came short of by unbelief, yet others entered into it under the conduct of Joshua. Hence also ensued a day of rest; that it might be a token and a pledge of his own rest in his instituted worship, and be a means in the solemn observance of it, to farther their entrance into the rest of God; and this became a peculiar sign that he was their God, and that they were his people. It is true, this day was the same, in the order of the days, from the foundation of the world; but yet it was now re-established upon new considerations. The time of altering the day was not yet come; for this work was but preparatory for a greater; and whereas, both the rests were designed to represent the rest of the gospel, it was meet they should agree in the common pledge and token of them. Besides, the covenant whereunto the seventh day was originally annexed, was not yet abolished; and therefore, that day way not yet to be changed. Hence the seventh day fell under a double consideration;-As it was a requisite proportion of time for the worship of God, and appointed as a pledge of his rest under the law of creation, wherein it had respect to God's rest from the works of creation alone;-And as it received a new institution, with superadded ends and significations, as a token and pledge of God's rest under a law of institutions. But materially the day was to be the same, until that work was done, and that rest was brought in, which both of them did signify. Thus, in each of these states of the church there was-A rest of God for their foundation;-A rest in obedience and worship for the people to enter into;-And a day of rest, as a pledge and token of both the other.

§8. The apostle farther proves, from the words of the psalmist, that yet there was to be a third state of the church, an especial state under the Messiah, of

which the others were only types and shadows. Now to the constitution of this rest, as before, three things are required. That there be some signal work of God; and this being finished-That there must be a spirit ual rest arising thence, for believers to enter into; and That there be a renewed day of rest, to express the rest of God to us, and to be a means and pledge of our entering into it. And that all these concur in this new state of the church, it is the apostle's design to demonstrate. And to this end he sheweth;-that there is a great work of God finished, for the foundation of the whole. As God wrought in the creation of all; so Christ, who is God, wrought in the setting up of this new church state; and, upon his completing it, he entered into his rest; ceasing from his works, as God also did from his creation-work, ver. 10. That hence follows a rest for the people of God; and That there must be a new day of rest, suited to this new church state, which must arise from the rest that Christ entered into, when he had finished the work, whereby that new church-state was founded. This is the sabbath keeping which the apostle concludes he had evinced from the former discourse, ver. 9.

§9. And concerning this day we must observe,

1. That this, in common with the former days, is a sabbatism, or one day in seven, for this portion of time to be dedicated for the purposes of rest, having its foundation in the law of nature, was equally to pass through all states of the church.

2. That whereas both the former states of the church had one and the same day, though varied as to some ends in the latter institution; now the day itself is changed, because it respects a work quite of a different nature, as its foundation, than that day did which went before.

8. That the observation of it is suited to the spiritual state of the church under the gospel, delivered from the slavish frame of spirit wherewith it was observed under the law. These are the rests the apostle here treats of; a three-fold rest under a three-fold state of the church; and if any of these be left out of our consideration, the whole structure of the discourse is dissolved.

§10. (II.) Obs. 1. The state of believers under the gospel, is a state of blessed rest; it is God's rest and theirs. God created man in a state of present rest; and, as a token of it, instituted the seventh day, that man by his example and command might improve it. Now this rest consisted in peace with God, satisfaction and communion; which were lost by the entrance of sin, and all mankind were brought thereby into an estate of trouble and disquietment. In the restoration of these, in a better and more secure way, doth this gospel state of believers consist.

1. Without it our moral state, in respect to God, is an estate of enmity and trouble; and there is no peace between God and sinners: they exercise enmity against God by sin, Rom, viii, 7, and God executeth righteous enmity against them by the threats and curses of the law, John iii, 36. Hence nothing ensues to the guilty but trouble, fear, disquietment, and anguish of mind; but all is removed by the gospel; for being justified' by faith we have peace with God, Rom. v, 1. Jesus Christ then is our peace, who hath reconciled us to God by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby, Ephes. ii, 14, 15.

2. There is in all men before the coming of the gospel, a want of acquiescency and satisfaction in God. This is produced by the corrupt principle and power of sin, which having turned off the soul from God,

causeth it to wander in endless vanities, and to pursue various lusts and pleasures, seeking after rest which always flees from it. This is the great real active principle of disquietment to the souls of men, which makes them like a "troubled sea that cannot rest;" andis there, can there be any peace or happiness in such a condi, tion? But this also is removed by the gospel, for its work is to destroy and ruin that power of sin, which hath thus turned off the soul from God, and to renew his image in it, that it may make him its ultimate and eternal rest. This is the glorious effect of the gospel, to take men off from their principle of alienation from God, to turn their minds and affections to him as their rest, satisfaction, and reward; and other way under heaven for these ends there is none.

3. To peace with God, and acquiescency in him, a way of intercourse and communion is required to complete a state of spiritual rest; and this, as it was lost by sin, is also restored by the gospel.

us, That in Christ

The rest we treat rest in God; and

§12. It is true we are told, That in the world we shall find trouble, but it is also told we shall have peace, John xvi, 33. of, is spiritual: God's rest, and our therefore is not inconsistent with outward trouble, Rom. viii, 35–39. "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us: for I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." The sum of all is this, that no outward thing, no possible opposition, shall prevail to cast us

out of that rest which we have obtained, or impede our future entrance into eternal rest with God. And as our peace with God in Christ can neither be weakened or impaired by outward troubles; so it supplies us with such present joys, and infallible future expectations, as enables us both to glory in them, and triumph over them, Rom. v, 3-5. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you,' 1 Pet. iv, 14. Whatever evil and trouble may befall us on account of the gospel, adds to that blessed state of rest whereinto we are entered; for therein the Spirit of glory and of God resteth on us;' the special work of the Spirit of God, who works gloriously in them, supporting, comforting, and powerfully enabling them to preserve their souls in this state of rest, which cannot be impeached with any outward troubles.

§13. But how does it seem inwardly and spiritually to answer the description now given of it? For are there not many true believers who all their days never come to any abiding sense of peace with God, but are filled with trouble, and exercised with fears and perplexities, so that they go mourning and heavily all their days? But we should not forget that it is one thing to be in a state of rest, and another to know that a man is possessed of it. Believers are by faith instated in rest, being reconciled to God by the blood of the cross; but all may not have actual rest in all particulars; nay, a state of rest in general may admit of much actual disquietment; whereby the state itself is not overthrown, nor the interests of any in it disannulled. There is a great difference between a state itself, and men's participations of that state. This gospel state of itself an estate of complete peace and rest; but our participation of it is various and gradual. A full rest in it is

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