Considering, as the apostle here doth, what is said sd, and what again év rodrw, what in one place, and what in another, then compar- ing them together with their mutual respect, with the due use of other means, we shall, under the conduct of God’s Spirit and grace, come to an acquaintance with his mind and will. The heathens saw and ac- knowledged that all truth lies deep. And the wise man adviseth us to dig and search after it as after gold and silver and precious stones. Now, the deep mine of all spiritual truth is in the word of
VER. 6.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 289
God: here must we search for it if we intend to find it. And one principal way and means of our search is, the comparing together of divers places treating concerning the same matter or truth. This by some is despised, by the most neglected; which causeth them to know little and mistake much in the holy things of God.
VERSE 6.
Having thus removed an objection that might arise against the new proposal of a rest of God distinct from the sabbatical rest, which was appointed from the foundation of the world, and manifested that although there was in the state of nature, or under the law of our creation, a working and rest of God, and a rest for men to enter into, and a day set apart as a pledge of that rest, yet this was not the rest which he now inquired after,—the apostle in this and the following verses proceedeth to improve his testimonies already pro- duced to a further end, namely, to prove that although after the original rest now mentioned there was a second rest promised and proposed unto the people of God, yet neither was that it which is proposed in this place of the psalm, but a third, that yet remained for them, and was now proposed unto them, and that under the same promises and threatenings with the former; whence the carriage and issue of things with that people with respect thereunto is greatly by us to be considered.
Ver. 6.—’ Ene? ody d&rorsineral sivas eicsAbsiy cig adriy, xal of rpérepov sbayyeniobevres ovx sicjrdoy OF aaeiberay
*Exel ov, “ quoniam igitur,”—* seeing therefore,” “ whereas therefore ;” or as Beza, “ quia, igitur,”—“ therefore,” “ because.” The words are the notes or signs of an inference to be made from what was spoken before, or a conclusion to be evineed from what follows after.
*"Amoacizerai, “superest,” “reliquum est;” impersonally, “ it remaineth.” The word may have respect unto the form of the argument, or to the matter of it. In the first way, it denoteth what he hath evinced by his former reasonings and testimonies, namely this, “ that some must enter into rest;” which way the words look as expressed in our translation: in the latter, it intendeth no more but that there are some yet to enter into rest, or this work of entering into the rest of God yet remaineth. Neither is this difference so great as that we need precisely to determine the sense either way.
Tivets ciosrbciv eis airy, “ quosdam introire in eam,” “ ut aliqui introeant in eam ;” “ that some enter into it.” The Syriac changeth both the words and sense in this place: 42 772 Sas Van] NTHN NIT TNT ST OLD; « seeing therefore there was a place into which any man might enter,” or “ every man,’—“ a man,” “man.” It seemeth precisely to respect the land of Canaan, as that rest where- into some may, do, or must enter ; whereas the apostle is proving that it was not that, but another. Arab., “ secing some remain that must enter into it.”
Kal of xpdrepov ebayycriobévres. WVulg. Lat., “ quibus prioribus annunciatum est;” that is, sparois: it refers the word to the persons, and not to the thing or
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290 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. IV.
the preaching itself. Rhem., “and they to whom first it was preached,” instead of “they to whom it was first’ preached.” Ipcrepoy, “ prius,” “ first ;” not abso- lutely, but with respect unto what follows.
The remainder of the words have been opened before.
Ver. 6.—W hereas, therefore, it remaineth that some enter into it, and those to whom it was first preached | who were first evangelized| entered not in, because of unbe- lief, [ or disobedience. |
The words contain an assertion, and a particular assumption from it. The assertion is, that “some must” (or “ shall”) “ enter into the rest of God.” This he concludes as evinced and proved by his for- mer arguments and testimonies. And this is not the rest of God and the Sabbath from the foundation of the world; for express men- tion is made afterwards, and on another occasion, of another rest of God, whereinto an entrance was to be obtained. This he proves from those words of the psalmist, as cited out of Moses, “If they shall enter into my rest.” For although he cites the words imme- diately out of the psalm, yet he argues from them as first recorded in Moses; for he proves in the next verse that David intends another rest than that which was before spoken of, although typically in- cluded in the former. So the words prove that there is yet a re- maining entrance into a rest of God. Not as if these particles, DS and ¢/, used here, had in the same place a contrary signification, and might be interpreted negatively or affirmatively, “If they shall,” that is, ‘ they shall not,—for that was the intention of the words to- wards them concerning whom they were first spoken,—and, “ They shall enter,” ‘some shall,’ as the apostle applies them; but that a pro- mise is included in every conditional threatening, as we have before declared. The sense of these words, then, is, ‘That from what hath been spoken, it is evident that some must yet enter into another rest of God besides that which was in the Sabbath appointed from the foundation of the world.’