Hebrews 3

It behooved him to be like to his brothers, that he might be a faithful High Priest. Moses was faithful as a servant, Christ as a Son (Hebrews 3:5); he does not forget any cause he has to plead, nor does he use any deceit in pleading. An ordinary attorney may either leave out so…

The venom of hypocrisy is in danger of breaking forth into the plague-sore of scandal. Thirdly, Beware of a vile heart of unbelief (Hebrews 3:12). Take heed lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, departing from the living God.

2. To worship God by an image, is both absurd and unlawful. 1. It is absurd and irrational; for first, the workman is better than the work (Hebrews 3:3). He who builds the house, has more honor than the house; if the workman be better than the work, and none bows to the workman,…

So prayer cannot see God's face, unless it bring its brother faith with it. What is said of Israel, They could not enter in because of unbelief (Hebrews 3:19), is as true of prayer, it cannot enter into Heaven because of unbelief. This makes prayer often suffer shipwreck, becaus…

Faith in itself considered, is but manus mendica, the beggar's hand: but as this hand receives the rich alms of Christ's merits, so it is precious, and does challenge a superiority over the rest of the graces. Use 1. First Branch. Of all sins beware of the rock of unbelief (Hebr…

Response 1. For want of a supernatural principle of grace: That branch must needs die which has no root to grow upon: That which moves from a principle of life lasts; as the beating of the pulse; but that which moves only from an artificial spring; when the spring is down the mo…

2. Take heed of unbelief. Unbelief kept Israel out of Canaan; (Hebrews 3:19) So we see they could not enter in because of unbelief; and it keeps many out of heaven. Unbelief is an enemy to salvation, it is a damning sin, it whispers thus, to what purpose is all this pains for th…

2. More particularly, we pray to be delivered, First, from the evil of our own heart; it is called an evil heart (Hebrews 3:12). Secondly, from the evil of Satan; he is called, [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉], the Evil One (Matthew 13:19).

First, The words are a plain illustration of the divine nature of the Word, by his divine power and works, as the very series of them declares. He was God, and he made all things; for he that made all things is God (Hebrews 3:4). Secondly, There is no one word spoken concerning…

So (Isaiah 50:10) "Let him trust in the Name of the Lord, and stay upon his God." And unbelief is called a departing from him (Hebrews 3:12). Faith also is expressed by the notion of embracing the promise, and so of the good that is brought in it (Hebrews 11:13): "they were pers…

Qu. 12. What is principally to be attended to by us in the manner of the celebration of the worship of God, and observation of the institutions and ordinances of the Gospel? Answ. That we observe and do all whatever the Lord Christ has commanded us to observe, in the way that he…

Qu. 18. Whereas sundry of these things are founded in the light and law of nature, as requisite to all solemn worship, and are moreover commanded in the moral law, and explications of it in the Old Testament; how do you look upon them as evangelical institutions to be observed p…

Quest. 19. What is an instituted Church of the Gospel? A society of persons, called out of the world, or their natural worldly state, by the administration of the Word and Spirit, to the obedience of the faith, or the knowledge and worship of God in Christ, joined together in an…

Question 2. By what means do we come to know that God will thus be worshipped? That God is to be worshipped, and that according to his own will and appointment, is a principal branch of the law of our creation, written in our hearts (Romans 1:21; Romans 2:14-15; Acts 15:16-17; A…

This therefore is first to be laid down, that the sole moral foundation of that Church-state which we enquire after, is laid in the Word, Law, and appointment of Christ. He alone has authority to erect such a society, he is the builder of this house, as well as the Lord over it…

Without which, well seated, and confirmed in the hearts and minds of Church members, no duty of their relation can ever be performed in a due manner. Secondly, this love is to exert and put forth itself in tender care and watchfulness for the good of each other; which are to wor…

Qu. 6. May not such an estate of faith and perfection in obedience be attained in this life, as wherein believers may be freed from all obligation to the observation of Gospel institutions? Answ. No! For the ordinances and institutions of the Gospel being inseparably annexed to…

And in the New Testament, our Lord Jesus Christ proposes his authority as the foundation of his commanding, and our observation of all the institutions of the Gospel (Matthew 28:18, 19, 20): Jesus came and spoke to them saying, all power is given me in heaven and earth, go you t…

Qu. 9. How do we in our observation, profess our subjection to the Lord Jesus Christ and his Gospel? Answ. In that being all of them 1. Appointed by him as the head law-giver, King of his Church. And 2. Made by him the ensigns and tokens of his Kingdom, and subjects, in their du…

Q. How does the creation of the world shew that there is a God? A. Even as a fair and sumptuous building does shew that some body was the maker of it, so this great world does shew there was a maker of it which is God (Hebrews 3:4). Q. But why might not the world be without begi…

Fifthly, if faith be a substance of things hoped for, much more is it a substance to the believer: if it give those things a being which are out of him, much more does it give a permanent being unto the believer himself, strengthening him to stand and continue in all assaults. S…

3. What is the form of this spiritual house? Union: They which gladly received the word were baptized, and were added to the Church (and so were compacted into one spiritual house, whereof Jesus the Christ is Lord (Hebrews 3:6): but Christ as a Son over his own house, whose hous…

Now, was God so jealous of his glory under the Law, that he that sinned against that worship which God by Moses prescribed, he died without mercy? How much severer punishment are they worthy of, that sin against the Son's authority, seeing he is Lord of the spiritual house, whos…

Fourthly, there belongs to this perfection that [in non-Latin alphabet], that liberty and boldness which believers have in their approaches to God. This is frequently mentioned as an especial privilege and advantage of the Gospel-state (Ephesians 3:12; Hebrews 3:6; Chap. 4:16; C…

3. The third difference is, that the Law made [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉], men to be High Priests; that is, those who were mere men and no more. And therefore notwithstanding the office and dignity which they were called and exalted to, they were all but servants in the House of…

3. All things in the New Covenant being proposed to us by the way of promise, it is faith alone whereby we may attain a participation of them. For faith only is the grace we ought to exercise, the duty we ought to perform, to render the promises of God effectual to us (Hebrews 3…

They were not to dwell in the land of Canaan merely for secular ends, and to make as it were a dumb show; but as they were there maintained and preserved to evidence the faithfulness of God in bringing forth the promised seed in the fulness of time; so there was to be a testimon…

He was the Lord from Heaven; who is in Heaven, who speaks from Heaven (1 Corinthians 15:49; John 3:13). (2) All spiritual and eternal grace, mercy, blessings, whereof the souls of men are made partakers by the mediation and sacrifice of Christ, are heavenly things, and are const…

1. There is consanguinity; he is brother to Christ (Hebrews 3:11). Christ partakes of his flesh, and he partakes of Christ's Spirit.

From where note, that it is the condition of the people of God to be a called people; this is first in their description: see (Romans 1:6): Among whom are you also the called of Jesus Christ. So the Corinthians are said to be Saints by calling (1 Corinthians 1:2), and (Hebrews 3…

(3.) Holy excitation of grace by impressions of its power in the communication of the mind, will, love and grace of God to our souls, which is attended with (4.) an impression on the affections, renewing and making them more holy and heavenly continually; with (5.) direction and…

Secondly, this generation was generally a generation of believers; for it was they that were to enter into the land within a while after; for they were forty years in the Wilderness, & this Covenant, was made in the last month save one of the last of those forty years (Deuterono…

This a ruling Elder ought to do by virtue of his calling, and with authority (1 Thessalonians 5:12). Private Christians ought in charity to instruct the ignorant (John 4:29; Acts 18:26), to exhort the negligent (Hebrews 3:15 & 10:24, 25), to comfort the afflicted (1 Thessalonian…

When the truth is once revealed, if men do not then receive it, God endures it not. (Hebrews 3:13) Today if you will hear my voice, harden not your hearts. God will not stay longer than this day.

Yes, further, this land, it was a typical land of the Church, and a typical land of heaven, for so the Apostle speaking of that place in the Psalms, that he swore in his wrath, that they should not enter in his rest. The Apostle in (Hebrews 3:7) seems to apply it to the rest of…

Furthermore: that this most holy author of our theology communicated to His disciples — who were to propagate His doctrine to all nations — that entire counsel of God, the knowledge of which He had most perfectly obtained, partly by His living voice and partly through the Spirit…

The Sacraments also has he given, not to be neglected, as most excellent pledges of his sure favor and mercy in Christ (Romans 4:11; 6:3, 4; Ephesians 5:26; 1 Corinthians 11:23). The order of his Church set down in his word (Hebrews 3:2; 1 Chronicles 28:12, 19; 2 Chronicles 29:2…

It were good to fear while you have the Word, lest you miss the fruit of it. Compare to this purpose Hebrews 3, at the close, with Hebrews 4:1, and we will find this commended to us, So we see, says the Apostle, that they could not enter in because of unbelief, let us therefore…

As is implied in the word (Hebrews 4:1), where the Apostle, having spoken of many of the Israelites and their unbelief in the former chapter, says in the beginning of this: Let us therefore fear, lest a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of us should seem to co…

This is a plain, and yet a most useful truth: For use of it. Behold here, and wonder at the way of grace, that not only gives a Mediator, but such a Mediator, who (as it is Hebrews 3) is faithful over the house of God: This is the very life of our consolation, that we have an ab…

The great ground that makes God expostulate with the hearers of the Gospel, and that makes them come under the complaint, (John 5:40) "You will not come to me that you may have life," and (Matthew 23:37) "How often would I have gathered you, and you would not;" and for substance…

2 The Scripture holds forth to our faith the power of God to graft in the Jews again in Christ (Romans 11:23), to make a weak believer stand (Romans 14:4), to keep the saints from falling, and to present them faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy (Jude 1:…

Indeed, to do these, brings in to himself more comfort and glory, than it procures to them. And therefore the Apostle in the beginning of the following chapter, (namely, Hebrews 3) says, that Christ is engaged to faithfulness in the execution of his office, not as a mere servant…

If any man see his brother sin a sin, he must observe him, else he cannot see him (Galatians 2:14). When I saw that they walked not uprightly, according to the truth of the Gospel, etc. he observed them and discerned their course, he turned not his eyes from beholding it, but he…

Though God has many sons by creation and adoption, yet Christ is his Son in a peculiar and proper way; by eternal generation, and communication of the same essence, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 that Son, that beloved Son, so a Son as none else is the Son of God, properly so called.…

They that love God and delight in him, cannot be long out of his company, they will seek all occasions to meet with God; as Jonathan and David, whose souls were knit to each other. So for dependance and trust, it keeps up service, for they that will not trust God, cannot be long…

2. The matter of the words show his fitness for this office, for here you have. 1. His dignity; not a servant, but a Son (Hebrews 3:5-6). Moses verily was faithful in all his house as a servant, but Christ as a son over his own house. Now the old prophecies foretold the union of…

That we may constantly persevere in the profession of the true faith, both in life and death, first we must receive the Gospel simply for itself, because it is the Gospel of Christ, and not for any other byrespect. Secondly, we must be mortified, and renewed in the spirit of our…

And mark how preaching, and baptizing are joined together: and things which God has joined, no man may separate. Again, he that must perform any part of the public ministry, must have a calling (Romans 10:14; Hebrews 3:5), but mere private persons have no calling to this busines…

For this is the time which God has appointed for these duties: this is the day of grace, and therefore the onely fit time. Heb 3:7. Psal 32:6.