_ Although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.”
I do acknowledge that these words, as they relate to the preced- ing and ensuing discourses of the apostle, are attended with great difficulties; for the manner of the ratiocination or arguing here used seems to be exceedingly perplexed. But we have a relief against the consideration of the obscurity of this and the like passages of
272 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP, IV.
holy writ; for the things delivered obscurely in them, as far as they are needful for us to know or practise, are more fully and clearly explained in other places. Nor is there the least semblance that any thing contained in this place should have an inconsistency with what is elsewhere declared. The principal difficulties lie in the dis- covery of the especial design of the apostle, with the force of the arguments, reasons, and testimonies, whereby he confirmeth his pur- pose ;—that is, that we may clearly discern both what it is which he intends to prove and how he proves it; for the sense of the words is obvious. These are the things that we are to inquire into, with what spiritual skill and diligence God is pleased to impart. And here, because the words under consideration do give an entrance into the whole ensuing discourse, I shall on them lay down the general principles of it, which I would desire the reader a little to attend unto, and afterwards to consider how they are severally educed from the particular passages of it:—
First, It is evident that the apostle here engageth into the con- firmation of what he had laid down and positively asserted in the foregoing verses. Now this is, ‘That there is yet, under the gospel, a promise of entering into the rest of God left or remaining unto believers ; and that they do enter into that rest by mixing the pro- mise of it with faith” This he declares, and the declaration of it was useful unto and necessary for these Hebrews. Tor he lets them know, as hath been showed, that, notwithstanding their enjoyment of the rest of Canaan, with the worship and rest of God therein, which their forefathers fell short of by their unbelief, they were now under a new trial, a new rest being proposed unto them in the pro- mise. This he proves by a testimony out of the 95th psalm. - But the application of that testimony unto his purpose is obnoxious unto a great objection. For the rest mentioned in that psalm seems to be a rest long since past and enjoyed, either by themselves or others; so that they could have no concernment in it, nor be in any danger of coming short of it. And if this were so, all the argu- ments and exhortations of the apostle in this place might be rejected as groundless and incogent, as drawn from a mistaken and misap- plied testimony.
To remove this objection, and thereby confirm his former asser- tion and exhortation, is the present design of the apostle.
Secondly, To the end mentioned, he proceeds unto the exposition and vindication of the testimony which he had cited out of the psalm. And herein he shows, from the proper signification of the words, from the time when they were spoken, and persons to whom, that no other rest is intended in them but what was now proposed unto them, or the rest of God and of his people in the gospel. This he proves by various arguments, laying singular weight upon
« VER. 3.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 273
this matter; for if there was a new rest promised, and now proposed unto them, if they mixed not the promise of it with faith during the time of their day, or continuance of God’s patience towards them, they must perish, and that eternally.
Thirdly, The general argument to his purpose which he insists on, consists in‘an enumeration of all the several rests of God and his people which are mentioned in the Scripture; for from the consi- deration of them all he proves that no other rest could be princi- pally intended in the words of David but only the rest of the gospel, whereinto they enter who do believe.
Fourthly, From that respect which the words of the psalmist have unto the other foregoing rests, he manifests that those also. were representations of that spiritual rest which was now brought in and established. These things comprise the design of the apostle in general.
In. pursuit hereof he declares in particular,—1. That the rest mentioned in the psalm is not that which ensued immediately on the creation. This he evinceth because it is spoken of afterwards, a long time after, and that to another purpose, verses 4,5. 2. That it is not the rest of the land of Canaan, because that was not entered into by them unto whom it was promised, for they came short of it by their unbelief, and perished in the wilderness; but now this rest is offered afresh, verses 6, 7. 3. Whereas it may be objected, that although the wilderness-generation entered not in, yet their posterity did, under the conduct of Joshua, verse 8; he answers, that this rest in the psalm being promised and proposed by David so long a time (above four hundred years) after the people had quietly pos- sessed the land whereinto they were conducted by Joshua, it must needs be that another rest, yet to come, was intended in those words of the psalmist, verse 9. And, 4. To conclude his argument, he declareth that this new rest hath a new, peculiar foundation, that the other had no interest or concernment in, namely, his ceasing from his own work and entering into his rest who is the author of it, verse 10. This is the way and manner of the apostle’s arguing, for the proof of what he had said before in the beginning of the chapter, and which he issueth in the conclusion expressed, verse 9.