proved, that the consideration of that original rest of God, as to its first ends and purposes, is removed, and consequently the day itself founded thereon, and another rest introduced, to be expressed by another day, he calls it a sabbatism, which is calculated to express both the rest itself, and the observation of another day likewise, as a pledge and token of it, and of our spiritual interest therein. The word then doth not precisely intend either a day of rest, or a spiritual rest; but the whole of our rest in God with respect to his also comprising that day which is the token thereof.

§2. And hereby the apostle completes the due analogy that is between the several rests of God and his people. For, as at the beginning of the world there was first the work of God, and his rest thereon, which made way for a rest for his people in himself, and in his worship, by the contemplation of his works which he had made, and on the finishing of which he rested; and a day determined, blessed, and sanctified, to express that rest of God, which was the sabbatism of the people of God from the foundation of the world; and as at the giving of the law there was a great work of God, and his rest in finishing his work, and the establishment of his worship in the land of Canaan, which made way for the people's entering into his rest, and had a day assigned them to express the one and the other, and to help them to enter finally into the rest of God; all which were types and shadows of the rest mentioned by David, and which was their sabbatising rest: so now under the gospel, there is a sabbatism comprehensive of all these. For there was, as we shall see, a great work of God; and an ensuing rest of his own, on which is founded the

promise of rest spiritual and eternal to believers; and the determination of a new day, expressive of the rest of God, and our rest in him; which is the sabbatism that our apostle here affirms to remain for the people of God, which is the FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK.

§3. Now besides the evidence that ariseth from the whole context there are two considerations which make it undeniably manifest, that the apostle here proves the granting of an evangelical sabbath, or a day of rest for the worship of God to be constantly observed; though he doth not this only, nor separately; which, whilst some have aimed to prove, they have failed in their aim; not being able to maintain a sabbatical rest exclusively, in opposition either to a spiritual or eternal rest, for it is not here considered in that view.

Now these considerations are,

1. The introduction of the seventh day's rest into this discourse, and the mentioning of our gospel rest by the name of a day. Unless the apostle had designed the declaration of a day of rest now under the gospel, as well as a real spiritual rest by believing, there is no tolerable reason to be given for his mentioning the works of God, his rest, and his appointment of the old sabbath; which, without respect to another day, doth greatly obscure and involve his discourse.

2. His use of this word (aßbaloμos) sabbatism, coined as it were for this purpose, that it might comprise the spiritual rest, and also express sabbath keeping. When he speaks of our rest in general, he still uses another word, (nalañavis) adding, that there was a special day for its enjoyment. Here he introduceth (oaßbariopos) sabbatism; which his way of arguing would not have allowed, had he not designed to express the Christian sabbath.

§4. "To the people of God." Those of old to whom the rest of Canaan was proposed, were ( λæos TOEs) the people of God; and God hath a people still to whom rest is promised; and whom he hath before described thus, ver. 3, "We who have believed do enter into rest." Here he describes them by their relation to God, and the privilege that depended thereon; they are "the people of God," that are interested in this sabbatism. And the apostle makes use of this description of them upon a double account:

1. Because their being the people of God, (that is, in covenant with him, for where a people is God's people, he is their God, Hos. ii, 23,) was the greatest and most comprehensive privilege that the Hebrews had to boast of; this was their glory, and that which exalted them above all nations in the world, so their church pleads: Isa. lxiii, 19, "We are thine, thou never barest rule over them, thy name was not called on them." That is, they were never called "the people of Jehovah," because never taken into covenant with him. This privilege, the apostle lets them know, belongs as well to them that believe under the New Testament, as it did to them under the Old. Abram was become now Abraham, "a father of many nations." And as those who were his carnal seed of old were "the people of God;" so God had now a people, his children "according to the faith." They shall see therefore that they shall lose nothing, no privilege, by coming over to the gospel state by faith in Christ Jesus. Upon a new account they become "the people of God," which interests them and their children in the covenant, with the seals and all the ordinances of it, even as formerly. For this name, PEOPLE, doth not primarily respect individuals, but a collective body of men, with all their relations. BELIEVERS, not singly

considered, but they and their seed, or their children, are this "people;" and where they are excluded from the initial ordinance of the covenant, I know not how believers can be called the "people of God."

2. He proceeds farther, and shews them that this privilege is now transferred from the old state, and Canaan rest, to them that enter into this rest of God under the gospel. Hence, instead of losing the privilege of being the "people of God," by faith in Christ, he lets them know that they could no longer retain the one without the other. If they failed in the latter, they would be no longer the "people of God;" and indeed ever since they ceased to be God's people, they have been no people, or enjoyed no political rule in the world.

Thus, then, there "remaineth a rest," or sabbath keeping for this people of God. But yet it may be said, that this sabbatism wanteth a due foundation, in an especial work, and rest of God. For as, if God had not done a new work, and rested in it, at the giving of the law, and the establishment of his worship, whereby a new world, as it were, was erected, there could have been no new rest for his people to enter into, but all must have regarded that which was from the foundation of the world; so if there be not a new work and rest of God, now wrought and entered into by him, there cannot be a new rest, and a new day of rest for the people of God. This objection, therefore, the apostle removes in the following verse, and manifests that there is a new blessed foundation for the rest he now proposeth.

$5. "For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his works, as God from his own," so are the words to be read. Expositors generally ap ply these words to believers, and their entering into

the rest of God; but I am not satisfied with that exposition, and (with becoming deference to the wise, learned, and godly) look upon it as that which neither suits the design of the apostle, nor can bear a tolerable sense in its particular application. For, first, supposing believers to be here intended, what are the works they are said to rest from? Their sins, say some; their labors, sorrows, and sufferings, say others; from these they rest in heaven. But how can they be said to rest from these works, as God rested from his own? For God so rested from his, as to take the greatest delight and satisfaction in them, and to be as it were refreshed by them. "In six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed," Exod. xxxi, 17. He so rested from them, as that he rested in them, and blessed them; and sanctified the time wherein they were finished;—Again, when are men supposed to rest from these works? It cannot be in this world; for here we rest not at all from temptations, sufferings, and sorrows; and in the mortification of sin we are to fight continually, resisting even unto blood. It must be, therefore, in heaven that they so rest; but (however affirmed by some) this supposition utterly excludes the rest of the gospel from the apostle's discourse, and so enervates it, that his whole present argument is nothing to his purpose, and therefore is inadmissible.

§6. It appears, therefore, that it is the rest of another that is here intended; even that of Christ from his works, which is compared to the rest of God from his at the foundation of the world. For (1.) The conjunction (yag) for, which introduceth the assertion, manifests that the apostle in these words, gives an account whence it is that there is a new sabbatism remaining for the people of God. He had proved be