Hicsndety eis exeivyy thy xatemavoiv. These words have been all opened be- fore; nor do translators vary in the rendering of them.
“Ive po) ty @ wdTO Tis UTOdElymari weoy THS awetbelas. Vulg. Lat., “ut ne in id ipsum quis incidat incredulitatis exemplum.” Rhem., “that no man fall into the same example of incredulity;” somewhat ambiguously. Beza, “ne quis in idem incidat contumacie exemplum ;” “that no man fall into the same example of stubborn disobedience,’—that is, into the like sin. Erasm., “ne quis concidat eodem incredulitatis exemplo ;” to the same purpose: as ours also, “lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.” Syr., “that we fall not after the manner of them who believed not,”—8"72 , “ad similitudinem,” “ like unto them.” And in all these translations it is left somewhat ambiguous whether it be the sin of the people or their punishment that is proposed to consideration.
M4 tis éc4, or 47 t1s, “lest any ;” and of what is therein included we haye spoken before. Iéoy, “cadat,” that is, into sin; “incidat,” into punishment; concidat,” © do fall.”
Te aire drodelywari. “Lrdderyye is sometimes as much as rapadernywa, an “exemplary punishment;” or an example mstructive by the evil which befalls others. Of the sense of the words afterwards,
Ver. 11.—Let us labour therefore [or, diligently endeavour | to enter into that rest; lest any should fall in the same example of unbelief.
In the words three things may be observed:—First, The «lative
particle ody, “therefore;’ denoting an inference from and depend-
ence upon what was before discoursed. The things he now intro- VOL. XXIL 22
338 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. IV.
duceth arise from the consideration of what was before alleged and proved, with an especial respect unto that part of the example m- sisted on which consisted in the sin and punishment of the people of old; “therefore.” Secondly, An exhortation unto duty ensues. Thirdly, A motive thereunto is proposed. In the exhortation there is the duty itself exhorted unto, —which is, to “ enter into that rest;” and the manner of its performance,—it is to be done with labour and diligence, “ Let us-labour to enter into that rest.”
First, The duty exhorted unto is expressed in terms whose use is taken from the example before insisted on, “ entering into rest.” The things intended may be considered two ways, as to the act of the duty, or the duty itself and the effect of it, both meluded in the words. The duty itself intended is faith and obedience unto the gospel; these were represented of old by the people’s applying themselves to enter into the promised land of
anaan. Here, therefore, he exhorts them unto their present duty under these terms. And the effect of this duty, which is a participation of the rest of God, is also included.
And indeed glorious advantages are comprised in all gospel duties. To know God in Christ is “life eternal,” John xvii. 3; to believe, is to enter into the rest of God. Again, for the further ex- plication of these words, we may observe that the apostle changeth his expression from what it was in the preceding verse. He tells us, verse 9, that “there remaineth saCCarsouds” (a “ sabbatism”) “ for the people of God;’ but here he doth not exhort them to enter ¢¢ éxeivoy rov cacCaricudy, (“into that sabbatism,”’) but changeth it into zaréravov,—that is, 122, as the other is }93¥. And the reason is, because by that word, “sabbatism,”’ he intended to express the rest of the gospel not absolutely, but with respect unto the pledge of it in the day of rest, which is given and determined unto them that believe, for the worship of God and other ends before recounted: but the apostle here returns to exhort the Hebrews to endeavour after an interest in and participation of the whole rest of God in the gospel, with all the privileges and advantages contained in it; and therefore resumes the word whereby he had before expressed the rest of God in general.
Secondly, For the manner of the performance of this duty, the word orovdcowwev doth declare it. Let us “diligently study,’ “en- deavour,” or “labour” to this purpose. If we suppose “labour” in our language to be the most proper word (though I had rather use “endeavour”), such a labouring is to be understood as wherein the mind and whole soul is very intently exercised, and that upon the account of the difficulties which in the performance of this duty we shall meet withal. For the apostle, expressing our faith and gospel obedience, with the end of them, by “entering into the rest. of God,”
Els ixeivay Thy xarTaguvory.
VER. 11.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 339
—a phrase of speech taken from the people’s entering into the land of Canaan of old,—he minds us of the great opposition which in and unto them we shall be sure to meet withal. It is known what diffi- culties, storms, and contrary winds, the people met with in their wilderness peregrinations. So great were they, that the discourage- ments which arose from them were the principal occasions of their acting that unbelief which proved their ruin. Sometimes their want of water and food, sometimes the weariness and tediousness of the way, sometimes the reports they had of giants and walled towns, stirred up their unbelief to murmurings, and hastened their destruc- tion. That we shall meet with the like opposition in our faith and profession the apostle instructs us, by his using this phrase of speech with respect unto the occasion of it, “ entering into the rest of God.” And we may observe hence,—