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15 For when, through the time, ye ought to be teachers, ye have again need of some one to teach you the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become in need of milk, not of solid food:

16 for, every one that useth milk, is unskilled in the doctrine of justification, for he is an infant:

17 but, solid food belongeth to them that are of full growth, even of those who have their perceptions exercised, by practice, to distinguish between good and evil.

WH

CHAPTER VI. THEREFORE, leaving the first principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go forward to perfection; not laying again the foundation, of repentance from dead works, and faith toward God;

2 of the doctrine of baptisms, and laying on of hands; and of a resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.

3 And this we will do, if God permit :

4 for, it is impossible for those c. x. 26, 27. who have been once enlightened, and who have tasted of

the heavenly gift, and been
made partakers of the
Spirit,

Holy

5 and who have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come;

6 if they shall fall away from the faith, to renew their minds again to repentance; since they crucify the Son of God afresh in themselves, and expose him to open shame.

7 For, the earth that drinketh in the rain which cometh often upon it, and yieldeth herbs useful to those by whom it is tilled, receiveth a blessing from God;

8 but, that which bringeth forth thorns and briers is rejected, and nigh to cursing; whose end is to be burned.

9 But, beloved, we are persuaded of better things in you, and which tend to salvation, though we thus speak:

10 for, God is not unjust, to forget your work; and the love which ye have shewed toward his name, in having ministered, and still ministering, to the saints.

11 And we desire, that every one of you may manifest the same care for the fulfilling of your hope, to the end:

12 that ye become not slothful, but imitators of them who, through faith and patience, inherit the promises.

13 For, when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no one greater, he sware by himself;

14 saying, "Surely blessing Gen. xxii. 17. "I will bless thee, and multi

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15 and so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.

16 For, men swear by the greater; and an oath for confirmation, is an end of all controversy between them: 17 in which, God, willing to demonstrate more abundantly to the heirs of promise the unchangeableness of his counsel, interposed an oath;

18 that, through two unchangeable things, in which it was impossible that God should speak false, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope that is set before us; 19 which hope we hold (as an anchor of the soul,) secure and steadfast,

20 entering even within the veil, whither the forerunner is entered for us; even Jesus, made an high priest for ever, (according to the rule of Melchisedec).

CHAPTER VII.

that, also King of Salem, which is, King of Peace;

3 without priestly father, without priestly mother, without priestly descent; having neither beginning of days, nor end of life, being made like the Son of God, he continueth a priest for ever.

4 Now, consider how great this man must have been, to whom the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils.

5 And they, indeed, that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of priesthood, have a command, according to the law, to take a tenth from the people; that is, from their own brethren, although they come out of the loins of Abraham;

6 but, he whose descent was not derived from them, received a tenth from Abraham, and blessed him who had the promises :

7 and, without any controversy, the less is blessed by the greater.

8 And here, indeed, men that

FOR, this Melchisedec, king die receive tenths; but there,

of Salem, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him, was a priest of the most high God; to whom even Abraham gave a tenth part of all:

2 being, first, by interpretation, King of Justice, and after

he received them, of whom it is testified, that he liveth :

9 and (as I may say) Levi also, who now receiveth tenths, paid tenths by Abraham;

10 for he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him.

11 If, then, perfection had c. viii. &

e. x. 1, 2.

Gal. iii. 25.

been by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should arise, who should be called" after the rule of "Melchisedec," and not " after "the rule of Aaron ?"

12 but, the priesthood being changed, a change of the priest necessarily takes place :

13 for, he of whom these words are spoken, pertained to another tribe, of which no one attended at the altar:

14 for it is evident, that our Lord sprang out of Judah; of which tribe, Moses spake nothing concerning priests.

15 And it is still more evident, if another priest was to arise, according to the likeness of Melchisedec;

16 who should be made such, not according to the law of a carnal commandment, but according to the power of an endless life:

17 for it is testified, "Thou "art a priest FOR EVER, (ac

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20 And, inasmuch as he was not made priest without an oath;

21 (for those were made priests without an oath; but this one with an oath, by him who said to him, The Lord sware and will not repent, "Thou art a priest FOR EVER :)"

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22 by so much was Jesus made a security, even of a better Covenant.

23 And they indeed were many priests, because they were prevented from continuing, by death;

24 but this one, because he continueth for ever, hath an untransferable priesthood:

25 wherefore, also, he is able always to save them that come to God by him, since he always liveth to intercede for them.

26 For, such an high priest indeed behoved us, who is holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, and made higher than the heavens ;

27 who needeth not, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice daily, first for his own sins, then for those of the people; for this he did, once for all, when he offered up himself:

28 for, the law maketh men, who have infirmity, high priests; but the word of the oath, which was after the law, maketh the Son High Priest, who is perfected for ever.

c. v. 6

CHAPTER VIII.

NOW, the sum of what hath

Now,

been said, is this:

2 We have such an High Priest, who sitteth on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens ;

3 a minister of the true Holy of Holies, and of the true tabernacle which the Lord hath pitched, not man :

4 for, every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices; wherefore it was necessary, that this one also should have some thing to offer:

5 but, if he were on earth, he would not be a priest; there being already those who offer the gifts prescribed by the law, 6 who minister to the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, made according as Moses was enjoined, when he was about to execute the tabernacle: for, Exod. xxv. 40. "See, saith he, that thou make "all things according to the

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"Lord, when I will make a "New Covenant with the "house of Israel and with "the house of Judah:

10"not according to the "Covenant that I made with "their fathers, in the day when "I took them by the hand to "lead them out of the land of "Egypt; for they continued "not in my Covenant, and I "disregarded them, saith the "Lord:"

11"for, this is the Covenant "that I will make with the "house of Israel, after those

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Exod. xxx. 1, 6, 7.

CHAPTER IX.

BUT, the First Covenant,

also, had its ordinances of worship, and its worldly Holy Place:

2 for, first, the tabernacle Iwas formed in which were the candlestick, and the table and shew-bread, and the golden altar for incense; which tabernacle is called Holy:

3 and, secondly, after the Veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holy of Holies,

4 which contained the ark of the covenant, overlaid entirely with gold within which were kept the golden vessel that Exod. xvi. 32. held the manna, and Aaron's rod that had budded, and the tables of the Covenant:

Num. xxvii.

10. Deut. xxxi. 26.

Exod. xxv. 18-21.

5 and, above it, were the two cherubs of glory, over-shadowing the mercy-seat; of which it is not now necessary to speak severally.

6 And, when these things had been thus completed, the priests who performed the service went, at all times, into the first tabernacle ;

7 but, into the second, the high priest alone entered, once only in the year; but not without blood, which he offered for the errors of himself and of the people:

8 the Holy Spirit signifying ev. xi. 19; this; that the way into the Holiest Place was not laid

xv. 5.

open, while the first tabernacle was still standing,

9 which first tabernacle was a figure relating to the present time; according to which figure, both gifts and sacrifices were offered, but such as were not able to make the wor- Ezek. xx. 25. shipper perfect, as to his conscience;

10 only in respect of meats, and drinks, and various washings and ordinances of the flesh, imposed until the time of rectification.

c. x. 2.

11 But, when Christ came, a High Priest of the good things that were come; through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with c. x. 20. hands, that is to say, not of this building;

12 nor with the blood of goats and of calves, but with his own blood, he entered, once for all, into the Holiest Place, having obtained for us eternal redemption.

13 For, if the blood of goats, and of bulls, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh;

14 how much rather will the blood of Christ, who, through his eternal Spirit, offered himself without spot to God, purify our conscience from dead works, to serve the living

God?

15 And, for this cause, he is

D D

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