1 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,
2 whom
he hath constituted heir of all
things, by whom also be made
the world.
3 who being the radiation
of his glory, and the
imprest image of his substance,11Q0040
and governing all things by his
powerful command, after having
himself made expiation for
our sins, sat down on the right
hand of the divine majesty in
the highest heavens.11Q0041
4 He is so much superiour to
the angels, as the authority he
possesses is more excellent than
-- --
theirs.
5 for to which of the angels
did he ever say, “ note thou
art my son, this day have I
begotten thee? and again,
I will be his father, and
he shall be my son?
6 and
when he re-introduces the
first-begotten into the world,
he saith, “ note and let all the
angels of God worship him.”11Q0042
7 and of the angels, he saith,
note who employs his angels
like the winds, and flames
of fire as his ministers.”11Q0043
8 but to the son he saith,
“God is thy note throne for ever
and ever; the sceptre of
thy kingdom is a sceptre of
equity.11Q0044
9 thou hast loved
justice and hated iniquity;
therefore God, even
thy God, hath anointed
thee with the oil of gladness
above thy peers.”11Q0045
10 again,
“thou, Lord, in the
beginning hast laid the
foundation of the earth;
and the heavens are the
works of thy hands.
11 they
shall perish, but thou shalt
remain: and they all shall
come to an end like an
old garment;
12 as a vesture
shalt thou change them,
and they shall be changed:
but thou art the same,
and thy years shall never
end.”
-- --
13 But to which of the angels
did he ever say, “sit on my
right hand, until I make
thine enemies thy footstool?”
14 are not all those
spirits dispatch'd as ministers
to take care of those who
shall belong to the christian
church.
1 Therefore we ought to give
the greater attention to the
things we have heard, for fear
we should abandon the gospel.
2 for if the law deliver'd by angels
was put in execution, and
every transgression and disobedience
was justly punish'd
as it deserv'd;
3 how shall we
escape, if we neglect that salutary
doctrine? which was
first published by the Lord,
and was confirmed to us by
those that heard him;
4 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.
5 'Tis not therefore to the angels
that he has subjected the
gospel state of which we are
treating.
6 and this is attested by
a certain writer,11Q0046 who says,
“what is man that thou art
mindful of him, or the son
of man that thou visitest
him?
7 thou hast made him note
for a while lower than the
angels; thou hast crown'd
-- --
him with glory and honour,
and hast set him over the
works of thy hands:
8 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.
9 but
Jesus, who was for a while inferior
to the angels by his sufferings
and death, we see was
crown'd with glory and honour;
when by the divine
goodness, he had pass'd thro'
death for every man.
10 For it was agreeable to his
wisdom, for whom are all
things, and by whom are all
things, in bringing many sons
unto glory, to consecrate the author
of their salvation by his
sufferings.
11 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,
12 “I will declare thy
name unto my brethren, in
the midst of the church will I
sing praise unto thee.”
13 and
again, “I will put my trust in
him.” and again, “behold,
I, and the children which
God hath given me.
14 Since then the children
were made subject to a state of
mortality, so he himself likewise
was subject to the same
-- --
condition: that through death11Q0047
he might destroy him that had
the power of death, that is, the
devil;
15 and deliver them who
thro' fear of death were all
their life-time in a state of slavery.
16 for he is not the deliverer
of angels; but the deliverer of
Abraham's posterity.
17 whence
it was necessary he should be
in all things like his brethren;
that he might be a merciful
high priest, and faithfully discharge
the divine office of expiating
the sins of the people.
18 for having himself stood the
test of sufferings, he is capable
of being moved to relieve those
who undergo such tryals.
1 Wherefore, christian brethren,
you who are called to an
heavenly inheritance, consider
the apostle and high priest of
the faith we profess, even
Christ Jesus;
2 who was faithful
to him that constituted him such,
as Moses likewise was faithful
in all his administration of
God's house.
3 but as the architect
is of much greater dignity than
the house he has made; so the
glory which Christ received
was greater than that of Moses.11Q0048
4 no house is without a builder;
now he that built the whole
house of Israel is God.
5 besides
Moses throughout his whole
administration acted in quality
of a servant, representing to
the people what he was order'd
-- --
to say.11Q0049
6 but Christ govern'd his
own house in quality of son and
heir, and 'tis we that are his
house, provided we stedfastly
persevere unto the end in the
publick profession of that hope,
in virtue of which we glory.
7 Wherefore as the holy spirit
saith, “since to-day you
hear his voice,
8 harden not
your hearts, as at note11Q0050 Meriba
and Massa in the desart:
9 where your fathers
provoked me to give proofs
of my power forty years,
tho' they saw my works.
10 wherefore I was displeased
with that generation, and
said, they do alway err in
their hearts; and they
have not known my ways.
11 so I swear in my wrath,
that they should not enter
into my rest.”
12 Take heed, brethren, lest
there be in any of you such
incredulity as to make you
desert the living God.
13 but exhort
one another daily while
the day lasts, lest any of you
be hardned through the deceitfulness
of sin.
14 for we were
receiv'd into the communion
of Christ, upon condition of inviolably
maintaining the hope
-- --
we had at the beginning even
unto the end,
15 which is imply'd
by, “to-day since ye hear
his voice, harden not your
hearts, as at Meriba.”
16 for some when they had heard
his voice, did provoke him:
however, not all that were
brought out of Egypt by Moses
did so.
17 but with whom
was he displeased forty years?
was it not with those that
had sinned, whose carcases
fell in the desert?
18 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,
19 because
of their incredulity.
1 Let us therefore fear, lest
any of us by rejecting the promise
of entring into his rest,
should be excluded from it.
2 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.
3 Whereas 'tis we who have
believed that shall enter into
rest,11Q0051 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.
4 of which in a
certain place relating to the
seventh day, 'tis said, “and
God did rest the seventh
day from all his works.”
5 but in this place 'tis said,
“they shall not enter into
my rest.”
6 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;
7 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.”
8 for if Joshuah had given
them rest, David would not
afterwards have mentioned
another day.
9 which shows
that the people of God have
a sabbath still to come.
10 then
he that enters into divine rest,
will indeed rest from his
works, as God did from his.11Q0052
11 Let us labour therefore to
enter into that rest, lest any
of us by imitating their incredulity,
should fall short thereof
like them.
12 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.11Q0053
13 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,
14 who is passed
into the heavens, Jesus the
son of God, let us hold fast
our profession. for we have
15 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
16 us therefore approach with
confidence to the throne of
grace, that we may obtain
the seasonable assistance of divine
mercy and favour.
1 For every high priest is
appointed to officiate for men
in religious matters, offering
gifts and sacrifices for their
sins: being chosen from among
the people. that as he himself
is surrounded with infirmities,
2
he might have the greater
compassion for those who
sin through ignorance or mistake.11Q0054
and for the same reason
3 he is obliged to offer sacrifices
for his own sins as
well as for those of the people.
besides, no man can assume
4 to himself the honour of
the priesthood: he must be called
thereto by God, as Aaron was.
-- --
5 Wherefore Christ himself
did not assume the character
of an high priest; but it was
confirm'd by him that said, note
“thou art my son, to-day have
I begotten thee.”
6 as he saith
too in another place, note “thou
art a priest for ever after
the order of Melchisedec.”
7 this was Jesus, who while he
was in a mortal body, having
offered up prayers and supplications,
with strong cries, and
with tears, to him that was
able to save him from that
death, was heard so as to be
delivered from his fear;
8 for
tho' he was the son of God,
yet he found by his own sufferings
what it was to obey,
9 and by a perfect obedience he
procured eternal salvation for
all that obey him;
10 God having
declared him an high
priest after the order of Melchisedec.
11 On this head we have many
things to say, not easily to
be comprehended, because of
your prejudices.
12 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.
13 now he
that is disciplined like a child,
-- --
is not prepared for the doctrine
of justification:
14 such solid
nourishment11Q0055 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.11Q0056
1 Therefore omitting for the
present the principles of the
christian doctrine, we shall
proceed to something more sublime,
without mentioning those
fundamental articles of repentance
from destructive vices,
and of divine faith:
2 the doctrine
of baptisms, and laying
on of hands, the resurrection
of the dead, and eternal judgment:
3 of which we shall treat
another time, if God permit.
4 For it is impossible for those
who were once enlightned, and
have received the heavenly
gifts, communicated by the holy
spirit,
5 and have known by experience
the truth of the divine
promises, and the miracles of
the age that was to come;
it is impossible,
6 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.
7 for the earth which drinks
up the frequent show'rs that
fall upon it, and produces
plants fit for the use of him
that cultivates it, is stiled
-- --
heavenly land:
8 but that
which bears thorns and briars,
is look'd upon as lying
under a curse; whose end
will be to be burnt.
9 But though we speak in
this manner, my dear brethren,
we expect better things
of you, and such as are more
suitable to your salvation.
10 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.
11 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,
12 but imitate
the example of those who
by faith and patience have
obtain'd the inheritance that
was promis'd to them.
13 For when God gave his promise
to Abraham, because he
could swear by no greater, note11Q0057 he
sware by himself, saying,
14 “surely I will heap blessings
upon thee, and will give
thee a numerous posterity.”
15 and after he had patiently
waited, he obtained what was
promised.
16 for when men swear
-- --
by a superior, the ratifying
what they say with an oath,
puts an end to all further debate.
17 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:
18 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,
19 might have strong consolation
to serve as a sure and stedfast
anchor to the soul: till it arrives
within the veil,
20 where
Jesus is gone to usher us in, having
been made an high priest
for ever, after the order of
Melchisedec.
1 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:
2 to whom also Abraham gave
a tenth part of the whole
booty: first, being by the
signification of his name king
of justice, and in fact king
of Salem, which is, king of
peace;
3 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.
-- --
4 Now consider the dignity of
this person, to whom even the
patriarch Abraham gave the
tenth of the spoils.
5 'tis true
they of the race of Levi,
who assume the office of the
priesthood, have a right by
law to take tithes of the people,
that is, of their brethren,
though they all issued
from Abraham:
6 but he who
was not of their pedigree, received
tithes from Abraham,
and blessed him to whom the
promises were made.
7 now
'tis past dispute, he that is
blessed is inferior to him that
blesses:
8 besides here they that
receive tithes are men who
die: but there 'twas he of
whom it is testified that he
liveth.
9 and even Levi who received
tithes, pay'd tithes, if
I may so say, in the person of
Abraham.
10 for he was even
then in the loins of his father,
when Melchisedec met him.
11 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?
12 now the
priesthood being changed, the
law must necessarily be changed
too.
13 for he who was there
mention'd was of another
-- --
tribe, none of whom ever gave
attendance at the altar.
14 since
it is evident that our Lord
sprang out of the tribe of Juda,
to which Moses never ascribed
the priesthood.
15 This appears still more
clear from another priest's arising
like Melchisedec,
16 who
was not establish'd by virtue of
a temporary law, but with the
power of being a perpetual
priest.
17 for it is said, “thou
art a priest for ever after
the order of Melchisedec.”
18 wherefore the preceeding law
is abolished for its being weak
and useless.
19 for the law made
no man perfect, but this was
effected by introducing a better
hope, which brings us nearer
to the divine presence.
20 Besides those priests were
establish'd without any oath:
but this with an oath,
21 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.”
22 so that Jesus
was made guarantee of an alliance
so much the more excellent,
20 as it was not without the
solemnity of an oath.
23 besides,
the priesthood then devolv'd to
many, death depriving them
of a lasting possession.
24 but he,
by virtue of his immortal
state, hath a priesthood that
does not pass by succession.
25 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.
26 and indeed we wanted
an high priest of such a character,
one that is holy, innocent,
undefiled, one that is separated
from sinful men, and
exalted above the heavens;
one who was under no necessity,
27
as those high priests of the
law were, to offer up daily
sacrifices, first for his own sins,
and then for those of the
people: having done this once
for all, by offering up himself.
28 for the law appointed frail
mortals to be high priests, but
the oracle pronounc'd with an
oath, which was since the law,
established the son, who is
crown'd with immortal perfections.
1 What we have said amounts
to this; we have an high priest,
who sits in heaven on the right
hand of the throne of the divine
majesty.
2 a priest of the
sanctuary,11Q0058 and of the true
tabernacle which the Lord
made, and not man.
3 every
high priest being establish'd to
offer gifts and sacrifices: it
was necessary that he likewise
should make a peculiar offering,
4 which office he could not
discharge here upon earth,
where priests are already establish'd,
who offer gifts according
-- --
to the law:
5 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.”
6 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.
7 for if the first alliance had
been without defect, there
could have been no occasion for
the second.
8 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:
9 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.
10 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.
11 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.
12 for
I will pardon their iniquity,
and their sins and
their trangressions will I
remember no more.”
13 now
by stiling the second a new
alliance, he has antiquated
the first. but to be antiquated
and obsolete is next to being
abolished.
1 The first alliance then had
rites of divine service, and a
worldly sanctuary.
2 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;
3 and beyond
the veil, was the second part of
the tabernacle which is called
the holy of holys;
4 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.
5 over the ark were the cherubims
of glory covering the
propitiatory with their wings,
of which we cannot now enter
into a particular detail.
-- --
6 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,
7 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.
8 the holy
spirit showing thereby, that
the way to the holy of holys,
was not yet open, while the
first tabernacle was standing.
9 This type subsists to the
present time, both gifts and
sacrifices being still offered,
which cannot purify the
mind of him that officiates
10 only in matters relating to
meats and drinks, and divers
baptisms, meer external rites
which were to subsist only till
the time of reformation.
11 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,11Q0059 but of a higher
nature;
12 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.
13 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;
14 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?
15 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.
16 For where a testament is,
there the death of the testator
is necessarily pre-suppos'd.
17 because a testament
has no effect till after the demise:
it not being in force
while the testator is alive.
18 whence even the first testament
was not established
without the effusion of blood.
19 for when every precept of
the law had been represented
by Moses to all the people,
he took the blood of calves
and of goats, with water,
wool of a scarlet dye, and
hyssop, and sprinkled both the
book of the law and all the
people,
20 saying, “this is the
blood of the testament which
God has made in your behalf.”
21 he sprinkled likewise
-- --
the tabernacle with blood,
and all the vessels used in divine
service.
22 and indeed according
to the law almost every
thing is purified with
blood, without the effusion of
which, there is no remission of
sins.
23 It was therefore necessary
that what was only a type of
the heavenly sanctuary, should
be purified by such sacrifices;
but the heavenly sanctuary itself,
by a more excellent sacrifice.
