works, he enters into his rest; returns as it were into his own eternal rest, and directs them to seek rest in himself.

And herein the design of God was to set us an example of that course, which, according to the counsel of his will, he intended by his command to guide us unto; namely, that a course of work and labour might precede our full enjoyment of rest. This he plainly declares in the fourth commandment, where the reason he gives why we ought, in a returning course, to attend unto six days of labour before we sanctify a day of rest, is, because he wrought himself six days, and then entered into his rest, Exod. xx. 9-11. The command instructs us in, and gives us the force and use of the example he sets us. Thus he dealt with Adam: he set him to work as soon as he was made. "He took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden, to dress it, and to keep it," Gen. ii. 15. And this he was to do antecedently unto the day of rest which was given him, for it was upon the sixth day, yea, before the creation of the woman, that he was designed unto, and put into his employment; and the rest was not sanctified for him until the day following. And this day of rest was given unto him, as a pledge of eternal rest with God. So both the whole course of his obedience, and his final rest after it, were represented by his days of work and

rest.

But here now there is an alteration under the gospel. The day of rest under the law, as a pledge of final rest with God, was the last day of the seven-the seventh day; but under the gospel, it is the first day of the seven.

bour went before: now it follows after.

Then the week of la-
And the reason here-

of seems to be taken from the different state of the church. For of old, under the covenant of works, men were absolutely to labour and work without any alteration or improvement of their condition, before they entered into rest. They should have had only a continuance of their state wherein they first set out, but no rest until they had wrought for it. The six days of labour went before; and the day of rest, the seventh day, followed them. But now it is otherwise. The first thing that belongs unto our present state, is an entering into rest initially, for we enter in by faith. And then our working doth ensue; that is, the obedience of faith. Rest is given us to set us on work; and our works are such, as, for the manner of their performance, are consistent with a state of rest. Hence our day of rest goes before our days of labour: it is now the first of the week, of the seven, which before was the last. And those who contend now for the observance of the seventh day, do endeavour to bring us again under the covenant of works, that we should do all our work before we enter into any rest at all. But it will be objected, that this is contrary to our observation be

fore laid down; namely, that after the example of God, we must work before we enter into rest; for now it is said that we enter into rest, antecedently unto our works of obedience.

Answ. 1. The rest intended in the proposition, is absolute, complete and perfect; the rest which is to be enjoyed with God for ever. Now antecedently unto the enjoyment hereof, all our works performed in a state of initial rest, must be wrought. 2. There are works also which must precede our entering into this initial or gospel-rest, though they belong not to our state, and so go before that Sabbatical rest, which precedes our course of working. Neither are these works such as are absolutely sinful in themselves and their own nature; which sort of works must be necessarily excluded from this whole discourse. Thus our Saviour calling sinners unto him, with this encouragement, that in him they should find rest, and enter into it, as hath been declared; he calls them that "labour and are heavy laden," Matt. xi. 28, 29. It is required that men labour under a sense of their sins, that they be burdened by them and made weary, before they enter into this initial rest. So that in every condition, both from the example of God, and the nature of the thing itself, work and labour is to precede rest. And although we are now here in a state of rest, in comparison of what went before, yet this also is a state of working and labour, with respect to that fulness of everlasting rest which shall ensue thereon. This is the condition, that from the example and command of God himself all are to accept of. Our works and labours are to precede our rest. And whereas the divine nature is no way capable of lassitude, weariness, sense of pain or trouble in operation; it is otherwise with us, all these things are in us attended with trouble, weariness and manifold perplexities. We are not only to do, but to suffer also. This way is marked out for us; let us pursue it patiently, that we may answer the example, and be like to our heavenly Father. Again,

Obs. V. All the works of God are perfect.-He finished them, and said that they were good. He is the rock, and "his work is perfect," Deut. xxxii. 4. His infinite wisdom and power require that it should be so, and make it impossible that it should be otherwise. The conception of them is perfect, in the infinite counsel of his will, and the operation of them is perfect, through his infinite power. Nothing can proceed from him but what is so in its own kind and measure, and the whole of his works are so absolutely. See Isa. xl. 27, 28. As when he undertook the work of creation, he finished it, or perfected it, so that it was in his own eyes "exceeding good." So the works of grace and providence which are yet upon the wheels, shall in like manner be accomplished. And this may teach us at all times to trust him with his own work, and all our concerns in them; VOL. IV.

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whether they be the works of his grace in our hearts, or the works of his providence in the world. He will perfect that which concerneth us, because his mercy endureth for ever, and will not forsake the "work of his own hands," Psal. cxxxviii. 8.

Obs. VI. All the works of God in the creation, were wrought and ordered in a subserviency to his worship and glory thereby. -This we have cleared in our passage.

VER. 4. THE next verse gives the reason of the preceding mention of the works of God, and the finishing of them. Now this was not for their own sakes, but because of a rest that ensued thereon: the rest of God, and a day of rest, as a token of it, and a pledge of our interest therein, or entrance into it. That such a rest did ensue, he proves by a testimony taken from Gen. ii. 2, 3." And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it; because that in it he had rested from all his works which God created and made." The rest of God himself is intended solely, neither in this place of Genesis, nor by our apostle, although he repeat only those words, “and God did rest the seventh day from all his works." But the blessing and sanctifying of the seventh day, that is, the institution of it to be a day of rest to man, and a pledge or means of his entering into the rest of God, is that which is also aimed at in both places. For this is that wherein the apostle is at present concerned.

VER. 4.—Είρηκε γας που περί της έβδομης των Και καλέπαυσεν Θεος εν τη ήμερα τη έβδομη απο πάντων των έργων αυτω.

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Eignes, dixit, said,' the nominative case is not expressed. The Scripture hath said. This is an usual form of speech in the New Testament, John vii. 38. xatwę i reapn, ver. 42. But most frequently the 'speaking' of the Scripture is expressed by λey, John xix. 37. Rom. iv. 3. ix. 17. x. Îl. xi. 2. Ġal. iv. 30. Jam. iv. 5.; sometimes by λa, Rom. iii. 19.; here by signs: all the words in the New Testament to express speaking' by. For the Scripture is not dead and mute, but living and vocal, even the voice of God to them who have ears to hear. And speaking is applied to it, both in the preterperfect tense, hath said,' hath spoken,' as John vii. 35. 42. to denote its original record, and in the present tense to signify its continuing authority. Or, it may be, that I should be here supplied, a certain man' said, for our apostle hath already used that form of speech in his quotation, chap. ii. 6. dagrugaTO DE TUTIS, one testifieth in a certain place.' Or he hath said,' that is God himself, the Holy Ghost, on whose authority in the Scripture, in all this discourse and debate, we rely. Or it is taken im

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personally; for dicitur, it is said.' П, alicubi ; in quodam loco, somewhere, in a certain place. The Syriac omits this . Arab. in a certain section. Пegs ans dopens. Translators generally de die septimo, of the seventh day,' the Syriac naw by, • έτω έτως. concerning the Sabbath,' T or Tas. So, after this manner.' But there is little of difficulty in, or difference about, the translation of these words.

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VER. 4.-For he spake in a certain place (somewhere) of the seventh day on this manner, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.

The verse hath two parts: the one expressing the manner of the introduction of an intended testimony, the other containing the testimony itself. The first in those words" For he spake in a certain place concerning the seventh day."

Tag, for, a note of illation, shewing that in the ensuing words, the apostle designed the proof of what he had elliptically expressed in the verse foregoing; the importance whereof we have before declared. The sum is, that there was a rest of God and his people, and a day of rest from the foundation of the world, which was not the rest here mentioned by the psalmist. "For, he saith."

Eigns, he spake or said.' Who or what this refers unto, hath been shewed already.

Пov, somewhere, in a certain place.' As he allegeth not his author expressly, no more doth he the particular place where the words are recorded. He only refers the Hebrews to the Scripture, which was the common acknowledged principle of truth between them, which he and they would acquiesce in, and wherein they were expert. Especially were they so in the books of Moses, and particularly in the history of the creation of the world, whence these words are taken. For this was their glory, that from thence they were in the clear light respecting the original of the universe, which was hidden in darkness from all the world besides.

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Περι της έβδομης. This is the subject concerning which the ensuing testimony is produced. Generally the words are rendered, de die septima, or de septima, of the seventh day.' Only the Syriac, as was observed, renders it, of the Sabbath day.' And this not unduly, as expressing the intention of the place. For doun, the seventh,' may be used either naturally and absolutely for the seventh day, urgan idoun, as it is expressed in the words following, the seventh day,' that is, from the beginning of the creation, wherein the first complete returning course of time was finished; after which, a return is made to the first day again; or, it may be used, TEXVws, artificially, as a notation of a certain day peculiarly so called; or, as the name of

one day, as most nations have given names to the weekly course of days. For at that time, idoun, the seventh,' was the name whereby the Hellenists called the Sabbath day. So it is always termed by Philo, as others have observed; which also gives evidence unto the writing of this Epistle originally in the Greek tongue. So in the gospel, a cabbarov, one, or the first of the week, is the notation of the Lord's day. And it is the Sabbath which the apostle is speaking of. And this respects both the rest of God, and the rest appointed for us thereon. For the proof hereof, is that which he now in these words designs. He proves, that under the law of creation, God did rest when he had finished his work, made way for his creatures to enter into his rest, and gave them a day as a pledge thereof.

OUT, on this wise, or to this purpose.' So it may be rendered, either as precisely denoting the words reported, or as respecting the substance and design of them, 'thus,' or 'to this purpose.

Secondly, The testimony itself ensues. "And God rested the seventh day from all his works." The words, as was observed, are taken from Gen. ii. 2. But the apostle intends not only to use the words by him cited, but in them he directs us to the whole passage, whereof they are a part. For it would not answer his purpose, to shew merely that God rested from his works, which these words affirm; but his aim is to manifest, as hath been now often observed, that thereon there was a rest provided for us to enter into, and a day of rest appointed as a pledge thereof. And this is fully expressed in the place directed unto; for God upon his own rest blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it. We shall open the words as far as is needful, and then consider what is confirmed by them.

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KATEжauσey · Eos, God rested.' The apostle adds, 105, 'God,' from the beginning of the verse, b b and God finished,' for afterwards it is only, he rested:' naw, et requievit. A cessation from work, and not a refreshment upon weariness, is intended. God is not weary: he was no more so in the works of creation, than he is in the works of providence, Isa. xl. 20. "The Creator of the ends of the earth fainteth not, nor is weary." He laboureth not in working; and therefore nothing is intended in this word, but a cessation from operation. And this fully satisfies the sense of the words. But yet, Exod. xx. 11. it is said, " which signifies such a rest, or resting, as brings refreshment with it unto one that is weary. There may therefore an anthropopathy be allowed in the word, and rest here be spoken of God, with allusion unto what we find in ourselves as to our refreshment after labour. This is thus expressed for our instruction and example, though in God nothing be intended but the cessation from exerting his creating