put the bitter cup into liis hands, who laid the tremendous load of our iniquities upon him, and " bruised him," that the fragrance of his offering might ascend up as incense with acceptance before him^]
But, notwithstanding these sufferings of his, our text assures us of,
II. His ability to succour his tempted people —
All his people, like him, are persecuted by men, assailed by devils, and chastised by God. But Jesus is able to succour them : he has a sufficiency,
1. Of power and strength —
[He has all power committed to him, yea, all fulness of the Godhead dwelling in him. He can bind the strong man armed, and rescue from him his wretched captives. There is nothing impossible with him ; and the weaker his people are, the more shall " his strength be perfected in their weakness."]
2. Of wisdom —
[As he has " power to deliver the godly out of tempta- tions," so can he defeat all the plots of theii* adversaries, and take even Satan himself in his own devices. He sees every weapon that is formed against them, and knows the day and hour that their enemies set themselves against them"^. He discerns also the best time and manner in which to afford his aid, and so to proportion it to our necessities, as both to secure us the victory, and himself the glory.]
3. Of pity and compassion —
[He wept on account of the afflictions of his friends when he was on earth : nor will he forget to pity us, now that he is in heaven. " The very apple of his eye is wounded, whenever any of his dear people are touched." *' In all their afflictions, he is afflicted ; and as, in his love and in his pity he redeemed them, and bare them, and carried them all the days of old," so does he now, being " touched with the feeling of our in- firmities," and sympathizing with us in all our troubles'*.]
Having noticed his temptations, and his ability to succour us under ours, it will be proper to shew,
III. The connexion between the two, or the depen- dence of the one upon the other —
As God, he of necessity possessed every perfection :
*> Compare Isai. liii. 10. with Exod. xxx. 36. <= Jer. xlix. 30. "^ Isai. Ixiii. 9.