was the altar, on which his humanity was offered. Like the holy temple of Jerusalem, which sanctified the pure gold, that was upon it, and rendered it more precious than all the collected treasures of the East, the Divinity of Christ communicated all their incalculable worth,-all the infinity of their value, to the sufferings of his humanity. For the blood, that streamed from his pierced side, was the blood of the everlasting covenant,' and was consequently a full and sufficient atonement for the sins of a guilty world.

Such was the immense ransom which our blessed Saviour voluntarily paid for our redemption. But still, without the aid of his allpowerful intercession, the salvation which he had thus purchased by his death, could not become fully effectual to erring, guilty creatures, beset with innumerable temptations, and continually liable to be drawn into sin; and therefore, upon the inexhaustible merits of that great atonement did he ascend, as our merciful Mediator, to the kingdom of his glory. As our great High Priest, not by the blood of

Heb. xiii. 20.

goats and calves, but by his own blood he passed into the heavens, or, as it might perhaps be more properly rendered, through the heavens, into that within the vail, into the holy of holies, even the heaven of heavens, there to appear in the presence of God for us. The same boundless compassion-the same infinite power which he possessed on earth, he there retains still undiminished; being the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever. As man, he suffered, as man he intercedes: as God, he gave infinite value to his sufferings, and as God, he dispenses those heavenly blessings which he hath purchased with his blood. Thus out of his fulness are all our spiritual wants supplied, and thus is he able also to save to the uttermost them that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for us."

Such being the doctrine contained in the

text, let us now consider the inference which the apostle deduces from it, that we must therefore hold fast our profession.

By holding fast our profession we are to understand our believing the doctrines and our

practising the precepts of Christianity. With regard to the first of these points, it is obvious that if we believe not the truths which are expressly revealed in Scripture as the foundation of our religion, we can have no pretension even to the name of Christians. We must believe that our Saviour is divine, that he is really and truly God, that he made sufficient atonement for human guilt, and that there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.1 From such a conviction, it necessarily follows that we must also believe all the doctrines which our Lord delivered, and.consequently that which is interwoven with the whole scheme of our redemption; -I mean the doctrine of the co-existence, divinity, and equality of those three persons of the Godhead, in whose name we were commanded to be baptized-the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. And when our minds are harassed with difficulties and perplexed with doubts, in endeavouring to fathom the mysteries of godliness, let the words of our great High Priest form our best consolation- What thou knowest not now, thou shalt know hereafter.?

But further, if we consider these words, holding fast our profession, with peculiar reference to ourselves, as members of a Christian community, they imply a firm and zealous attachment both to the doctrines and discipline of our established Church. With regard to all the essential doctrines of our system, they are generally allowed, and have been most clearly and repeatedly proved, by the wisest and best of men, to be founded upon Scripture; and it is obvious that we should therefore cleave to them with our whole heart. Nor should we less firmly adhere to that system of ecclesiastical discipline, established at the Reformation, which has, under God's blessing, preserved to us a church, more pure, more enlightened, more useful and beneficial, than exists in any other country upon the face of the earth. Let us, therefore, with devoted obedience to our great High Priest, who is over this house of God, strenuously hold fast our profession, and keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Holding fast our profession, however, implies not merely our believing the doctrines, but likewise our practising the precepts, of Chris

tianity. The end of all doctrine and of all precept is the improvement of our life and conduct. And when fully convinced that we have a High Priest over the house of God, who hath obtained for us pardoning mercy and sanctifying grace, who dispenseth to his followers according to their several necessities, and who is ever ready to present their prayers to his heavenly Father, can any stronger argu ment, any greater encouragement, be required to induce us to draw near to God in all the public and private exercises of religion, or to cherish that noble emulation with our neighbour, which excites us to do good and to communicate, which provokes unto love and to good works? What more powerful motive to continual exertion, than the assurance of such continual help, in the discharge of every duty and the cultivation of every virtue, while we are striving to follow the example of Him, who, by the aids of his Spirit, will give success to our endeavours, and who, in the abundance of his grace, will reward that success with a crown of immortal glory? Or when, through the frailty of our nature, we fall into manifold temptations, what better consolation than the assurance that,