"Let us now draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith." By these words we are not to understand, as we fear many have to their own stumbling understood, a full assurance of our possessing faith, an assurance of our being already in a gracious state — although that is attainable just in this way of approach, and maintainable in the due, humble believing use of the means which God hath appointed for the attaining and maintaining of it — but it is the full assurance or the plenitude of faith that we have a right of access. Let us draw near with a true heart, in the plenitude of faith. What's meant by that? If I suspect that the holiest of all is an empty place — if I suspect that there is no inhabitant, that possibly all that we have heard about the Shechinah, about the mercy-seat — if I should have a shade of suspicion about that (I do not say that a shade of suspicion will actually prevent some effort to enter in, but it will miserably impede it) — if a shade of suspicion about there being a way, about the nature of that way as a new and living way, as a consecrated way, as an open and warrantable way by which God gives me boldness to enter is — such suspicions, if they prevail, will prevent entrance, and if they do not prevail, but still subsist and be in any measure tampered with and cherished and allowed to stay, they will greatly impede. Now it is a miserable thing as regards my own happiness, that I deprive myself, or clog my way, into the holiest of all, where God in His Gospel gives me boldness — a miserable thing indeed; but then when I see that God is there in His temple to be worshipped and served, and that all these things are dishonoring to Him, and keeping back that service which I ought to be presenting to Him, coming with all speed as a willing and hearty servant to Him, oh! that is more miserable still. Therefore, let faith have its full sway; let us not be contented with getting the balance of a preponderance over doubts, difficulties, and suspicions, but let us see to it that every declaration of the Lord Jehovah be as firmly believed by us as it is truthfully spoken by Him, that every offer be as gladly received as it is bountifully and cheerfully presented, and that every invitation be embraced, and that we hasten upon it with an urgency corresponding to the urgency with which He gives it forth.

Believers themselves may warrantably at times call their faith in question, but they may not warrantably suspend the exercise of their faith. Even unbelievers, who should not only suspect that they have not faith, but should know and be sure that they have not — even they, as Gospel hearers, are not warranted to stay one instant unbelieving, are not warranted to measure out unto God some little bit of credence to make a trial of it (I say not what He may not graciously pardon and accept). A man may in some circumstances suspect his faith, but there are no circumstances in which direct faith is not dutiful — an incumbent duty imperatively demanded. Therefore it is with respect to the objects of our faith, set forth on the testimony of God that cannot lie, that we are called to the exercise of full assurance of faith — full assurance that God is in His holy place — full assurance that He is on the mercy-seat — full assurance that Jesus hath entered into that holiest of all by His own blood — full assurance that there is no cherubim with flaming sword guarding this way to the tree of life — full assurance that there is no law, no covenant of works that can stand up and bring in an interdict against a sinner coming to the blood of Christ, and by the blood of Christ into the holiest of all — full assurance that we are welcome, that we are invited, that we are commanded to enter in. Let us in this full assurance of faith draw near.

Ah! friends, and if we would wish the full assurance that we have faith, I know no better way, I know no other way of obtaining it, but by the full assurance that lies in direct believing what God testifies — direct believing, accepting, and resting on what God gives and lays before us as a ground of our sure hope. Let us beware of all suspicions, evil surmisings and doubtings. Not but that there are saints coming in with many such incongruities; but let believers know that whilst they complain of it as their calamity — and no doubt it is, and we ought to sympathize with them — yet it is their sin. God has a right to a full, and undoubting, unhesitating faith. Not that He doth reject a wavering faith, doubting whether the way can support — not that He doth reject actual faith that puts a wavering foot on the path, as if doubting whether it has a right to put it there. God does not say that little faith is no faith, and that these doubts prove that there is no faith; but while man is coming on the invitation of a faithful God, He hath a right to a full, perfect, unwavering faith. We should not be standing away and balancing, but approach unto what God says, and offers, and invites, and, in the strength of His grace, calls us in His service to do. "Let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith," because the boldness which He hath given of access lays a warrant for it; and oh! do you think God gives a warrant for it without placing an incumbent duty upon us?

We may pass the more rapidly over the remaining part — "having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience" — as we already referred to the mode in which we obtained the true heart, with which we are to draw near unto God. Still it shows us the order. We are called into the holiest of all. The way is a way for sinners, but they don't just come out of the world into the holiest of all, into the temple. At the very entrance, you know, stood the altar of burnt-offering and the laver. There is a way, but where was the access? through the outer court into the temple. Now between the outer court there was the wall of partition — that's broken down — and at the further extremity there was the veil, and it's rent. Still the way into the holiest of all is through the temple of God. We cannot come into the holiest without true hearts — they are got at the altar and at the laver; there do we get our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, not to go out , but to go in to the holiest of all. O then, let us not be delaying about getting our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience; let us see that that's done, but let us not say, That's the end of the thing, if we could but reach that. That's the beginning. We are to pass through the veil. With a sprinkled conscience and a true heart, and "our bodies washed with pure water." We judge that by "our bodies" here are meant our persons, body and soul, washed by the virtue and efficacy of the Holy Spirit working in the man, soul, body, and spirit, that which is represented by the ordinance of baptism. The allusion seems to be this: — In Leviticus, when the priests were set apart to the office, there was blood sprinkled — put upon the tips of their right ears, the thumbs of their right hands, and the great toes of their right feet, and afterwards, especially when the high priest was to enter into the holiest of all, he was to wash his flesh in water. Now these were outward symbols of the inward purity, the holiness, which became the house, specially the most holy place. And as we have to go into the holiest of all to be the high priests of our God, we need, with the sprinkling of the conscience from dead works, the washing of the person. "Be ye clean, that bear the vessels of your God." Impurity cannot be carried into His service; and in the ordinances of His service He hath made provision for the purging of it away, and by His presence in His holy temple He giveth efficacy unto these. "Be ye holy, for I am holy." "I am Jehovah, that sanctifieth you." But oh! though it be to Jehovah as the God of grace that we are to repair in our unholiness, we should be very anxious to be thoroughly purged, that we may go in to the holy place. That's not the place for our defilements to go into; the laver is the place for them. Therefore let us labor after much purgation of the flesh and spirit; for stains and pollutions become not priests of Jehovah, ministering unto our God — become not priests going into the holiest of all, going to serve.

The apostle having thus directed to the nature of the inward service, the direct service of faith, corresponding unto the boldness or unchallenged right of access which God gives, proceeds to the outward duties. Without the inward approach unto God, outward duties are vain, and the attempt to hold fast the profession of our faith is an attempt to hold fast hypocrisy. But inward service is to be accompanied with outward. "With the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." The apostle first urges constancy in the profession of faith. Then he shows how the servants of God, though performing a hidden service, are to "show forth the praises of Him who hath called them out of darkness into His marvelous light." The first duty is this inward duty of heart-approach unto God; the second, the unwavering profession of that faith; the third, the conscientious discharge of these duties for the sake of strengthening and encouraging one another in the righteous ways of God. But on this we cannot enter.

The evident conclusion of all is that we have done with clouding up the glorious Gospel of the grace of God — that we have done with this. By doing so we keep ourselves low, not in enjoyment merely — we do that, that were a little thing — but in duty, and in utility also, and what believer can bear the thought of that? Let us, if we have not yet attained, seek to be well assured, upon the testimony of God, concerning the boldness that there is to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus. Ah! there is a boldness — but there's a caveat against presumption. The blood of Jesus! We are all welcome to lay our feet in this blood-stained way, but who could ever think of doing it in a carnal mirth, in carnal security, in unholy familiarity? Blood — shed blood — is an awful thing. The blood of Christ, the blood of God, is awful, whilst it gives boldness.

Let us be sure then of the boldness. Let none content themselves with suppositions about the necessity of redemption, with suppositions about the adequacy of Christ, with suppositions about their right to approach the altar of burnt-offering — the laver — and so to pass in unto the holiest of all. Let none be contented with suppositions about the these things, let none rest till they know these things to be the very truth of God which they cannot question. Let none rest till they obtain well-grounded Scripture proof of these things on which they can lay their hands and point them out as the warrants of their belief. Let none rest contented till they obtain that light and illumination of the Spirit of God in the glory of Christ in His Gospel which will render these things plain, distinct, indubitable realities. Let none rest content with being sure that they may approach. Let none rest saying, "God hath given me boldness to enter, but I will wait a little, I am in no such hurry to get into the holiest of all; I am glad the door is open, I hope the door will stay open till I be at leisure." The door to wait your leisure! Does God invite you now, that you may say, "We will come tomorrow?"

And oh! let the people of God themselves be ashamed. How far are we all from the full assurance of faith — ah! how far from the thorough truth of the heart! How little are our consciences permeated by the blood of Christ!

Let us remember to build our inward service upon God's blessed Gospel, and to build up our outward profession upon inward heart-religion and social communion, upon a personal profession of believing.