Twenty-One Sermons on Hebrews 10:20-24 - Traill - XX - Sermon XX

Required reading
Twenty-One Sermons on Hebrews 10:20-24 in Volume III of the Works of Robert Traill (Available from Reformation Heritage Books or free here) - Read Sermon XX.

My summary
Today Traill starts to look at what it means that Jesus is priest 'over the house of God'.

Firstly Traill explains that the house of God is:
(i) all the matters of God (those things wherein God deals with us and we with him);
(ii) all the people of God.

Secondly Traill teaches us what sort of charge and authority Jesus hath in the house and over the house.  He gives some of the:
(i) general properties of Christ's authority (it is divine and universal);
(ii) instances that give us some understanding of the nature of it.

Traill then applies his teaching by exhorting us to:
(i) have great and high thoughts of Christ Jesus;
(ii) learn to pay our respect unto the true house of God because of its master's sake;
(iii) mind Christ Jesus and make use of him.

What grabbed me
I liked Traill's example of how Christ's power is shown in election: 'Christ's power over the house of God is seen in this, that he calleth and bringeth into the house of God whom he will ; he calls strangers, he hath the key of the house of David, and he opens when he will, and shuts when he will. Rev. iii. 7. Do any of you partake of the grace of God ? are you brought in truly to this spiritual house of God ? All the thanks is owing to this great High Priest. Our Lord puts forth his power and saves whom he will ; he brings men to God ; he follows after strangers ; he knows them well. There is not an elect person in the purpose of God, and there ts not a redeemed person in the design of Christ's dying, but our Lord knows them, and will pursue them, and follow them, and overtake them and bring them in : Other sheep, says he, I have which are not of this fold ; them also. I must bring, and they shall hear my voice, John x. 16. '

The hardest of hearts are not beyond Christ's power.

Next week's reading
Read Sermon XXI.

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.