(1.) It is one thing to be in a state of rest, another to know that aman is so. Believers are by faith instated in rest, and have every one of them “peace with God,” being “reconciled unto him by the blood of the cross;” but as to what shall be the measure of their own understanding of their interest therein, this is left to the sove- reign grace and pleasure of God.
(2.) There is a difference between a state of rest in general and actual rest in all particulars. A state of rest, denominated from all the principal concernments of it, may admit of much actual disquiet- ment, whereby the state itself is not overthrown or changed, nor the interests of any in it disannulled. And the contests of indwelling sin against our spiritual rest are no other.
(3.) There is a difference between a state itself and men’s par- ticipation of that state. This gospel-state in and of itself is an estate of complete peace and rest; but our participation of it is various and gradual. Rest in it is provided, prepared, and exhibited; this we receive according to our several measures and attainments.
(4.) Let it be remembered that our whole interest in this rest is called our entrance; we do enter, and we do but enter: we are so
as that we are continually entering into it; and this will admit of the difficulties before insisted on without the least impeach- ment of this state of rest.
Obs. II. It is faith alone which is the only way and means of enter- ing into this blessed state of rest. “We who have believed do enter.”
266 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. IV.
This is that which all along the apostle both asserteth and proveth. His whole design, indeed, is to manifest, by testimonies and examples, that unbelief cuts off from, and faith gives an entrance into, the rest of God. Only, whereas it is evident that the unbelief which cut them off of old, did produce and was attended with disobedience,—whence, as we observed, thé apostle expresseth their sin by a word that may signify either the one or the other, the cause or the effect, unbelief or disobedience,—so the faith which gives us this admission into the rest of God, is such as produceth and is accompanied with the obe- dience that the gospel requireth. But yet neither doth this obedi- ence belong to the formal nature of faith, nor is it the condition of our entrance, but only the due manner of our behaviour in our entering. The entrance itself depends on faith alone; and that both negatively, so that without it no entrance is to be obtained, whatever else men may plead to obtain it by; and positively, in that it alone effects it, without a contribution of aid or strength in its so doing from any other grace or duty whatever. This is not a purchase for silver or gold to prevail for, as men may buy a rest from purgatory: works of the law, or of supererogation, if they might be found, will not open this way unto us; it is faith alone that gives this entrance: “We which have believed do enter into rest ;” which is the apostle’s assertion 1n this place.
The sEcOND thing in these words is the proof produced by the apostle in the confirmation of the foregoing assertion. And this lies in the next part of the verse: “ As he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest.” The exposition of these words, absolutely considered, we have passed through on the former chapter. Our present inquiry is only into their use in this place. And it is evident that they are intended by the apostle for a con- firmation of what he had before affirmed. But yet it is certain, that this at the first view they do not seem to do. For how isit proved that “we who believe do enter into rest,’ because God sware con- cerning others, that “they should not so do?” This difficulty we must remove by a due application of these words unto the apostle’s purpose.
The words may be considered two ways. 1. Logically, merely as to the rational and artificial form of the argument in them. 2. Theo- logically, as to their force and intention according to the analogy of faith. And both ways we shall find the apostle’s intention and assertion evinced by them.
For the first, the apostle’s argument depends upon a known rule, namely, that unto immediate contraries, or things immediately con- trary one to another, contrary attributes may be certainly ascribed : so that he who affirms the one at the same time denies the other; and on the contrary, he that denies the one affirms the other. He
VER. 3.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 267
that says, ‘It is day,’ doth as really say it is not night as if he had used these formal words. Now, the proposition laid down by the apostle in proof of his assertion is this, ‘They who believed not did not enter into God’s rest; for God sware that they should not, and that because they believed not. Hence it follows inevitably, in a just ratiocination, that they who do believe do enter into that rest.’ Supposing what he hath already proved, and intends further to con- firm, namely, that the promise belongs unto us as well as unto them, —the promise is the same, only the rest is changed; and supposing also what he hath already fully proved, namely, that the enjoying of the promise, or entering into rest, depends on the mixing of it with faith, or believing; and his proof that those who do believe do enter into rest, because God hath sworn that those who believe not shall not enter, is plain and manifest. or, the promise being the same, if unbelief exclude, faith gives entrance; for what is denied of the one is therein affirmed of the other. Some expositors of the Roman church do greatly perplex themselves and their readers in answering an objection which they raise to themselves on this place. For say they, ‘ By the rule and reason of contraries, if wnbelief alone exclude from the rest of God,—that is, the glory of God in heaven,—then Faith alone gives admission into glory.’ This they cannot bear, for fear they should lose the advantage of their own merits. And they are incompetent to salve their own objection. For the rule they respect will inevitably carry it, that in what sense soever unbelief excludes, faith gives admission. But the truth is, that both their objections and their answers are in this place importune and unseasonable; for it is not the rest of glory that is here intended, and that faith alone gives us admission into a gospel-state of rest, they will not deny. And here by the way we may take notice of the use of reason, or logical deductions, in the proposing, handling, and confirming of sacred, supernatural truths, or articles of faith. For the validity of the apostle’s proof in this place depends on the certainty of the logi- cal maxim before mentioned, whose consideration removes its whole difficulty. And to deny this liberty of deducing consequences, or one thing from another, according to the just rules of due ratiocination, is quite to take away the use of the Scripture, and to banish reason from those things wherem it ought to be principally employed. Secondly, The words may be considered theologically; that is, by other rules of Scripture, according to the analogy of faith, And thus the force of the apostle’s proof springs out of another root, or there lies a reason in the testimony used by him taken from another consideration. And this is from the nature of God’s covenant with us, and the end thereof. For whereas the covenant of God is admi- nistered unto us in promises and threatenings, they have all of them the same end allotted to them, and the same grace to make them