hood, in the persons of its various successors, with the episcopal dignity and the priesthood of Christ, which Jehovah has shown us is perpetual, by this his testimony, "Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedek." He next brings before us the daily repetition of the victims offered by these priests in sacrifice, and the single and all sufficient offering of the prepared body of Christ, which, on behalf of his church, was offered but once and for ever, in doing which he is careful to use this form of words concerning the manhood of the Redeemer; keeping, however, the day of judgment in view.

"But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins, for ever sat down on the right hand of God:"

"From henceforth expecting 'till his enemies be made his footstool."

By the position of sitting at the right hand of his Father, is figuratively signified the coequal divinity of Christ with the Father; and that his work of death on earth, by the sacrifice of himself as a man, is finished.

"For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified:" of which

sanctification the apostle asserts that through the influence of the Holy Ghost, they had an indwelling evidence in themselves. The extension of the covenant of Jehovah is then declared, when, agreeably to prophecy, God will put his laws in their hearts, and in their minds will he write them, and will remember the sins and iniquities of his people no more; the offering of Christ having perfected for ever those that are regenerated and sanctified by the Spirit, and the covenant just spoken of being ratified and confirmed to the church universal by the death of the Lord Christ, as a mediator, and a mediator is not a mediator of one, but of many.

The apostle then urges them, with boldness and full assurance of faith to enter into this covenant, previously promised in the days of their fathers, by what is here called, in the language of eminence and distinction, a new and living way: new, as regards the Messiah's manifestation and death in the flesh; and a living way, because leading to everlasting life. But, again, this new and living way is said to be consecrated through the veil of Christ's flesh, that is, it is made an accessible way for all the

penitent and faithful, as contradistinguished from that way accessible alone to the high priest when carrying the blood once a year into the most holy place of the temple: whereas, by faith in the blood of Jesus, which satisfied the justice of Jehovah, by the just dying for the unjust, that we, by the merit of his blood, might be brought unto God; we may now be said to have a way consecrated and continually opened, to the infinite and everlasting mercies of the Father, through the shedding of the blood of Him, who when on earth said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me." St. Paul, speaking of the Levitical sacrifices, and of Christ, says, "But Christ being come an high-priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood, he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who, through the

eternal spirit, offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works, to serve the living God."

The apostle then adds, "Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering, for he is faithful that promised." The duty herein enjoined by St. Paul to the Hebrews, is applicable to the church universal through time; and to say all that can possibly be necessary on this head, it shall be comprised in a single sentence-the faithfulness of Jehovah as a promise-keeping God, is as certain as his eternal existence.

Having in due succession disposed of such parts of Scripture as seemed to be really essential in the light of preparatory observations, whereon to found investigation and argument with respect to the undeniable and actual meanings of the words "image" and "likeness," used by Moses in his inspired history of the creation of man; a summary review of what has already been advanced, proving the coincidence of argument with different parts of the sacred writings, will, I hope, be found acceptable; because these will be found mutually to reflect light on, and confirm each other.

"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness:" &c.

In this form of words Jehovah begins his revelations concerning himself, and man, not then in being, by a record and confirmation of the co-equal divinity of the persons eternally constituted by, and possessed of, the same spiritual likeness with himself, "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one." This oneness consists in their coequal participation of that same eternal, spiritual, immutable, and self-existing likeness, in which Jehovah ever was before the creation of man, which the sacred text confirms and enjoins the remembrance of, in Deuteronomy vi. 4-7.

"Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord :

"And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

"And these words which I command thee this day shall be in thy heart;

"And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and talk of them when thou sit