Christ Set Forth

But now thirdly, add this (further) that God so ordered it, that before Christ should clothe this his humane nature with that glory he hath in heaven, and put this glory upon it, he should first take it as clothed with all our infirmities, even the very same that do cleave unto us, and should live in this world as we do for many years. And during that time, God prepared for him all sorts of afflictions and miseries to run through, which we our selves do here meet withal; and all that time he was acquainted with, and inured unto all the like sorrows that we are: and God left him to that infirmity and tenderness of spirit, to take in all distresses as deeply as any of us, (without sin) and to exercise the very same affections under all these distresses that we at any time do find stirring ⟨p. 116⟩in our hearts: And this God thus ordered, on purpose thereby to fit him, and to frame his heart (when he should be in glory) unto such affections as these, spoken of in the Text. And this both this Text suggests to be Gods end in it, as also that fore-mentioned place, Heb. 2. 13. For as much as we (namely, his members) are partakers of flesh and blood, (which phrase doth ever note out the frailties of mans nature, as 1 Cor. 15. 50. &c.) he himself took part of the same,—that he might be a merciful High-Priest, &c. ver. 17. And then the Apostle gives this reason of it, ver. 18. [For in that himself hath suffered, being tempted, he is able (this Ability is (as was before interpreted) the having an heart fitted and enabled, out of experience, to pity and) to succour them that are tempted.] The meaning of which is, that it was not the bare taking of an humane nature (if glorious from the first) that would thus fully have fitted him to be affectionately pitiful out of experience, (though (as was said) the knowledge of our miseries taken in thereby, would have made him truly and really affectionate towards us, with affections humane and proper to a man; and so, much nearer and liker ours then what are in the Angels themselves, or then are attributed to God, when he is said to pity us) but further, his taking our nature at first clothed with frailties, and living in this world as we; This hath for ever fitted his heart by experience to be in our very hearts and bosoms;

But now thirdly, adde this (further) that God so ordered it, that before Christ should cloathe this his humane nature with that glory he hath in heaven, and put this glory upon it, he should first take it as cloathed with all our infirmities, even the very same that doe cleave unto us, and should live in this world as we doe for many yeeres. And during that time, God prepared for him all sorts of afflictions and miseries to run through, which we our selves doe here meet withall; and all that time he was acquainted with, and inured unto all the like sorrowes that we are: and God left him to that infirmity and tendernesse of spirit, to take in all distresses as deeply as any of us, (without sin) and to exercise the very same affections under all these distresses that we at any time doe find stirring