God who at sundry times, and in divers manners, spake in time past to the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his SON,

and when he re-introduces the first-begotten into the world, he saith, " and let all the angels of God worship him."

but to the son he saith, "God is thy throne for ever and ever; the sceptre of thy kingdom is a sceptre of equity.

thou hast loved justice and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy peers."

God also giving an additional testimony both by signs, by prodigies, by divers miracles, and gifts of the holy spirit, which he distributes as he pleases.

and again, "I will put my trust in him." and again, "behold, I, and the children which God hath given me.

who was faithful to him that constituted him such, as Moses likewise was faithful in all his administration of God's house.

no house is without a builder; now he that built the whole house of Israel is God.

Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you such incredulity as to make you desert the living God.

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.

of which in a certain place relating to the seventh day, 'tis said, "and God did rest the seventh day from all his works."

which shows that the people of God have a sabbath still to come.

then he that enters into divine rest, will indeed rest from his works, as God did from his.

for the word of God is active and efficacious, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even to the division of soul and spirit, to the smallest and most inward parts, distinguishing the thoughts, and intentions of the heart.

who is passed into the heavens, Jesus the son of God, let us hold fast our profession. for we have

to himself the honour of the priesthood: he must be called thereto by God, as Aaron was.

for tho' he was the son of God, yet he found by his own sufferings what it was to obey,

God having declared him an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.

such solid nourishment is only fit for such as are arriv'd at their full growth and strength, whose senses have been exercis'd in distinguishing what is good, and what is prejudicial.

of which we shall treat another time, if God permit.

if they shall fall away, to re-instate themselves by repentance: seeing, as far in them lies, they crucify the son of God afresh, and expose him to open shame.

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.

For when God gave his promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, saying,

wherefore God was willing to give the heirs of promise a stronger proof of the immutability of his counsel, by the intervention of an oath:

that by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to deceive us, we, who have no other refuge to fly to, but to maintain our present hopes,

For this Melchisedec was both king of Salem, and a priest of the most high God; 'twas he who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him:

without father, without mother, without genealogy; his days have no beginning, and his life no end; but like the son of God, he was a perpetual priest.

so that he has an uninterrupted power to save those, that come to God by him, because he ever lives to make intercession for them.

and officiate in the sanctuary, which was a gross representation of that in heaven, agreeable to the order given by God to Moses, when he projected the tabernacle, "be very exact, said he, in following the model which was laid before thee in the mount."

but this is the alliance that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord: I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the holy spirit offered himself a spotless victim to God, purify our souls from deadly sins, to serve the living God?

saying, "this is the blood of the testament which God has made in your behalf."

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:

then said I, lo I come, as in the volume of the book it is written of me, to do thy will, O God."

he immediately adds, "lo, I come to do thy WILL, O God." he abolishes the first to establish the second:

Christ, after he had offered one sacrifice for sin, sat down on the right hand of God for ever:

and having an high priest, who is established over the house of God,

don't you think then that he deserves a much greater punishment, who hath despised the son of God, and counted the blood of the covenant wherewith be was sanctified, to have been justly shed, thereby offering an indignity to the spirit of grace?

it is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

don't therefore quit that resolution you have, which will be attended with so great a reward.

for it is necessary you should persevere, that after having perform'd what God has commanded, you may receive what he has promised.

'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.

now without faith it is impossible to be acceptable to him: for he that presents himself to God, cannot but believe he exists, and that he is a rewarder of those who make their addresses to him.

for he had in view the city, whose foundations are sure, the architect and founder being God.

they desired therefore a better, that is, an heavenly country: so that God is very justly stiled their God: for he had appointed a city for them.

'Twas by faith that Abraham, when put to the trial, offered up Isaac: HE offered up his darling son, to whose posterity the promises were to be made good:

concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the grave; from whence, in a figurative sense, be may be said to have been recover'd.

chusing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;

they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandred about in sheepskins, and goat-skins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented:

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

having Jesus in our view, the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down on the right hand of the throne of God.

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

their discipline was temporary, and the effect of humour; whereas God chastises us for our advantage, to make us partakers of his holiness.

but you are come to mount Sion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable congress of angels, to the general assembly,

the church of the first-born who are enroll'd in heaven, to God the judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect,

since then we are entring into a kingdom which cannot be changed, let us maintain the divine favour, whereby we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and fear.

for "our God is a consuming fire."

Marriage is every where honourable, and that state is innocent: but the licentious and adulterers God will punish.

Remember those who have the rule over you, who have preach'd to you the word of God: imitate their faith; consider their conduct, and the exit they made.

for Jesus likewise suffered without the gate, to show he was the expiatory victim for the people.

Let our sacrifice then, which we are to offer to God by Jesus Christ, be that of incessant praises, the offering of our lips, which celebrate his name:

but don't forget to be beneficent to the community; for such sacrifice is acceptable to God.

May the God of peace, who has raised from the dead our Lord Jesus (who by the blood of the eternal covenant is become the grand pastor of