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16 This is the covenant that I will make with them Italy. riod, 4775. after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into Vulgar Æra, their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;

62.

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.

The Apostle having ended his doctrinal Arguments, exhorts the Hebrews, as they have now full access to Heaven itself through the Blood of Christ, a great High Priest offering up his own Sacrifice in Heaven, the true House of God, to approach the Throne of God with a sincere Heart, and Faith in the Blood of Christ, spiritually cleansed (Num. xix. 2-10. Lev xvi. 4. Numb. viii. 7.) to be stedfast in the Confession of their Hope of eternal Life, for God is faithful, who has promised it through Christ; assisting each other under Trials, and exciting to Love and good Works-not absenting themselves from the Worship of God, as some of the Christian Jews did, on account of Persecution, or Prejudice against the Gentile Converts; but exhorting and comforting one another the more, as they see the Judgments of God approach on the Jewish Nation.

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.

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

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

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.

§ 28. HEB. X. 26-31.

The Apostle, from the Fear that neglect of Christian Com-
munion should lead to Apostacy, declares that those who
renounce Christianity, after having been convinced of the
Truth, there remains no other Atonement for Sin, but a
dreadful expectation of Judgment, which will destroy the
Jewish Nation, as the Opposers of God, (Numb. xvi. 35.
and 2 Thess. i. 7,8. which was fulfilled in the Destruction

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62.

of their Temple and City by Fire)-For if those who denied Italy.
the divine Authority of Moses' Law, who was only a Ser-
vant, died without Mercy, (Numb. xv. 30. Deut. xvii.
6.) how much more severely will they be punished who
have rejected and treated with contempt the Son of God,
and have counted this sacrificial Blood, that ratified the
New Covenant of their Redemption, as that of a common
or unholy Person-and who have insulted the Holy Spirit,
by whose Gifts the Truths of the Gospel were confirmed
-That the Punishment of Apostates is certain, is evident
from the Word of God himself, who has declared he will
judge the Enemies of his People, (Deut. xxxii. 35, 36.)
-And God, who lives for ever, can punish for ever.

26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received
the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sa-
crifice for sins.

27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment, and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.

28 He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:

29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of Grace?

30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.

31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

As a further Inducement to them to continue in the Faith, he reminds them of the Sufferings and Persecutions they had overcome, when they were first enlightened by the Gospel-From the Remembrance of which the Apostle admonishes them not to renounce their Faith in Christ, but to have continued Patience, that they may patiently suffer for the Faith here, that they may receive the Promise of eternal Life hereafter-Further, to encourage them to perseverance, the Apostle reminds them in the Words of Habakkuk, (chap. ii. 3.) of the Faithfulness of God in performing his Promises of Deliverance, and that the Just shall be preserved by his Faith-(fulfilled in the Escape of the Christians from Jerusalem)-But those, who through Fear draw back from their Faith in God, expose themselves to eternal Perdition.

32 But call to remembrance the former days, in which,

Julian Pe- after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of af- Italy. riod, 4775. flictions;

Vulgar Æra, 62.

33 Partly, whilst ye were made a gazing stock, both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used.

34 For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring sub

stance.

35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.

36 For ye have need of patience; that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.

37 For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.

38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.

39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition, but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

§ 30. HEB. xi. 1-7.

As a further Inducement to the Hebrews to persevere in the
Faith and Patience of the Gospel, the Apostle reminds
them of the wonderful Effects of justifying Faith, exem-
plified in the Lives of their Ancestors-He defines Faith
as giving present Subsistence to future Things hoped for,
on the Promises of God; and a clear Demonstration to the
Mind of the reality of those revealed Truths which have
been, and which are to come-By this spiritual faculty their
Ancestors obtained from God an honourable Testimony
-At the beginning, the Formation of the material Uni-
verse, from no pre-existent Matter was the Subject of Faith,
(Gen. i. 3-6.)-In every Dispensation of God there
has been but one appointed means of Salvation-This is
instanced in the Adamic Covenant in the Faith of Abel,
who by his accepted Sacrifice declares to this Day the Ne-
cessity of an Atonement for Reconciliation with God-in
the Translation of Enoch, which teaches that without a
Faith in the invisible God, and a correspondent Life, it is
not possible to please him-Noah, having Faith in the
Revelation imparted to him by God, when there were no
signs of the Flood, prepared the Ark, and as the second
common Progenitor of Man, he became Heir to this Justifi-
cation by Faith, and his temporal Deliverance typified
the eternal Redemption of all his spiritual Chil-
dren.

1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the
evidence of things not seen.

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62.

2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.
3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were
framed by the word of God; so that things which are
seen, were not made of things which do appear.

4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sa-
crifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he
was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he,
being dead, yet speaketh.

5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

:

6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

§ 31. HEB. xi. 8-19.

Abraham, with whom God more particularly entered into
Covenant, had implicit Faith in the Promises of God,
when he left his own Country by the Direction of God, in
search of a Land of which he had never seen, nor heard-
He dwelt in Tabernacles in the Land of Promise, shewing
that he and his Heirs had no fixed Habitation on Earth
-By Faith in the Promises of God, Sarah became a
Mother, contrary to the common Course of Nature, by
the supernatural Birth of Isaac-Abraham, Sarah, Isaac
and Jacob continued stedfast in the Belief of the Pro-
mises, which they did not see fulfilled, believing that God
would give them the numerous promised Seed, and the
heavenly Rest of Canaan-These were Strangers and
Pilgrims on Earth, looking for the Country in which their
Fathers dwelt, better than the earthly Canaan-Not Chal-
dea, which they had left, and might have returned to, but
in Faith they sought for a heavenly Inheritance and spi-
ritual Blessings (Acts vii. 5.)-they desired no earthly
Country, therefore God has assumed the Title of their
God, (the God of the Hebrews) and has prepared
for them the heavenly City they sought By Faith
Abraham laid Isaac upon the Altar, though he had no
other Son to inherit the Promises, concluding that God
would fulfil them by raising him from the Dead-from
whence he received him as a Type of the Resurrection of the
only begotten Son of God-By this great Exercise of his
Faith and Piety, he was made the Pattern of all Be-

Italy.

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lievers-fully illustrating the Doctrine of Justification Italy.
by Faith, and testifying that the Patriarchs believed in
the Immortality of the Soul, and the Resurrection of the
Body, and that they rested not on temporal Promises.

8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out
into a place which he should after receive for an inherit-
ance, obeyed: and he went out, not knowing whither he

went.

9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:

10 For he looked for a city which had foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

11 Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.

12 Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.

13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

14 For they that say such things, declare plainly that they seek a country.

15 And truly if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned:

16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for he hath prepared for them a city.

17 By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac; and he that had received the promises, offered up his only-begotten son,

18 Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:

19 Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.

$ 32. HEB. XI. 20-31.

The appointed Heirs of the Abrahamic Covenant expressed
the same strong Faith in the Promises of God-By Faith
in the divine Impulse, Isaac foretold to his two Sons the
Blessings which were to be bestowed on them and their
Posterity-By Faith, his Grandson Jacob blessed the