To day if yee will heare His Voyce harden not your heartes as in the Provocation Vers. 16. For some when they had heard did provoke how-be-it not all that came out of Aegypt by Moses NOw the Apostle draweth Collections from the wordes of the Prophet in the PSALME repeating the wordes of the Text which speake of the Provocation of the Fathers vers 15. Wherevpon bee inferreth That there were some at least hearers of the Word which provoked GOD albeit not all For whose cause David had reason to giue Advertisement to their Posteritie to beware of the lyke and the wryter of the Epistle reason to applye the same vnto them vers 16. THEN 1. From the Apostle's handeling of the Text which hee hath in hand all must LEARNE Not lightlie to passe Scripture but to consider both what is sayd expresselie in it and what is imported by consequence 2. Preachers practise is justified when they consider the circumstances of a Text and doe vrge dueties vpon their people or teach them doctrine from the Text. Vers. 17. But with whom was Hee grieved fourtie yeares Was it not with them that had sinned whose carcases fell in the Wildernesse HEE observeth another thing in his Text vpon the persons with whom GOD was grieved that first they are marked to haue sinned and afterwards punished Leaving to them to GATHER That where Sinne went before the Anger of GOD would followe vpon the Sinne and after the grieving of GOD Iudgement light vpon the Sinner Verse 18. And to whom sware He that they should not enter into His Rest but to them that believed not Vers. 19. So wee see that they could not enter in because of vnbeliefe HEE hath yet another Observation vpon the nature of the Sinne whereby GOD was provoked to sweare their damnation that sinned that it was Vnbeliefe vers 18. And formallie deduceth his doctrine by consequence That Misbeliefe did stoppe the Sinners Entrie into the Rest and made the Sinner to lye vnder an impossibilitie of entering vers 19. The vse of which Doctrine hee presseth in the next Chapter THEN 1. The Apostle leaveth vs to gather That aboue all other Sinnes Misbeliefe provoketh GOD to indignation moste 2. That as long as this Sinne lyeth on and getteth way it is impossible for a man to enter into GOD'S Rest. This Sinne alone is able to seclude him The summe of Chap. IV. HEE presseth the vse of the former Doctrine saying in substance Therefore bee feared to bee debarred from GOD'S Rest Vers. 1. For wee haue the offer of it as well as they onelie heere are the oddes They believed not Vers. 2. But wee who doe belieue enter into a Rest as DAVID'S wordes import For there are three Rests in the Scripture which may bee called GOD'S Rest 1. GOD'S Rest vpon the first Sabbath 2. The Rest of Canaan typicall 3. The Spirituall and true Rest of GOD'S People in CHRIST'S Kingdome which is a Delyverance and ceassing from Sinne and Miserie David doeth not meane of the Rest of the Sabbath in his Threatning because albeit the Worke of Creation was finished in the beginning of the Worlde and that Rest come and gone yet David speaketh of another Rest after that in the word of Threatning Vers. 3. That GOD'S Rest was past at the founding of the World is playne from Moses wordes Vers. 4. After which Rest David speaketh heere of another Rest Vers. 5. Wherein seeing Vnbelievers entered not Believers must enter Vers. 6. Agayne David meaneth not of the Rest of Canaan For after they had a long tyme dwelt in Canaan David yet setteth them a day during which they might enter into GOD'S Rest Vers. 7. For if the Rest of Canaan which Iesus or Iosua gaue vnto them had beene this true Rest then David would not haue spoken of another Rest after that Vers. 8. But speake hee doeth Therefore there is a Rest besyde these even that Spirituall Rest proper to GOD'S People Vers. 9. I call this a Rest because when GOD'S People cease to doe their owne workes and will it is lyke GOD'S Rest Vers. 10. Therefore let vs beware to bee debarred from this Rest by Vnbeliefe as they were Vers. 11. For GOD'S Word is as effectuall now as ever it was to discover the lurking Sinnes of the Heart howsoever men would cloake them Vers. 12. And GOD with whome wee haue to doe seeth vs throughlie Vers. 13. But rather seeing wee haue so great encowragement to get Entrie through IESVS CHRIST so Mercifull and Pittifull an High Priest Vers. 14 15. let vs bee steadfast in our Fayth and come confidentlie to get GOD'S Grace to helpe vs through all Difficulties in the way to that full Rest Vers. 16. The Doctrine of Chap. IV. Vers. 1. Let vs therefore feare lest a Promise beeing left vs of entering into His Rest anie of you should seeme to come short of it 1. IN the Exhortation hee layeth downe this ground That there is a Promise of Entrie to this Rest left vnto vs. THEN 1. The Entrie into GOD'S Rest is casten open to the Christian Church and encowragement given by offer and promise of entrie 2. Whyle it is to day this promise and invitation to it is left vnto vs notwithstanding that manie by-gone occasions of getting good and doing good bee spent and away 3. As long as this Mercifull Offer and Promise is kept to the fore vnto vs. wee should stirre vp our selues to lay holde on it in tyme. 2. Therefore let vs feare lest anie of you seeme to come short of it The similitude is borrowed from the pryce of a Race THEN 1. A Race must bee runne ere wee come to our full Rest. 2. The constant Runner to the ende getteth Rest from Sinne and Miserie and a quyet Possession of Happinesse at the Races ende 3. The Apostate and hee who by Misbeliefe breaketh off his Course and runneth not on at may bee commeth short and attayneth not vnto it 4. The Apostasie of some and possibilitie of Apostasie of moe Professoures should not weaken anie man's Fayth but rather terrifie him from Misbeliefe 5. There is a right kynde of feare of perishing to wit such as hindereth not assurance of Fayth but rather serveth to guarde it and spurreth on a man to Perseverance 6. We must not onelie feare by misbelieving to come short but to seeme or giue anie appearance of comming short Vers. 2. For vnto vs was the Gospell preached as well as vnto them but the Word preached did not profite them not beeing mixed with Fayth in them that heard it 1. TO make the Example the more to vrge them hee sayeth The Gospell was preached to them whome GOD debarred for Misbeliefe from His Rest. THEN 1. The Evangell was preached in the Wildernesse for substance of Trueth albeit not in such fulnesse of Doctrine and clearnesse of Trueth as now 2. The preaching of it in clearnesse now must make the Misbelievers of it in no lesse danger of beeing debarred from that Rest
than the olde Israelites yea rather in more 2. The cause of their debarring is The Word was not mixed with Fayth in them and so profited them not THEN 1. As a Medicinall Drinke must haue the due Ingredientes mixed with it so must the Word haue Fayth mixed with it joyning it selfe with all the partes of the Trueth closelie 2. Fayth can wall with nothing nor bee mixed with anie Trueth but the Worde and the Worde will not joyne nor wall nor mixe with Conceats Opinions Presumption but with Fayth that is it will bee receaved not as a Conjecture or possible Trueth but for Divine and infallible Trueth else it profiteth not 3. Hearers of the Worde may blame their Misbeliefe if they get not profite 4. Albeit a man get light by the Worde and some tasting of temporarie Ioye and Honour and Riches also by professing or preaching of it yet hee receaveth not profit except hee get entrie into GOD'S Rest thereby for all these turne to Conviction Vers. 3. For wee which haue believed doe enter into Rest as Hee sayde As I haue sworne in My Wrath if they shall enter into My Rest although the workes were finished from the foundation of the Worlde Reade the summe of this Chapter Vers. 2.3.5 for clearing of his reasoning HEE prooveth that Believers enter into GOD'S Rest because GOD excludeth by His Threatning Misbelievers onelie THEN 1. Fearfull Threatninges of the Wicked carrie in their Bosome sweetest Promises to the Godlie and the Faythfull 2. Believers get a beginning of this Rest in this Worlde and a Possession of it in some degrees by Fayth Their Deliverie from Sinne and Miserie is begunne Their Lyfe and Peace and Ioye is begunne Vers. 4. For Hee spake in a certayne place of the seaventh day on this wyse And GOD did rest the seaventh day from all His Works Vers. 5. And in this place agayne If they shall enter into my Rest. HEE compareth places of Scripture and showeth the significations of Rest. THEN 1. Words in Scripture are taken in sundrie places in sundrie significations 2. Comparison of places will both show the diverse acceptions of anie worde and the proper meaning of it in everie place Vers. 6. Seeing therefore it remayneth that some must enter therein and they to whome it was first preached entered not in because of Unbeliefe THe full sentence of the sixt Verse is this Seeing therefore it remayneth that some must enter in and they to whome it was first preached entered not in because of Vnbeliefe it will follow by consequence that Believers doe enter in This latter parte is not expressed in the Text but left vnto vs to gather by consequence Whence WE LEARNE 1. That GOD alloweth vs to drawe consequences from His Scripture 2. Yea trayneth vs on by His owne Example to drawe them foorth by reason 3. Yea Hee will of necessitie force vs to draw consequences from His Wordes or else not let vs vnderstand His Meaning by leaving something not expressed to bee collected by vs. Vers. 7. Agayne Hee limiteth a certayne day saying in David To day after so long a tyme as it is sayde To day if yee will heare His Voyce harden not your heartes IN that hee reasoneth from the circumstance of tyme when David vttered these wordes hee teacheth vs That oftentymes there is matter of great moment imported in the least circumstances of the Scriptures wryting and therefore that the circumstances of tyme place and person who speaketh and to whome and at what tyme c. should not bee passed over in our consideration of a Text but diligentlie bee marked Vers. 8. For if IESUS had given them rest then would Hee not afterwardes haue spoken of another day Vers. 9. There remayneth therefore a rest to the people of GOD. Vers. 10. For Hee that is entered into His Rest Hee also hath ceased from His owne workes as GOD did from His. 1. THIS reasoning from the tyme of David's speaking SHOWETH How infalliblie they were ledde that wrote the Scripture that they could not fayle in setting downe a worde nor speake one worde that could crosse anie other worde spoken by anie other Prophet before or after 2. David taught of the Spirituall Rest in his tyme and so did Moses THEN 1. The olde Church was not straytned with earthlie promises so but that they had Heavenlie and Spirituall Promises given them also as signified by the earthlie and typicall promises 2. Their types had some starre-light of interpretation and they were taught to looke through the vayle of Ceremonies and Types 3. Hee sayeth Hee that is entered into His Rest. ceaseth from His owne workes THEN 1. Before a man bee reconciled to GOD by Fayth in CHRIST hee is working his owne workes doing his owne will and not GOD'S 2. Hee is working without ceasing his owne vnrest and his owne torment which hee procureth by working his owne will 3. The Man that thinketh hee is entered into GOD'S Rest must bee GOD'S Worke-man and no more worke what pleaseth himselfe but what pleaseth GOD ceasing from sinfull workes and doing what is lawfull and good in way of obedience vnto Him Vers. 11. Let vs labour therefore to enter into that Rest lest anie man fall after the same example of vnbeliefe 1. IN the third verse hee sayde the Believers entered into GOD'S Rest Heere hee exhorteth the Believer to labour to enter into it THEN 1. The Rest of GOD is entered into by degrees 2. They who haue entered must studie to enter yet more going on from Fayth to Fayth and from Obedience to farther Obedience and from Grace to Grace till they haue gone all the Way that leadeth vnto Glorie 2. Hee requyreth Labour and Diligence to enter in THEN 1. GOD'S Rest is no rest to the flesh but Rest to the Soule as MATTH xj 29 CHRIST promiseth 2. Without Care and Diligence a man can not promise to himselfe to enter in For the Way is called STRAYT which leadeth vnto Heaven 3. Hee requyreth this Diligence lest a man fall as the Israelites did THEN As some of the Israelites fell in a temporall misbeliefe and drew on temporall judgementes vpon themselues as Moses and Aaron So may Professoures now also doe even Elect. Agayne as some fell in vnbelâ—efe with hardened heartes yea in obstinate misbeliefe and perished in their sinne So yet amongst Professours some may fall into obstinate misbeliefe and perish except they giue diligence to make progresse towardes their Rest. Vers. 12. For the Worde of GOD is quicke and powerfull and sharper than anie two-edged Sworde pearcing even to the divyding a-sunder of Soule and Spirite and of the Ioyntes and Marrow and is a discerner of the Thoughts and Intents of the Heart 1. LEst anie should shift off this Threatning as expyred with those to whome it was first spoken or cloake and dissemble their sinnes and purpose of defection when they should see their tyme hee letteth them know the Power of the Worde and of GOD their
the Priest in one person Hee offered Himselfe as Man through the aeternall Spirit that is By the vertue and power of His owne Godhead by which Hee preached before His Incarnation to Sinners I. PET. III. 19 2. His Sacrifice was without spotte Hee was that spotlesse Lambe in whome was no sinne nor imperfection nor defect of anie thing that the Sacrifice requyred 3. The vertue of the Sacrifice which made it to purchase aeternall Redemption vnto vs floweth from the infinite worth of His aeternall Godhead 4. Albeit CHRIST'S two natures haue their distinct respectes in the actions of His Office yet CHRIST is one and vndivided in the execution of His Office 5. The fruite and force of the Sacrifice is set downe in this that this Bloode shall purge our Conscience from dead workes to serue the living GOD That is Shall both absolue a man from by-gone Sinne and also inable him to serue GOD for tyme to come THEN 1. Sinnes are but dead workes flowing from nature dead in sinne and not onelie deserving but also drawing on Death vpon the Sinner 2. The Conscience lyeth polluted with the filthinesse of dead workes till the vertue of the Blood of IESVS applyed bring intimation of Absolution 3. Christ's Bloode doeth not purge the Conscience from dead workes that a man should goe wallowe in them agayne but that hee may serue the living GOD more acceptablie 4. The purging vertue of Christ's Bloode is joyned with the Sanctifying and Renewing of the absolved Sinner and what GOD hath conjoyned let no man put a-sunder Vers. 15. And for this cause Hee is the Mediator of the New Testament that by meanes of death for the redemption of the transgressions which were vnder the first Testament they which are called might receaue the promise of aeternall inheritance NOw lest anie man should stumble aâ— Christ's Death hee showeth a necessitie thereof in respect of His Office of Mediation and the Purchase to bee made by His Redemption The force of the Reason is this Remission of Sinnes could not haue beene given vnder the Lawe except the Mediatour had beene to pay the pryce of the same vnder the Gospell Nor could the Faythfull and called Ones eyther then 〈◊〉 now obtayne aeternall Lyfe for an Inheritance otherwayes than by the Mediatour's Death Therefore it behooved the true Mediatour by meanes of Death to pay the promised Pryce of the Purchase of Remission of Sinnes and aeternall Lyfe THEN 1. The Remission of Transgressions and the Inheritance of aeternall Lyfe are both Fruits of Christ's Passion 2. The Fruites of His Passion extended themselues vnto them who were vnder the Olde Testament as well as vnto vs vnder the New 3. The Way of Purchase of these Benefites was by Redemption that is to say by lawfull Purchase such as might satisfie Iustice. 4. The Way in speciall was by Meanes of the Mediatour's Death His lyfe was layde downe to redeeme ours His one lyfe as good as all ours 5. For this cause Christ â—â—oke the Office of a Mediatour vnto Himselfe that Hee might haue Right and Enteresse by Death to make this Purchase 6. And therefore except Hee had reallie died the Purchase could not haue beene lawfullie made Vers. 16. For where a Testament is there must also of necessitie bee the death of the Testatour ANother Reason to prooue the necessitie of Christ's death from the force of the word COVENANT which signifieth also a Testament The force of the Reason is this CHRIST IER xxxj 31 promised to make a New Covenant and therefore also a New Testament and if to make a New Testament then also Hee promised to die The Articles of the Covenant also evinceth it to bee a Testament and the Promiser bound to make His Word good and so to die For IER xxxj the Lord Christ promiseth to reconcile his People to GOD to take away their sinnes and to bee their GOD. Iustice requyred satisfaction of them before they could bee reconciled Satisfaction they could not make themselues therefore hee who promised to make the Reconciliation with GOD was bound to make the Satisfaction for them to GOD and if Satisfaction for them then to vnderlâ—e the Curse of the Lawe for them and so to die THEN 1. The Newe Covenant is of the nature of a Testament and the Benefites promised â—herein to wit Remission of Sinnes Reconciliation Sanctification and Lyfe aeternall are Legacie freelie left vnto vs by our Defunct LORD who was dead and is alyue to execute His owne Will for evermore The Scripture is the Instrument and Evidence the Apostles Notares the Sacraments are Seales Witnesses from Heaven the Father the Word and the Spirit Witnesses on earth the Water the Bloode and the Spirit 2. Christ Iesus is both the Maker of the Covenant which is in Iâ—REMIE xxxj and the Mediatour thereof also the Testatour and Executour of that blessed Testament 3. Christ's Death was concluded and resolved vpon and intimated before Hee came into the World Vers. 17. For a Testament is of force after men are dead otherwyse it is of no strength at all whylest the Testatour liveth HEE cleareth his reasoning from the nature of Testaments amongst men which not before but after a man's death haue force But heere it may bee objected How can this bee seeing by vertue of the Testament of Christ Benefites not a fewe were bestowed vpon the Church before his death from the beginning of the Worlde not onelie Remission of Sinnes and aeternall Lyfe but also manie Graces and Blessings in this lyfe both bodilie and Spirituall I aunswere Albeit CHRIST'S death was not accomplished in act till of late yet for the certayntie of his death to followe and the vnchaungeablenesse of his Mynde towardes his Church before his death hee was reckoned both with GOD and the Church for dead and the Promise of laying downe his lyfe for his People accepted for the tyme as if it had beene performed For which cause hee is called Revel xiij 8 The Lambe slayne from the beginning of the worlde And Christ was still represented as a slayne man in all these Sacrifices which the Apostle poynteth at as meeting this Doubt in the next words which follow heere-after Vers. 18. Vers. 18. Wherevpon neyther the first Testament was dedicated vvithout blood HEE prooveth the necessitie of Christ's death yet farther Vnder the Law his Bloodshed was represented by types of bloodie Sacrifices therefore it behooved those Types to bee aunswered by his reall bloodshed and death THEN 1. What the types of the Lawe did signifie Christ behooved to accomplish in veritie 2. The Olde Church was taught that by vertue of the blood signified by these types the Covenant stoode betwixt GOD and them Vers. 19. For when Moses had spoken everie Precept to all the people according to the Lawe hee tooke the blood of Calues and of Goates with Water and Scarlet Wooll and Hyssope and sprinkled both the Booke and all the people Vers. 20. Saying This is the Bloode of