"holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us." After which, he goes on to prove, with great force and perfpicuity, that what he calls the first covenant, or the Mofaic conftitution, carried in its very form or aspect the most legible marks of imperfection and decay. No permanent high-priest belonged to it, that office being exercised by men compaffed about with infirmities; each of whom, by death, gave. place to his fucceffor. Befides, the gifts and facrifices they offered were, in their own nature, fo mean and inconfiderable, "that they could not make him, that did "the fervice perfect, as pertaining to the: "confcience for it was impoffible that "the blood of goats and of calves fhould," by any intrinfic virtue, "take away fin." Nay, the repetition of thefe facrifices was a plain confeffion of their weakness and infufficiency; as the Apoftle reasons most conclufively in the beginning of this chapter. "For the law," faith he, " having at "fhadow of good things to come, and not "the very image of the things, can never, with thofe facrifices, which they offered

year by year continually, make the co"mers thereunto perfect. For then," adds he in the form of a queftion, "would they

"not have ceafed to be offered? because "that the worshippers, once purged, fhould "have had no more confcience of fins. "But in thofe facrifices there is a remem"brance again made of fins once every

year." Whereas Chrift is an ever-living and unchangeable high-priest. The blood which he offered is of infinite worth and efficacy, being the blood of Emmanuel, God in our nature. Accordingly there is no repetition of his facrifice: for thus the Apostle proceeds at the 11th verfe," Every high"priest ftandeth daily miniftering, and "offering oftentimes the fame facrifices, "which can never take away fins: but this

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man," this God-man, "after he had "offered one facrifice for fins, for ever sat "down on the right hand of God; from "henceforth expecting till his enemies be "made his footstool. For by one offering "he hath perfected for ever them that

are fanctified." He is now gone to the heavenly fanctuary, " having finished tranf greffion,

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greffion, made an end of fin, made re❝ conciliation for iniquity, and brought in "everlasting righteousness." And nothing remains for him to do, but to blefs his people with the free and irrevocable remiffion of their fins, according to that promife of the covenant, quoted verse 17. their fins and iniquities will I remember no more; and to difpenfe to all who are willing to receive (and to hold it by his right) that fulness of life which is lodged in his hand, as the " Saviour of the body," and the "King and Head over all things to the "church."

This fhort review of the Apostle's reafoning, ferves to throw light upon the paffage I am further to discourse upon.We see how the blood of Jefus gives boldnefs or freedom to enter into the heavenly fanctuary, even by removing that guilt which feparates us from God, and renders us incapable of holding friendly communion or intercourfe with him.-We likewife fee a reafon, why the way of admittance into the holiest is called, not only a new but a living way. The entrance in

to

to the worldly fanctuary was indeed by blood: for, as the Apostle had obferved at the 22d verfe of the preceding chapter, "almost all things," under the old dif penfation, were purged with blood; and "without fhedding of blood there is no "remiffion." But then it was the blood of animals inferior to man; which, after they were flain, were utterly confumed, and could live no more: Whereas the blood by which we now enter into the heavenly fanctuary, is the blood of him who hath life in himself; who, though he voluntarily fubmitted to death for a feafon, yet foon rofe again from the grave by his own power; "who is now alive, and behold, "he liveth for evermore, and hath the keys "of hell, and of death." -We further learn, upon what account his flesh, or human nature, gets the name of a vail, through which the new and living way into the holeft is confecrated for us. It was by becoming man that he was qualified to fuffer in our place for the expiation of our guilt. In him we behold God clothed with the character of a reconciler, as the God of love, the God who

is love. His flesh then is fuch a vail, as doth not exclude from, but opens to give us admittance to a throne of grace: nay, Chrift himself is the true propitiatory, or mercy-feat: the facrifice, the altar, and the high-priest, are all united in his wonderful perfon. In fhort," he is the way, the "truth, and the life;" the true, the living, and the only way to the Father.

Here then we are furnished with a clear and fatisfying anfwer to the first question propofed, viz. What warrant or encouragement hath a guilty creature to draw near to a holy and righteous God? Jefus the high-prieft over the house of God, who fuffered for us in his flesh, or human nature, hath, by "that offering and facrifice of a "fweet-fmelling favour," confecrated a new and living way of accefs, whereby we have boldness to enter into the most holy place, and to draw near to God under the fprinkling of his blood.

II. THE answer to the fecond question, which regards the manner of our approach, is no lefs clearly expreffed in the following

words: