Page:The Doctrines of the New Church Briefly Explained.djvu/56

50 near and into closest sympathy with us, and we into closest sympathy with Him. He is able to be "touched with the feeling of our infirmities," because, as saith the prophet, "He hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows."

Nor is this all. While God was coming into closer sympathy with humanity by living and suffering as He did in the flesh; while He was displaying his infinite compassion down on the lowest plane of human life, ministering to bodily infirmities and wants, working miracles of mercy and healing in the natural sphere. He was at the same time performing still more stupendous miracles in the sphere above nature. He was doing deeds of mercy yet more sublime and wondrous in the spiritual realm. He was cleansing his assumed humanity (which, by inheritance, was prone to all kinds of evil) from its corrupt inclinations and depraved tendencies. He was eradicating from that humanity every germ of selfishness—purging it of every foul hereditary taint. In his assumed humanity were included all the tendencies and depravities of universal humanity. Therefore He was able, through the medium of such assumed human, to touch the hells at all points. He came in conflict with every class of infernal spirits; had experience