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Thereforeleaving the principles[a] of the doctrine of Christ, let us go onuntoperfection;notlayingagain the foundation of repentancefromdeadworks,and of faithtowardGod,
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Of the doctrine of baptisms,and of laying on of hands,and of resurrection of the dead,and of eternaljudgment.
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For it is impossible for those who were onceenlightened, and have tasted of the heavenlygift,and were madepartakers of the HolyGhost,
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And have tasted the goodword of God,and the powers of the world to come,
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If they shall fall away, to renew themagainuntorepentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of Godafresh, and put him to an open shame.
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For the earthwhich drinketh in the rain that comethoftuponit,and bringeth forthherbsmeet for them*by[b]whom it is dressed, receivethblessingfromGod:
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But that which beareththornsandbriers is rejected,and is nigh unto cursing;whoseend is to be burned.
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But,beloved, we are persuaded better thingsofyou,and things that accompanysalvation,thoughwethusspeak.
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ForGod is notunrighteous to forgetyourworkandlabour of love,which ye have shewedtowardhisname, in that ye have ministered to the saints,and do minister.
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And we desire that every one of you do shew the samediligenceto the full assurance of hopeunto the end:
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That ye benotslothful,butfollowers of them who throughfaithandpatienceinherit the promises.
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For when God made promise to Abraham,because he couldswearbynogreater, he swarebyhimself,
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Saying, Surely*blessing I will blessthee,andmultiplying I will multiplythee.
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Andso, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.
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Formenverilyswearby the greater:and an oathforconfirmation is to them an end of allstrife.
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Wherein*God,willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of hiscounsel,confirmed it by[c] an oath:
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Thatbytwoimmutablethings,inwhich it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strongconsolation,who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:
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Which hope we haveas an anchor of the soul,bothsureandstedfast,and which enterethinto that within the veil;
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Whither the forerunnerisforusentered, even Jesus,made an high priestforeverafter the order of Melchisedec.