Matthew Poole and continuators on Hebrews 4:15

15 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 .

This Duty of perseverance in the Christian Religion, is inforced by the Consideration of the Sympathy of this High-Priest, with the States of all who will enter into God's Rest by him. He is worthy that we should hold it fast, being without impotency. It is impossible he should be pitiless to penitent Sinners, tho he be glorious, there being nothing in himself, or out of himself indisposing him to it. [non-Latin text not transcribed] imports such a Sympathy or Fellow-feeling, as makes him like affected as if he were in the same case with them. He cannot but be compassionate, since inwardly affected and moved with the Sufferings of his, Acts 9.5. comp. Isa. 63.9. As God, he is infinitely merciful; as Man, inwardly feeling them▪ even all the Miseries they were liable to, but sinful ones. He wants no Bowels, but he hath as a fellow-feeling, so a fellow-grieving, and fellow-caring for the Redress of them, even all such as are fit for his Pity; and works on Affections, a sense of Guilt, Fears, Doubts, Tremblings, Weak-workings to God, the concomitant Infirmities of sinful Souls; all the Weaknesses of Grace in us, all Troubles, Distresses, Anguishes in the Flesh, the Fruits of Sin. He knows these sensibly as Man, which as God singly he could not. These sinful weaknesses of Soul inclining to sin, and disabling from resisting Temptations by which the subtil powerful Enemy of our Soul prevaileth over us to the Accumulating of Sin and Guilt daily, and so need this Sympathy of his to us-ward; see ch. 5.2. 1 Cor. 2.3. 2 Cor. 11.23 to 31. and 12.5, 9, 10.

But [non-Latin text not transcribed] was pierced and tried by all sorts of Sufferings being outwardly tempted by the Devil to sin; inwardly he could not, being perfectly holy, Iohn 14.30. but was outwardly with Violence assaulted by him, Matth. 4.1, to 12. and tried by Men beyond any Man, and tempted to the same Sins whereby Adam fell, and others miscarry every Day. He felt the Curse of Sin, the Wrath of God, Agonies in his Soul, violent pains in his Body, Sorrows to the Death from the Cradle to the Cross: And in every matter of Grief and Suffering in Soul, in Body, from the World, from Satan, from God, in all kind of Temptations spiritual and temporal; experiencing the Evils of this Life, Hunger, Thirst, Weariness, Grief, Isa. 53.3, to 11. even such as we are liable to, all of them really and truly like ours, and more powerfully than ours; they were for similitude like, but for Degree exceeding them; ours for Exquisiteness of Sense, but a shadow of his: Yet under all these Temptations he was sinless as the Holy One of God; never did Temptation prevail over him, he overcame all. Nothing was out of place or order by his Sufferings in him: All his Affections and Passions under these, regular, shewing his Innocency under variety of Sufferings and eminency of Compassions. Sin hardens Bowels, but he is compassionate without any mixture with, or hinderance by Corruption; and his Intercession is the more effectual with God for us. What Christian under his Conduct would not follow his great Example, so to resist and conquer by him?

Marginal references: Chap. 2.18.; Luke 22.28.; 2 Cor. 5.21.