VER. 5.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 287
contend withal; yet this he undertakes on the sole authority of the Scriptures, and testimonies to his purpose thence taken, and glo- riously accomplisheth his design, Certainly whilst we have the same warranty of the word for what we avow and profess, we need not despond for those mean artifices and pretences wherewith we are opposed, which bear no proportion to those difficulties which by the same word of truth have been conquered and removed. For instance, what force is there in the pretence of the Roman church, in their profession of things found out, appointed, and commanded by themselves, in comparison of that of the Hebrews for theirs, begun and continued by the authority of God himself? And if this hath been removed and taken away by the light and authority of the Scriptures, how can the other, “hay and stubble,” stand before it?
Obs. II. It is to no purpose to press any thing in the worship of God, without producing the authority of God for it in his word.
Our apostle takes no such course, but still minds the Hebrews what is spoken in this and that place to his purpose. And to what end serves any thing else in this matter? is there any thing else that we can resolve our faith into, or that can influence our consciences into a religious obedience? and are not these things the life and soul of all worship, without which it is but a dead carcass and an abomination to God and them that are his?
Obs. III. What the Scripture puts an especial remark upon is especially by us to be regarded and inquired into.
Here the apostle refers to what was in a peculiar manner spoken concerning the seventh day; and what blessed mysteries he thence educeth we shall endeavour to manifest in our exposition of that part of his discourse wherein it is handled.
These things being thus fixed, we may with much brevity pass through the remaining verses wherein the apostle treats of the same subject. Unto what, therefore, he had affirmed of God’s entering into his rest upon the finishing of the works from the foundation of the world, he adds,—
VERSE 5.
Kal év robrw radu Ei siozreboovras cig viv xardravoly mov.
Kai éy rovrg, “and in this,” or “here,” év rovry ro Waaug, “in this psalm :” or 76%, “in this place ;” that is, in the place of Scripture under consideration and exposition, namely the 95th Psalm, or the words of the Holy Ghost by David therein. The expression is elliptical, and the sense is to be supplied from the beginning of the fourth verse: “ For he spake in a certain place; and again he speaks in this place.”
Tlaaw, “again ;” that is, after he had said before that upon the finishing of his works God rested the seventh day, and blessed it for a day of rest unto his creatures, he (that is, the same Holy Ghost) says yet again, upon another occa- sion, “ If they shall enter into my rest.”
288 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. Iv.
Ver. 5.—And in this again, If they shall enter into my rest.
“Tf they shall enter into my rest.” We have showed before that from these words, not absolutely considered, but as used and ap- plied in the discourse of the psalmist, he proveth that there is yet a promise of entering into rest remaining to the people of God. This is included in them, as they are taken from the historical record in Moses and prophetically applied in David. And this he takes here for granted, namely, that an entrance into the rest of God for some is intended in those very words whereby others were excluded. His present argument is from the t¢me and place when and where these words were spoken, which include a rest of God to be entered into. Now this was in the time of Moses, and in the wilderness; so that they cannot intend the sabbatical rest from the foundation of the world. ‘ For the works,’ saith he, ‘ were finished in six days, and the seventh day was blessed and sanctified for a day of rest,’ as Moses testifieth, Gen. ii. ]-3. This rest was tendered unto and entered into by some from the foundation of the world. It must, therefore, of necessity, be “another rest” that is spoken of by the psalmist, and whieh the people were afresh invited to enter into, as afterwards he more clearly asserts and proves. And they who deny a sabbatical rest from the beginning, do leave no foundation for nor occasion unto the apostle’s arguments and discourse; for if there were no such rest from the foundation of the world, what need he prove that this in David was not that which, on this supposition, was not at all? This, therefore, is his purpose in the repetition of this testimony, namely, to. show that the rest mentioned therem was not that which was appointed from the beginning of the world, but another, whose proposal yet remained. So then there was another rest of God besides that upon the creation of all, as is evident from this place, which he further confirms in the next verse. And we may hence learn, that,—
Obs. Many important truths are not clearly delivered in any one singular testimony or proposition in the Scripture, but the mind of God concerning them is to be gathered and learned by comparing of several scriptures, their order and respect unto one another.