It is surely, therefore, our wisdom, in our inquest after rest,—which; whether we take notice of it or no, is the main design of our lives, in all that we project or execute,—not to take up in any thing be- neath him or without him. All those things, the enjoyments of the world, the righteousness of the law, the outward ordinances of di-
VER. 8] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 823
vine worship, say openly and plainly unto us, that rest is not in them. If all these in conjunction had been satisfactory to that end, then had Joshua given the people rest, and there had been no men- tion of another day. Yea, whatever, lawfully used, they may have of rest in them, it is no rest in comparison of that which is to be obtained in Christ Jesus. Hence he invites us unto him under this very notion, of giving “rest unto our souls,” Matt. xi. 28. And here, in him, there is no want, no defect, no disappointment, no fadingness, nothing that hinders those other things from giving complete rest unto men. He that rests in the world, or rests in himself, or rests in his own righteousness, or rests even in God’s ordinances, will never come to rest until he be deprived of all expec- tation from them and confidence in them.
Obs. II. The gospel church-state is a state of spiritual rest in Christ.
This, for the substance of it, hath been handled at large before. I mention it now only for two ends: first, to show what we ought to look after in this gospel church-state, and under the enjoyment of gospel privileges; and then, secondly, to discover a little how men deceive themselves in this matter. First, This is that which distinguisheth our present church-state from that of theirs under the old testament: Joshua gave them all other things, only he gave them not rest, the rest of God; this is now the portion of them that believe; this all the children of the church are to look after. What
is it, then, that men do seck after, or join themselves to the church
_ of Christ upon the account of? What do they look for in, the wor- ship, in the ordinances, in the ways of the church? If it be any thing but only to enter into the rest of God through Christ, they do but deceive themselves; whatever they take up in short hereof, they frustrate the whole counsel of God towards themselves in the gospel. Secondly, How many pretend to an interest in this gospel church-state, who plainly, openly, and visibly seek after their rest in other things,—many in their own duties, most in their lusts and the pleasures of thé*world! Where is the privilege of such persons as these above that of the Israelites under the conduct of Joshua? Can they say, that although in and under all the enjoyments before mentioned they obtained not rest, yet the Lord Christ hath given rest unto their souls in the gospel? Alas! they have no rest at all; and that which they do pursue is such as the gospel hath no con- cernment in. Did Christ come, think you, to give you rest 7 your lusts, in your sins, in your pleasures? God forbid; he came to give you rest from these things in himself; which alone is the rest preached unto you.
Obs. III. It is a great mercy and privilege to have a day of rest and worship given unto us.
324 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [cHap, Iv.
The apostle doth not say here, that ‘after these things he speaks of another rest, but of “another day;” for from the foundation of the world we were taught our rest in God by a day of rest given unto us. When by sin we forfeited our interest in that rest of God, he might justly have deprived all the world of the knowledge of the day of rest first appointed. And indeed, whilst he left his law stand- ing, as a testimony of his holiness and a rule of his future judgment, but did not by any outward means press it on the consciences and practices of men, all knowledge ofa day of rest was lost from amongst mankind, some few excepted, whom God took into his especial care. For to what purpose should they look after a day of rest, who had utterly lost all desires after and all interest in the rest of God it- self? But when God would revive in men a hope and expectation of returning unto rest in and with himself, he recalls to their remem- brance the day of rest which was at first appointed; but as he then led men into rest only typically, and in order to the representa- tion of a future rest to be brought in, so he renewed unto them the remembrance of the day of rest typically also, that it might be a sign between him and them. But now, the rest of God being again established, he hath appointed unto us “another day,” as it is in the text,—a day of rest for the ends which have been often mentioned. And this is a great mercy and privilege; for,—
1. It is a pledge of owr rest in God, which is the life, ladasaesi and blessedness of our souls. It is given us to this end and purpose that so it might be; which was the end of a day of rest from the foundation of the world, as hath been declared.