V. 14-15.— Seeing then that we have a great High Priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an High Priest which cannot he touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. For we have not a High Priest who cannot he touched with or cannot sympathize with our infirmities; for, having assumed our nature, He was in all things tempted like as we are, yet without sin. The Lord Jesus was truly a man, born of a woman, and consequently had all the feelings of a man; but these were under such entire subjection to the will of God, that He had no sin, but was entirely conformed to the will of God. In every situation He did the things which pleased His heavenly Father. He suffered, being tempted, for instance, when He was hungry; the devil tempted Him to change the stones into bread. His hunger prompted him to comply; but, while His Father had given Him power to accomplish many mighty works, in proof of His having come forth from God, had He employed that power for the supply of His own wants, it would have interfered with the example which He has left us of confidence in God, being assured that He will withhold from us no good thing. We cannot imitate the signs and wonders which He wrought. These were peculiar to Himself, and to those upon whom He thought fit to bestow them, for the confirmation of the word of the truth of the Gospel; but He was in all things conformed to His brethren, so that He hath afforded us a perfect pattern for our conduct during our pilgrimage; and, had He not in all things been made like unto His brethren, this could not have been the case. In all things, therefore, “it behooved Him to be made like unto His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself hath suffered being tempted, He is able to succor them that are tempted.” Chap. 2:17, 18. Christ’ s entire submission to His Father’ s will, and not pleasing Himself, may be represented as inconsistent with His supreme divinity; but on the contrary it was His Divinity that enabled the man Christ Jesus thus to glorify His Father. He thought it not robbery to be equal with God; but, having taken on Him the form of a servant, He was in all things obedient to the will of His Father. It was His meat and His drink to do His will; and at last, in obedience to the commandment which He had received, He laid down His life and took it again. A sin-offering must be perfect to be accepted; and He offered Himself without spot or blemish; and although He had no sin, yet was He made sin for His people, that they might be made the righteousness of God in Him; that, having by His blameless life and meritorious death, as the Head and Surety of His people, atoned for their sins, and brought in everlasting righteousness, that righteousness might belong to all the seed of the woman, with whom He took part in flesh and blood. Thus God’ s eternal purpose was accomplished by His own Son manifest in the flesh. The Son of God made His soul an offering for the sins of an unnumbered multitude, who were chosen in and given to Him by His Father; and thus grace reigned through righteousness unto eternal life, by Christ Jesus. Had His people broken the holy law? He obeyed it in all its extent, and endured its penalty. Had they come under the curse? He redeemed them by being made a curse for them, and opened a new and living way for their entering into life through His obedience unto death.