Study Desk

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.

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.

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;

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.