propose another rest to us?" This is the force of the objection; and the reason of his denial is, that five hundred years after, God, by David, proposeth another rest, or, another day of rest, and invites the people to an entrance, after they were so long fully possessed of all that Joshua conducted them into. And whereas there was no new rest for the people to enter into in the days of David, and the psalm, wherein these words are recorded, is acknowledged to be prophetical of the days of the Messiah, it unavoidably follows, that there peois yet a rest, and a day of rest remaining for the ple of God, as ver. 9.

§3. This interpretation of the words perfectly satis fieth the argument in hand; but I yet judge there is more in them than a mere answer to the objections mentioned, though expositors look no farther, viz. That the apostle also designs to teach the Hebrews that all these things, which were spoken about the rest of God in the land of Canaan and Mosaical institutions, had not the reality or substance of the things themselves in them, Heb. x, 1; so that absolutely neither did God rest, nor were the people to look for rest in them: they had no other end or use, but to teach them to look out after, and to prepare for that rest which was promised of old; so that Joshua did not give them real rest, but only that which was a typical instruction for a season. And therefore in David the same matter is still carried on, and direction is still given to look out after the future rest.

$4. (II.) Obs. 1. There is no true rest for the souls of men, but only in Jesus Christ by the gospel. Notwithstanding all that was done for the Israelites by Joshua, yet he gave them not rest, he brought them not into the full and complete rest of God; "having provided some better things for us, that they without

us should not be made perfect:" and the grand reason hereof is, because God himself resteth not in any thing else; and in his rest alone it is that we can find any; yes, utterly vain is it for us to seek rest in that wherein God resteth not. Trouble and disquietude entered into the whole creation by the sin and apostasy of Adam; God no more rested in the works of his hands, but cursed the earth, Gen. iii, 17-19, made the whole creation subject to vanity, Rom. viii, 20, and revealed his wroth from heaven against the ungodliness of men, Rom. i, 18. And hereof he hath in all ages since given signal instances; as in the deluge, wherewith he drowned the old world; the fire from heaven wherewith he burned Sodom and Gomorrah, &c. Man hath also utterly lost his rest in that first rest of God; and though he several ways seek after it, yet, like the unclean spirit cast out of his habitation, he can find none. Some seek it in the world with its pleasures and profits; some in the gratification of their sensual lusts; some in their own goodness and self-righteousness; some in superstition, and vain ways of religious worship invented by themselves; but all in vain. Man hath lost his rest by falling from God, and nothing will afford him the least quietness, but what brings him to HIм again, which none of these ways will do. It is in CHRIST ALONE our lost rest may be recovered, for in him alone, as declared in the gospel, doth God rest, who is our examplar.

$5. It is surely, therefore, our wisdom in our inquiry after rest, (which, whether we take notice of it or not, is the main design of our lives) that, in all we project or execute, we do not take up with any thing beneath HIM, or without HIM. The enjoyments of the world, the righteousness of the law, the outward ordinances of divine worship, say openly and plainly, that

rest is not in them. If all those in conjunction had been satisfactory to that end; then had Joshua given the people rest, and there had been no mention of another day. Yea, whatever rest they may afford, lawfully used, it is none in comparison of that which is to be obtained in Christ Jesus; hence he himself invites us to him under this very notion, of giving "rest to our souls," Matt. xi, 28; and in him there is no want, no defect, no fadingness, no disappointment. He that rests in the world, in himself, in his own righteousness, or even in God's ordinances, will never come to true rest until he be deprived of all expectation from, and confidence in them.

§6. Obs. 2. The gospel church state is a state of spiritual rest in Christ. How many pretend to an interest in this church state, who plainly and openly seek after their rest in other things; many in their own duties, but most in their lusts, and the pleasures of the world. Where is the privilege of such persons as these, above that of the Israelites under Joshua? Can they say that the Lord Christ hath given them rest for their souls in the gospel? Alas! they have no rest at all; in what they pursue, the gospel hath no concernment. Did Christ come, think you, to give you rest in your lusts, in your sins, in your, lawless and carnal pleasure? God forbid; he came to give you rest from these things, in HIMSElf.

§7. Obs. 3. It is a great mercy and privilege to have a day of rest and worship given us. The apostle doth not say, 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 us. When by sin we forfeited our interest in that rest itself, God might have justly deprived all the world of the knowlege of that day of

rest first appointed; but now the rest of God being again established, he hath appointed for us another day, as in the text. And this is a great mercy and privilege; for it is a pledge of our rest in God; which is the life, happiness, and blessedness of our souls. Again; it is a pledge of the recovery of his rest for us; and that it is not absolutely the same rest in God whereunto we were made, but another, a better and more sure; therefore another day is given us; and not the same as that of old: but another day could not be established but with respect to the works of Christ already wrought, and as a pledge of them. Moreover, it is given as a means of entering into the rest of God; for on this day hath God ordained that the solemn declaration of his mind and will concerning his rest; and our entrance into it, should be more especially made to us. On this we do therefore celebrate that solemn worship of God; whereby we express our faith concerning our rest and acquiescence in him, and by which, as means appointed for that end, we are admitted into that blissful repose, and carried on gradually towards its full and eternal enjoyment,

VERSES 9, 10.

There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.

§1. The term rest includes the Christian sabbath. §2. The analogy between the several rests of God and his people. §3. That the evangelical sabbath is intended is farther proved. §4. Who intended by the people of God. $5-7. The true foundation of the Christian sabbath. 8. Corollaries $9. Observa, tion. That believers under the New Testament have lost no privilege that was enjoyed under the old. $10. Additional observations.

§1. HAVING passed through his testimonies and arguments, the apostle, in these verses, lays down both what he hath evinced in his whole disputation,

as also the general foundation of it, in answer to the principles of his preceding discourse. (Απολειπεται relinquitur, superest) it is left, it remains, it is evinced; for this word may refer to (aga) therefore, and be a part of the conclusion following; and so the verb is to be taken impersonally, it remaineth therefore, or this is that which we have proved. In this sense the verb (TOMETEα) is the modification of the conclusion, and is not of the substance of it, or one of the terms of the proposition. Or, the word may refer to the following (σaßbaliouos) and be of a neutral signification; a sabbatism, or rest remaineth; there is yet another rest remaining and abiding for the people of God to enter into, besides those before mentioned. It remaineth, that is, God hath prepared it, promised it, and invites us to enter into it. (Eaßbaliopos) a sabbatism; this word is framed by our apostle from an Hebrew original, by the addition of a Greek termination; and so becomes comprehensive of the whole sense to be expressed, which no other single word in either would do. The original word (n) signifies, to rest; and is first used to express the rest of God after his works of creation; Gen. ii, 2, "and he rested (or sabbatised) on the seventh day." Hence the word is used by our apostle to shew, that the rest which he now asserts for the people of God, is founded in the rest of God himself. If this had not been intended, it might indeed have been (avanavais) a rest in general, it could not have been (caßbaтioμos) a sabbatism, a sabbatising rest; for there is no foundation for any such name but in the rest of God. Hence this word came to express the day of rest appointed for man, Exod. xx, 10-12; because God ( shabbath) rested from his works, he blessed the day of rest, the sabbath which he would have us remember to keep. Now our apostle having