9. Wherefore, granting the sense of the words contended for, there is yet another exception put in to invalidate this testimony as to the original of a seventh day’s sabbatical rest from the foundation of the world. And this is taken, not from the signification of the words, but the connection and disposition of them in the discourse of Moses. For suppose that by God’s blessing and sanctifying the seventh day, the separation of it unto sacred uses is intended, yet this doth not prove that it was so sanctified immediately upon the finishing of the work of creation. For, say some learned men, these words of Gen. ii. 8, “ And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it, because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made,” are inserted occasionally into the discourse of Moses, from what after- wards came to pass. They are not therefore, as they suppose, a con- tinued part of the historical narration there insisted on, but are inserted into it by way of prolepsis or anticipation, and are to be read as it were in a parenthesis. For supposing that Moses wrote not the book of Genesis until after the giving of the law (which I
300 OF THE ORIGINAL OF THE SABBATH. [EXERC. II.
will not contend about, though it be assumed gratis inthis discourse), there being a respect had unto the rest of God when his works were finished in the institution of the Sabbath, upon the historical rela- tion of that rest Moses interserts what so long after was done and appointed on the account thereof. And so the sense of the words must be, that “God rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made;” that is, the next day after the finishing of the works of creation: wherefore, two thousand four hundred years after, “God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it,’—not that seventh day whereon he rested, with them that succeeded in the like revo- lution of time, but a seventh day that fell out so long after, which was not blessed nor sanctified before! I know not well how men learned and sober can offer more hardship unto a text than is put upon this before us by this interpretation. The connection of the words is plain and equal: “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the - seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.” You may 4s well break off the order and continuation of the words and discourse in any other place as in that pretended. And it may be as well feigned that God finished his work on the seventh day, and afterwards rested another seventh day, as that he rested the seventh day, and after- wards blessed and sanctified another. It is true, there may be sun- dry instances given out of the Scripture of sundry things inserted in historical narrations by way of anticipation, which fell not out until after the time wherein mention is made of them; but they are mostly such as fell out in the same age or generation, the matter of the whole narration being entire within the memory of men. But of so monstrous and uncouth a prolepsis as this would be, which is supposed, no instance can be given in the Scripture or any sober author, especially without the least notice given that such it is, And such schemes of writing are not to be imagined, unless neces- sity from the things themselves spoken of compel us to admit them, much less where the matter treated of and the coherence of the words do necessarily exclude such an imagination, as it is in this place; for without the introduction of the words mentioned, neither is the discourse complete nor the matter of fact absolved. And what lieth against our construction and interpretation of these words, from the arguments ‘insisted on to prove the institution of the Sab- bath in the wilderness, shall be afterwards considered. 10. The testimony, to the same purpose with the former, taken out of the New Testament, is that of our apostle: Heb. iv. 3, 4,
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“ For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I sware in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. For he speaketh somewhere concerning the seventh day on this wise, And God rested on the seventh day from all his works.” Having insisted at large on this place, with the whole ensuing discourse, in our ex- position of the chapter itself, I shall here but briefly reflect upon it, referring the reader for its full vindication unto its proper place. The present design is to convince the Hebrews of their concernment in the promise of entering into the rest of God, namely, that pro- mised rest which yet remained, and was prophesied of, Ps. xcv. To this purpose he manifests, that notwithstanding any other rest of God that was mentioned in the Scripture, there yet remained another rest, for them that did or would believe in Christ through the gos- pel. In the proof and confirmation hereof he takes into considera- tion the several rests of God, under the several states of the church which were now past and gone. And first he fixeth upon the _ sabbatical rest of the seventh day, as that which was the first in order, first instituted, first enjoyed or observed. And this, he says, ensued upon the finishing of the works of creation. This the order of the words and coherence of them require: “ Although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. For he speaketh concerning the seventh day on this wise.” The works and the fin- ishing of them did not at all belong to the apostle’s discourse or pur- pose, but only as they denoted the beginning of the seventh day’s sabbatical rest; for it is the several rests of God alone that he is in- quiring after. ‘The first rest mentioned,’ saith he, ‘ cannot be that intended in the psalm ; because that rest began from the foundation of the world, but this mentioned by David is promised,’ as he speaketh, ‘so long a.time after.’ And what was this rest? Was it merely God’s ceasing from his own works? This the apostle had no con- cernment in; for he treateth of no rest of God absolutely, but of such a rest as men by faith and obedience might enter into,—such as was that afterwards in the land of Canaan, and that also which he now proposed to them in the promise of the gospel, both which God - ealleth his rests, and inviteth others unto an entrance into them. Such, therefore, must be the rest of God here intended; for concern- ing his rest absolutely, or his mere cessation from working, he had no reason to treat: for his design was only to show that notwith- standing the other rests that were proposed unto men for to obtain an entrance into them, there yet remained another rest, to be entered into and enjoyed under the gospel. Such a rest, therefore, there was instituted and appointed of God from the foundation of the world immediately upon the finishing of the works of creation;