these words is evidently to encourage believers against anything that may
discourage them, by considering Christ’s heart towards them in heaven.

Let me explain these words insofar as they serve my present purpose.

First, everything that may discourage us is referred to here as "infirmities,"
encompassing both: The hardships of afflictions, regardless of their nature,
including persecutions from external sources. The burden of sins, which is often
the greatest source of discouragement, originating from within.

It is clear that both these aspects are implied:

It is evident that "infirmities" refers to persecutions and afflictions, not
only because the term is frequently used in that sense, as seen in 2Co 11:30 and
2Co 12:5, but also because the phrase is clearly intended here. The purpose is
to provide comfort against anything that may cause believers to abandon their
faith, as indicated by the preceding exhortation, "Let us hold fast our
profession." The forces that attempt to draw them away include persecutions and
opposition from external sources. This is further supported by the fact that the
argument to console them against these infirmities is based on Christ’s example
of being tempted in every way as we are.

Secondly, the term "infirmities" also encompasses sins, as mentioned later in
this discourse, and it is the primary focus of our compassionate high priest. In
the subsequent verses (Heb 5:2), the qualifications of the high priests under
the law are explained, as they served as types of our great high priest. It is
stated that the high priest should be able to show compassion towards the
ignorant and those who have gone astray, which refers to sinners, as sins
represent ignorance and straying from God. It is then added that Christ Himself
was "clothed with infirmities," that is, with sins. Although it is stated here
that Christ was without sin in all aspects, He was tempted by Satan to commit
all kinds of sins, just as we are. The emphasis on sins as the main aspect of
these "infirmities" becomes even more evident from the remedy proposed against
them, which believers are encouraged to seek at the throne of grace: grace and
mercy. Therefore, we are urged to come boldly to the throne of grace to find
grace and mercy that can help us in our time of need. Grace helps us overcome
the power of sin, while mercy addresses the guilt and punishment associated with
it. These two aspects of sin are the greatest obstacles that discourage us from
approaching the throne of grace. Thus, it is clear that the encouragement and
comfort provided here primarily relate to these types of infirmities.

Moving on, the author emphasises how deeply and sensitively Christ’s heart is
affected by sinners under all their infirmities now that He is in heaven. The
context makes it evident that the author is speaking of Christ’s exalted
position in heaven (Heb 4:14). By introducing this narrative, the author aims to
address a potential objection that may arise in people’s minds due to the high
and glorious description of Christ provided in Heb 4:14 : "We have a great high
priest who has passed into the heavens." The author anticipates that we might
think He is too great to serve as a high priest for us and that His greatness
may cause Him to forget us or hinder His ability to feel compassion towards us.
It could be assumed that since He has entered heaven and shed the frailties of
His earthly flesh, clothed in such immense glory, He may no longer be able to
pity us as He did when He dwelt among us on earth. It might seem that He is no
longer capable of being deeply moved and touched by our sufferings, and
therefore, unable to show us compassionate understanding and sympathy. This
notion suggests that He is now immune to experiencing grief or being able to
empathise with us. His present state and condition transcend such emotions,
which, despite being the very ones that should compel Him to wholeheartedly
assist us, would be considered weaknesses or infirmities. His power and glory
are so great that He cannot be affected in the same way, just as the angels are
not. He has been exalted far above all principalities and powers (Eph 1:21). The
apostle addresses and preempts this objection. "We have not a high priest who
cannot," etc. A double negation serves to affirm; in fact, two negatives not
only make an affirmative, but they affirm even more strongly. They create an
affirmation that contradicts the contrary and opposing thought. Essentially, the
apostle is saying, "Well, regardless of the alterations heaven may have made to
his condition, glorifying his human nature, even if it is free from earthly
passions and transformed to be like heaven, even if he is incapable of being
influenced from below, there is still a tender part and vulnerable place in his
heart, as if it remains unarmed, to suffer with you and to be touched if you
are." The word used here is profound. He suffers with you, he is as
compassionate towards you as ever he was. He can be moved to pity you. He is
willing to endure, so to speak, that one place in his heart remains exposed and
vulnerable, still bearing the essence of flesh, so that he can be wounded by
your sufferings and be your merciful high priest.

It might be objected that this vulnerability represents weakness. The apostle
asserts that this is his power, a manifestation of perfect and strong love
within him, as indicated by the word δυνάμενον, which signifies his ability and
strength to embrace our miseries within his glorified heart and be deeply
affected by them, as if he were suffering alongside us. This allows him to
provide relief, motivated by the same principles that would move him to
alleviate his own suffering. This passage leads me to observe and address two
aspects separately.

Firstly, in a general sense, that Christ’s heart in heaven is as graciously
inclined towards sinners as it was on earth.

Secondly, more specifically, the manner in which this occurs. Or to put it
differently:

He is moved with empathy and sympathy towards us, as the word implies. The means
by which this is achieved is through his experience of being tempted in every
way, just like us. When addressing the first aspect, I will present the
intrinsic demonstrations that support this doctrine, branching out from these
words and naturally stemming from them. Then, while discussing the second
aspect, I will delve further into the text. So, let us now turn to those
intrinsic demonstrations of this doctrine, which I base on these words, and
naturally derive from them: namely, that the heart of Jesus Christ, now that he
is in heaven, is as graciously inclined towards sinners as it was on earth. The
first type of intrinsic demonstrations come from the influence that all three
Persons have on the heart of Christ’s human nature in heaven.

I. The first set of demonstrations will be derived from each of the three
Persons and their individual influence on Christ’s heart in heaven, inclining it
towards us. The first demonstration is derived from God the Father, who has
exalted Christ, and it consists of two parts: (1) God has given Christ a
perpetual command to love sinners, and (2) as a result, His heart remains
unchanged forever.

(1) Firstly, God the Father has given Jesus Christ a specific command to love
sinners, and He has instilled a merciful and gracious disposition in His heart
towards them. I mention this as evidence because Christ himself mentions it in
John 6:37 as the original basis for His disposition "not to cast out those who
come to Him." He says, "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will,
but the will of Him who sent Me," in the following verses (John 6:38). This
command from the Father remains upon Him even now in heaven, just as strongly as
before. In fact, His will is that He should raise them up on the last day, as
stated in John 6:39-40, so this disposition must necessarily continue until
then. We can also see this in John 10:15-18, where Christ discusses His care and
love for His sheep, being willing to give His life for them, to know and
acknowledge them, and to bring them into the fold. He concludes by saying, "This
command I have received from My Father" (John 10:18). In other words, it is the
Father’s will, and if a good son knows his father’s mind and will, it is enough
to motivate him to fulfill it, especially if it is an explicit command. In John
10, Christ further emphasizes that it is the command He received from the
Father. A command is the expressed will of someone, and it must be fulfilled;
otherwise, it would be a violation. Thus, God has given Christ a command
concerning us. From both of these passages, I observe three aspects that make up
the content of God’s will and command regarding sinners.

Firstly, Christ’s command was to die for His sheep. In accordance with this
command, He loved them so much during His time on earth that He laid down His
life for them (John 10:15). However, He also took His life up again and ascended
into heaven. Therefore, the other two commands given to Him are still relevant
to Him in His glory. The second command is to receive all who come to Him, and
the third is to ensure that He does not lose any of those for whom He died, but
rather raise them up. Even in heaven, His Father’s command remains as strict for
Him as the command to die for them was while He was on earth. He affirms, "This
command I have received from my Father, and this is His will." In addition to
this command, God has instilled in His heart, as He often does when giving
commands, an extraordinary instinct of love towards them. It is an instinct that
inclines Him so strongly to fulfill it that He requires no further commands. God
has placed in Him such a στοργή, such a unique love, as parents have for their
own children, surpassing their love for other people’s children, even if those
children are more beautiful and intelligent than their own. Both this
commandment and this inclination of love towards sinners are expressed together
in Psa 40:8. When explaining the reason why He became our Mediator and
sacrificed Himself, He not only says, "I come to do Your will, O God," but also
declares, "Your law is in my bowels." In this statement, both aspects are
mentioned: The command I mentioned is expressed there, as it is referred to as a
law.

It is a law that has been deeply ingrained in His heart, which is referred to as
a "law in His heart" or bowels.

You can easily understand what law it is by considering its subject, His bowels,
which symbolize the most tender affections. In Col 3:12, it is referred to as
"bowels of mercy [kindness]." This law is none other than the law of love,
mercy, and compassion towards poor sinners, which God entrusted to Him as the
Mediator. It is the special law that governed Him as the "second Adam," similar
to the law given to the first Adam, not to eat the forbidden fruit, but it goes
beyond the moral law. This is the law He speaks of. It is the law of His role as
Mediator and sacrifice, as He expressly mentions in Heb 8:6-7, in addition to
the moral law that applies to both Him and us. The original text states, "In the
midst of my bowels," to emphasize that it was deeply engraved. It resided at the
core, closest and most inward part of His heart.

Yes, just as the special law of not eating the forbidden fruit was given to Adam
as a symbolic precept, as theologians call it, in addition to the Ten
Commandments, to test and symbolize his obedience to all the other commandments,
the same kind of law was given to Christ, the second Adam. God would judge all
His obedience to Himself based on this commandment. Indeed, it was laid upon Him
by God with such earnestness and commendation that if Christ wanted God to love
Him, He should make sure to love us. In the previously mentioned passage, John
10:17-18, Christ finds comfort in His obedience, saying, "Therefore, does my
Father love me." This statement is made in relation to His fulfillment of the
aforementioned command, and it implies that if Christ showed love to us, God
would love Him even more, for He was pleased to see Christ loving us. It is as
if God, when giving Christ that commandment in John 10:18, said, "Son, if you
want my love to continue towards you, show me your love by being kind to those
whom I have given you, whom I have loved with the same love with which I have
loved you," as mentioned in John 17:23. Just as God desires us to show love to
Him by loving His children, He also wants Christ to show His love for Him by
loving us.

Now, regarding the second aspect of this demonstration, it is certain that the
love which Christ expressed in His heart while on earth and which led Him to die
for sinners upon His Father’s command still remains in His heart now that He is
in heaven. It is as alive and tender as it was on earth, even when He was on the
cross, and this is because of His Father’s command. The evidence lies in the
fact that it is a law written in the core of His being by His Father, making it
natural and indelible. Just like other moral laws of God written in the heart,
it is perpetual. Just as love will continue in us when we are in heaven, even
when faith and hope fade away, as the apostle says, this love also continues in
Christ’s heart. It suffers no decline and is demonstrated through His reception
of sinners, His intercession for them, and His compassion towards them, just as
it was shown when He died for them. Since this love for sinners was so strictly
commanded and emphasized, and as it is closely tied to the great love between
Him and His Father, it not only generates a strong love for sinners within Him
but also the most steadfast and unwavering love imaginable. This is supported by
the analogy of the principle by which Christ urges us to love Him in John 15:10.
He encourages His disciples to "keep the commandments" He has given them and
uses the argument, "For by doing this you will abide in My love," supporting it
with His own example, saying, "Just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and
abide in His love." Therefore, since this is the paramount commandment that God
has given Him - to love, die for, and continue to love and receive sinners who
come to Him, and to raise them up on the last day - He undoubtedly continues to
keep it most faithfully. It is one of the strong bonds between Him and His
Father, ensuring that He remains in His love. As He continues to abide in His
Father’s love, and now that He is in heaven and at His right hand, He must
undoubtedly remain in the highest favour with Him. Therefore, we can be sure
that He both loves us and will continue to do so forever. Oh, what a comfort it
is that just as children are mutual pledges and ties of love between a husband
and wife, we have been made such between God the Father and the Son! This
demonstration is derived from the influence of the first person of the Trinity,
namely, God the Father.

Secondly, his love towards us is not a forced love, something he strives to bear
towards us only because his Father has commanded him to do so. Instead, it is
his nature, his disposition. This adds another demonstration to the point at
hand and is derived from God the Son. This disposition is free and inherent to
him; otherwise, he would not be God’s Son, nor would he resemble his heavenly
Father, to whom it is natural to show mercy rather than to punish. Punishment is
His unusual work, but mercy brings Him pleasure. He is the "Father of mercies,"
naturally generating them.

Now, Christ is His own Son, as he is distinctly referred to, and his Son by
nature. Moreover, his human nature, united to the second person, has become the
natural Son of God, not adopted like us. If he is the natural Son, then his
Father’s qualities are natural to him, even more so than to us, who are only
adopted sons. And if we, as the chosen ones of God, who are adopted sons, are
urged to "put on bowels of mercy, kindness, humility, meekness" (Col 3:12), then
these dispositions must be even more essential in Christ, the natural Son. They
are not something he puts on, but they are as natural to him as his Sonship.
John states that "God is love," and Christ is love clothed in flesh, yes, our
flesh.

Furthermore, it is certain that just as God has formed the hearts of all people,
and some individuals naturally possess more mercy and compassion than others,
and when the Holy Spirit comes upon them to sanctify their natural dispositions,
He works in accordance with their temperament. Similarly, it is certain that He
tempered the heart of Christ and made it of a softer mould and temperament than
the tenderness of all human hearts combined. When he was to assume a human
nature, he is quoted as saying, "A body hast thou prepared for me" (Heb 10:5),
referring to a human nature prepared, not only in other aspects but also in its
disposition, for the Godhead to work in and display its perfections in the best
way. He took on a human nature with the purpose of being a merciful high priest
(Heb 2:14), a human nature of such a special temperament and composition that it
could be more merciful than that of all men or angels. His human nature was
"made without hands," meaning it was not of the ordinary constitution of other
human hearts. Though made of the same substance, its spiritual frame was
different. It was a heart specifically designed to be a vessel, or rather a
fountain, of mercy. It was wide and capable enough to extend itself and receive
all the manifest mercies of God, and then pour them out again to us, the elect,
for whom God intended to reveal His mercy. And therefore, Christ’s heart
naturally possessed more compassion in its temperament than all men or angels,
as it was through this heart that the great God’s mercies were to be dispensed
to us. This heart of his was the instrument of those mercies. And when this man,
with his heart so formed, became united with God and made the natural Son of
God, mercy must naturally be inherent in him and continue within him now that he
is in heaven. Although he shed all the weaknesses of our nature when he rose
again, the graces that were in him while he was on earth remain just as much in
him now. Being part of his nature, and since we know that nature is constant,
they still persist.

You can observe that when he was on earth and sought to persuade sinners to
think well of him, he used the argument of his Father’s command given to him. He
also revealed his own disposition, as stated in Mat 11:28 : "Come to me, all you
who are weary and burdened, for I am gentle and humble in heart."

People tend to hold contrary opinions about Christ, but he reveals his
disposition there to counter such misconceptions and attract them to him even
more. We are prone to think that because he is so holy, he must have a severe
and harsh disposition towards sinners and be unable to tolerate them. No, he
says, "I am gentle." Gentleness is my nature and temperament. Just as it was
with Moses, who was his type in that grace among other things, he did not seek
revenge on Miriam and Aaron but interceded for them. Similarly, Christ says that
injuries and unkindness do not have such an effect on him as to make him
irreconcilable. It is in his nature to forgive. "I am gentle." However, we may
think that as the Son of God and the heir of heaven, especially now filled with
glory and seated at God’s right hand, he may look down upon our lowliness here
below. Although not out of anger, he may consider us too insignificant for him
to marry or be familiar with. Surely, he has higher thoughts and does not pay
attention to such poor, lowly beings like us. So, although we conceive him to be
gentle and unaffected by injuries, he may be too exalted and lofty to condescend
and take to heart the condition of poor creatures. No, says Christ, "I am lowly"
as well, willing to bestow my love and favour upon the poorest and humblest.

Furthermore, all of this is not a mere show of an affable disposition, nor is it
merely external in his facial expression and outward demeanor like many
high-ranking individuals who appear gentle and courteous. Rather, all of this
exists in his heart. It is his temperament, disposition, and nature to be
gracious, and he can never cast aside this nature. It is evident that his
greatness, when he experiences it in heaven, would not alter his disposition in
the slightest. This is evident because at the very moment he uttered these
words, he also considered his future glory and expressed both that and his
meekness simultaneously. In Mat 11:27, he states, "All things have been
committed to me by my Father." And immediately after, he declares, "Come to me,
all you who are weary and burdened... for I am gentle and humble in heart" (Mat
11:28-29).

Therefore, consider the lovely, sweet, and delightful thoughts you often have
about a dear friend who possesses an amiable nature, or about an exceptionally
holy or meek saint. You might think to yourself, "I could entrust my soul to
such a person and place my salvation in their hands," as I have heard some say.
Or think about how encouraged we would be to seek forgiveness from Moses, who
was the meekest man on earth, or to interact with Joseph, based on what we read
about his compassion towards his brothers. Consider the tender hearts of Paul
and Timothy in their ministry of begetting and nurturing souls, as Paul says,
"Being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to impart our own souls
to you" (1Th 2:8). And this affection is "natural," as he puts it in Php 2:20.
If we have such raised apprehensions and infinitely more towards these
individuals, we should have even greater ones towards the sweetness and candour
that is found in Jesus Christ, as it is much more natural to him.

Therefore, the same apostle makes Christ’s bowels a pattern for his own,
stating, "God is my witness, how greatly I long after you in the bowels of Jesus
Christ" (Php 1:8). According to interpreters, the phrase "in the bowels of
Christ" has two meanings, both of which serve to illustrate my point.

Firstly, "in the bowels of Christ" is taken causally, as if the apostle meant to
show that those bowels or compassions were infused into him by Christ.
Therefore, he longed after others with the same kind of bowels that Christ had
worked in him. If Christ put such bowels in him, then Christ must possess them
even more. Paul had reason to say "in the bowels of Christ," for (in this sense)
I am certain that he barely had the heart and bowels of a man within him when he
was outside of Christ. How furious and lion-like was his spirit against the
saints, causing great havoc among them, even to the point of tearing out their
bowels! How did Paul develop such tender bowels towards them? Who instilled such
tender affections in him? It was Jesus Christ who transformed him from a lion
into a lamb. Therefore, if these bowels were not natural to Paul, but rather the
opposite, and yet they abounded in him naturally, as he himself says, how much
more must they necessarily abound in Christ, who possesses them inherently and
by nature?

Secondly, "in the bowels" can be understood as an instance, meaning "like the
bowels" or "after the bowels," according to the analogy of Hebrew expression. In
this sense, the meaning is that just as the bowels of Jesus Christ yearn after
you, so do mine. "Bowels" are a metaphor used to signify tender and motherly
affections and mercies, as seen in Luk 1:78 where it speaks of "the tender
mercies." Thus, when Paul wanted to express the tenderness of his affections, he
referred to the bowels of Jesus Christ (taking Christ as his pattern in
everything, saying, "Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ"). How eager was this
great apostle to bring people to Christ! He did not care about anything else he
might lose as long as he could win some souls. He did not consider his own life
or even his own salvation as precious, but rather, he wished to be accursed for
the sake of his brethren, who were at that time the greatest enemies of Christ
on earth. How joyful he was when a soul came to faith! How sorrowful when anyone
fell away! He describes it as "going through the anguish of childbirth again"
(to express the anxiety he felt for the Galatians) until Christ was formed in
them. How comforted he was when he heard about the steadfastness and growth of
their faith (1Th 3:6-7), and he even said, "For now we live, if you stand firm
in the Lord" (1Th 3:8). Read all of his letters and understand his spirit in
this way. Then, look up to Christ’s human nature in heaven and think to
yourselves, "Such a man is Christ." The expressions of affection from Paul are
but a faint echo of the deep emotions in Christ’s bowels in heaven. They are
natural to Christ, and he possesses them to an even greater extent and in
infinite measure. This is the second demonstration, drawn from his own natural
disposition as the Son of God. A third demonstration arises from the third
person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. If the same Spirit that was upon Jesus
and within Him while He was on earth continues to rest upon Him now that He is
in heaven, then these gracious dispositions must necessarily remain within Him.
This demonstration consists of two interconnected propositions: (1.) The Holy
Spirit, dwelling in Him, contributes to His kind-heartedness towards sinners;
and (2.) The same Spirit dwells and remains in Him forever in heaven.

(1.) Regarding the first proposition: it was the Spirit who overshadowed His
mother and established the unbreakable bond between our human nature and the
second person of the Trinity, and it was the same Spirit that bound His heart to
us. The Spirit sanctified Him in the womb and rested upon Him in abundance,
equipping Him with a meek spirit for the works of His mediation. Indeed, it was
for the sake of this very grace of meekness that the Spirit came upon Him in a
special manner. Therefore, at His baptism, when He was officially inaugurated
into His role as the Mediator (for it was at that moment that He visibly and
openly began to fulfill His mission), the Holy Spirit descended upon Him. How
did this happen? As a dove, as all the evangelists unanimously testify. But why
did the Spirit assume the form of a dove? Every apparition that God has ever
made was not primarily to reveal His essence, but rather to demonstrate His
disposition towards us and to reveal the effects He produces in us. Thus, the
appearance of a dove resting upon Jesus was meant to symbolize those special
gracious qualities by which the Holy Spirit prepared Jesus Christ to be the
Mediator. As you know, a dove is the most innocent and gentle creature, without
gall or talons, devoid of fierceness, and expressing nothing but love and
companionship towards its mate in all its actions. It mourns with its mate in
times of distress. Therefore, the dove was a fitting symbol to represent the
frame and temperament of spirit that the Holy Spirit instilled in the heart of
Christ when He descended upon Him. This occurred without measure, so that just
as doves lovingly interact with one another, sympathizing and mourning together,
we may do the same with Christ, for He sympathizes with us in this way. Although
He had the Spirit within Him before, at this point He was anointed with the
Spirit, particularly in relation to the effects required for the execution of
His office, with a greater and more prominent measure than before. This is why
the evangelist Luke remarks (Luk 4:1) that "Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit,
returned from the Jordan." Similarly, Peter provides a similar interpretation in
Acts 10:37, where he speaks of John’s baptism and how "after being baptized,
Jesus went about doing good, for God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit" at that
baptism. It is clear that the primary significance of the Holy Spirit descending
upon Jesus as a dove was to highlight His meekness and compassionate heart
towards sinners, which were instilled in Him by the Holy Spirit. Christ Himself
emphasizes this intention in two passages. The first instance that supports the
notion of His receiving the Spirit is found in the first sermon He preached
after having received the Holy Spirit. Firstly, it is noted that He returned
from His baptism "full of the Spirit" and was led into temptation. Then, in Luk
4:14, it is mentioned that He returned from the temptation "in the power of that
Spirit." After this, He explains the mystery of His receiving the Spirit in the
likeness of a dove. This forms the basis of the first text He opened in His
sermon, which He deliberately chose from Isaiah and read to the people. The text
reads, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach
the gospel to the poor." This refers to those who are afflicted in spirit,
burdened by conscience for their sins. The text continues, "he hath sent me to
heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering
sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised." When He had read
this portion that expressed the compassionate disposition of His Spirit towards
sinners, depicting their various outward afflictions, He did not read any
further. This implied that these were the main effects of His receiving the
Spirit. "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to
preach the gospel to the poor." In other words, He was given the Spirit for this
purpose, to fulfill this work, and it was through that Spirit that He was
anointed and equipped with the necessary gifts and dispositions for this task.

Another passage that highlights the fruit and purpose of His receiving the
Spirit at His baptism is found in Mat 12:18-19, taken from another passage in
Isaiah. It reads, "Behold my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased; I will
put my Spirit upon him, and he shall show judgments to the Gentiles." Although
the word "judgments" may sound severe, it should not be feared, for it refers to
the doctrine of free grace and the gospel that brings about change and
transformation in people. Likewise, in Mat 12:20, "judgment" refers to the work
of God’s grace on people’s hearts, as it states, "He will send forth judgment
unto victory," signifying that the work of grace complements the doctrine of
grace. In preaching this doctrine, which is good news, the prophet illustrates
how He would conduct Himself with a spirit that aligns with it, filled with
meekness, stillness, calmness, and modesty. This is expressed through proverbial
phrases commonly used at that time to convey such qualities, such as "He shall
not strive, nor cry, neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets." It
means that He would approach everything with gentleness and meekness, without
violence or uproar. John the Baptist had the voice of a herald and a severe
spirit, but Christ came with a gentle and melodious demeanor. Throughout His
ministry, He displayed great tenderness, carefully attending to broken souls and
considering their discouragements. It is said that He would not "break a bruised
reed," meaning that He would tread lightly so as not to further damage a reed
that was already broken. He would not extinguish "the smoking flax," which can
be easily done, nor blow out a candlewick that emits a flickering smoke with
even the slightest breeze. All these expressions serve to convey the tenderness
of His heart. This tenderness was evident upon His receiving the Spirit,
particularly after His baptism, for it was then that the words, "This is my
beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased," were spoken. These words, combined with
God giving Him the Spirit, are also mentioned in Isaiah 40, from which these
words are derived. Therefore, He was filled with the Spirit to foster such sweet
affections towards sinners.

(2.) Now, regarding the second aspect that contributes to this demonstration: it
is certain that the same Spirit that was upon Christ and animated His spirit on
earth still remains with Him in heaven. It must never be said that the Spirit of
the Lord has departed from Him, for He is the one who sends and bestows the Holy
Spirit upon us. And if the Spirit, once coming upon His followers, "abides with
them forever," as Christ promises in John 14:16, then it is even more true that
this Spirit abides with Christ, the Head, from whom we all, since Christ
ascended to heaven, receive that Spirit. It is by virtue of this Spirit dwelling
in Him that He continues to dwell in us. Therefore, it is said of Him in Isa
11:2, "The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him." Moreover, in the account of
the Holy Spirit descending upon Him at His baptism, it is not only recorded that
"He descended upon Him," but it is also added, "and abode upon Him." In fact, to
emphasize this further, it is repeated twice. As stated in John 1:32, the
evangelist says, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove," and he
adds another observation, "and it abode upon Him." And again, in John 1:33, he
says, "I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me,
’Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who
baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’" Furthermore, it is implied there that the
Spirit "rested on Him" for the purpose of baptizing us with the Holy Spirit
until the end of the world. "He is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit,"
as stated. He initially descended as a dove and then forever remains upon Him as
a dove. This dove itself came from heaven first. Therefore, it is certain that
now that Christ Himself has ascended to heaven, the Spirit still remains and
abides upon Him, even more so as a dove.

Moreover, let me add this: although the Spirit rested upon Him here on earth in
immeasurable comparison to us, it can be confidently said that the Spirit, in
terms of His effects in gifts of grace and glory, rests more abundantly upon Him
in heaven than He did on earth. This is true in the same sense that at His
baptism, as mentioned before, the Spirit rested upon Him more abundantly in
those respects than before His baptism, during His private life. Just as He was
installed as King and Priest anew when He entered heaven, preparing for a new
phase of His work, He was also anointed anew with the "oil of gladness above His
fellows" (Psa 45:7). This passage specifically refers to Him in His heavenly
state, at God’s right hand, in the fullness of joy. As stated in Psa 16:11, it
is also spoken of Him when He "goes forth in His majesty to conquer" (Psa 45:4).
Even in His exalted glory, meekness is not far off, but remains one of His
attributes. As it follows in the previously cited verse, "In your majesty ride
prosperously, because of truth and meekness." Therefore, Peter says in Acts 2:36
that "God has made this Jesus, whom you (Jews) crucified, both Lord and Christ."
"Lord" signifies His exaltation as King in heaven, while "Christ" signifies His
anointing. And this anointing is none other than the Holy Spirit, with whom, as
Peter tells us, He was anointed at His baptism (Acts 10:38). Furthermore,
because He received the Spirit in the fullest measure that He was to receive Him
forever at that moment, He poured Him out on His apostles and "baptized them
with Him" (Acts 2).

Now, it is an established principle that whatever we receive from Christ, He
Himself first receives in Himself on our behalf. Therefore, one reason why this
anointing oil flowed so abundantly on the followers of our High Priest, that is,
on His apostles and saints, and continues to do so to this day, is because our
High Priest and Head Himself was freshly anointed with it. In Acts 2:33, Peter
explains how they were filled with the Holy Spirit, saying that Christ "having
received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, poured out this which
you now see and hear." This receiving should not be understood solely as His
receiving the promise of the Holy Spirit for us, by being given the power to
pour Him out upon them as God had promised, although this interpretation is
valid. Rather, it also means that He had first received the Holy Spirit poured
out upon Himself and then poured Him out upon them. This follows the principle
that whatever God does for us through Christ, He first does it to Christ
Himself. All promises are made and fulfilled to Him first, and then to us in
Him. All that He bestows upon us, He receives in Himself. This may be one reason
why, as mentioned in John 7:39, "the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was
not yet glorified." But now that He is in heaven, it is said that He "has the
seven spirits" (Rev 1:4), which refers to the Holy Spirit. This is evident from
Rev 1:4, where grace and peace are wished "from the seven spirits," indicating
the various effects of the Holy Spirit in both Christ and us, though He is one
in person. The number seven represents perfection and is mentioned to signify
that Christ now possesses the Spirit to the fullest extent that human nature can
receive. Just as His knowledge (which is a fruit of the Spirit) has expanded
since His ascension—for before He did not know when the day of judgment would
be, but when He wrote the book of Revelation, He did—so have His compassionate
affections (speaking of His human nature) expanded. All the mercies that God
intends to bestow now flow through His hands and receive His special attention.
He bestows these not only on the Jews but also on the Gentiles who were to be
converted after His ascension. Thus, He now has a heart that corresponds to
God’s own heart, with the utmost capacity to show mercy to anyone whom God has
intended it for. And this is the third demonstration, from the Spirit’s dwelling
in Him. In order to strengthen your faith, you can confirm this by the
experience of the Holy Spirit dwelling in your own hearts. There, He not only
works meekness towards others but also stirs up pity within you for yourselves,
urging you to seek salvation for your souls. For this purpose, He prompts you to
offer incessant and "unutterable groans" before the throne of grace, seeking
grace and mercy. Now, the same Spirit who dwells in Christ’s heart in heaven is
the same Spirit who dwells in your hearts here on earth. He always works in
Christ’s heart first for your sake and then in yours through His commission.
Therefore, rest assured that this Spirit stirs up in Him bowels of mercy that
are infinitely greater towards you than what you can have for yourselves.


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  CHAPTER 7: 5. A SECOND SORT OF DEMONSTRATION OF CHRIST'S HEART TOWARD SINNERS
========================================================================

A Second Sort of Demonstration of Christ’s Heart Toward Sinners For we have not
an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but
was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.—Heb 4:15. A second
type of evidence can be drawn from the various ongoing commitments that lie upon
Christ in heaven.

II. There is another type of evidence that arises from the numerous continuing
engagements that rest upon Christ now that He is in heaven. These engagements
must necessarily incline His heart towards us as much, if not more, than ever
before. Such engagements include: The enduring nature of all the close and
intimate relationships and connections between Christ and us, which no amount of
glory can alter. His heart and love cannot change, nor can He neglect any acts
of love that these relationships require from Him. Natural relationships, such
as those between a father and child, husband and wife, or siblings, remain in
force in the world for which they were created and cannot be dissolved. It is
true that these fleshly relationships cease to exist in the afterlife because
they were meant only for this world, as stated in Rom 7:2 : "A wife is bound to
her husband as long as he lives." However, the relationships between Christ and
us were established with regard to "the world to come," as mentioned in the
Epistle to the Hebrews, and therefore, they retain their full vitality and are
fulfilled in that world. This is why Christ is described as "the same yesterday,
today, and forever" in Heb 13:8. To illustrate this, consider the unbreakable
and lasting bond of worldly relationships, which remain unaffected by changes in
one’s status or position. For instance, in the case of Joseph, even after his
elevation to a position of power, his relationships and affections remained
unchanged towards his brothers, despite the wrongs they had done to him, and
towards his father. In Genesis 45, he mentions both his elevated status: "God
has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and ruler over all
the land of Egypt" (Gen 45:8), and his continued relation as a brother: "I am
Joseph, your brother" (Gen 45:4). He was the same person, and his affections
towards them were evident as he wept over them and could not contain himself
(Gen 45:1-2). Similar sentiments were expressed towards his father, as he
instructed his brothers to tell their father, "Thus says your son Joseph: God
has made me lord of all Egypt" (Gen 45:9), emphasizing that he was still their
son Joseph.

Consider another example, where the mere relation of belonging to the same
country and alliance is at play. In the case of Esther, when she was elevated to
the position of queen over 127 provinces, even while in the arms of the
mightiest monarch on earth and enjoying his highest favour, she cried out, "How
can I endure to see the evil that shall come unto my people, or how can I endure
to see the destruction of my kindred!" (Est 8:6). She simply considered her
relation and felt its effect through a blood connection. Now, this holds even
more true for husbands and wives, as they are in an even closer relationship. If
the wife were poor and afflicted with illness, while the husband was as great
and glorious as Solomon in all his splendour, society would condemn such a man
if he failed to acknowledge and show love and respect to his wife. Yet, beyond
all these relations, the relationship between a head and its members, being the
most natural, carries the greatest obligation. As the apostle says, "No man ever
yet hated his own flesh, but loveth and cherishes it" (Eph 5:29). It is a
natural law that "if one member be honoured, all the members are to rejoice with
it" (1Co 12:26), and "if one member suffer, all the rest are to suffer with it."
This is also true of Christ, as stated in 1Co 12:12. These relationships are
what move Christ to continue loving us. Jesus, knowing that He was to depart
from this world, loved His own who were in the world, and He loved them to the
end (John 13:1). The reason for this is rooted in His relationship to them: they
were "His own," encompassing all possible relationships—His own siblings, His
own spouse, His own flesh. As He himself says, "The very world will love its
own," so He will undoubtedly love His own even more. The apostle asserts, "He
that provides not for his own family is worse than an infidel" (1Ti 5:8).
Although Christ is in heaven, His people are still His family—they are His
followers, even while on earth. This is as true for them as it is for those who
stand in His presence now that He is in His glory. The statement in Eph 3:15
clearly declares, "Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named." They
collectively constitute one family to Him as their Lord. Christ is the founder,
the subject, and the most perfect exemplar and pattern of the relationships
found on earth.

(1.) Firstly, he is the originator of all relationships and the affections that
accompany them, both in nature and in grace. Just as the Psalmist argues, "Shall
he not see who made the eye?"—I argue the same. If God has instilled these
affections in parents and siblings that are suitable to their relationships,
then surely he possesses them in even greater measure within himself. Even if
our heavenly father Abraham may be unaware of us and Israel does not acknowledge
us, yet, O Lord, you are our Father and our Redeemer (Isa 63:16). The prophet
speaks of Christ, as evident in Isa 63:1-2, in a prophecy about the Jews’ call.
And he speaks of Christ, envisioning him in heaven, as he adds, "Look down from
heaven, and behold from the habitation of your holiness and your glory" (Isa
63:15). There are only two things that could cause him to neglect sinners: his
holiness, considering them as sinners, and his glory, considering them as lowly
creatures. Yet, he mentions both to demonstrate that despite being sinners, he
does not reject them, and despite being lowly and insignificant, he does not
despise them.

(2.) He encompasses all relationships within himself, a feat no other creature
can achieve. Even if a man may be a husband, he is not simultaneously a father
or a brother, but Christ encompasses all. No single relationship suffices to
express his love towards us. Therefore, he refers to his church as both sister
and spouse (Song of Solomon 5:1).

(3.) He is the model and exemplar of all our relationships, and they are all
mere reflections of his. In Ephesians 5, Christ is presented as the exemplar of
the relationship and love between husbands. The apostle instructs, "Husbands,
love your wives, just as Christ loved his church" (Eph 5:25). Indeed, in Eph
5:31-33, the marriage of Adam and the words he spoke about cleaving to his wife
serve as mere types and shadows of Christ’s union with his church. The apostle
clarifies, "This is a profound mystery—I am talking about Christ and the church"
(Eph 5:32). Firstly, it is a mystery, meaning that Adam’s marriage was secretly
ordained to represent and signify Christ’s marriage to his church. Secondly, it
is a great mystery because the reality being signified is so grand that the
earthly representation is merely a shadow of it. Therefore, all these
relationships, their corresponding affections, and the effects of those
affections that we observe and read about in human beings are all ordained to
be, just like everything else in this world, mere shadows of what exists in
Christ, who alone is the truth and substance underlying all natural
similarities, as well as ceremonial types.

If, therefore, no advancement can or should alter such relationships in human
beings, then it should not alter them in Christ. "He is not ashamed to call us
brethren," as stated in Heb 2:11. And yet, just before that, the apostle
mentioned Jesus being "crowned with glory and honour" (Heb 2:10). Indeed, just
as when one member suffers, the rest are affected with sympathy, the same holds
true for Christ. Paul persecuted the saints, the members, and the Head in heaven
cries out, "Why are you persecuting me?" (Acts 9:4). Though the foot was trodden
upon, the Head felt it, even while being "crowned with glory and honour." We are
"flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone" (Eph 5:30), and therefore, as Esther
said, Christ also says, "How can I endure to see the evil that befalls my
people?" If a husband has a wife who is of humble means and he becomes a king,
it would be his glory, not his shame, to elevate her. It would be shameful for
him to neglect her, especially if, at the time of their betrothal, she was rich,
glorious, and a king’s daughter, but has since fallen into poverty and misery.
Now, although Christ’s spouse has fallen into sin and misery, when she was
initially given to Christ by God the Father, who orchestrated the match from
eternity, she was regarded as glorious. In the act of election, both Christ and
we were considered by God in that future glory to which he intends to bring us,
with the intention preceding the execution. For God, at the beginning, looks at
the end of his works and what he intends to make of them. Thus, in his original
plan to make us glorious as we shall be, he presented us to his Son, as
reflected in his decrees, adorned with the radiance of glory that he planned to
bestow upon us. He showed us to him as adorned with all the jewels of grace and
glory that we will wear in heaven. He did this just as he brought Eve to Adam,
whose marriage was a type and shadow of this union. Therefore, this was the
first idea in which God embraced us, and we appeared before him, and it was in
this state that he presented us to Christ, as if saying, "I will give you such a
wife." The second person of the Trinity married us and undertook to bring us to
that glorious state. And God ordained that we would fall into sin and misery
only to illustrate the story of Christ’s love, thus rendering our lover and
husband more glorious in his love towards us, and making the original condition
to which God intended to restore us more brilliantly illustrious. Thus, even
though we were married to him when we were glorious in God’s initial intention,
although in his decrees regarding the execution of our journey to this glory, we
may fall into lowliness and misery before attaining it, the marriage still
stands.

Christ chose to share in our fate and experience it alongside us, just as we are
called to do the same with him. That is why, when we fell into sin and our flesh
became weak and susceptible to infirmities, he "partook of the same" (Heb 2:14).
Similarly, now that he has been exalted to the ordained glory, he cannot rest
until he has restored us to the beauty with which we were initially presented to
him. He desires to purify and cleanse us so that he may present us to himself as
a glorious church (Eph 5:26-27). He envisions us returning to our native and
original beauty, possessing the state in which he first took pleasure and
married us. This is argued from the perspective of his role as our husband (Eph
5:25-26). Therefore, even though Christ is now in glory, do not be discouraged,
for he has the heart of a husband towards you. He is betrothed to you forever in
faithfulness and loving kindness (Hos 2:19), and the image of that beauty, which
was predetermined for you from eternity, is imprinted on his heart. He will not
cease to sanctify and cleanse you until he has restored you to that beloved
beauty that captivated him.

Another aspect of his commitment. This love towards us is further intensified by
what he did and endured for us on earth before ascending to heaven. Having loved
his own to the extent of laying down his life for them, he will undoubtedly love
them to the end, even for eternity (John 13:1). In various kinds of
relationships, both spiritual and natural, we observe that having done much for
someone we love engenders greater care and affection towards them. The profound
sufferings of Christ for us have certainly produced a similar effect in him. We
can witness this in the love of parents. Besides the innate affection that
mothers have for their children as their own, the pains, labour, and hardships
they endure in giving birth increase their love for them, often surpassing that
of fathers. The pinnacle of such affection is attributed to the mother’s bond
with her child, described as "the son of her womb" (Isa 49:15). Additionally,
the act of personally nursing their children, despite the trouble and challenges
it entails, deepens their attachment and love for them. This is evident in the
marked difference in affection and care they demonstrate towards the children
they nurse compared to those they did not nurse among their own offspring. Thus,
in Isaiah, the highest example of such love is mentioned in relation to a
mother’s affection for her "sucking child." Similar dynamics apply to conjugal
love, wherein mutual affection is heightened through the trials and hardships
encountered together. The more a couple suffers for one another, the stronger
their desires and love become, and the beloved party for whom they endured
hardship becomes even dearer to them. And this holds true not only in natural
relationships but also in spiritual ones. We can observe it in holy men like
Moses, who served as a mediator for the Jews, prefiguring Christ’s role as our
mediator. Moses, under God’s guidance, risked his own life to deliver the
Israelites from Egypt, led them in the wilderness, gave them the good law that
brought them wisdom, and through his prayers averted God’s wrath from them.
Despite the constant murmuring and even attempts to stone him by the very people
he had done so much for, his heart remained deeply committed to their
well-being. When God, in His wrath against the Israelites, offered to make Moses
into a greater and mightier nation than them, Moses refused the offer, even
though it was the greatest temptation any human being had ever faced. He
continued to intercede for them, using the argument of what he had already done
for them, such as the great might and power with which he had brought them out
of Egypt, to implore God to extend His goodness towards them (Exo 32:11). And
God was moved by Moses’ plea, as recorded in Exo 32:14. Such was Moses’ devotion
to the people that he not only rejected God’s offer, but he offered himself as a
sacrifice for their sake, saying, "Blot me out of the book of life" (Exo 32:32).

Likewise, we can observe similar zealous love in the apostle Paul towards the
converts he wrote to in his epistles. What endeared his affections to them was
the effort, cost, toil, care, and suffering he had endured in bringing them to
Christ. We see his deep concern for the Galatians, fearing that his labour on
them might be in vain (Gal 4:11). He expresses even greater depth of emotion
when he says, "My little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of
childbirth until Christ is formed in you" (Gal 4:19). He is willing to go
through the pain of childbirth again for their sake rather than lose what he had
laboured for previously.

Drawing from both these examples, where one was a type of Christ and the other a
direct reflection of Christ’s heart, we can be assured of the love and affection
that must dwell within the heart of Christ, based on what He has done and
suffered for us.

Firstly, let’s consider Moses. Did Moses ever do for his people what Christ has
done and suffered for you? Moses acknowledged that he had not carried his people
in his womb, but Christ carried all of us, and we were the burden on his soul.
He endured the agonies of death for us (as Peter described them in Acts 2:24).
And what about Paul? Was Paul crucified for you? (Paul himself asked this
question.) But Christ was crucified, and Paul mentions it to magnify Christ’s
love. Even if Paul had been crucified, would it have benefited us? No. So, if
Paul was willing to go through labor pains for the Galatians, out of concern for
their spiritual well-being, then how much more does Christ’s heart move towards
sinners! He has already endured immeasurable suffering for us, which he is
reluctant to let go to waste. In addition, he has such great love for us that if
it were necessary for our salvation, he would be willing to go through the pain
and suffering again. However, he only needed to do it once, as the author of
Hebrews explains, because his priesthood was perfect. Therefore, rest assured
that his love was not exhausted or diminished by his death; it was multiplied.
It was his love that led him to die and lay down his life for his sheep (as he
stated in John 10:15). He himself said, "Greater love has no one than this, that
someone lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13). And now, having died,
it is inevitable that his soul would cling even more to his sheep. A cause or a
person that a man has 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 loses 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 Gal 3:4, 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 does not the same disposition remain in Christ? Especially seeing the hard
work is over and dispatched 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 not! "Jesus the same today, yesterday, and forever," Heb 13:8.
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." Luk 23:42-43. 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," 1Co 11:24-26, so to cause
our hearts to love him, then certainly himself does 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 commitment is the
obligation of an office that still rests upon him, demanding from him mercy and
compassion towards sinners who come to him. Therefore, as long as he remains in
that position and holds that office, which is perpetual, his heart must
inevitably be filled with tenderness and compassion. This office is the office
of priesthood, which is mentioned in this text as the basis for our
encouragement to approach the throne of grace with confidence, seeking grace and
mercy, since we have a great high priest who has entered into heaven (Heb
4:15-16).

I will now demonstrate two things to support this argument.

Firstly, the high priesthood is an office established entirely for the purpose
of displaying grace and mercy.

Secondly, this office places a responsibility on Christ to be full of grace and
mercy in all his dealings, and therefore his heart is undoubtedly inclined and
attuned to that.

Regarding the first point, the high priesthood is entirely an office of grace. I
would even call it the office of forgiveness, established by God in heaven, and
Christ has been appointed as its master and overseer. Just as his kingly office
pertains to power and dominion, and his prophetic office pertains to knowledge
and wisdom, his priestly office pertains to grace and mercy. The role of the
high priest solely dealt with these matters. If there had not been a mercy seat
in the Holy of Holies, there would have been no need for the high priest to
enter it. His duty was to address mercy, reconciliation, and atonement for
sinners, and thus officiate on their behalf at the mercy seat. Otherwise, he
would have had no task or purpose when entering the most sacred place.

Now, this was merely a symbolic reference to the office of Christ in heaven.
Therefore, in the text, the apostle mentions a throne of grace when he speaks of
our high priest entering into heaven, as a response to the typology of the
ancient high priest and the mercy seat in the Holy of Holies. Furthermore, to
reinforce this, the apostle proceeds to explain that very typology and apply it
to Christ, for the purpose at hand. This occurs in the following verses after my
text (Heb 5:1-3), where he provides a detailed description of a high priest,
including all the necessary qualities and essential requirements, along with the
eminent and primary purpose for which that office was ordained. Now, the
significant and essential qualifications specified there, which a high priest
must possess, are mercy and grace, and the purposes for which he is said to be
ordained are acts of mercy and grace. In addition to the explicit meaning of
these words, consider that they are introduced to support and confirm the
exhortation in the text, where Christ is portrayed as a "high priest who can
sympathise with our weaknesses." Therefore, we should approach with confidence
for grace and mercy... because "every high priest is selected from among the
people and appointed to represent them in matters related to God, to offer gifts
and sacrifices for sins" (Heb 5:1; One who can have compassion.) Thus, these
words affirm what was previously stated and highlight Christ as the substance,
displaying his grace and merciful nature, in contrast to Aaron and his sons who
were mere shadows. All of this is intended to comfort believers.

Now, regarding the purposes for which those high priests were appointed, they
all speak of nothing but grace and mercy towards sinners. It is stated that they
were ordained for men, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. There we find
both the "finis cujus," the end for whom, and the "finis cui," the end for
which, they were ordained.

(1.) For whom. They were ordained for men, that is, for the sake of men and
their well-being. If it were not for the salvation of men, God would never have
made Christ a priest. Therefore, he is entirely devoted to utilising all his
influence and power for the sake of those for whom he was ordained as a priest,
in all matters between God and them. He handles all things to be done by us
towards God or for us with God, he takes up all our disputes with God, and
mediates reconciliation between us and Him. He secures favour for us from God
and accomplishes all that which God would have done for our salvation. And in
order to do this willingly, kindly, and naturally for us, just as every high
priest was "selected from among the people," so was Christ, that he might be a
priest of our own kind and thus be even more compassionate towards us than an
angelic nature could have been. I will shortly explain how significant this is
to his role as a merciful high priest.

(2.) The purpose for which every high priest was ordained is evident: to "offer
gifts and sacrifices for sins." Sacrifices were offered to appease God’s wrath
against sin, while gifts were given to obtain His favour. As you know, in the
preceding verses, the apostle mentioned grace and mercy, and encouraged us to
approach this high priest boldly for both. And to further encourage us, he
states that the high priest, by virtue of his office, was appointed to offer
both gifts and sacrifices. Gifts were offered to procure all grace, and
sacrifices were offered to obtain all mercy for us in relation to our sins.
Thus, you can see the purpose for which he is ordained, encompassing all matters
of grace and mercy, serving as an encouragement for us to seek both (Heb 5:1).

(3.) The required qualification for a high priest was to be "one that could have
compassion," as stated in Heb 5:2. A person chosen as high priest was not
selected for their great wisdom, power, or exact holiness, but for the mercy and
compassion within them. This attribute is emphasised as the specific and
essential quality of a high priest. It is the internal disposition and heart
that internally constitutes and prepares them for that office, as expressed in
Heb 5:4. The word δυνάμενος, meaning "that can" or "is able," implies an inner
faculty, spirit, disposition, and a heart that knows how to show compassion. It
is the same word the apostle used earlier to describe Christ’s heart in the
text, δυνάμενον συμπαθῆσαι, which means "who can be touched with the feeling of
our infirmities." The apostle had also used it in relation to Christ’s mercy in
Heb 2:18, δύναται, which does not refer to external power (what we commonly
refer to as ability), but rather an internal inclination of His will. He has a
heart capable of forgiveness and providing help.

Therefore, if this quality is essential for a high priest, it is most prominent
in Christ. Just as Christ would not have been fit to be God’s king without
having all power and strength, which are essential for His role as king, He
would not have been God’s high priest if He did not possess such a compassionate
heart. Moreover, He would no longer be a priest if He ceased to have such a
heart. Just as the gifts of a minister internally qualify them for their
ministry, and losing these gifts disqualifies them from the office, or how
reason distinguishes a person as human and losing it reduces them to the level
of a beast, similarly, Christ would only continue to be a priest as long as He
possesses a heart that "can have compassion," as described in the second verse.
The word translated as "to have compassion" carries great emphasis, and its
force is noteworthy. In the original Greek, it is μετριοπαθεῖν, signifying "to
have compassion according to each person’s measure and proportion." In the text,
Christ is described as being "touched with the feeling of our infirmities" or as
"suffering with us in all our evils." This word also implies a willingness to
suffer.

However, distressed souls may raise the following question: Although he pities
me and is affected, will he fully comprehend and empathise with my immense
misery and sins in order to show pity in accordance with their magnitude? To
address this thought and counter the objection concerning Christ’s compassion,
the apostle describes him in relation to the duty of the high priest, who serves
as his shadow. Christ is one who "can have compassion according to the measure
of everyone’s distress." He carefully considers each circumstance and responds
with appropriate pity and assistance. If the distress is great, he feels a
profound sympathy because he is a great high priest. Your misery can never
surpass his mercy. The word used here is derived from "measure" and "to suffer."
It is evident that the apostle’s intention is to convey this meaning through the
word, as can be seen in what follows. He specifically mentions various degrees,
proportions, and categories of sinners under the old law who were eligible for
mercy and compassion. He states that Christ can have compassion on the ignorant
and those who have gone astray. In the old law, there are references to
different levels and types of sinners for whom God prescribed different and
proportionate sacrifices (Lev 4:2; Lev 4:5). There were sacrifices designated
for sins committed out of ignorance, as well as for sins committed knowingly
(Lev 6:2-3, compared with Lev 6:6). When a sinner approached the high priest to
seek atonement, the priest would wisely consider the nature and magnitude of the
sin, whether it was an act of pure ignorance or a deliberate transgression.
Accordingly, he would determine the appropriate sacrifice and intercede on
behalf of the individual. Thus, he would "pity him according to measure" or with
reason and discretion, as indicated in the margin. That is why the apostle
mentions both the ignorant sinners, those who sin out of pure ignorance, and
those who have gone astray, committing willful and intentional iniquity. Through
this characteristic of the high priest, the apostle portrays Christ. His
response towards individuals corresponds to the extent of their need and
distress caused by sin and misery. As we have sins of varying degrees, he has
corresponding measures of mercy and provides proportional mediation, whether
they are acts of ignorance, recurring daily sins, or more severe and
presumptuous transgressions. Therefore, let neither category of sin discourage
anyone from approaching Christ for grace and mercy. To conclude, Christ
possesses the qualification of merciful compassionateness for this office, and
the purpose of this office is to extend mercy to sinners of all kinds, according
to the measure and magnitude of their sins and miseries. From these points, the
following corollaries arise, completing the demonstration at hand: 1. He is no
longer suitable for this role unless he continues to possess a gracious
disposition and the ability to have compassion. 2. He cannot faithfully fulfill
the responsibilities of this office, as intended, unless he demonstrates grace
and mercy to those who come to his throne of grace seeking it. And that is the
second point that I initially stated: this office imposes a duty on him to have
compassion, and it necessarily follows from the previous point. To further
confirm this, we have both of these aspects presented together in another
parallel passage, which is Heb 2:17 : "That he might be a merciful and faithful
high priest." Here, he is described as both merciful and faithful, and both
attributes are ascribed to him in relation to his high priest’s office as a
"faithful high priest." This pertains to his role in heaven, after the days of
his earthly existence. The apostle explains the reason behind it, stating that
he himself has suffered (Heb 2:18), which refers to the time after his
sufferings ended. When he is referred to as merciful, it relates to the internal
disposition of his heart mentioned earlier, which qualifies him for this office.
On the other hand, when he is described as faithful, it refers to his execution
of the duties incumbent upon him. He is faithful in fulfilling the duty assigned
to him by his appointment to that office.

Therefore, this goes beyond the previous point by demonstrating that exercising
mercy is the obligation of his position, and if he is to be faithful, he must be
merciful. Faithfulness in any office implies the precise fulfillment of
responsibilities prescribed by the one who appoints to that office, viewing them
as obligations. This accurately describes faithfulness, and it applies to
Christ. This is implied in the following passage, which immediately follows at
the beginning of Heb 3:2 : "Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as Moses
also was faithful in all his house." The same sentiment is expressed explicitly
in the previously quoted passage from Hebrews 5, in the subsequent words to
those we have just discussed (Heb 5:3): "And by reason hereof he ought to offer
for sins." The apostle speaks of Christ’s type, the high priest, to illustrate
that it is also Christ’s duty to mediate for all who come to him. He "ought to
do it." Therefore, considering that this office binds him to it by God’s
appointment and that it is the duty of his position, he will undoubtedly perform
it most diligently, for neglecting to do so would mean failing in his duty. Our
comfort lies in knowing that his faithfulness lies in being merciful. As you can
see, both attributes are united here. Everyone is to fulfill the proper duty of
their position and attend to it meticulously. In Romans 12, the apostle exhorts
the discharge of the duties of each office in the church. He says, "Let him who
has a ministry" entrusted to him "wait on his ministry" (Rom 12:7). And if
someone’s role involves showing mercy, as mentioned in Rom 12:8 (which was an
office in the church responsible for caring for the poor and sick), they should
do so cheerfully. Christ also affirms this about himself in Isa 61:1-2 : "The
Spirit of the Lord is upon me, to bind up the brokenhearted, to open the prison
doors to those who are bound," to visit and relieve them, and "to preach good
tidings to the meek." He has charge of souls in need of such care. He is the
great shepherd and bishop of souls (1Pe 2:25), and the sick and broken are his
sheep, his responsibility, his diocese, as described in Eze 34:16. He forever
views tending to them as his duty, as indicated by his words on a similar
occasion in John 10:16 : "Other sheep I have" (says Christ), "them I must
bring." Notice how he emphasizes the "I must," seeing it as his duty strictly
imposed on him by his role as a shepherd. Given that showing mercy is the proper
duty of his position, he performs it with cheerfulness, as the apostle states.
Mercy brings about a cheerful disposition in one’s actions. Christ, as the
bishop, also serves as the deacon (for he fulfills all offices within his
church), not only for the circumcised but also for the uncircumcised, as stated
in Rom 15:8. These offices of high priest, shepherd, and bishop he continues to
hold in heaven, for "he remains a priest forever" (Heb 7:24).

Now, therefore, to conclude this point: Never fear that Christ’s exalted
position in heaven would in any way change his disposition, for his very
exaltation further binds him to it. Although he has "entered into the heavens,"
consider that it is specifically mentioned that he remains there as a high
priest. Therefore, do not fear, for his very position necessitates mercy from
him towards those who approach him. Even though he has been "exalted far above
all principalities and powers" in heaven, his high priesthood still accompanies
him. For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest who is higher than the
heavens themselves (Heb 7:26). Furthermore, although he sits at the right hand
of God and on his Father’s throne, that throne is a "throne of grace," as the
text states. Just as the mercy-seat in the tabernacle was the farthest and
highest object in the Holy of Holies, the throne of grace (which is an infinite
encouragement for us) is the highest seat in heaven. Therefore, if Christ
desires to have and maintain the greatest position in heaven, the highest honour
that heaven itself can bestow upon him, it obligates him to show grace and
mercy. The highest honour in heaven is accompanied by the attribute of grace in
its very title, "A throne of grace." As Solomon says, "A king’s throne is
established by righteousness" (Pro 25:5), it remains firm through righteousness.
Similarly, Christ’s throne is established by grace. Grace was both the initial
foundation of his throne, or the means by which he was raised to it, and it is
also the sustainer of it.

Firstly, grace is the foundation of his throne. The reason why God placed him in
that position is because he had more grace and mercy in his heart than all
creatures combined or could ever possess. Typically, favourites are raised up
for something outstanding in them, whether it be beauty, wit, political
astuteness, or the like. If you ask what prompted God to elevate Christ to this
lofty throne, it was his grace. As stated in Psa 45:2, "Grace is poured upon thy
lips," and it dwells even more abundantly in his heart. As a result, "God hath
blessed thee," as the verse continues, bestowing upon him all the glories of
heaven, which are God’s blessings to his Son.

Secondly, grace upholds his throne. As Psa 45:4 declares, "In thy
majesty...prosper thou," not only because of meekness and righteousness but also
because of truth. This truth refers to the word of truth, "the gospel of our
salvation," as Paul explains in Eph 1:13. These are the pillars and supports of
his throne and majesty. And you can see that two of them pertain to grace
(meekness and the gospel of our salvation), while one pertains to justice or
righteousness, yet even that one is for our benefit. It is through these
elements that Christ’s throne is established. As Psa 45:6 continues, "Thy
throne, O God, is forever and ever," and you know that this is applied to Christ
in Heb 1:8. Therefore, do not fear when his majesty is upheld by meekness and
his throne by grace, and when he maintains his position by demonstrating these
qualities. This concludes what can be said about the duties placed upon Christ
as a priest. A fourth aspect that can greatly strengthen our faith in this
matter is Christ’s personal interest, both in the fact that our salvation is the
result of his sacrificial death and also that his own joy, comfort, happiness,
and glory are increased by showing grace and mercy to his followers on earth,
providing forgiveness, relief, and comfort in their weaknesses. Therefore, in
addition to the obligation of the office he has undertaken for us, there is the
significant factor of his own vested interest that aligns with it, motivating
him to be faithful to us in all matters concerning our well-being. We can
observe that advocates and attorneys, even though they have no personal stake or
ownership in the cases they represent, are diligent in promoting and advocating
for their clients simply because it is their professional duty and
responsibility, despite often receiving only a small fee in comparison to the
value of the disputed property. How much more diligent would they be if the
lands and estates they fought for were their own or acquired for the sake of
their wives’ settlements or children’s inheritances!

Similarly, the forgiveness of our sins, the salvation of our souls, and our
conformity to Christ are the very outcome of Christ’s bloodshed, and in working
towards these ends, he benefits his own children and spouse, which is
essentially benefiting himself. In fact, his engagement in these matters brings
him even greater comfort and glory than it bestows upon us. Hence, in the
beginning of the subsequent chapter (Hebrews 3), the apostle states that Christ
is faithful in executing his office not merely as a servant entrusted by his
master, but as an owner who possesses a vested interest in the things entrusted
to his care and receives a reward from them. As mentioned in Heb 3:5, "Moses
indeed was faithful in all his house as a servant, for a testimony of those
things which would be spoken afterward. But Christ as a Son over His own house,
whose house we are." If a physician can be faithful in attending to a patient’s
needs for a fee, how much more faithful will they be if they are the parent of
the patient and their own life and happiness are intertwined with that of their
child, or if a significant portion of their income relies on the health and
well-being of the individual to whom they administer medical treatment? In such
cases, the patient can be assured of receiving the utmost care and attention,
not lacking any remedies or treatments that would bring comfort, not lacking any
means of healing and maintaining health, and not lacking any suitable diet to
nourish and strengthen them. This is akin to the responsibility of the chief
official in Daniel 1, who was entrusted with the care of the children and
ensured that they had the finest food and drink, as his position depended on
their well-being and appearance. Thus, God has ordained that Christ’s provision
of grace, mercy, and comfort to us is a significant part of his glory and
contributes to the abundance of his happiness and inheritance in heaven,
establishing an everlasting bond between his heart and ours. To explain how this
can be, let us consider that the human nature of Christ in heaven experiences a
twofold capacity for glory, happiness, and delight. The first is derived from
the sheer fellowship and communion he enjoys with his Father and the other
persons of the Godhead through his personal union with divinity. Christ himself
speaks of this joy in Psa 16:11, expressing that he finds fullness of joy in the
presence of God and eternal pleasures at His right hand. This joy is constant,
unchanging, absolute, and self-sufficient for the Son of God, the heir of all
things, even if he had no other source of joy from any creature. It is his
inherent inheritance.

However, God has also bestowed upon him another capacity for glory and a source
of pleasure that comes in a different way—specifically, through his church and
spouse, which is his body. In Ephesians 1, after the apostle has described
Christ’s exalted position in heaven, seated at the right hand of God, far above
all principalities and powers, he adds in Eph 1:22, "And He put all things under
His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His
body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all." Thus, although Christ is
personally full in himself, being filled with the fullness of the Godhead, to
the point of overflowing and filling all things, he considers—both in reality
and in his gracious disposition—his church and its salvation to be an additional
fullness. As the Son of God, he is complete and self-sufficient, but as the head
of the church, he experiences another fullness of joy derived from the
well-being and happiness of his members. Just as pleasure accompanies and
results from action, this joy arises from his acts of grace and continual
benevolence towards his members. As the apostle expresses it, it is through his
filling them with mercy, grace, comfort, and happiness that he himself becomes
even more full. This, too, is his inheritance, alongside the previous one.

Therefore, Christ has a twofold inheritance upon which he draws for his
sustenance. The first is personal, inherent to him as the Son of God, even from
the moment of his incarnation before he had performed any work towards our
salvation. The second is acquired, earned, and deserved through his great
service and obedience, particularly in his role as the mediator and head of the
church. While he is completely self-sufficient, never lacking in himself, he
does not disregard the portion of his reward that comes from below. In addition
to the glory of his person, there is glory in his role as the mediator and head
of his church. Thus, even though he is fully satisfied in himself, he values and
appreciates this aspect of his reward that originates from the earthly realm.
This concludes the explanation.

Now, secondly, for the confirmation and completion of the demonstration at hand.
This additional glory and happiness of Christ is further enlarged and increased
as his members experience the effects of his redemptive work more and more. When
their sins are forgiven, their hearts are sanctified, and their spirits are
comforted, he sees the fruit of his labor and finds comfort in it. He is
glorified by it, and indeed, he takes even greater pleasure and joy in it than
they themselves can. This undoubtedly sustains his care and love for his
children here on earth, continually watering and refreshing them (Isa 27:3). By
extending acts of grace, favor, and goodness towards them, he is essentially
doing good to himself, which is the strongest commitment imaginable. This is why
the apostle urges husbands to love their wives, as in doing so, they love
themselves: "So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies. He
who loves his wife loves himself" (Eph 5:28). Such is the profound and intimate
nature of that relationship. Likewise, the same principle applies to Christ’s
love for his church. In that same passage, the love of Christ for his church is
presented as the pattern and example for our own love: "Husbands, love your
wives, just as Christ also loved the church" (Eph 5:25). By comparing these
statements, one can argue that when Christ loves his church, he is essentially
loving himself. Therefore, the more love and grace he demonstrates towards the
members of his body, the more love he shows himself. This is further emphasized
in Eph 5:27, where it is stated that he daily "washes and cleanses his church,"
freeing it from the guilt and power of sin, "that he might present it to himself
a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle." Note that it is for himself.
Everything he does for his members is ultimately for himself, even more so than
for them. His share of glory derived from theirs is greater, as the glory of the
cause surpasses that of the effect. Indeed, this is how Scripture speaks of it,
referring to the saints as the "glory of Christ" (2Co 8:23). In John 17:13; John
17:22-23, Christ himself declares that he is "glorified in them." In Psalms 45,
where Christ is depicted as Solomon in all his royal splendour and majesty, it
is stated that he greatly desires and delights in the beauty of his queen,
representing the graces of the saints. This is not an ordinary delight, but a
greatly intensified desire that grows as her beauty increases. This serves as a
motivation for her to become more holy and conformed to him, as stated in Psa
45:10, "Listen, O daughter, consider and give ear: Forget your people and your
father’s house. The king is enthralled by your beauty." Christ finds pleasure in
the beauty of his bride, just as we find pleasure in his beauty, although it is
of a different nature. He persists until every blemish and imperfection is
removed from the face of his bride, as the apostle mentioned earlier, presenting
her as glorious to himself—delightful and pleasing in his eyes. And in line with
this, to further confirm our belief, Christ, in his farewell sermon before
ascending to heaven, assures his disciples that his heart will not be detached
from them. On the contrary, his joy will still reside in them, seeing them
thrive and bear fruit (John 15:9-11). His aim is to assure them of his enduring
love even in his absence. He tells them, "As my Father has loved me, so have I
loved you; abide in my love" (John 15:9-10). In other words, he assures them
that his love for them will persist, so they should remain steadfast in return.
To provide them with further reassurance, he explains that even when he is in
heaven, experiencing the utmost joy at the right hand of God, his joy will still
be in them and in their righteous actions. He says, "These things I have spoken
to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full" (John 15:11).
His words resemble those of a father bidding farewell to his children,
comforting them and offering guidance for when he is no longer with them—urging
them to keep his commandments and love one another (John 15:10; John 15:12). He
motivates them by saying, "so shall my joy remain in you." It is akin to how
fathers speak, and it will be for their own benefit too; their joy will be
complete. To shed some light on these words, the term "remain," used in relation
to their abiding in his love and his joy abiding in them, refers to the
continuation of both these aspects towards them in heaven. When Christ says,
"that my joy may remain in you," it implies that even in heaven, he will have
reason to rejoice in them when he hears of their unity, love for one another,
and obedience to his commandments. The joy referred to as "my joy" is not to be
understood objectively as their joy in him, but subjectively as the joy that he
himself will have in them. Augustine long ago interpreted it as such, saying,
"What is Christ’s joy in us, but that which he vouchsafes to have of and for
us?" This interpretation is supported by the fact that if it were their joy that
he meant in the initial statement, then the subsequent statement, "and your joy
will be full," would be redundant. Therefore, he speaks of his joy and their joy
as two distinct things, both serving as powerful motivators to encourage and
inspire his disciples to obey. To gain an understanding of Christ’s heart in
this matter, we can look to the examples of the apostles Paul and John, who
themselves experienced a smaller reflection of Christ’s joy. What brought them
the greatest joy in this world, aside from direct communion with Christ, was
seeing the fruit of their ministry manifested in the lives and hearts of those
they had brought to Christ.

Look at how Paul expresses himself in 1Th 2:19, saying, "What is our hope or joy
or crown of rejoicing? You are our glory and joy." John says something similar
in 3Jn 1:3, as he greatly rejoices upon hearing the good testimony about Gaius.
He declares, "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in the
truth." Now, what were Paul and John but instruments through whom others
believed and were brought forth? They were not the ones crucified for them, nor
were these individuals their own offspring. Therefore, if Paul and John find
immense joy and satisfaction in the well-being and faithfulness of those they
have ministered to, how much more so must it be for Christ, whose connection and
care for us is infinitely greater? His members are his joy and crown. Seeing
them come to him for grace and mercy, and witnessing their commitment to truth,
brings him even greater delight, for he sees the fruits of his sacrificial work
and is content. Surely, what Solomon says about parents being gladdened by wise
children applies even more to Christ. Holiness, fruitfulness, and spiritual
comfort in our lives here on earth bring joy to the heart of our "everlasting
Father." Christ himself has proclaimed it. I implore you to believe him and
conduct yourselves accordingly. If part of his joy stems from our thriving and
righteousness, then doubt not the persistence of his affections. Love for
himself will ensure that his affections remain steadfast towards us, always
ready to embrace and offer us grace and mercy when we seek it.

There is a fifth commitment that arises from Christ’s assumption of our very
nature, which he still bears in heaven. The purpose behind God’s ordained union
of our nature with the divinity in the second person was to make him a merciful
high priest. Thus, his office imposes this duty upon him, and his incarnation
qualifies him for the role and its fulfilment. This further supports the point
at hand. We find that this was not only an essential requirement for our high
priest, enhancing his capacity for compassion, but also one of the significant
purposes behind God’s plan in the assumption of our nature.

Firstly, it is an essential requirement to make him more merciful. As stated in
Heb 5:1, the passage previously mentioned but left to be discussed here, it
says, "Every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to represent them in
matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins." This is done so
that he "can deal gently with those who are ignorant and going astray, since he
himself is subject to weakness." This qualification is meant to evoke a natural
and genuine compassion, similar to how humans feel towards their own kind.
Angels, though greater in stature, would not possess the same empathy towards
humans as one of our own nature would. And secondly, this was also God’s purpose
and intention in ordaining Christ’s assumption of our nature, as indicated in
the previously mentioned passage from Heb 2:16-17. It states, "For surely it is
not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. Therefore he
had to become like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he might
be a merciful and faithful high priest." This was done "in order to become," or
"be made merciful." But some may ask, wasn’t the Son of God already merciful
even without taking on our nature, just as he was afterwards when he assumed it?
Does his mercy thereby become greater than it would have been if he had not
taken on human nature?

I answer, Yes. He is equally merciful, but still:

[1.] This serves as a clear and profound demonstration (the greatest one that
could have been given to humankind) of the everlasting continuation of God’s
mercies towards humanity. By becoming a man for eternity, God assures us that he
will be merciful to humans, who share his nature, forever. Just as his union
with our nature is everlasting, so too are his mercies, which will never cease
to be bestowed upon us. His mercy towards us will remain as long as he remains a
man, which will be for eternity. This was the purpose of his assumption of our
nature.

[2.] However, that is not all. His taking on our nature not only adds to our
faith but also, in some way or another, adds to his ability to be merciful.
Hence, it is said, "so that he might be made merciful." That is, merciful in a
way that God would not have been without assuming human nature, specifically as
a man. This union of both natures, divine and human, was established by God to
create the most remarkable blend of grace and mercy that could ever exist,
perfectly suited to heal and save our souls. The vastness of God’s mercy, which
forms the stock and treasury of the mercies bestowed upon us, cannot be
increased by the assumption of human nature. Rather, Christ’s humanity receives
its full measure of mercy from his divinity. Without the mercies of God
enlarging his heart towards us, he could never have sustained being eternally
merciful to us. However, his assumption of human nature introduces a new way of
being merciful. It assimilates all these mercies and transforms them into the
mercies of a man. It imparts a natural kindness that resonates with our capacity
for understanding. Therefore, God now pities us, who are flesh of his flesh and
bone of his bone, in the same kind and natural manner that one human pities
another. This encourages us to approach him, to have a familiar relationship
with God, and to seek his grace and mercy, just as humans would do with one
another. We know that in the man Christ Jesus (whom we believe in), God dwells,
and his mercies work through his heart in a human manner.

I will no longer dwell on this idea now, as I will have the opportunity to
address it again and elaborate further under the next third main point, which
involves demonstrating how Christ’s heart is inclined towards sinners. Let us
simply take note of the comfort this can bring to our faith: Christ must cease
to be a man if he were to cease being merciful. The very purpose of his
incarnation was to show mercy to us in a way that resonates with our
understanding, something which, as God alone, he was not capable of. Let me
boldly add this true statement: he may as soon cease to be God as he may cease
to be a man. Once he assumed human nature, it was elevated to all the inherent
privileges of being the Son of God, one of which (and now inherent to him) is to
remain eternally united. He may as soon cease to be either God or man as he may
cease to be ready to show mercy. Therefore, not only does the scope of Christ’s
role, but also the purpose behind his assumption of our nature, place a stronger
and more compelling obligation upon him than any before, or than all of them
combined.


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  CHAPTER 8: 6. CHRIST'S HEART IS TOUCHED WITH THE FEELING, OF OUR INFIRMITIES
========================================================================

Christ’s Heart is Touched with the Feeling, of our Infirmities For we have not
an high priest who cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but
was in all things tempted like as we are, yet without sin.—Heb 4:15 To clarify
how this should be understood, namely that Christ’s heart is moved by the
experience of our weaknesses, and how our weaknesses find their way into his
heart.

I. After providing extensive evidence and demonstrations of the compassion and
similarity of Christ’s heart towards us, both in his present state in heaven and
during his time on earth, through external (in the first part) and internal (in
the second part) factors, I now turn to the final point that I introduced at the
beginning of these discussions. This pertains to the manner in which Christ is
affected with pity towards us—how we are to comprehend it and how such emotions
find their way into his heart, leading to these compassionate sentiments towards
us. I indicated at the start of the second part that this needed to be
addressed, as it is essential for understanding and clarifying the words of the
text, which primarily convey this idea, and for elucidating the matter at hand.
As I previously explained, these words anticipate and address an objection that
may arise, suggesting that Christ’s heavenly state may not be capable of such
affections that would tenderly move him to pity and compassion, given his
glorified state in both soul and body. Because this thought could naturally
arise in the minds of many, the apostle preempts it by affirming the opposite:
"We have not a high priest who is unable to sympathise," meaning that he is both
able and capable of such empathy, and moreover, he is indeed moved by it despite
his glory. The apostle supports this affirmation by explaining the reason behind
it, namely, that "he was tempted in every way as we are," as stated in Heb 4:15.

Now, in the process of addressing and elucidating these matters, which present
considerable challenges, I will cautiously proceed to uncover the nature of
Christ’s affection in this regard, taking careful steps to gradually unveil it.
This feeling of compassion, or his being "touched with the feeling of our
infirmities," is not to be completely understood in a metaphorical or figurative
sense, as the expressions used for God in the Old Testament are to be understood
when bowels of compassion are attributed to Him, or when it is said that His
bowels are "rolled together," or when it is stated that God repented and was
afflicted in all His people’s afflictions. These expressions were used for God
(as we all know) merely in the manner of men, to convey and represent to our
understanding the affections that parents or friends typically have in certain
cases (which provoke them to specific actions), and to show that similar effects
proceed from God towards us when He sees us in distress. So, these expressions
are spoken more in terms of effect rather than actual emotions in God’s heart,
as He is not capable of such passions. Now, to properly understand this, the
first thing I affirm is that what is being spoken of Christ here is not to be
understood merely in that sense, and my reason for this is based on two
considerations.

First, this affection towards us that is mentioned here is clearly referring to
His human nature and not His divinity alone, as it is spoken of the nature in
which He was once tempted as we are now. This is expressly stated in the
following words, which can only refer to His human nature.

Secondly, those kinds of expressions that were used for God before the
assumption of our nature, which were only metaphorical and figurative, "after
the manner of men," should not be spoken of Christ and His assumed human nature
in any further or more real and proper sense. When He is as truly and properly a
man as we are, I cannot imagine why this should be the case, especially when
considering the previous point that one of the purposes of Christ taking on
human nature was "that he might be a merciful high priest forever" in a way that
He, being solely God, could not have been. I confess that I have often wondered
at the expression used there, "He took the seed of Abraham, that he might be
made a merciful high priest" (Heb 2:16-17), which initially sounded as if God
had become more merciful by taking on our nature. However, this wonder is
resolved by understanding that this assumption added a new way for God to be
merciful, through which it can now be said, for the comfort and assurance of our
faith, that God is truly and genuinely merciful, just like a man. Considering
this contributes to the clarification of the matter at hand. Whereas God, in His
inherent blessedness and perfection, could not have been moved by the slightest
feeling of our weaknesses, and He was not capable of the affection of pity or
compassion Himself ("He is not like a man, that he should pity or repent" - 1Sa
15:29), He can indeed do for us in our distress what a compassionate person
would do. However, He is not capable of experiencing those affections and
emotions Himself. Therefore, among other reasons for assuming human nature, this
purpose emerged before God: that God might become loving and merciful towards
human beings, just as one person is to another. As a result, what was previously
expressed in an improper and figurative manner in the Old Testament to convey it
to our understanding can now be truly attributed to Him in reality. God can
forever be said to be compassionate as a man and to be touched with the feeling
of our weaknesses as a man. Through this blessed union of both natures, the
language of the Old Testament, previously expressed only in symbolic terms,
becomes confirmed and fulfilled in its truth, just as all other shadows were
fulfilled in Christ. This is the initial step towards understanding what is said
of Christ here, based on this comparison with similar attributes ascribed to God
Himself.

Another step to help us understand this is through a further comparison with
angels and their affections of love and pity, which are certainly present in
them. In comparison to them, the affections in Christ’s glorified human nature
must necessarily be even more similar to ours, even more tender and human. In
Heb 2:16, it is explicitly stated, "For indeed he does not give aid to angels,
but he does give aid to the seed of Abraham." Part of the purpose of these words
is to show and provide the reason not only for why he took on our nature in
frail flesh, as the apostle mentioned in Heb 2:14, but also why he took on a
human nature in substance, and not the nature of angels. The reason is that in
his affections of mercy, he wanted to be forever closer to us and have such
affections of the same kind as ours. In other aspects, an angel would have been
a higher and more glorious high priest than a man.

Now, while angels are fellow servants with us, as an angel referred to himself
in Rev 22:9, their affections towards us are more akin to ours than God’s, and
they are more capable of being moved by our miseries. Although they are spirits,
they possess something analogous or resembling the affections of pity and grief
that we have. In fact, to the extent that these affections reside in our souls
and are not overwhelmed by bodily passions, to which our souls are connected,
they are the very same kind of affections that exist in angels. That’s why the
same desires that are in humans are said to be in devils (John 8:44), and the
devils are also said to fear and tremble. Conversely, the same affections that
are in humans, in their spiritual aspect where the spirit or soul is the seat of
these affections, must necessarily be found in the good angels. However, since
Christ has a human nature that is of the same substance as ours, consisting of
both soul and body, although made spiritual through glory, yet not becoming a
spirit ("A spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have," said Christ
of himself after his resurrection - Luk 24:39), he must inevitably have
affections towards us that are even more similar to ours than those of the
angels. Therefore, through these two steps, we establish two things: that even
in Christ’s glorified human nature, affections of pity and compassion are
genuine and not metaphorical attributions to him as they are to God, and that
these affections are closer and more akin to ours than those in angels. They are
affections proper to human nature, truly human. And he would have had these
affections even if this human nature had been as glorious from the very moment
of its assumption as it is now in heaven.

Now, thirdly, consider this: God ordained that before Christ adorned his human
nature with the glory he possesses in heaven and bestowed that glory upon it, he
should take on that nature already burdened with all our infirmities, even the
very same that afflict us, and live in this world just as we do for many years.
Throughout that time, God arranged for him to endure all sorts of afflictions
and miseries that we ourselves encounter. During that period, he experienced and
became accustomed to the same sorrows that we do, and God allowed him to bear
the vulnerability and sensitivity of spirit that enables him to empathise deeply
with all our distresses (without sin) and to exhibit the very same emotions
under such distresses that we often feel in our own hearts. God orchestrated
this on purpose, in order to prepare and shape his heart, when he would be in
glory, to possess the kind of affections described in the text. This is
suggested by both this text and the previously mentioned passage in Heb 2:14,
which states, "Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood,"
a phrase that always denotes the frailties of human nature, as in 1Co 15:50, "He
himself shared in the same…that he might be a merciful and faithful High Priest"
(Heb 2:17). The apostle then provides the reason for this in Heb 2:18, "For in
that he himself has suffered, being tempted, he is able"—this ability, as
previously explained, means having a heart that is equipped and enabled, through
personal experience, to show compassion—"to aid those who are tempted." What
this means is that it is not merely the act of assuming a human nature, even if
it were glorious from the beginning, that would fully equip him to be genuinely
compassionate through personal experience. Although, as mentioned earlier, his
knowledge of our miseries acquired through taking on our nature would indeed
make him truly and genuinely compassionate towards us, with affections that are
human and befitting a man, much closer and similar to ours than those of the
angels themselves, or even those ascribed to God when he is said to pity us.
However, what truly completes this preparation of his heart is his initial
assumption of our nature, already clothed in frailties, and his living in this
world just as we do. This experience forever enables him to intimately
understand our hearts and innermost beings. It goes beyond mere knowledge of our
distress and the ability to feel a human affection towards someone of his own
kind; it is a personal, experiential recollection of similar afflictions within
himself. And the text itself also suggests how our miseries penetrate his heart
more deeply now that he is in heaven. "For we do not have a high priest who is
unable to sympathise with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted
in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin" (Heb 4:15). To provide further
comfort in this matter, note how comprehensively the apostle speaks of Christ’s
temptations during his time on earth. First, in terms of the variety of
temptations, he says he was tempted "in all points," encompassing every kind of
trial and challenge that we experience. Second, he emphasises the manner of his
temptations by stating that they were "like as we are." His heart was affected,
wounded, pierced, and distressed in the very same way as ours is in such trials,
yet he remained without sin. God purposely allowed all his affections to remain
tender and acutely sensitive to evil. Christ, therefore, took to heart
everything that happened to him with utmost intensity; he did not disregard any
cross, whether it came from God or from people, but fully experienced the weight
of it. His heart was even more tender in all aspects of affection than any of
ours, particularly in love and compassion. This is why he is described as "a man
of sorrows" (Isa 53:3) more than any other person ever was or will be.

Now, to explain how our miseries reach his heart and elicit such genuine
affections of pity and compassion in him, it is not difficult to comprehend
based on what has been discussed thus far and what the text hints at.

(1.) His understanding and knowledge, as part of his human nature, are aware of
all the experiences that befall his followers here on earth. The text makes this
clear, for the apostle states it to encourage us, affirming that "Christ is
touched with the feeling of our infirmities." This would not provide relief if
it did not imply that he has a specific and comprehensive knowledge of them. If
he did not know all our experiences, we would lack solace since we would not
know which ones he knows and which ones he does not. The apostle affirms this
concerning his human nature, as mentioned before, as he speaks of the nature
that was tempted during his earthly sojourn. Therefore, in Rev 5:6, he is
referred to as the "Lamb who had been slain" and as "the man Christ Jesus,"
having "seven eyes" alongside "seven horns." These seven eyes represent the
"seven spirits sent out into all the earth." Through the anointing of the Holy
Spirit, his eyes of providence are present throughout the world, observing all
that occurs under the sun. Similarly, he is depicted with seven horns denoting
power and seven eyes representing knowledge. Both qualities are described as
seven to signify their perfection and all-encompassing scope. Just as "all power
in heaven and earth" is entrusted to him as the Son of Man, as stated in
Scripture (Mat 28:18), so he possesses complete knowledge of all things in
heaven and earth, also as the Son of Man. His knowledge and power extend
equally. He is the sun, not only in terms of righteousness but also in terms of
knowledge, and nothing is hidden from his penetrating light and beams, which
illuminate the darkest recesses of human hearts. He knows the wounds and
distresses within their hearts. Just as a round mirror placed in the center of a
room reflects all that occurs within it simultaneously, the expanded
understanding of Christ’s human nature encompasses the affairs of the world he
governs, particularly the sufferings of his followers, all at once.

(2.) His human nature possesses knowledge of all things—"I know your deeds, your
toil, and your patient endurance" (Rev 2:2)—and along with that, an act of
memory. He recalls how he himself was once affected and distressed under the
same or similar miseries while on earth. The memory of earthly things remains
with him, as it does with all spirits in either heaven or hell. In hell, Abraham
says to the soul of Dives, "Son, remember that during your lifetime you received
your good things, while Lazarus received bad things" (Luk 16:25). The good thief
said to Christ, "Remember me when you come into your kingdom" (Luk 23:42). In
Rev 1:18, Christ declares, "I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am
alive forever and ever." He still remembers his death and the sufferings
associated with it. Just as he remembers it to remind his Father, he also
remembers it to deeply affect his own heart with what we experience. His memory
brings the impression of similar experiences fresh to his mind, reminding him of
how it once was with him. Consequently, he comes to know empathetically and
experientially how it currently is with us, and he deeply identifies with it. It
is akin to the sentiment expressed by Dido in Virgil’s Aeneid: "Not ignorant of
suffering myself, I learn to relieve the suffering of others." Having
experienced similar miseries, even though he is now a king, he knows how to help
those who are in them.

Just as God said to the Israelites when they would possess the land of Canaan,
"You yourselves know how it feels to be foreigners, because you were foreigners
in Egypt" (Exo 23:9), and therefore commanded them to show compassion and treat
strangers well based on that understanding, the same can be said of Christ. He
knows the hearts of his children in distress, for he himself was once in a
similar state. Similarly, the apostle exhorts the Hebrews, "Remember those in
prison as if you were bound with them, and those who are mistreated as if you
yourselves were suffering" (Heb 13:3), so that before their own deaths, they may
come to experience similar sufferings. Likewise, Christ, the head of the body,
which is the source of all senses and feelings in the body, remembers those who
are bound and in adversity, having once been in a human body himself. Thus, he
compassionately identifies with them based on his own experience. This goes
beyond the previous point. We have gained the understanding that Christ not only
possesses affections that are genuine and appropriate to human nature, but also
affections that are stirred up in him based on his own past experience of
similar struggles in a frail nature like ours. This sheds light on how all our
miseries are allowed to enter Christ’s heart now and deeply impact and move him.
A more detailed exploration is required to understand the nature of this
affection, including its seat within Christ’s human nature and some important
cautions.

II. Regarding this affection itself of pity, compassion, fellow-feeling, and
sympathy, which is produced in his heart, there is still another aspect that
needs to be examined: what kind of affection is it? It is evident from the text
that such an affection is stirred up in him, beyond mere knowledge or
remembrance of his own experiences. The apostle tells us that he is not only
aware of how he was tempted with similar weaknesses as we are, though that is
necessarily assumed, but he is also struck and touched with the feeling of our
infirmities. His act of remembrance serves to produce this affection. Moreover,
the apostle states that Christ is able and his heart is capable of being so
moved. The word "συμπαθῆσαι" signifies to suffer with us until we find relief.
It is this affection, once stirred up, that deeply motivates him to help us.

Now, when it comes to understanding the extent and depth of this affection as
expressed here, I believe that no person in this life can fully comprehend it.
If the heart of a king is inscrutable, as Solomon says, then the heart of the
King of kings, now in glory, is even more so. I will not presume to delve into
unseen matters, as warned in Col 2:18, but I will cautiously and safely speak
within the bounds of Scripture and sound reason.

I will present it in three ways: 1. Negatively; 2. Positively; 3. Privatively.

Negatively. It is certain that the affection of sympathy or fellow-feeling in
Christ is not the same in every aspect as it was during his earthly life. This
is evident from what the apostle says about him and his affections during that
time. In Heb 5:7, it is mentioned, "Who in the days of his flesh, when he had
offered up prayers and supplications, with strong cryings and tears, was heard
in that which he feared." Here, we see that his earthly existence and state of
life are distinguished from his current state in heaven as "the days of his
flesh." By "flesh," it does not refer to the substance of his human nature, as
he still retains that, but rather to the frail quality of being subject to
mortality or vulnerability. The term "flesh" is often used in reference to human
nature, indicating its susceptibility to fading, wear and decay due to external
circumstances or internal emotions. Similarly, in Heb 2:14, it is stated,
"Forasmuch as the children," referring to us as his brethren, "partake of flesh
and blood," meaning the frailties of human nature, "he himself also took part of
the same." The apostle further highlights aspects of Christ’s earthly life, such
as experiencing death and enduring frail passions and affections that caused
suffering and exhaustion of his spirit. Examples include passionate sorrow,
accompanied by strong cries and tears, as well as fear, as mentioned in the
phrase "He was heard in that which he feared." However, since those days of his
earthly existence have passed, as the apostle clarifies by stating it was only
in the days of his flesh, such overwhelming and passionate sorrow and fear have
ceased. He is no longer capable of experiencing them or being subjected to them.
Yet,

Positively. Why can’t it be affirmed that the same kind of affection of pity and
compassion, which was present in his entire being, both body and soul, when he
was on earth, still operates in him now that he is in heaven? This position,
however, should be tempered with the appropriate cautions and considerations
that I will address shortly. If, in essence, the same flesh, blood, and animal
spirits remain and serve their purpose, for although Christ, in Luk 24:39,
specifically mentioned having flesh and bones after his resurrection when
speaking to Thomas and the other disciples, as they were the ones who could
physically touch him, it is understood that blood and spirits are also present
in that flesh, for it is living flesh, "caro vitalis," and thus contains flowing
and moving blood and spirits. Then why not the same affections as well? And not
merely stirring in the soul, but also operating in the body, to which the soul
is connected, thereby retaining genuinely human affections. The function of
blood and spirits is not only to nourish (which is no longer necessary), but
also to affect the heart and bowels through their movement back and forth when
the soul is affected. And I know not why this function would cease to exist (if
not this, then what else?). Similarly, I do not understand why this affection
should be limited to his spirit or soul alone, with his corporeal faculties not
participating in them. As he is a true human being and the same person he was
before, both in body and soul, for otherwise it would not have been a true
resurrection, he still possesses the very same genuine human affections in both.
These affections manifest themselves in the body as well as the soul, as the
body serves as the seat and instrument for them. Since this entire being,
encompassing both body and soul, experienced temptation, and as the text states,
he is "touched with a feeling" in that nature which is tempted, it must
necessarily involve the entire person, body and soul. Therefore, when we come
across references to the "wrath of the Lamb," as in Rev 6:16, directed against
his enemies, just as we encounter mentions of his pity and compassion towards
his friends and followers, why should this be attributed solely to his deity,
which is incapable of wrath, or solely to his soul and spirit? Couldn’t it be
considered that he is genuinely angry as a human being, in his entirety, and
therefore experiences wrath in his body as well? After all, he has assumed our
entire nature precisely to fulfil his divine nature in all its manifestations.

However, the difficulty lies in determining the extent to which we should
eliminate the weakness and frailty that characterized such affections during his
earthly life, and in distinguishing precisely between the affections Christ had
then and those he has in heaven. I can offer little insight into this matter.

Yet, first, we can establish an unquestionable principle, that to the extent and
in the sense that his body itself is made spiritual (as it is described in 1Co
15:44), to that extent, and in that sense, all such affections that work in his
body are made spiritual. This is in contrast to the fleshly and frail manner in
which they operate here. However, it should be noted that his body is made
spiritual, not a spirit (spiritual in terms of power and resemblance to a
spirit, not in terms of substance or nature). Likewise, these affections of pity
and compassion do not merely operate in his spirit or soul, but in his body as
well, as it serves as their seat and instrument. However, their manner of
operation is more spiritual, resembling that of spirits, compared to how they
function in a frail, physical body. They are not entirely spiritual in the sense
that the soul is their sole subject and draws all their workings into itself.
Thus, the difference between his affections now and in the days of his flesh may
not lie in that aspect.

It should not be understood as if his body has been transformed into a substance
similar to that of the sun, allowing the soul to shine gloriously through it
like a glass case. Rather, his body remains united to the soul, to be animated
by it, although in an immediate manner, enabling the soul to produce operations
within it. The body is called spiritual not because it ceases to be a body, but
because it is not the same kind of body. It is structured in such a way that it
is completely subject to the soul’s arbitrary rule and dominion, functioning
according to the soul’s pleasure and under its control, just as nimbly and
without any hindrance as an angel moves itself or as the soul acts upon itself.
One possible difference is that these affections, insofar as they pertain to
Christ’s body, do not affect his soul as they did here, although they were then
under the command of grace and reason to prevent their motions from becoming
disorderly or sinful. Furthermore, as the soul is now stronger than these
affections, it raises them at its own discretion and stirs them as completely
and immediately as it does itself.

Secondly, these affections of pity and sympathy, though they move his bowels and
affect his physical heart as they did here, do not distress or disturb him in
the least, nor do they burden or weigh down his spirit, causing him sorrow or
heaviness as they did in his earthly life, such as his pity for Lazarus or his
distress that made him sorrowful unto death. Thus, in their origin and effect,
they are entirely different from what they were in his earthly existence. The
reason for this is that his body and its blood and spirits, which are the
instruments of affecting him, are now completely impassible. In this sense, they
are not capable of any alteration that could cause harm in any way. Therefore,
his body does not experience any grief, and his spirits do not undergo waste,
decay, or depletion. They may and do serve the soul in its affections, as they
did while he was here, but only through local motion, flowing through the veins
and arteries to affect the heart and bowels, without the slightest diminishment
or harm to themselves or detriment to him. As a result, although this blood and
these spirits stir up the same affections in his heart and bowels as they did
here, they do so without causing any disturbance or inconvenience to himself.
While in his earthly life he was troubled and grieved "without sin" or disorder,
now in heaven, when he shows pity and compassion, there is no mixture or hint of
disturbance and perturbation that was necessarily present in his affections
before due to the frailty of his body and spirits. His perfection does not
eliminate his affections, but rather corrects and perfects their imperfections.
The best theologians recognize that "perfective passions" still exist in him.

Thirdly, both theologians and other divines acknowledge that all natural
affections which do not contain anything inappropriate to the state and
condition of glory in which Christ now exists, are present in him. These are
human affections that are natural, not tainted with reproach or sin, but
completely subject to reason. Furthermore, they are freed from any conditions
that may hinder or obstruct either the mind or the body. There is no reason to
believe that such affections cannot coexist with the state of souls in bliss, as
Justinian remarks on this matter.

If we consider it, the very state of Christ in glory is such that it is fitting
for him to possess human affections of pity and compassion in his entire being,
to prompt and inspire him to come to our aid and succor. However, these
affections do not make him a man of sorrows in himself again (that would be
unbecoming and even incompatible with his nature), but rather a man of succor to
us, which is his role. It is important to remember that Christ in heaven should
be viewed not only in his personal capacity, as being made happy in his
relationship with the Father, but also in his relationships and offices as a
head to us. In this relational aspect, he sits there as stated in Eph 1:21-22
(and the head is the seat of all senses for the benefit of the body), and thus
he is most sensitive in that regard. Therefore, because his members, to whom he
bears this relationship, are still under sin and misery, it is not inappropriate
for him to have affections that correspond to this relationship in his present
state. If his state of glory had been solely intended for his personal
happiness, then indeed there would be no need for such affections to remain in
him. However, since his relation to us is an integral part of his glory, it is
most suitable for him to possess such affections, and it would be unseemly if he
did not have them. Moreover, these affections are not a weakness in him when
considered in this context, but rather a source of strength, as the apostle
refers to them as "dunamis" (power). While these affections might be seen as an
imperfection in one respect, namely in relation to his personal state, they are
perfection in another respect, particularly in relation to his relationship to
us and his role on our behalf. As our head, which he is as a man, it is his
glory to genuinely and truly, even as a man, empathize with all our miseries. In
fact, it would be an imperfection if he did not possess such affections. And
fourthly, let me offer this additional comfort: although all the burdensome and
harmful affections that weighed on his spirit and affected his body are no
longer compatible with him, and though that passionate frailty and weakness that
enabled him to pity and provide relief to those in misery, at the cost of
suffering himself, has been eliminated, in the current workings of his
affections and compassion, which are essentially the same, there is now a
greater capacity, vastness, and swiftness. These affections in heaven compensate
for the absence of that passionate frailty and effectively spur and motivate him
to provide relief for us, just as the previous affections did. It is certain
that as his knowledge expanded upon entering into glory, his human affections of
love and compassion have also expanded in solidity, strength, and reality, akin
to the enduring love of a committed relationship, though perhaps less passionate
at first. They are not diminished now, but rather more spiritual. Just as
Solomon’s heart was as generous and regal in bounty as it was in knowledge,
Christ’s affections of love are as extensive as his knowledge or power. They
share the same breadth and measure. As far as God’s intention to show mercy
extends (and who can fathom the depths of His riches?), so does Christ’s
inclination to bestow it. Eph 3:19 states, "The love of Christ," both God and
man, "surpasses knowledge." His love has not been lost or diminished by his
ascension to heaven. Although God, in His nature, may be more merciful than
Christ’s human nature, the expression and exercise of Christ’s affections are as
vast as God’s purposes and decrees of mercy. All those immense affections and
mercies become human mercies, the mercies of a man towards other men.

Regarding the privative aspect, if we say that these affections of Christ’s
heart are not suffering and afflictive affections, we can still express this of
them in terms of lacking a complete fullness of joy and comfort in Christ’s
heart while he observes us in misery and under infirmities, in comparison to
what it will be when we are presented to him free from all such afflictions. To
clarify this, I must bring back, and I will only bring back, the distinction I
made (in the fourth demonstration, section 2, part II) of a twofold capacity of
glory or a twofold fullness of joy that Christ is destined to have: one that is
natural and thus owed to his person as considered in himself alone, and the
other additional, arising from the complete happiness and glory of his entire
church, of which he is mystically a part. Therefore, in Eph 1:23, although he is
said to "fill all in all" by virtue of his personal fullness, when he is
referred to as the head in relation to his church as his body, as mentioned in
the preceding verses, the perfection of the beatitude of this body is
reciprocally referred to as his fullness. Thus, until he has filled them with
all happiness and freed them from all misery, he himself remains in a state of
imperfection, and consequently his affections, which are aligned with this
relationship, also possess some degree of imperfection as long as his body
endures misery, in comparison to what his heart will experience when they attain
this fullness.

We can confidently say that Christ will be more joyful then, and is now, as his
children grow beyond their infirmities and as they become more obedient and
content in their spirits, as stated in John 15:10-11. I will provide some
illustration through this analogy (which, although it may not hold true in all
aspects, will give a semblance of it). The spirits of righteous people who have
passed away are said to be perfect, as mentioned in Hebrews 12. However, because
they have bodies to which they are related and with which they are destined to
be united, they can be considered imperfect in this respect until these bodies
are reunited with them and glorified, which will add further fullness to their
state. In a similar analogy, this applies to Christ personally and Christ
mystically considered. Although Christ in his own person is complete in
happiness, in relation to his members he is imperfect, and thus he possesses
affections suited to this relationship, which in no way detracts from him.
Therefore, the Scripture attributes certain affections to him that carry an
inherent imperfection, and these are said to be in him until the day of
judgment. Expectation and desire, which are imperfect affections in comparison
to the joy found in the complete fulfillment of what was expected or desired,
are attributed to him as a man until the day of judgment.

Therefore, in Heb 10:12-13, he is said to be seated in heaven, "waiting until
his enemies are made his footstool," and the destruction of these enemies will
contribute to the evident glory of his kingdom. Just as this will enhance the
fullness of his greatness, the complete salvation of his members will add to the
completeness of his glory. And just as the expectation of his enemies’ downfall
can be seen as an imperfect affection in comparison to the triumph he will one
day achieve over them, his joy that he currently experiences in his spouse is
also imperfect when compared to the joy that will fill his heart on the great
day of their union. Accordingly, the Scripture refers to the fulfillment of
these desires as satisfaction, as stated in Isa 53:11, "He shall see the fruit
of the travail of his soul and be satisfied," which implies that there are
desires in him that lack the attainment of their ultimate goal. However, we must
further consider that Jesus Christ indeed knows and sees the exact time when his
fullness, through the exaltation of his members to himself, will be completed,
and when he will triumph over all his enemies and their enemies. He sees their
day approaching, as the Psalmist puts it, which mitigates and diminishes to some
extent this imperfection of his expectation or delay. With this doubt resolved,
we come to the question of how his heart can be genuinely touched by our sins
(our greatest infirmities) since he was tempted without sin.

III. There remains a significant concern to be addressed, which naturally arises
in every good-hearted individual. You have mentioned, they may say, that by
"infirmities" sins are meant, and that the apostle’s intention was to encourage
us against them as well, for they are indeed the greatest sources of discomfort
and discouragement. However, in regard to these sins, what the apostle states
here provides us with little consolation, as Christ cannot truly empathise with
us in that regard, for "he knew no sin." Yes, the apostle himself makes an
exception here, saying, "He was tempted in all things, yet without sin" (Heb
4:15). It may indeed bring comfort to us that Christ does and will have
compassion for us in all other weaknesses, since he himself was subjected to
similar experiences. However, he never knew what it was like to be under the
power of sin and tormented by lust, as I am. How then can I find solace in what
the apostle says about him here? I will endeavour to provide some satisfaction
and relief in this matter through the following considerations.

Firstly, as the apostle has stated, "he was tempted, yet without sin." It was
essential for him to be without sin in order to be a suitable priest to save us.
As Heb 7:26 says, "Such a High Priest was fitting for us, holy and separate from
sinners." However, for your further comfort, consider that he came as close as
possible in that aspect. The text says, "He was tempted in all things," although
he remained "without sin" on his part. Yet he was tempted to every kind of sin
to the extent of experiencing affliction in those temptations, understanding the
misery of those who are tempted, and knowing how to have compassion for them in
all such temptations. Just as in taking on our nature through his birth, he came
as close as possible without being tainted by original sin, namely, by taking
the very same matter to form his body as that from which all of ours are made,
he also allowed himself to be tempted as far as possible in terms of actual sin,
while keeping himself pure. He permitted all sorts of experiments to be
conducted on him by Satan, similar to how a person who has taken a strong
antidote allows a mountebank to try different treatments on them. And indeed,
because he was tempted by Satan in relation to sin, it is explicitly added, "yet
without sin," as if to say that sin never stained him, even though he was
outwardly tempted by it. He was tempted with all kinds of sins by Satan, as
those three temptations in the wilderness encompassed various types of
temptations, as explained by interpreters of the Gospels.

Secondly, in order to be able to empathise with us in the face of sin, he was
more distressed by the filth and power of sin in others with whom he interacted
than any of us are by sin within ourselves. His "righteous soul was vexed" by
it, just as Lot’s righteous soul was troubled by the impure conduct of the
people of Sodom. He "endured the contradiction of sinners against himself" (Heb
12:3). As it is written, "The insults of those who insult you," referring to his
God, "have fallen on me" (Rom 15:3). This passage from the Psalms speaks of
Christ and is quoted by the apostle, signifying that every sin pained his heart.
The only difference between him and us in this regard is that the regenerate
part within us is troubled by sin in ourselves, as our own sin, whereas his
heart was troubled by sin in others only. However, his distress was greater
because his soul was more righteous than ours, which compensates for this
difference. Moreover, as he represented the elect, the sins he witnessed them
commit troubled him as if they were his own. Some interpreters read the word
translated as "tempted" here as "vexed."

Moreover, thirdly, to further address this issue, it can be said of Christ while
he was on earth that in the same sense or manner in which he "bore our sickness"
(Mat 8:17), even though he was never personally afflicted with any disease, he
may also be said to have borne our sins. This means that when Christ came to one
of his chosen children who was sick and whom he healed, his approach was
characterized by sympathy and compassion, as if he himself were afflicted with
their sickness. For example, when he raised Lazarus, it is mentioned that he
"groaned in spirit." By taking upon himself the disease and experiencing a
fellow-feeling with it, he removed it from them, enduring affliction on their
behalf as if he himself had been sick. This interpretation appears to be the
most fitting explanation for the challenging passage in Mat 8:16-17, where it
states that "he healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was
spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, ’He himself took our infirmities and bore
our sickness.’"

Likewise, in a similar manner, he could bear our sins too, for he was united
with us and accountable for all our sins. Therefore, when he witnessed any of
his own committing sin, he was affected by it as if it were his own. This
completes and satisfies the concept of the power of sin.

Fourthly, in terms of the guilt of sin and the temptations that arise from it,
he possesses a deeper understanding than any one of us. He tasted the bitterness
of sin through its imputation more profoundly than we can comprehend, as well as
the cup of his Father’s wrath for it. Thus, he is able to empathise
experientially with a heart wounded by guilt and struggling under such
temptations. He truly understands the anguish of feeling forsaken by God, for he
himself experienced it when he cried out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken
me?" (Mat 27:46).

Uses of all.

Use 1. Thus, what has been said can provide us with the strongest consolation
and encouragement against our sins, surpassing any other consideration. It
assures us with the utmost certainty that our sins will be removed from us. This
is because:

Firstly, Christ himself suffers, or at least is affected by them, as his
enemies, which is why he will undoubtedly remove them for the sake of his own
peace. His heart would not be at peace if he did not know that they would be
eradicated. As God says in the prophet, Christ can say even more, "My heart is
troubled for him, I will surely remember him" (Jer 31:20).

Secondly, there is comfort in the fact that your very sins move him to pity more
than to anger. This text clearly supports it, as he suffers with us under our
weaknesses, and by weaknesses, it means sins as well as other miseries, as has
been demonstrated. Therefore, when you view them as weaknesses, just as God here
views and speaks of them in his own, and when you consider them as your
affliction, and you complain to Christ about them, crying out, "O wretched man
that I am! Who will deliver me?" (Rom 7:24), then do not fear for long. Christ
stands by your side, and instead of being provoked against you, all his anger is
directed towards your sin to destroy it. Indeed, his compassion towards you
increases even more. It is akin to the heart of a father towards a child who has
a loathsome disease, or as one feels towards a limb of their body afflicted with
leprosy. He does not hate the limb, for it is a part of his own flesh, but he
despises the disease, and that provokes him to show even more pity towards the
affected part. How could it not be in our favour when our sins, which are
against both Christ and ourselves, become reasons for him to show even greater
compassion? The object of pity is someone in misery whom we love, and the
greater the misery, the more intense the pity, especially when the person is
beloved. Now, of all miseries, sin is the greatest, and as long as you see it as
such, Christ will only view it as such within you. He loves you as individuals
and hates only the sin. Thus, his hatred will be directed solely towards the
sin, to free you from it through its destruction, while his compassion will be
extended towards you even more. This applies to when you are under the grip of
sin just as it does under any other affliction. Therefore, do not fear, for "Who
shall separate us from the love of Christ?" (Rom 8:35).

Use 2. Regardless of the trials, temptations, or miseries we face, we can find
comfort in the fact that Christ was once in the same situation or something
similar. This brings comfort in three different ways:

Firstly, it means that we are simply following his example, for he was tempted
in every way, and this can be a significant source of comfort for us.

Secondly, we can look to those specific instances where Christ experienced
similar situations as a meritorious cause for obtaining assistance and support
from him now. In this regard, we can find further comfort.

Thirdly, his past experience of bearing similar hardships can bring relief, as
it means he truly understands the misery and distress of such conditions. This
understanding further motivates and encourages him to help us.

Use 3. As the teachings provided bring comfort, they also serve as the greatest
motivation against sin and as a persuasive force towards obedience. We must
consider that if our hearts afflict Christ—and we cannot fully comprehend the
extent of his suffering—it is certain that he will find less joy in us when we
are more sinful or disobedient. You are unaware of the impact your sins have on
the heart of Christ. Even if the only consequence is a decrease in his joy
towards you, it should move you, as it does those who possess genuine integrity.
Let this serve as an incentive for obedience: if he continues to hold the same
heart and disposition of mercy towards you as he did on earth, then in response
to his love, strive to have the same heart towards him on earth as you hope to
have in heaven. As you pray daily, "Your will be done on earth as it is in
heaven" (Mat 6:10), let this be a reminder.

Use 4. In all your miseries and distresses, you can be certain that you have a
friend in heaven who will help and pity you – Christ. His nature, role,
interests, and relationship all compel him to come to your aid. You may find
that even friends, at times, are unreasonable and closed off to your needs. In
those moments, remember that there is one who will show you compassion – someone
in heaven whose heart is moved by your every weakness. Go and pour out your
sorrows to him. Say to them all, if you refuse to show me pity, I know someone
who will. I have a friend in heaven whose heart is touched by all my
infirmities, and I will go and share my troubles with him. Approach him boldly,
as the text says, with open expression, laying bare your complaints. In doing
so, you will find grace and mercy to help you in your time of need. People
appreciate being pitied by friends, even if those friends cannot offer
assistance. But Christ can and will do both – he will extend his pity and
provide the help you require.

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Source: https://sermonindex.net/books/18-the-heart-of-christ-modernized-thomas-goodwin/
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