Thematic Bible


Thematic Bible





which office he could not discharge here upon earth, where priests are already establish'd, who offer gifts according to the law: 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." Our high priest then has obtained a priesthood so much the more excellent, as he is the mediator of a better alliance, established upon better promises. read more.
for if the first alliance had been without defect, there could have been no occasion for the second. nor for that reproach, which was made to our fathers, where 'tis said, "behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new alliance with the house of Israel, and with the house of Juda: 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. 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. they shall no longer instruct every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. for I will pardon their iniquity, and their sins and their trangressions will I remember no more." now by stiling the second a new alliance, he has antiquated the first. but to be antiquated and obsolete is next to being abolished.

You do not approach to any thing corporeal, to scorching fire, to smoak, darkness, and tempest, nor to the sound of trumpets, and the voice which pronounc'd such words, that they who heard, intreated they might hear it no more. nor could they endure that threat, "if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned." read more.
and so terrible was the appearance, that Moses cry'd out, "I tremble with the fright." 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, 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.


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. they shall no longer instruct every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. for I will pardon their iniquity, and their sins and their trangressions will I remember no more."


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. they shall no longer instruct every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. for I will pardon their iniquity, and their sins and their trangressions will I remember no more."




"this is the alliance that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their mind will I write them: he adds, and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more." now where they are remitted, there is no need of any further oblation for sin.

he immediately adds, "lo, I come to do thy WILL, O God." he abolishes the first to establish the second: Verse ConceptsBeing FirstThe Lord's PrayerHumility Of ChristDoing God's Will

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, 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.


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

Our high priest then has obtained a priesthood so much the more excellent, as he is the mediator of a better alliance, established upon better promises. for if the first alliance had been without defect, there could have been no occasion for the second. nor for that reproach, which was made to our fathers, where 'tis said, "behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new alliance with the house of Israel, and with the house of Juda: read more.
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. 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. they shall no longer instruct every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. for I will pardon their iniquity, and their sins and their trangressions will I remember no more." now by stiling the second a new alliance, he has antiquated the first. but to be antiquated and obsolete is next to being abolished.

the holy spirit showing thereby, that the way to the holy of holys, was not yet open, while the first tabernacle was standing. This type subsists to the present time, both gifts and sacrifices being still offered, which cannot purify the mind of him that officiates only in matters relating to meats and drinks, and divers baptisms, meer external rites which were to subsist only till the time of reformation. read more.
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; nor with the blood of goats and calves, but with his own blood he enter'd once for all into the holy of holys, after having obtained for us an eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and of bulls, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkled on the unclean, can cleanse them from external impurities; 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? and for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that, the transgressions that were unexpiated by the first testament, being expiated by his death, they who are called might receive the eternal inheritance, which was promised.

for if the first alliance had been without defect, there could have been no occasion for the second. nor for that reproach, which was made to our fathers, where 'tis said, "behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new alliance with the house of Israel, and with the house of Juda: 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. read more.
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. they shall no longer instruct every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. for I will pardon their iniquity, and their sins and their trangressions will I remember no more." now by stiling the second a new alliance, he has antiquated the first. but to be antiquated and obsolete is next to being abolished.

The first alliance then had rites of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary. for the disposition of the tabernacle was such, that in the first part named the sanctuary, were placed the candlestick, the table, and the shew-bread; and beyond the veil, was the second part of the tabernacle which is called the holy of holys; read more.
there was the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant gilded all over with gold, wherein was the golden urn containing the manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the alliance. over the ark were the cherubims of glory covering the propitiatory with their wings, of which we cannot now enter into a particular detail. These things being thus disposed, the priests went at all times into the first part of the tabernacle, to officiate the divine service. but into the other part, the high priest only enter'd, and that but once every year, when he carried the blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people. the holy spirit showing thereby, that the way to the holy of holys, was not yet open, while the first tabernacle was standing. This type subsists to the present time, both gifts and sacrifices being still offered, which cannot purify the mind of him that officiates only in matters relating to meats and drinks, and divers baptisms, meer external rites which were to subsist only till the time of reformation. 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; nor with the blood of goats and calves, but with his own blood he enter'd once for all into the holy of holys, after having obtained for us an eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and of bulls, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkled on the unclean, can cleanse them from external impurities; 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? and for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that, the transgressions that were unexpiated by the first testament, being expiated by his death, they who are called might receive the eternal inheritance, which was promised.

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: whereas their annual sacrifices were accompanied with an anniversary commemoration of their sins. read more.
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: in burnt-offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure: then said I, lo I come, as in the volume of the book it is written of me, to do thy will, O God." 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; he immediately adds, "lo, I come to do thy WILL, O God." he abolishes the first to establish the second: in consequence of which WILL we are sanctified by the oblation which Jesus Christ has made once for all of his own body. While the high priest in his daily administrations frequently repeated the same sacrifices which could by no means expiate sin; Christ, after he had offered one sacrifice for sin, sat down on the right hand of God for ever:

now where they are remitted, there is no need of any further oblation for sin. Wherefore, my brethren, since by virtue of the blood of Jesus we have the liberty of entring into the holy of holies, by a new and living way which he has first open'd for us, thro' the veil, that is, thro' his flesh;