hindrances the veil was an emblem, until it was rent and removed.

§6. "And having a great high priest over the house of God." Having is understood from ver. 19. It may be said, notwithstanding the provision of a new way into the holiest, and boldness to enter, yet in ourselves we know not how to do it, unless we are under the conduct of a priest, as the church of old was, in its worship. The apostle removes the discouraging thought; "we have a great High Priest," so great, as that he can save us to the uttermost; so glorious, that we ought to apply ourselves to him with reverence and godly fear. "Over the house of God;" intimating what he is and doth after his sacrifice, now he is exalted in heaven; for this was the second part of the high priest's office. He is over the house of God to order all things to his glory, and the salvation of the church. "The house of God," that is, the whole house, the family of heaven and earth, and particularly the church here below, to whom this encouragement is given, that they have a High Priest as a motive of drawing nigh. And it is in the heavenly sanctuary he administereth the house of God above, into which we enter by our prayers and sacred worship; "so is he for ever over his own house."

§7. (II.) The way and manner of using the above privilege. "Let us draw near (xpoσEρxoμεα) with a true heart;" the word whereby the whole performance of all solemn divine worship was constantly expressed; for God having fixed the signs of his presence to a certain place, the tabernacle and altar, none could worship him but by an approach to that place; every thing in their worship was an approximation to God. And seeing their tabernacle, temple, altar, &c. were types of Christ, and the gracious presence of God in

him, this "drawing near" containeth all the holy worship of the church, both public and private, or, all the ways of our access to God by Christ."

(Meta aλnding nagdias) with a true heart. God in an especial manner, requireth "truth in the inward parts," in all that come to him, Psal. li, 6; John iv, 24. Now "truth" respects either the mind, and is opposed to falsehood, or respects the heart and affections, and is opposed to hypocrisy. In the first way all false worship is rejected; but the "truth of the heart" here intended, is the sincerity of the heart, which is opposed to all hypocrisy.

§8. (Εν πληροφορια της πιςεως) in full assurance of faith. "Without faith it is impossible to please God;" wherefore faith is required in this access on a twofold account as a qualification of the person; he must be a true believer, all others being utterly excluded from it;-as to actual exercise in every particular duty of There is no duty acceptable to God which is not enlivened by faith. "All full assurance of faith." The word is used only in this place, but the verb (tλypopopew, Rom. iv, 21; xiv, 5,) signifies a "full satisfaction of mind in what we are persuaded of." Here two things seem to be included in the word:

access.

1. What in other places the apostle expresseth by (Tappaia) boldness, which is the word constantly used to denote that frame of mind which ought to be in gospel worshippers, in opposition to that of the law; and implies an open view of spiritual glories, which they had not joined with liberty and confidence; liberty of speech and confidence of being accepted; the plerophory of faith is the "spiritual boldness” of it.

2. A firm and immoveable persuasion concerning the priesthood of Christ, whereby we have this access to God, with the glory and efficacy of it, "faith with

out wavering," for many of the Hebrews who had received in general the faith of the gospel, yet wavered

up and down in their minds about this office of Christ, and the glorious things related of it, supposing that there might be some place yet left for the administration of the legal high priest. This is the frame which the apostle confutes, and therefore "the full assurance of faith" here respects not the assurance that any have of their own salvation, nor any degree of such an assurance, but intends only the full satisfaction of our souls and consciences in the reality and efficacy of the priesthood of Christ to give us acceptance with God, in opposition to all other ways and means. But this persuasion withal is accompanied with an assured trust of our own acceptance with God, through Christ our high priest, and an acquiescence of our souls in the blessed object of our trust.

§9. There is a two-fold preparation prescribed to us for the right discharge of this duty;-that our "hearts be sprinkled from an evil conscience," and "that our bodies be washed with pure water;" it is plain that these expressions allude to the necessary preparations of divine service under the law. For whereas there were various ways, whereby men were legally defiled, so there were ways appointed for their legal purification, chap. ix.

The subject spoken of is also twofold-the heart and the body, that is, the inward and outward man. There is no doubt but in this place, as in many others, the heart is taken for all the faculties of our souls with our affections; for it is that wherein conscience is seated, and in which it powerfully acts, which it doth especially in the practical understanding, as the rule and guide of the affections.

This conscience, antecedently, is evil. Conscience,

merely as such, is not to be separated from the heart, but as it is evil it should. It may be said to be "evil" on two accounts; as it disquieteth, perplexeth, judgeth, and condemneth for sin, and-on account of a vitiated principle in the conscience not performing its duty, but continues secure when filled with all vicious habits: I take it here in the latter sense, because the way of removal is by sprinkling, and not by offering.

(Eppavтioμevoi tas nepdias) sprinkling our hearts. The expression is taken from the sprinkling of blood upon offering the sacrifices, Exod. xxix, 16, 21; Lev. iv, 17; xiv, 7. The spiritual interpretation is given us, Ezek. xxxvi, 25. And whereas this sprinkling and cleansing from sin is in Ezekiel ascribed to pure water, (for in the type the blood of the sacrifice was sprinkled) it gives us the sense of the whole: for as the blood of the sacrifice was a type of the blood of Christ as offered to God, so the Holy Spirit, and his efficacious work, is denoted by "pure water," as is frequently observed. Wherefore this "sprinkling of our hearts" is an act of the sanctifying power of the Holy Ghost, by virtue of the blood and sacrifice of Christ in making application of them to our souls. And thus "the blood of Christ the Son of God cleanseth us from all our sins."

§10. "Our bodies washed with pure water." This at first view may seem to refer to the outward administration of baptism; but the "body" is said to be washed from them, because they are outward, in opposition to those that are only inherent in the mind. And because the body is the instrument of the perpetration of them, hence are they called the "deeds of the body;" and the body is defiled by some of them in an especial manner, 1 Cor. vi. Therefore, the "pure water" wherewith the body is to be washed, and which is divinely promised, Ezek. xxxvi, 25, 26, is the assistance

of the sanctifying Spirit, by virtue of the sacrifice of Christ. Hereby all those sins which cleave to our outward conversation are removed and washed away; for we are sanctified, (called by the gospel to be so) in our whole spirits, souls, and bodies.

§11. (III.) The special duty exhorted to. "Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering, for he is faithful who hath promised." Some copies read (την ομολογιαν της ελπίδος) “the profession of our hope," which virtually comes to the same with our version; for on our faith is our hope built, and is an eminent fruit of it: wherefore, holding fast our hope includes in it the holding fast of our faith, as the cause in the effect. But I prefer the other reading, as more suited to the design of the apostle, and his following discourse.

"Faith" is here taken in both the principal acceptations of it, namely, that faith whereby we believe, and that doctrine which is believed; of both which we make the same profession: of one as the inward principle, of the other as the outward rule. Of the meaning of the word itself, (oμoλoyıα) joint profession, I have treated largely elsewhere. Chap. iii, 1.

The continuation of their profession first solemnly made, avowing the faith on all just occasions, attending on all duties of worship required in the gospel, professing their faith in the promises of God by Christ, and cheerfully undergoing afflictions, troubles, and persecutions on that account, is eminently included in this "profession of our faith" here exhorted to.

But what is it to hold fast this profession? see chap.. iv, 14. There is included a supposition of great difficulty with danger, and opposition against this holding; therefore the putting forth of the utmost of our strength and endeavors in the defence of it, and a constant perseverance in it.