A continuation of the exposition of the Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the…

The Veil therefore here alluded unto, was that which parted the most holy place from the Sanctuary or Body of the Temple. This our Apostle calls the second Veil, chap. 9. 3. and here the Veil absolutely. For the Body of the Temple whereinto the Priests only entered to offer Incense, was separated from the People by the first Veil, as the most Holy place was from that, by the second Veil. Through the former the ordinary Priests passed every day to offer Incense; through the latter the High Priest passed, and that once a year. Now that which was denoted hereby with respect unto Christ and his Priesthood, were these aspectable Heavens through which he passed in his Ascension into the glorious Presence of God. See our Exposition on chap. 4. ver. 14. Within the Veil therefore, is within and above these visible Heavens, the place of Gods glorious Residence, the Holy Tabernacle not made with hands, where the Lord Christ continueth to administer for his Church. (2) This Hope entereth into, or passeth through. The Heavens are as a Veil unto the sense and reason of man; there, their sight and their thoughts are bounded; they can neither discern nor judge of any thing that is above or within that Veil. But Faith with Hope pierceth through it; no created thing can keep them at a distance from God himself. As an Anchor stays not in the Waves of the Sea, as it cannot fix it self in the Waters, but pierceth through them until it come unto solid Earth in the bottom; no more doth or can the Hope of a Believer fix it self on any thing under these Heavens, but it pierceth through all till it come within the Veil. And this it doth (1) under the conduct of Faith, which goes before it, and presents unto it the things hoped for, Heb. 11. 1. (2) By the Rule and Line of the Word which on no occasion it will vary from.

The Vail therefore here alluded unto, was that which parted the most holy place from the Sanctuary or Body of the Temple. This our Apostle calls the second Vail, chap. 9. 3. and here the Vail absolutely. For the Body of the Temple whereinto the Priests only entred to offer Incense, was separated from the People by the first Vail, as the most Holy place was from that, by the second Vail. Through the former the ordinary Priests passed every day to offer Incense; through the latter the High Priest passed, and that once a year. Now that which was denoted hereby with respect unto Christ and his Priesthood, were these aspectable Heavens through which he passed in his Ascension into the glorious Presence of God. See our Exposition on chap. 4. ver. 14. Within the Vail therefore, is within and above these visible Heavens, the place of Gods glorious Residence, the Holy Tabernacle not made with hands, where the Lord Christ continueth to administer for his Church. (2) This Hope entreth into, or passeth through. The Heavens are as a Vail unto the sense and reason of man; there, their sight and their thoughts are bounded; they can neither discern nor judge of any thing that is above or within that Vail. But Faith with Hope pierceth through it; no created thing can keep them at a distance from God himself. As an Anchor stays not in the Waves of the Sea, as it cannot fix it self in the Waters, but pierceth through them until it come unto solid Earth in the bottom; no more doth or can the Hope of a Believer fix it self on any thing under these Heavens, but it pierceth through all till it come within the Vail. And this it doth (1) under the conduct of Faith, which goes before it, and presents unto it the things hoped for,