and to perfect all them that are or shall be sanctified to the end of the world. The virtue of this sacrifice reacheth backward as far as Adam, and reacheth forward to the last believer springing from Adam and as it reacheth backward and forward to all believers, in former, present, and future ages, so to all the sins of all believers, which are fully purged and expiated by it; the design and end of this oblation being to atone, pacify, and reconcile God, by giving a full and adequate compensation and satisfaction to the justice of God, for the wrong done to the holiness of his law. Thus our Jesus by one offering has perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

15 Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, 16 This is the covenant that I will make with them, After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; 17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. 18 Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.

is no remission provided in the covenant, nor shall any other offering be accepted for them for ever; for they despise both the wisdom and grace of God, the blood of Christ, and the testimony of the Holy Ghost; whereof there is no remission.

Here now we are come to a full end of the doctrinal part of this epistle concerning the nature of Christ's priesthood, the ne cessity and efficacy of his sacrifice, the power and prevalency of his intercession. O glorious mysteries; the light of the church of the Gentiles, the glory of the people of Israel, the foundation and bulwark of evangelical faith !

19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the vail, that is to say, his flesh: 21 And having an high-priest over the house of God: 22 Let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

Our apostle had asserted the perfection of The apostle having thus finished the docChrist's sacrifice in the former verses, he trinal part of his discourse, and informed proves it in these by the testimony of the their judgment of the excellency of the evanHoly Ghost, recorded Jer. xxxi. 31. where, gelical service above the Levitical sacrifices, after he had promised a new covenant instead he comes now in the applicatory part of his of the old, and had said, This is the cove- discourse to direct their practice in several nant I will make with them after those weighty and important duties, which appeardays, namely, when the days of the Olded to be incumbent upon them, as, namely, Testament are expired, then he says, I will to draw near to God, verse 22. to persevere put my law into their hearts, and their in the christian profession, verse 23. to stir sins and iniquities will I remember no up one another to love and good works, more. Now seeing God promiseth under verse 24. to continue in christian commuthe new covenant sanctification and remis- nion, verse 25. The first duty exhorted to, sion of sin, to all believers, of which cove is to draw near to God, seeing we have nant Christ is mediator, and by whose death boldness, &c. Let us draw near with a the covenant is ratified and confirmed, there- true heart. Note here, 1. The duty exfore this one sacrifice once offered up is abun- horted to, and that is, to draw near to God: dantly sufficient. And if remission of sins in general, to worship him; in particular, to be obtained by Christ's one sacrifice, there pray unto him, and seek remission of sin needs no repetition of it, nor any other and eternal life from him; to come unto offering for sin. Learn hence, That the sa- God as clothed with glorious majesty, sitting crifice of Christ was of that excellent virtue upon a throne of grace, and propitiated by and transcendant merit, that by once offer the blood of Christ. Note, 2. The manner ing it took away sin, all sin, and made it of performing this duty, With a pure heart, eternally remissible; and upon faith ac- in full assurance of faith: with the heart, tually and eternally remitted to what pur- or we give him a skin instead of a sacripose then should there be any more offerings fice: with sincerity of heart, which is the for sin? Yea, they who look for and trust life and soul of all acceptable worship; to any other, fall into that sin for which there and with a full assurance of faith, grounded

upon the fidelity of God, and the immutability of the promise. Note, 3. The qualifications of the person: he that draws near to God must, 1. Have his heart sprinkled from an evil conscience, that is, his soul cleansed by the blood of Christ, and freed from the accusations of an evil condemning conscience. 2. His body washed with pure water, to wit, the laver of regeneration, which was signified by the legal washings. Note, 4. The encouragement we have thus to draw near to God; and that is threefold. We have a new and living way unto the holiest by the blood of Jesus: an allusion to the legal dispensation, wherein the highpriest had a way to pass through the vail with blood into the holiest, to expiate the people's sins, and obtain mercy for them. Ours is called a new way, because newly made manifest; and a living way, because it leads to, and ends in life eternal; or a living way, in opposition to the typical way of going into the holiest, which was a dead way to all but the high-priest, and to him too if he entered above once a year, and then also if he entered without blood. Farther, This new and living way is here said to be consecrated through the vail of Christ's flesh, that is, made passable for penitent sinners, the throne of grace made accessible through the blood of a mediator. When Christ died, the vail of the temple was rent, to sig. nify that our great High-priest was ready to enter the holy place of heaven, to procure eternal redemption for us. 2. Encouragement is boldness, or freedom and liberty to enter into the holiest ; a freedom for our prayers to enter heaven whilst we live, and a right and liberty for our persons to enter when we die. 3. The mean whereby we obtain this liberty, By the blood of Jesus. We that before could not come near him for our sins, may now come near him by faith in the blood of his Son; for that blood satisfied justice, merited divine favour, and made God accessible. Learn hence, 1. That as sin had made God inaccessible to sinners, as sinners; so the blood of Christ, that new and living way, has made him ac. cessible to believers. 2. That although from the first promise of Christ there was always a way for believers to come to God, yet it was not so manifest as it was after Christ's death and ascension, and the gospel's revelation.

23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised ;)

The second duty which the apostle exhorts the Hebrews here unto, is, perseverance in the christian faith and hope, in order to the actual enjoyment of the great reward. Where observe, 1. The duty itself, to hold fast the profession of our faith; not blindly, without due examination, but having examined the grounds and foundations of our faith, to maintain the profession of it against all temptations and terrors of this world, occasioned by sufferings and persecutions, and against all the cunning arts and insinuations of busy and disputing men, whose design is to unhinge us from our religion, and make us proselytes to their party and faction. Thus let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering. Observe, 2. The reason enforcing this duty, Because he is faithful that has promised. Mark the gradation: We have a promise, even a promise of eternal glory, as the reward of our perseverance. This promise is God's promise, not man's, and the promise of a faithful God, who neither can nor will change his mind; he can as soon change his being, as change his word and promise: He is faithful, &c.

24 And let us consider one another, to provoke unto love and to good works:

Observe here, The duty exhorted to; to consider one another, that is, to watch over one another. This consideration respects the gifts, the graces, the temptations, the dangers of one another, and is the foundation of all those mutual duties of warning, exhorting, and admonishing one another : duties, God knows, generally lost among us, and with them is the glory of the christian religion departed from us. Learn hence, That the mutual watch of christians over each other, and their mutual exhortations of each other unto gospel duties, is necessarily required as a special mean for their preservation in their christian profession. Observe, 2. The duty we are to provoke, and be provoked unto, and that is, to love and good works that is no true faith which can be separated from love and that is no true love that is separated from good works. The great end of christian communion amongst believers, should be to excite one another to love, which is the spring and fountain of all good works, as the genuine effect and fruit good works; and to provoke one another to of a sincere love to God and our neigh

bour.

25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another and so much the more as ye see the day approaching.

Observe here, 1. That in the apostle's times there were christian assemblies, in which christians did meet together to worship and serve God, and edify and comfort one another; and in times of peace and liberty they had convenient places erected and separated for that end and use. The light of nature as well as of scripture, dictates that God is to be worshipped solemnly and publicly; that public worship pleases him most, and that he accepts it best. Observe, 2. It was the manner or custom of some then to forsake the public assemblies; some out of sloth and negligence, others out of fear of persecution. This was a dangerous sin, and so continues. God and Christ esteem themselves forsaken when their worship and worshippers are causelessly for saken. Observe, 3. The duty intimated and directed to, Not to forsake the assembling together, as some do; for christian assemblies are the life, the food, and nourishment of our souls; consequently, forsaking of church assemblies is usually the forerunner of apostasy. Observe, 4. The great inducement and encouragement to this duty, Because the day approacheth. What day? Ans. The day of Jerusalem's approaching destruction to them; the day of death and judgment coming upon and hastening towards us. Learn hence, That the intimations given of approaching judgments, ought to influence unto special diligence in all evangelical duties. 2. That to see evidently the approaches of death and judgment, and yet not to be sedulous and diligent in the duties of divine worship, is a sign and token of a backsliding frame, tending unto final apostasy from Christ and his holy religion.

26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, 27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment, and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries.

In these verses the apostle gives a vehement enforcement of his preceding exhortation to an unfainting perseverance in the profession of christianity; and this is drawn

from the dreadful consequences of apostasy. We have here the nature of the sin expressed, the impossibility of deliverance from the that will unavoidably follow upon it asguilt of it declared, and the punishment serted. Observe, 1. Wherein the nature of this sin consists, If we sin wilfully, that is, by renouncing christianity.-Where note, How our apostle puts himself in among the number; to show that there is no respect of persons in this matter, but those who have equally sinned, shall be equally punished: Note farther, That the apostle, by sinning wilfully, does not mean every wilful sin, and that there is no recovery after any voluntary sin committed; but by wilfully, he means obstinately, maliciously, and with despite. Observe, 2. The season and circumstance of this sin, After we have received the knowledge of the truth; that is, after the gospel had been preached unto us, and we, upon conviction of its truths, and sense of its power, have taken upon us the public profession of christianity; after we have dedicated ourselves to Christ in baptism, and joined ourselves unto the body of his church; after all this, to relinquish and renounce the christian profession, either for fear of suffering, or love of this present world, exposes us to unutterable and inevitable condemnation. Observe, 3. What the apostle charges as an aggravation of this sin, namely, that it cannot be expiated, There remains no more sacrifice for sin for God has no other Son to offer as a sacrifice for sin, if this be rejected; and no other Spirit to make that sacrifice effectual, if the Holy Spirit be despised and finally resisted and therefore no ground of hope can remain for such apostates. The punishment of sins unpardonable is unavoidable it is an eternal decree of divine justice, that the sacrifice of Christ shall never benefit that man, who finally falls away after he has received the knowledge of the truth. Observe, 4. The dreadful to apostates, and what they must eternally and tremendous judgment here threatened expect, namely, the fiery indignation and fearful wrath of the just and holy God. From the whole learn, 1. That there is ar inseparable connection between apostasy and eternal ruin.

2. That the minds of wretched apostates are oft-times filled with dreadful expectations of approaching wrath. 3. That the dread and terror of God's final judgment against apostates, is in itself in. conceivable, and accordingly shadowed out by things of the greatest dread and terror