1. There was in it a rest of God; this gives denomination to the whole; for he still calls it "my rest." For God wrought about it works great and mighty, and ceased from them when they were finished. And this work of his, answered in its greatness unto the work of creation, whereunto it is compared by himself, Isa. li. 15, 16. "I am the Lord thy God that divided the sea, whose waves roared; the Lord of hosts is his name; and have put my words in thy mouth, and have covered thee in the shadow of my hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion, Thou art my people." The dividing of the sea whose waves roared, is put by a synecdoche for the whole work of God preparing a way for the church-state of the people in the land of Canaan; the whole being expressed in one signal instance: and this he compares unto the works of creation in "planting the heavens and laying the foundations of the earth." For although those words are but a metaphorical expression of the church and political state of the people, yet there is an evident allusion in them to the original creation of all things. This was the work of God, on the finishing whereof he entered into his rest. For after the erection of his worship in the land of Canaan, he said of it, "This is my rest, and here will I dwell." 2. God having thus entered into his rest, in like manner as formerly, two things ensued thereon. 1. That the people are invited and encouraged to enter into his rest. And thus their entrance into rest, was their coming by faith and obedience into a participation of his worship wherein he rested; which though some came short of by unbelief, yet others entered into under the conduct of Joshua. 2. Both these, God expressed by appointing a day of rest; for he did so both that it might be a token, sign and pledge of his own rest in his instituted worship, and be a means in the solemn observance of that worship to farther their entrance into the rest of God. These were the ends of God's instituting a day of rest amongst his people, whereby it became a peculiar sign or token that he was their God, and that they were his people. It is true, this day was the same in order of the days, with that before observed from the foundation of the world; namely, the seventh day from the beginning of the creation. But yet it was now reestablished on new considerations and to new ends and purposes. The time of the change and alteration of the day itself was not yet come. For this work was but preparatory for a greater. And so whereas both these rests, that of old from the foundation of the world, and this newly instituted in the land of Canaan, 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 annex

ed, was not yet abolished, nor yet to be abolished, and so that day was not yet to be changed. Hence the seventh day came to fall under a double consideration. First, as it was such a proportion of time as was requisite 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. Secondly, as it received a new institution, with superadded ends and significations, as a token and pledge of God's rest under the 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 both these states of the church had these three things distinctly in them. 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.

Thirdly, The apostle 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, or of the gospel, whereof the other were applied to be types and future shadows. And thence he likewise manifests, that there is yet remaining also another state of rest belonging to it, which is yet to be entered into. Now to the constitution of this rest, as before, three things are required.

First, That there be some signal work of God, which he must have completed and finished, and thereon entered into his rest. This must be the foundation of the whole new church state to be introduced, and of the rest to be obtained therein.

Secondly, That there be a spiritual rest ensuing thereon, and arising thence, for them that believe to enter into.

Thirdly, That there be a new or 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 do concur in this new state of the church, it is the apostle's design to demonstrate, which also he doth. For he sheweth, 1. That there is a great work of God, and that finished, for the foundation of the whole. This he had made way for, chap. iii. 4. where he both expressly asserts Christ to be "God who made all things," and shews the analogy and correspondence that is between the creation of all things, and the building of the church. As God then wrought in the creation of all, so Christ who is God, wrought in the setting up of this new church state; and on his finishing of it entered into his rest, ceasing from his works, as God also did, on the creation, from his, ver. 10. For that the words of that verse contain the foundation of the gospel church state in the work and rest of Christ that ensued thereon, shall be declared in its proper place. 2. That there hence arises a "rest for the peo

ple of God," or believers to enter into. To prove this is his main design, and he doth it invincibly from the testimony of the psalmist. 3. It remains that there must be a new day of rest suited and accommodated to this new church state. And this new day must arise from the rest that the Lord 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 that he had evinced from his former discourse, ver. 9.

And concerning this day, we may observe, 1. That it hath this in common with the former days, that it is a Sabbatism, or one day in seven; for this portion of time to be dedicated unto rest, having its foundation in the light and law of nature, was equally to pass through all estates of the church. 2. That although both the former states of the church had one and the same day, though varied as to some ends of it in the latter institution, now the day itself is changed; because it now respects, as its foundation, a work quite of another nature from that to which the day which went before related. And therefore is the day now changed, which before could not be so. 3. That the observance of it is suited unto the spiritual state of the church under the gospel, delivered from the bondage frame of spirit, wherewith it was observed under the law. These are the rests the apostle here discourseth of, or a threefold rest, under a threefold state of the church; and if any of these be left out of our consideration, the whole structure of the discourse is loosened and dissolved.

The involvedness of this context, with the importance of the matter treated of in it, with the consideration of the very little light which hath been given unto it, by any expositors whom I could as yet attain to the sight of, hath caused me to insist thus long in the investigation of the true analysis of it. And if the reader obtain any guidance by it into an understanding of the mind of the Holy Ghost, he will not think it tedious, nor yet the repetition of sundry things which must necessarily be called over again, in the exposition of the several passages of the context, whereby the whole will be farther opened and confirmed.

Having taken a prospect into the whole design of this place, I shall now return to the consideration of those particular passages and testimonies, by which the whole of what we have observed from the context is cleared and established. And first, we must view again the preface, or entrance into the discourse, as it is expressed in the close of the third verse.

VER. 3-Although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

In these words, the apostle begins his answer unto such ob

jections, as his former assertion concerning the entrance of believers into God's rest now under the gospel, seems to be liable unto. And therein he clears it by a farther exposition of the testimony produced out of the psalmist unto that purpose, compared with other places of Scripture, wherein mention is made of the rest of God in like manner. Now all rest supposeth work and labour. The first notion of it, is a cessation from labour, with the trouble or weariness thereof. Wherefore every rest of God must have some work of God preceding it. That labour and rest are not properly ascribed unto God, is evident. They include that lassitude, or weariness upon pains in labour, that ease and quiet upon a cessation from labour, whereof the divine nature is not capable. But the effects of God's power in the operation of outward works, and an end of temporary operations, with the satisfaction of his wisdom in them, are the things that are intended in God's working and resting. Here the first is mentioned, ra gya, ' the works,' wn,' the work,' that is, of God. So he calls the effect of his creating power, his work, yea the work of his hands and fingers, Psal. viii, 3. in allusion to the way and manner whereby we effect our works. And the works here intended, are expressed summarily, Gen. ii. 1. "The heavens and the earth, and all the host of them;" that is, the whole creation distributed into its various kinds, with reference unto the season or distinct days of their production, as Gen. i.

Of these works, it is said, they were finished. The works were finished; that is, so effected and perfected, as that God would work no more in the same kind. The continuation of things made, belongs unto God's effective providence; from the making more things, kinds of things, new things, in rerum natura, God now ceased. So are the words usually interpreted, namely, that God now so finished and perfected all kinds of things, as that he would never more create any new kind, race, or species of them, but only continue and increase those now made, by an ordinary work upon them, and concurrence with them, in his providence. It may be this is so; it may be no instance can be given of any absolutely new kind of creature made by God, since the finishing of his work at the foundation of the world. But it cannot be proved from these words; for no more is expressed or intended in them, but that, at the end of the sixth day, God finished and put an end unto that whole work of creating heaven and earth, and all the host of them, which he then designed, made and blessed. These works therefore, the works of the first creation, were finished, completed, perfected; and this,

"From the foundation of the world."-The words are a periphrasis of those six original days, wherein time, and all things

measured by it, and extant with it, had their beginning. It is sometimes absolutely called the beginning, Gen. i. 1. John i. 1.; that is, when a beginning was given unto all creatures, by him who is without beginning. And both these expressions are put together, Heb. i. 10. xar' agxas so the apostle renders , Psal. cii. 25. "In the beginning, thou hast laid the foundation." By the foundation then, is not intended absolutely the first beginning or foundation of the work, as we call that the foundation of a house or building, which is first laid, and on which the fabric is raised. But the word is to be taken, » wars, for the whole building itself; or formally for the building which extends itself to the whole equally, and not materially to any part of it, first or last. For it is said, that from this laying of the foundation, the works were finished. KaraCon zoo, is the erecting of the whole building of the creation, on the stable foundation of the power of God put forth therein.

This is the first thing that the apostle fixeth as a foundation unto his ensuing discourse; namely, that in the first erection of the church in the state of nature, or under the law of creation, the beginning of it was in the work of God, which he first finished, and then entered into his rest; as he proves in the next verse. But we may here rest, and interpose some doctrinal observations: as,

Obs. IV. God hath shewed us in his own example, that work and labour is to precede our rest.-The first appearance of God to any of his rational creatures, was working, or upon his works. Had any of them been awakened out of their nothing, and no representation of God been made unto them, but of his essence and being in his own eternal rest and self-satisfaction, they could have had no such apprehensions of him, as might prepare them for that subjection and obedience which he required of them. But now, in the very first instant of their existence, they found God gloriously displaying the properties of his nature, his wisdom, goodness and power, in the works of his hands. This instructed them into faith, fear, and subjection of soul. When the angels were first created, those creatures of light, they found God as it were laying the foundations of the heavens and earth, whereon all those sons of God shouted for joy, Job xxxviii. 7. They rejoiced in the manifestation that was made of the power and wisdom of God, in the works which they beheld. Hence it is justly supposed that they were made the first day, when only the foundations of this glorious fabric were Jaid, Gen. i. 2. wherein they were able to discern the impressions of his wisdom and power. Man was not created, until more express representations were made of them in all other creatures, suited unto his institution. After God had done that which might satisfy them and men in the contemplation of bis