your of God towards mankind, that he might undergo that death for man, which every one is liable unto; and, by his tasting of death, sweeten it to all his faithful ones.

II. 10 For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

For it well stood with the justice and mercy of that infinitely wise, powerful, and holy God, who is the Maker and Preserver of all things; for the effecting of that his gracious decree, in saving many sons of his and bringing them to their full glory, to fit this great author and ring-leader of their salvation, for that wonderful and unspeakable glory, wherewith his humanity was to be invested, through many and great sufferings.

II. 11 For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren. For both that Saviour of ours by whom we are sanctified, and we that are sanctified, are all of one nature, namely, we have all one common humanity: for which cause he being, as he is, God, blessed for ever, is not ashamed to call us, miserable men, by the name of his brethren.

II. 14, 15 That through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage.

That, by the suffering of that death, which was due to us for our sins, he might strip Satan of that power and advantage, which he had over mankind, in the drawing of man into eternal death, by miscarrying him into sin, whose wages is death; And that he might deliver those his chosen children, from the fear and horror of temporal death, who, in the state of nature, were held continually in a slavish fear and dreadful expectation of it.

II. 17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

Wherefore, since he would become man and our elder brother, it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren in all things, both in his substance, and affections, and infirmities, sin only excepted; that, out of his experience, he might be approved unto us a merciful and faithful High Priest, in those things which are requisite to make up a perfect reconciliation with God, for the sins of the people.

II. 18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

For in that he himself in his human nature hath suffered, being assailed by divers difficulties and trials of affliction, he is therefore, out of his own feeling experience, able to succour those that are thus afflicted and assaulted.

III. 1 Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly call

ing, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;

Wherefore, Oye Christian Jews, who are partakers of this heavenly calling, and brethren by your holy profession, consider and set before your eyes Jesus Christ, your blessed Saviour; who, in respect of the Gospel, is our great and prime Apostle, that brings us the glad tidings of salvation; and, in respect to the Law, is our High Priest, who hath offered up a perfect sacrifice for mankind; III. 2 Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house.

Who was faithful to God his Father, in all things that were enjoined him to be done; even as (and much more, than ever) Moses was in the Israelitish Church; which was as the great family of God upon earth.

III. 3 For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house.

Ye have a high opinion of Moses; but know ye, that there is no comparison to be admitted betwixt him and Christ: for Christ is accounted worthy of so much more honour than Moses, by how much the builder and master of the house is worthy of more honour than the house which he hath built or any parcel thereof: now Christ is the Maker and Owner of this great house of his Church, and Moses is a part of this house of God as being a member of his Church; and therefore is worthy of much more honour than Moses.

III. 4 For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God.

The material houses, wherein we dwell, are built by the hand of some man; but Christ, who is the Builder of this great house of the Church, yea of the whole world, is God, and therefore infinitely more excellent than any creature whatsoever.

III. 5 And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; And Moses was faithful in the administration of this whole Church or house of God, as a servant; in delivering unto the people all that part of God's will, which he would have then to be declared unto them, and which afterwards was to be more clearly set forth;

III. 6 But Christ as a Son over his own house; whose house art we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.

But Christ is a faithful Governor, as the Son of God, and therefore as the true Lord and Owner of this house; which house or Church of his we are, if, as we have received the Christian faith and profession, so we do stedfastly hold on the resolute mainte nance of the same faith, which only is able to give us confidence, and cause of rejoicing in the assured hope and expectation of our glory to come.

III. 8, 9, 11 Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest. See Psalm xcv. verses

8, 9, 10, 11.

III. 12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.

Take heed, brethren, lest, after this holy profession made by you, there be found in any of you an evil and unbelieving heart, to fall away and depart from the colours of the living God, to take part with infidelity..

III. 13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To-day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. But exhort and stir up one another daily, while God holds forth this happy opportunity unto you; lest, as it fell out with our forcfathers in the wilderness, so it should betide unto you, that any of you should have his heart hardened, and turned back towards the spiritual Egypt, through the deceitful suggestions of sin.

III. 14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the be-ginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end.

For we are already made partakers of Christ, in our holy profession, in his word and sacraments; and shall be fully and perfectly possessed of him, if we go on, according to our good beginning, and stedfastly hold that faith, which is only able to give us confidence and assurance, unto the end.

III. 15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not &c. See Psalm xcv. 8.

III. 16 For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.

For not all your forefathers, that were brought by the hand of Moses out of Egypt, did provoke God to anger, by tempting of him; but some, and those indeed not a few, when they heard his words, yet went on to tempt and offend him.

III. 19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

So then we see they could not enter into the promised land, because of unbelief.

IV. Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. Let us, therefore, by their example take heed, lest, since we have a promise left us by Christ, of entering into his glorious rest, whereof that other was but a dim type, any of you, by turning back to Judaism or Infidelity, should come short of it.

IV. 2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with

faith in them that heard it.

It was the very same word of the Gospel, that was preached to them of old, and of late unto us; but how sovereign soever it was of itself, yet it was not at all available to the good of many of them,

for that it was not mixed with faith in them that heard it; for without faith in the receiver, the word profiteth nothing.

IV. 3 For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, If they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

For as they had a rest, which if they had believed, they had entered into; so have we also, and that a far more excellent and sweet rest, which we shall, upon our belief, enter into; that, which God calleth his rest: now that, which God calleth his rest, was not that which was his ceasing from his work of creation, on the seventh day, which was his Sabbath; for those six days' works of his were finished in the first beginnings of the world, before this other rest was mentioned; so as it is another kind of rest, whereof God here speaketh, even that sweet complacency and contentment, which he takes in his blessed saints, and their glory with him.

IV. 4 For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise. For, as of that other, which is the Sabbath day's rest, he speaketh on this wise.

my

rest.

IV. 5 And in this place again, If they shall enter into And, in this place again, he speaks of another kind of rest, even the fruition of his perfect peace and glory, while he saith, If they shall enter into my rest.

IV. 7 Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his

conce.

Again, in David's mention of that rest, there is a certain day li mited and specified, even long after that other rest was out of date; while he saith, To day if ye will hear his voice.

IV. 8 For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.

For if Joshua, by bringing them into the promised land, had given them rest, he would never have spoken of another day of rest, which they should not have.

IV. 9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. There is therefore another manner of rest, which is glorious and heavenly, that remains for God's faithful people.

IV. 10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.

For he, that is entered into this blessed and glorious rest, he hath utterly ceased from all his unquiet and troublesome labours and miserable tasks, which he underwent here on earth: even as God himself, on his seventh day, rested from the works of his crea

tion.

IV. 11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

Let us therefore labour and strive to enter into that perfect and blessed rest of glory and immortality; and let us take heed, that

none of us be so miscarried, as our forefathers were, by their unbelief, from entering thereinto.

IV. 12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

For, it may not be slightly regarded, whatsoever the word of God threatens unto us: for even as the judgments, which of old seized on them, were piercing and active; so is the word of God still, which menaces these vengeances to us, quick and powerful, &c. searching into the very inmost powers and faculties of the soul, and finding out our most close and reserved thoughts and intentions.

IV. 16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, &c.

Let us therefore, in the confident assurance of his readiness to help us, make our address boldly and cheerfully to the Throne of his Grace; upon all occasions suing to our bountiful God, for a supply of all our necessities.

V. 1 For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins:

For Christ is indeed a perfect High Priest; of whom the high priest under the Law was but a figure: we know, that whosoever bears this office is taken from among men of the same mould and composition with themselves, and that he is ordained for the behoof and benefit of men in divine and spiritual matters; and, specially, that he may offer gifts and sacrifices for the sins of the people:

V. 2 Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity.

And, therefore, in likelihood, such an one, as can pity the ignorant and erring; for that he himself hath experience of the manifold infirmities, which call for his compassion in others.

V. 6 As he saith also in another place, Thou &c. See Psalm

Cx. verse 4.

V. 7, 8, 9 Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him.

Who, in the time of this present and mortal life, when he had of fered up the incense of his prayers and supplications, &c. and was heard and graciously answered in those extreme agonies, which he endured, not without a true human but inoffensive fear; Though, being the natural and eternal Son of God, he was replenished with all perfection of graces and virtues, yet, that he might be a merciful High Priest for us, he was willing, by the