(4.) There is a direct parallel in the words between the works of the old creation and those of the new, which are compared by the apostle; for,—
[1.] There are the authors of them; which on the one side is said to be God, “ As God did from his own,’—that is, God the Creator, or God as Creator; on the other, “ He,” airés, the same with odros, chap. iii. 8,—that is, he of whom we speak, as the apostle declares himself, chap. iv. 13, for in these words a transition is made unto his treating of the person of Christ.
[2.] The works of the one and the other are expressed. The works
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of the Creator are 18: ¢pya, “his proper works,” “ his own works,’—— the works of the old creation, dorep dad rv idiwy 6 @edg. And there are the works of him of whom he speaks, ra tpya airod, “his works,” those which he wrought in like manner as God did his own at the beginning; that is, the work of building the church: for these works must answer each other, and have the same respect unto their authors. They must be good and complete in their kind, and such as rest and refreshment may be taken in and on them. To compare the sins and sufferings of men with the works of God, our apostle “did not intend.
[3.] There is the rest of the one and the other; and these also have their mutual proportion. Now, God rested from his own works of creation,—Ilst. By ceasing from creating, only continuing all things by his power in their order, and propagating them unto his glory. 2dly. By his respect unto them and refreshment in them, as those which expressed his excellencies and set forth his praise, and so satisfied his glorious design. So also must he rest who is spoken of. 1st. He must cease from working in the like kind of works, He must suffer no,more, die no more, but only continue the work of his grace and power in the preservation of the new creature, and the orderly increase and propagation of it by his Spirit. 2dly. He takes delight and satisfaction in the works that he hath wrought; for he sees of the travail of his soul, and is satisfied, and is in the possession of that glory which was set before him whilst he was en- gaged in this work.
And these things sufficiently clear the subject here spoken of, namely, that it is Jesus Christ, the mediator.
22. The works that the rest mentioned respects have been suffi- ciently intimated, and I have so fully insisted on them in the ex- position of the third and fourth verses of the third chapter of this Epistle, that I shall not here again repeat them. In brief, all that he did and suffered, in and from his incarnation to his resurrection, as the mediator of the covenant, with all the fruits, effects, and con- sequences of what he so did and suffered, whereby the church was built and the new creation finished, belongs unto these works. His rest that ensued on these works hath two parts;—(1.) A cessation from his works, which was eminent, and answered God’s rest from his own; (2.) Satisfaction in his works, and the glorious product of them, as those which had an impression on them of his love and grace, Ps, xvi. 7.
23. It remains only that we inquire into his entrance into his rest, both how and when he did so, even as God entered into his on the seventh day; for this must limit and determine a day of rest to the gospel church. Now, this was not his lying down in the grave. His
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body, indeed, there rested for a while, but that was no part of his mediatory rest, as he was the founder and builder of the church: for,—(1.) It was a part of his humiliation. Not only his death, but his abode and continuance in the state of death, was so, and that a principal part of it; for after the whole human nature was personally united unto the Son of God, to have it brought into a state of dis- solution, to have the body and soul separated from each other, was a great humiliation. And every thing of this nature belonged unto his works, and not his rest. (2.) This separation of body and soul under the power of death was penal, a part of the sentence of the law which he underwent; and therefore Peter declares that the pains of death were not loosed but in his resurrection: Acts ii. 24, “Whom God,” saith he, “ hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.” Whilst he was held of it, he was under it penally. This, therefore, could not be his rest, nor any part of it; nor did he in it enter into his rest, but continued in his work. Nor, secondly, did he first enter ‘nto his rest at his ascension. Then, indeed, he took actual posses- sion of his glory, as'to the full, public manifestation of it But to’ enter into rest is one thing, and to take possession of glory another ; and it is placed by our apostle as a consequent of his being “justified in the Spirit” when he entered into rest, 1 Tim. ii, 16. But this’ his entrance into rest was in, by, and at his resurrection from the dead; for,—(1.) Then and therein was he freed from the sentence, power, and stroke of the law, being discharged of all the debts of our sins, which he had undertaken to make satisfaction for, Acts i. 24, (2.) Then and therein were all types, all predictions and pro- phecies fulfilled, which concern the work of our redemption. (3-) Then, therefore, his work was done,—I mean that which answereth God’s creating work ; though he still continues that which answers his work of preservation. Then was the law fulfilled and satisfied, Satan subdued, peace with God made, the price of our redemption paid, the promise of the Spirit received, and the whole foundation of the church of God gloriously laid on his person, in his works and rest. (4.) Then and therein was he “ declared to be the Son of God with power,” Rom. i. 4; God manifesting unto all that this was he con- cerning and unto whom he said, “Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee,” Acts xiii. 33.