& The Apofile ſpeaks of Chriſt, Heb. 4. 15. as an Aigh Pricft, e43? can be touched with the feeling of ow! tnfirmitics, and one tha: ec: have Compaſſion , Heb. Fo 2. Martha's and Mary's Pſion for their dead Brother was their Infirmity ; Chriſt is touched with the feeling of it: He to ſhew himſelf truly man, groaned im hiwſelf ; 7 being natural to us, to be affe&ed with the afflitions of others, and to weep with thoſe who weep. Bur here ariſcth a queſtion, Whether Chriſt was troubled from a natural neceſſity, as we ſometimes cannot foritar weeping ro ſee others weep bitterly ; or out of choice * ſome of the Ancients think it was out of choice. Mr. Calvin and others think, that ir was out of a natural neceſſity ; not that he could not govern his Paſſions ( as we ſometimes cannot) by Reaſon ; bit that he could not as man forbear his Paſſion. I ſhall Tranflate what Mr. Calvin ſpeaks mol? judiciouſly in the caſe,determining nei- ther wav, but leaving it to the Readers judgment. Buz how ( faith he) & 2nawing, and trouble of Spivit, agree to that Perſon who wa: FHe Son 6f Goa = Becauſ-, t0 ſome it looketh wery abſurd 20 ſay, that Cir? 4; one of us, 15 jubjzett to human Paſſions ; they think Chriſt no ot her wi/e ar any time, either grieved or rejoyced, than as he, [0 efien ug be 1101ght fir, voluntarily aſſumed to himſelf thoje Paſſions oy 4a /ccr2t ailpen/ation. Auguſtine thought that Chriſt in this ſenſe is Jaid to have groaned, and to have been troubled; whereas, othcr mens C4/jtons tranſport them, and exercife a Tyranny over twhem, to 12 dir fins bance of their minds : Hz therefore thinks the meaning 1;, That Cy. rife ectng otherwiſe jedate, and free from Paſſims, [ometimes valun "47:3 rapk theſe Paſſton;:, But ( ſaith he) in any jrayment, i7 11.8
him:
not perform all things when he pleaſed.
and in all caſes, have put forth þis Ltyine Power necef{urily, not freely, Governing his Attions as he ſaw moſt conducing to the wife ends of his own glo!)-
cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a ſtone upon tt 2. |
man, and not withour human Affettions : he cometh where Lazarus Dead Body was laid, which the Evange us wasa Cave, Or a hollow place in the Earth, or lo
they were went to roll ſome great ] oraves, (as we ſee in the burial of our Saviour, A
the ſiſter of him that was dead, faith unto bum,
day &s Þe (ut
make this yet clearer, we muft diſtinguijh-betwixt man in hi; Crag; on, and the Degenerate © Nature of man, as it is corrapred Spe . Sin : When God at firſt Crcatsd man, he Created him with Natura! ' Afffeions, but ſuch as were under the command of Reaſin : That yy Paſſions are now inirdinate, and rebell.ys, is accid-ntal to our Nyty. Chriſt indeed took our Affefions upon himy but without that dily(, which fell into them by the Fall, which cauſeth us that we canms by them and God. He was greatly troubled, but not ſo'as by his trill, | become diſobeaient to his Father. In ſhort, if we compare our Aft; with his, there will appear as grear a difference, as betwixt Pure Wa ter, and that which ts dirty and filthy. And the ſingle exanyl+;f Chrift, is enough to make us rejed th: Stoical Apathy { or want of p;; ſion] for from whom if not from him, ſhould we fetch the hight Ru Perfeftiom? Let us therefore rather ſtudy to Corrett, and Tam th1; diſorder, in which our Paſſions are intangled, and follow Chriſt a1 gride, that we may bring them into oraer : Thus Paul, 1 The. g.1;, doth not require of us 8 ſtony ſtupiaity, but commands us to Grvern wy grief, that we may n0t monrn as men without hope. Fir Chriſt there. fore took our Affetions upon him, that we by his Grace may be majlid ro ſubane whatſoever is vitious in themes
34 And ſaid, Where have ye laid him ? They fa unto him, Lord, come and ſee. 35 * Jeſus wept/.
flo
1 Weeping is not of it ſelf a Sinful, but Natural Paſſion, which A
(as was ſaid before) doth very well agree with Chriſt, having volun- tarily raken upon him our Nature, and Natural Infirmitics.
35 Then ſaid the Jews, Behold how he loved
m Love ſheweth it ſelf as in a complacence in the objeR beloved, while we injoy it, fo in a grief for jr when we are deprived of it, The Jews therefore rightly concluded Chrift's kindneſs to Lazaru, from his human Affettion expretſed ar his Death.
37 And ſome of them ſaid 7, Could not this man#,,,,, which opened the eyes of the blind, have cauſed that
even this man ſhould not have died o ?
» Some only concluded Chriſt's love ro the deceaſed from his Affe- Rion ſhewed at his grave ; but cthers make a worſe concluſien, on derogation fo Chriſt's Repurarion, from the Miracle he had wrought, Chap 9. in reſtoring him thar was born Blind ; for their ſpeechſoun- deth in this ſenſe ; it he had indeed cured one that was born Blind, certainly, he could as well have kept che man, to whom ( dead, he expreſſeth to grear AffeQtion) clear from Death. A Learned [n- terpreter therefore calleth this a Devzlijh Sarcaſm ; they go aboutto weaken the Repuration of our Saviour, from the miracle which : had wrought, apparently ſhewing his Divine Power, becauls he di not keep his Friend from dying. Ttis much like the ſcoff with whict they afterwards ſcoff:d him, while he hung upon the Crols, 31n:i% 27. 42. He ſaved oth:rs, himſelf he could nas fave: Or the words may have been ſpoke, if not with an Irony, yet with Admirati, that having cured the Blind man, a Stranger to him, he did not hel his Sick Friend : or as if they were uncertain whether [115 Power of Working miracles, were not limited to ſome times, chat he cou'd But how weak mult this their Argumentation be, which could ſtand upon no other foundzion than this, That if Chriſt were the Son of Go, ne _— by his own Wildo)
38 Jeſus therefore again groaning In himfelt P>
[f yet further f0 be ruly ro the plac? HA teller me Rock. 2 Stones to the mouth of cholz tthhe 27+ 69.)
r Marti :m, Lord; tea! tour
Þ As before, wer. 33. So thewing himſc
39 Jeſus ſaid, Take ye away the ſtone.
by this time he ſtinketh : for he hath bee!
ritatjy ther co whom Tod be
4.3 aloud
which Ma: ts U words ration, 1ot heal zwet of C could uſt this .ndatto!t VET) od ated
Y {Loy
ofelt Þ» me 1a)
he truly rhe plac? 1 reileti 9 Ard of tho!: 55.) \[artilch [ orC 2.3 tou!
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