the High Priest Jesus, "is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever."

The high priest of the Jews was on earth, and only entered into the Holy of Holies once a year to make an annual expiation for the sins of the nation on the great day of atonement. But our High Priest is in heaven, the true Holy of Holies, and there he ever liveth to make intercession for us;" so that not once a year merely, but at all times; not at Jerusalem only, but in all places, we can have "boldness of access to his mercy-seat.'

The Christian dispensation, then, outvies the Levitical in the glory and exaltedness of its great High Priest that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God; and hence the Apostle subjoins the exhortation to the Hebrews, let us hold fast our profession," for they were particularly inclined to apostatize from Christianity, and go back to Judaism, being tempted by their unconverted brethren to regard the Mosaic religion and the whole Jewish ritual as far more elevated, splendid, and magnificent than the Christian, in comparison with whose temple, service, and gorgeous ceremonials, the origin and rites of the religion of Jesus appeared mean and insignificant. By therefore showing these Hebrew Christians that we had a High Priest not only equal in office and dignity, but far more exalted than the pontiff of the temple, he urged them to hold fast their profession, not to relinquish their grasp on Christianity, because there was no such external ritual in the primitive

church-no such altars, sacrifices, offerings, priests, as in the Jewish-for all these were more than met and answered by the plenitude of grace in the new dispensation; and, in view of their peculiarly exposed position to the assaults of the tempter, he brings the touching argument, 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." Ah, my brethren, this was just such a Priest as man wanted-a Priest that could feel for him; a High Priest that was compassionate; a great High Priest who could be touched with the feeling of our infirmities—one in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. There was nothing like this in the old dispensation. It was reserved for the gospel to introduce to man a High Priest, who, while exalted in the heavens, could yet be touched with the feeling of our infirmities-who was tempted with all the temptations of humanity, yet did not sin, neither was guile found in his mouth.

Christ, then, our great High Priest, is touched with the feeling of our infirmities; and O, to creatures so full of infirmities as ourselves, how delightful to have a spiritual ruler who understands them, and is touched with them with an abiding sympathy.

Sin has shorn us of our glory, and strewn the earth with curses, and planted the path of man with infirmities and sorrows. We are prone to suffering-we are subject to disease-we are victims of adversity, and we stagger under the weight of our mental and physical

infirmities, from the tiny footsteps of childhood to the feeble tread of threescore and ten. Under these infirmities we groan being burdened; we feel the workings of the curse of sin every day of our life, and the loss of limb and function and strength and health which is everywhere going on around us, show us the sadness and misery of man's earthly condition. These infirmities, through the influence of the body on the mind and soul, often lead us into sin and temptation, become avenues of assault upon the heart, and the means whereby faith is weakened, and love chilled, and hope repressed, and the soul bereft of its holy aspirations. In sickness, how much are we tempted to impatience and repining; in bereavements, how apt to murmur and complain; in adversity, how often do we show the restive and untamed spirit of a worldling! No infirmity of mind or body can overtake us, without begetting some unholy feelings towards our Creator. Now Jesus, our blessed Master, suffered the ills of life when on earth; hunger, thirst, cold, poverty, reproach, buffetings, and all the infirmities of man. His compassionate heart is therefore touched by our sorrows, and deeply sympathizes with all our distresses. Frequently was this exhibited when on earth. He was moved with compassion when he saw the multitude scattered abroad as sheep having no shepherd-he had compassion on the multitude without bread-at seeing in the throng sick persons, whom he healed at the sight of blind men, whom he restored to sight at a leper, whom he cured-at a child pos

sessed of a dumb spirit, which he cast out-at beholding a mother's grief, whose son he restored to life, yea, his mission to man was prompted by mercy, and his life on earth was full of compassion.

We know how delightful it is when suffering under any sickness or calamity, to have the sympathy and pity of those we love; to feel that in their bosoms are kindred emotions of tenderness and regard, causing them to weep with those who weep. But how much

more cheering is it to the Christian, bowed beneath some burdensome sorrow, to know that he has the compassion and sympathy of his Saviour! That Jesus, the Son of God, our ever-living High Priest in heaven, is touched with the feeling of his infirmities! That humanity can know no want, no affliction, no suffering, which he does not feel, and towards which his compassions do not flow out! And this is not a mere inoperative compassion, expending itself in words and professions, but it is a sympathy joined to a willingness to do, and an ability to do, for our relief. For having been himself tempted, he is able and willing to succour those who are tempted. Many persons have borne the same afflictions which befall us, who are not willing to sympathize with us; many are willing to sympathize with us, who have not experienced like tribulations; and many are both able and willing to extend to us their compassion, who are yet unable to do anything for our comfort or relief. But our compassionate High Priest unites all these. He has been a man of sorrows, and

acquainted with griefs, and can therefore sympathize experimentally with us. He is willing and prompted by the benevolence of his heart to tender to us his kind compassion; and, as God in the plenitude of omnipotence, "he is able to save to the uttermost all who come unto God through Him," and to wipe away all tears from their eyes." The sympathy of Christ to his disciples on earth is a tender sympathy; for "as a father pitieth his children, even so pitieth them that hear him." It is an extensive sympathy; there is not an infirmity of man which it cannot reach; it is a proportionable sympathy, answerable to our peculiar wants, and to every occasion; it is a perpetual sympathy, so long as he continues a High Priest, and we remain subject to infirmities, so long will our blessed Jesus be touched. with the feeling of them.

Man has no such sympathy as this for his fellow-man. Angels who never wore our nature can have none like it, it is only the man Christ Jesus, both God and man, who centres in himself this plenitude of mercy and this disinterested compassion.

The reason why our great High Priest is so sensibly affected by our suffering condition, is stated by the Apostle to lie in the fact that He was in all points · tempted like as we are, yet without sin." The Greek word here used is morè general in its meaning than the English word "tempted." It adverts both to trial by affliction, and temptations to sin; implying no more, however, than that of being susceptible to temptation,