are not all those spirits dispatch'd as ministers to take care of those who shall belong to the christian church.

'Tis not therefore to the angels that he has subjected the gospel state of which we are treating.

thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet." now since he has put all in subjection to him, he left nothing that is not subjected to him. however we do not see as yet that all things are put under him.

for both he that sanctifieth, and they who are sanctified, are all deriv'd from one: for which cause he is not asham'd to call them brethren, saying,

for he is not the deliverer of angels; but the deliverer of Abraham's posterity.

harden not your hearts, as at Meriba and Massa in the desart:

wherefore I was displeased with that generation, and said, they do alway err in their hearts; and they have not known my ways.

so I swear in my wrath, that they should not enter into my rest."

which is imply'd by, "to-day since ye hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as at Meriba."

for some when they had heard his voice, did provoke him: however, not all that were brought out of Egypt by Moses did so.

but with whom was he displeased forty years? was it not with those that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the desert?

and who were they, who, he sware, should not enter into his rest, but those that did not believe? so we see that they could not enter in,

for to us was the good promise made, as well as to them: but the word address'd to them was not effectually receiv'd with faith by those that heard it.

Whereas 'tis we who have believed that shall enter into rest, as he said, "wherefore I have sworn in my wrath, that they shall not enter into my rest." which is different from that rest, at the beginning of the world, when the work of creation was finished.

but in this place 'tis said, "they shall not enter into my rest."

Since there remains then a rest which some are still to enter into, for they to whom the promise was first made, did not enter in, because of their incredulity;

he pointed out another time in the words, which were spoken by David, a long time after their going into Canaan, in the passage just now quoted, "today since ye hear his voice, harden not your hearts."

for if Joshuah had given them rest, David would not afterwards have mentioned another day.

so that there is not a creature that is concealed from his view: but all is naked and open to the eyes of him of whom we speak. Having then so great a high priest,

not an high priest who is incapable of compassionating our miseries; since he was exposed to the same trials as we are, sin only excepted. let

Wherefore Christ himself did not assume the character of an high priest; but it was confirm'd by him that said, "thou art my son, to-day have I begotten thee."

On this head we have many things to say, not easily to be comprehended, because of your prejudices.

for though by this time you ought to be capable of teaching others, you want to be instructed anew in the first principles of the divine oracles; and are in such a state as to stand in need of milk, rather than of solid nourishment.

now he that is disciplined like a child, is not prepared for the doctrine of justification:

for God is too just to his promise not to regard your piety, and the love which you have shewn to the christian religion by the assistance ye have given to the saints, and still continue to give.

but we desire that every one of you may shew the same concern, continuing to discharge the condition upon which your hopes are founded: that ye be not unactive,

but he who was not of their pedigree, received tithes from Abraham, and blessed him to whom the promises were made.

If therefore the Levitical priesthood, concerning which the people received a law, could have given perfection, what further need was there that another priest should rise, to be named after the order of Melchisedec, and not after the order of Aaron?

who was not establish'd by virtue of a temporary law, but with the power of being a perpetual priest.

by him that said to him, "the Lord has swore, and will not repent, thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec."

so that Jesus was made guarantee of an alliance so much the more excellent, as it was not without the solemnity of an oath.

but he, by virtue of his immortal state, hath a priesthood that does not pass by succession.

a priest of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle which the Lord made, and not man.

which office he could not discharge here upon earth, where priests are already establish'd, who offer gifts according to the law:

not according to the alliance that I made with their fathers, when I took them by the hand, to lead them out of the land of Egypt; for they have not kept my alliance, wherefore I have rejected them, saith the Lord.

the holy spirit showing thereby, that the way to the holy of holys, was not yet open, while the first tabernacle was standing.

but Christ, the high priest of a better dispensation that was to come, having appeared, is enter'd into the holy of holys by a nobler and more perfect tabernacle, not the effect of human art, but of a higher nature;

because a testament has no effect till after the demise: it not being in force while the testator is alive.

whence even the first testament was not established without the effusion of blood.

for Christ is not entred into a sanctuary made by human art, such as is only representative of the true one, but into heaven itself, to appear from henceforth in the presence of God on our behalf:

For the law being only an allusion to a future dispensation that was more excellent, and not an exact imitation of such a state, cannot by the anniversary sacrifices, which are offered, entirely purify those that present themselves.

for then they would not have been repeated, because they who sacrificed being once purified, would not have been conscious of wanting any further atonement for their sins:

And indeed it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats, should take away the guilt of sin.

wherefore at his appearing in publick, he saith, "sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not, but a body hast thou prepared me:

after having said, "victims, oblations, holocausts, and sacrifice for sin, thou wouldst not, neither hadst pleasure therein," tho' they are all prescrib'd by the law;

now where they are remitted, there is no need of any further oblation for sin.

and let us animate one another to the mutual returns of love, and kind offices: not abandoning our assemblies,

as for us, we are not such as desert to their own destruction; but such as persevere in the faith, to the saving of our souls.

Now faith is the foundation of our hopes of happiness, and the persuasion we have about things not evident to our senses.

'Tis by faith we learn that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the visible world was not made out of any thing that did appear.

'Twas by faith that Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he was declared righteous, God himself having testified that he accepted his offering, and after he died for his faith, he was not silent.

By faith Enoch was translated that he might avoid dying; and he could not be found, because God had translated him: for 'tis recorded, that before his translation he was approved by God.

'Twas by faith that the parents of Moses conceal'd him for three months after his birth, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king's edict.

(of whom the world was not worthy) they wandred in desarts, and in mountains, having no retreat but the dens and caves of the earth.

Tho' these were all celebrated for their faith, they did not receive the reward that was promised:

because God out of his distinguishing kindness to us, would not let them arrive before us to the enjoyment of perfect felicity.

You have not yet resisted unto death, striving against sin.

have you forgot the exhortation which is address'd to you, as to children? "my son, despise not thou the chastning of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him.

if you are to endure chastisement, God treats you as his children: for where's the son whom his father does not chastise?

but if you were exempted from that discipline which others are subject to, then are you bastards, and not sons.

when our natural parents corrected us, we gave them reverence: is it not much more reasonable to be in subjection to the father of spirits, in order to have life?

take care not to deprive yourselves of the divine favour: and that no poisonous root spring up, and spread a general infection among you.

for you know that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: not being able to make Isaac to retract, though he importun'd him with tears.

You do not approach to any thing corporeal, to scorching fire, to smoak, darkness, and tempest,

to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the aspersion of that blood which cries for pardon, and not for vengeance as that of Abel.

Take care that you be not deaf to him that speaketh: for if they did not escape, who disregarded the oracles pronounc'd on earth, much less shall we escape, if we turn away from him that delivered the oracles from heaven:

whose voice then shook the earth: but he has promised to do it now, saying, " yet once more I will shake, not the earth only, but heaven too."

be not unmindful of hospitality: for thereby some have unknowingly entertained angels.

so that we may boldly say, " the Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me."

Jesus Christ is always the same, yesterday, to-day, and for ever. be not then misled by artful, novel doctrines:

Confide in your guides, and be respectful: that they who are vigilant, as being accountable for your souls, may discharge themselves with cheerfulness, and not with anxiety, which would be to your prejudice.