words of the Psalme wherein God calls this rest his rest For the Rest proper to God himselfe wherewith he himselfe rested is by a far better title called the Rest of God then that whereof God was only the donor such as was the Rest of the Israelites in the land of Canaan Not that this rest proper to God is numerically the very same with that future rest which God hath promised us but because generically it is a Rest of the same kinde For as Gods Rest was a perpetuall Rest in resting from his workes for ever so shall our Rest bee perpetuall in resting for ever from all our labours and troubles wherein we shall have an eternall festivall 4. For he spake in a certaine place of the seventh day Here hee shews the reason why he understands that rest of God to be his Rest from his workes which hee had finished from the beginning of the world namely because the Scripture or the Holy Ghost speaking in the Scripture speaketh in that manner of the seventh day as Gen. 2 2. and Exod 20.11 And God did rest the seventh day from all his works In these words wee have shewed us the Rest of God neither in the whole Scripture to which only we must look here is mentioned or named any other rest of God whereof the people should come to bee partakers 5. And in this place againe If they shall enter into my rest q d. Wherefore seeing here againe in these words of the Psalme there is mention made of Gods rest whereof Gods people shall partake therefore with good reason in a genuine and mysticall sense doe we understand it of that only rest of God specified in the Scripture But that this rest also belongs unto the people the very festivall and rest of the Sabbath commanded to Gods people is a clear argument wherein there is not only a commemoration of Gods rest past but also a Representation of the Rest of Gods people to come Whereof we shall speake further at the ninth verse following 6. Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein After he had shewed that by the words of the Psalme in a mysticall sense we must understand the proper rest of God or that wherein God himselfe rested now he proceeds on to shew that that rest of God mentioned in the words of the Psalme doth appertaine unto us and that a passage therto is opened unto us And first he layes certain grounds for this doctrine and then removes the obstacles that may seem against it The first ground is That some must enter into the rest 2. That they to whom it was first proposed and promised entered not into it For from these two grounds it will follow That some other after that time must enter it But because it might be objected That though those Israelites who came our of Egypt entered not that rest yet their children entred it by the conduct of Josuah their Captaine And therefore it cannot bee concluded that Christians are they that shall enter it This Objection or rather Exception hee dissolves by shewing that in those words of the Psalme whereof he yet treats for some severall ages after the Israelites were possessed of the land of Canaan there is another time appointed wherein an entrance into Gods Rest was to be opened whence it followes that by the conduct of Joshuah Gods people have not yet attained the true rest Whereupon the Author at length concludes That as yet there remaines a Sabbatisme or rest for the people of God This being done he repeats the exhortation begun at the beginning of this Chapter and so returnes to the point from whence he had digressed This is the summe of all that is said unto the end of the 11 verse Now let us consider the severall words in order That some must enter therein Seeing it is the will and good pleasure of God that a passage should be open to that rest and that some should enter into it for this the Author supposeth as a thing well knowne and no way doubtfull For that those first people that fell in the wildernesse were by their owne fault excluded from it this nothing derogates from Gods promise whereby he assured this rest by oath upon the posterity of Abraham to be fulfilled in other persons better and more worthy then those first that failed of it But under the cover of carnall promises and an earthly rest there lay hidden spirituall promises of an heavenly rest pertaining to the spirituall seed of Abraham And the entrance of the Israelites into that earthly rest obtained by the conduct of Josuah what is it else but a type and shadow of Christians future entrance into a heavenly rest by the conduct of Jesus Christ And they to whom it was first preached entred not in because of unbeliefe First preached in the originall they that had the first good message for the entring of it This is the other point that he confirmes and by occasion whereof the Holy Ghost leaves us the following admonition To day if ye will heare his voice harden not your hearts For because those first of our fathers to whom God had sent the message by Moses for the entring of that rest deserved by their diffidence and disobedience to be excluded from it therefore the Holy Ghost hath in these words appointed to their posterity another day or time wherein they may and must ente into Gods rest and withall exhorts them to it lest following the like disobedience to their forefathers they incur a like issue of their impiety 7. Againe he limiteth a certaine day This is very good cause why another day should be limited for enterance into Gods rest if some must enter it at all and they who were first invited entered it not For if either none were to enter it or some had already entered it then there were no necessity why another day or time should be limited or appointed for entering it But in these words of the Psalm that the holy Ghost in a mysticall sence shewes there is such a day limited which pertains to the times of the Messias these following arguments declare 1. Because by these words the people are admonished to shunne the example of their forefathers that came out of Egypt that they may not be like them in their sin But their forefathers sin was chiefly this that they would not rest in Gods promises for their enterance into his rest Therefore if wee must truly be either like or unlike to them wee also must have Gods promise for our entrance into Gods rest and therefore this day here is limited unto us for our entrance into it 2. Because in this Psalme is proposed to the people the judgement or punishment of God whereinto their fathers fell that they being terrified thereby and fearing the like would not imitake their fathers But that punishment was a rejection from entrance into Gods rest which penaltie no man can incurre but he that hath
had first a power to enter it and was thereto invited Seeing therefore that in these words of the holy Ghost the people are admonished to avoid that punishment it is consonant to reason that a day or time of entrance should be limited to them that we at this day might do what anciently our fathers would not But that this Psalme pertaineth also to the times of the Messias this is an argument That it clearly appears there is a respect therein to some solemn and seltivall time wherein the people were accustomed to assemble in the temple of God and employ themselves about his worship for this is plaine from the words of the people cohorting one another to praise God and from the word to day which the holy Ghost useth All which seeme not to note out some common day but some notable day deputed for the worship and service of God especially for the hearing of his word or voice such as were the festivall and solemne dayes But what day is more solemne what time more festivall what greater celebrity and concourse of people then that which in the times of the Messias was to be and was of all expected From these considerations therefore it may well be collected That by those words of the holy Ghost in a mysticall sence the people are warned to open a ready eare to the voyce of God who in his due time will call and invite them to his true and heavenly rest by the Messias which their forefathers would not doe when they heard Gods voyce promising them the earthly rest by Moses In the literall sence this Psalme pertained to the Israelites who lived before the times of Christ wherein they were admonished that upon the day when they were to heare the Law of God they should be obedient unto him lest following the disobedience of their forefathers they should be debarred from Gods rest or otherwise punished and plagued of God But who sees not that this sence wherein the sinne and punishment are made of one kinde doth better square with it then that wherein both of them are made of a diverse kinde Aster the Author had shewed that God had limited another day for entrance into his rest lest any man should take this day to be that day wherein God granted the children of those fathers a power to enter into the land of Canaan by the conduct of Joshua therefore the Author inserts these words Saying in David To day after so long a time He saith the holy Ghost limiteth this day in David i. speaking it by David After so long a time namely wherein God had debarred those fathers from enterance by reason of their unbelief and admitted their children to it To day if ye will heare his voice harden not your hearts Whence it appeares that here is not appointed a day for enterance into the land of Canaan neither is thae enterance here aymed at For David lived many ages after the enterance of the Israelites into the land of Canaan yea in the time of his reigne the Israelites did most entirely possesse it and flourish in it Seeing therefore the day of entering into Gods rest cannot be understood of the earthly rest which the people obtained by Joshua therefore there must needs be another rest besides that earthly rest which yet remaines to the people of God and a rest of far greater perfection 8. For if Iesus had given them rest then would he not afterward have spoken of another day Joshua is called Jesus by the 70. Interpreters and by other Greeke writers for both those names signifie the same thing namely Saviour and they differ onely in dialect Had given them rest Joshua did give them possession in the land of Cannan and thereby rest yet not that perfect rest that was yet remaining for Gods people He would not afterward have spoken of another day If Joshua had given them a perfect rest beyond which there was none further to be expected then certainly the holy Ghost after the people once entered and seated there would not have spoken of another day wherein the people must enter into his rest 9. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God From the former passages he concludes that there remaines for the people of God another rest after the rest obtained in Canaan for the happy state of Gods people doth not stay at that earthly rest This rest hee calls not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as by the word he used hitherto but hee calls it a Sabbatisme thereby to make us understand that he had respect to the seventh dayes rest wherein God himself rested and commanded the Israelites to rest in memory of it and was therefore distinguished by the name of Sabbath which signifies rest also and also further to the teach us what kinde of rest remaineth to the people of God namely a Sabbaticall rest i. a rest like to that wherewith God himselfe rested whereof the festivall Sabbath of the seventh day is a most slender shadow for therein the Israelites rested from their cares and labours after and during their earthly rest given them by Joshua 10. For he that is entered into his rest By these words hee proves that there remaines to us a Sabbatisme i. such a rest as is denominated from the seventh dayes rest in Commemoration and Representation whereof the perpetuall observation of the weekly rest was commanded But this rest consisteth in a cessation from all works as God also ceased from his workes This he proves from this reason because we must enter into Gods rest as appeares by the words of the Psalme But to enter into Gods rest what is it else but to rest after the same manner that God rested and kept the Sabbath He also hath rested from his own works as God did from his Hath rested is an Hebraisme for doth rest for the Hebrews many times put the tense praeter for the future When Joshua had given the Israelites an earthly rest in the land of Canaan they thereby had quiet possession and rested from their enemies and they had a Sabbath also to rest from their labours but their Sabbath was not continuall and daily but weekly onely upon the seventh day of it for the first six dayes of the week they rested not but followed their labours so their Sabbatisme was not a totall and finall rest from labours but their labours were to returne upon them after one dayes rest in a weeke But the Sabbatisme that is after the image of Gods rest is a totall and finall rest from all labours never to be wearied with labour or work any more but is an eternall festivall that shall never expire For these words may be construed with the word remaineth in the former verse thus Therefore I affirm that there yet remaineth a rest to the people of God because the Israelites did not so rest from their workes as never to be exercised with more labours afterward But he that hath entered into Gods rest whereinto
as we have already seen the people of God must enter he hath so rested from workes as God rested from his For as God in making the world dispatched all his works in the space of six dayes never to make any more workes so hee that hath entered into Gods rest or the like rest with God he also hath dispatched and finished all his workes his labours paines cares and troubles and whatsoever is wearisome to man in this life and he enjoyes an eternal rest and quiet joyned with eternall happinesse 11. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest Having shewed that there remaines a rest for the people of God and that in the best and highest degree he now repeates his admonition at the beginning of the chapter exhorting them to strive with all labour that they may enter that rest The originall word for labour signifies also haste to worke with haste and dispatch For we must make haste in this our spirituall journey which leads and determines in an eternall rest that is we must be diligent and quick in tracing the path of faith â—nd holinesse not lazy and slow Because wee must alwaies have an ardent and earnest affection after so great a blessing and therefore must use all diligence to hasten our selves onward and toward it as they do that are in a journey toward their own countrey or toward a place most desirable and acceptable to them Into that rest Not into any earthly rest but into that heavenly rest proper to God himselfe and by his infinite grace communicable to his people and is yet remaining to them Lest any man fall We must therefore diligently labour after that rest lest we fall into the like destruction with those fathers who perished and were destroyed in the wildernesse for fall here is put for perish lest any perish as they did After the same example of unbeliefe If we fall after their example into the same sin we shall also fall after their example into the same judgement and perish as they did We have seene their unbeliefe and we know what a world of miseries it brought upon them Let both these be examples unto us and let us therefore endeavour to shunne the rock that is shewed us The Originall word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies both unbeliefe and disobedience and this latter more usually for those two sins are so neere allyed in nature that one word will serve to signifie them both for unbeliefe and disobedience are either wholly the same or mutually consequent one to another 12. For the word of God is quick By this word of God here many think Christ is meant but that cannot be 1. Because Christ is called the Word of God onely by John as is observed by diverse 2. Because this word here is said to be powerfull and sharper then any two edged sword both which qualities agree rather to things then to persons Others by the word of God here understand the Scripture which cannot be neither because then there could be no genuine connexion nor congruity of reasoning in these words from the former For how should this be coherent Let us labour to enter into that rest lest following the example of our fathers unbeliefe we should follow them also in their destruction because the Scripture is quick and powerfull By the word of God therefore is meant the Decree of his Judgement or the Menace of God whereby he threatens and ordaines unbeleeving and disobedient persons to destruction and punishment Of which kinde is that very Oath of God whereby he sware to exclude those fathers and all such like as they from entring into his rest For by this sence there is an elegant coherence betweene this verse and the former Therefore let us labour to enter into Gods rest and let us take heed of falling into the disobedience of those fathers because the word of God and his oath whereby he debarres disobedient men from his rest and devotes them to destruction is quick and powerfull This exposition is easily confirmed from diverse other passages of Scripture wherein the Decrees of God whereby he wils and commands something to be done are called by like termes of his word and have the like attribute of being lively or quick and the like resemblance to a sharpe and two edged sword and diverse the like effects See Psal 105.18,19 and Psal 107.20 and Psal 147.15 and Isaiah 40.8 and Isaiah 55.11 which last place Peter applyes to the word of the Gospel because therein also is contained the decree of God for the saving and condemning of men 1 Pet. 1.23,25 See also Isaiah 66.2,5 and Jerem. 23.29 and Joel 2.11 Now this word or Decree of God is called quick or lively because it dies not neither is exolete or frustrated with any tract of time or age And it is called effectuall or powerfull because it is not onely firme and stable in regard God never revokes it or willingly changeth it or suffers it to fall as Princes often suffer their words or decrees to fall either by oblivion negligence or inconstancy but also because it is of full power and force to execute and effect all the will of God therein contained Hence it is compared to raine and snow For as the raine commeth downe and the snow from heaven and returneth not thither but watereth the earth and maketh it bring forth and bud that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth it shall not returne unto me void but it shall accomplish that which I please and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it Isaiah 55.10,11 And sharper then any two edged sword It strikes and wounds more fearefully and deadly then any sword how sharpe soever And in other places of Scripture the Decree of Christ against ungodly and disobedient persons is compared to a two edged sword going out of his mouth or at least is signified by such a sword For God and Christ doe destroy all their enemies by their word going out of their mouth i. by their powerfull and effectuall command Piercing even to the dividing asunder of the soule and spirit and of the joynts and marrow The sharpenesse of this sword hath first this effect that it pierceth deeply and the effect of that piercing is to divide and cut asunder soule and spirit joynts and marrow By which words it appeares that Gods Decree and command is farre more sharpe and piercing then any sword because it doth not onely pierce and cut the body of man but also his soule and spirit yea it pierceth the body in such manner that it cuts not onely the skin and flesh but also all the joynts and bands of the member yea the very bones themselves and consequently the marrow contained in the bones So that this sword pierceth into the most secret and inmost parts of man even the soule spirit and
immediatly to our high Priest himself For whether wee goe to God in the name of Christ or to Christ himselfe we shall either way finde the Throne of grace That we may obtain mercy and find grace The finall cause of our approach to this throne is here exprest to be two-fold whereof one is a meane to the other the former to the latter The former is to obtain mercy and finde grace the other is opportune help in time of need To obtaine mercy is nothing else then to get that another have compassion on thee which is easily got from a mercifull person such as this our high Priest To finde grace is to be gracious with another and to be favoured with a peculiar affection of love In this sence the Angell tells Mary that she had found grace with God Luke 1.30 And it is an easie matter to finde grace and favour with him who is most gracious and favourable To help in time of need In the originall it is for opportune help The last finall cause of our approaching this Throne and finding grace there is for opportune help That Christ may help us in our conflicts of godlinesse and patience that we sink not under our temptations and afflictions especially that at our last gaspe he may receive our spirits into his hands preserve them for us and restore them at his comming whereof see the following chapter v. 7. The Contents of this fourth Chapter are 1. An Exhortation Let us not forsake Gods promise of entering into his rest Reason 1. Because this promise is made to us as well as to the Israelites 2. Because they who doe beleeve have already a right to enter 2. Doctrine Gods Rest is his Cessation from workes after the Creation Reason 1. Because Gods rest hath reference to the seventh day wherein God rested from his workes as Scripture testifieth 2. Because God sware the Israelites should not enter into his rest which could not be the rest in Canaan 3. Doctrine There yet remaines a Sabbatisme or Rest from labours for the people of God Reason 1. Because some must enter his rest and they did not to whom it was first promised 2. Because God limits another day of enterance a long time after the former saying in David To day if ye will heare his voice 3. Because Joshua gave not the true heavenly rest which is Gods rest and therefore that still remaines to be given 4. Exhortation We must labour to enter Gods rest verse 11. Reason 1. Because if wee take example of their unbeliefe in the wildernesse we shall be made examples of their destruction 2. Because Gods penall Decree is very active and powerfull to take heavy vengeance upon unbeleevers verse 12. 3. Because Christ our high Priest is passed into that heavenly rest before us v. 14. 4. Because we have free accesse by prayer to his Throne which is a Throne of Grace and Mercy to help us thither vers ult CHAPTER V. 1. FOr every high Priest is taken from among men Here he expresseth some generall requisites of a high Priest which afterward hee applyes to Christ in a reverse order The first requisite of a high Priest is this that he is a Man singled out from among other men and that for this following reason because he is ordained for men i. for the benefit and good of men This first property of a high Priest he toucheth only by the way and by occasion of the following property and withall seems to reflect upon some former passages wherein he had proved that Christ must be a man and not some angel And therefore when afterward hee applies the following properties of a high Priest unto Christ hee makes no mention of this as having sufficiently discussed it already in the second chapter Is ordained for men The dignity and office of high Priesthood is created and constituted for the commodity and benefit of men In things pertaining to God Divine and holy things pertaining to God are the matter or object of his function or office that he may procure and administer all things belonging to the worship of God and to make him propitious to them that worship him That he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins These particularly are the things whereby God is worshipped and propitiated Gifts are free-will offerings such as the people were accustomed to offer of their owne accord for the Law did not command the act of these offerings but when they were freely offered then the Law prescribed the matter and manner of their offering Of this sort were those sacrifices which were called Peace-offerings whereof wee may reade in the three first chapters of Leviticus These were offered either to procure the favour of God and as it were to obliege him with a present or to testifie their mindfull and thankfull hearts for some benefit received Yet sometime the word Gifts are taken more largely for all sorts of sacrifices and then it includes the sin-offerings For Christ under the name of gifts seemes to comprise all things that were laid upon the Altar and offered unto God Mat. 23.18 Sacrifices for sins were living creatures which by prescript of the Law were offered to God to take away the guilt of sinne whereof we may reade Levit. 4. and elsewhere The words for sins may be so taken as to be construed onely with the sacrifices immediately fore-mentioned Yet there is no incongruity if we referre them also to the remoter word of gifts For although sins might be expiated and their guilt taken away without such gifts for otherwise they had not beene truly gifts but debts Yet there can be nothing said to the contrary but that besides the sacrifices ordained of God for the expiation of sins there might be offered for sins also voluntary gifts and free-will offerings For hence we reade that expiation of sinne was attributed to the Holocaust which was reckoned among the peace offerings Levit. 1.4 And hereto David had respect when speaking of the expiation of his sin he said he would have given Holocausts or whole burnt offerings if they had beene any thing availeable to expiates such sins Psal 51.16 This therefore is the chiefe property of a high Priest to negotiate the cause of men with God especially of such men as had sinned and to provide that God might be propitiated and pacified not left angry and offended And this is the second property required in an high Priest 2. Who can have compassion on the ignorant This is the third requisite A compassionate man as some Interpreters note is he that carrieth himselfe humanely moderately and gently Therefore he hath compassion on the ignorant who beares himselfe gently towards them not despising nor disdaining them for their falls but doth friendly and courteously raise them not unmindfull of his owne frailty The Ignorant are they who sin through ignorance and ignorance as it is vulgarly distinguished is either of the Law or of the fact and this latter is
alwayes erre in their hearts They have a kinde of phrensie or madnesse upon them that is not accidentall to fall on them sometimes but naturall and radicall rooted and fixed in their very hearts so that it continues upon them to hold them alwayes They alwayes meditate and agitate in their minde that which is averse from my will and from the way whereto I labour to perswade them They alwayes refuse to obey me and follow the erronious thoughts of their owne minds and are wedded to the counsells of their owne wils And they have not knowne my wayes By the wayes of God we may understand both the workes of God and the Lawes of God especially his singular commands for such or such an action in particular For the acts and works of men are in Scripture called their wayes That generation is justly said to have knowne neither of these wayes of God for though they had seen his works and heard his laws and received many particular commands yet they carryed themselves so as if they had neither seen heard nor received any thing For they neither believed Gods promises though confirmed with such mighty works nor obeyed his Laws and Commands Of this their grosse stupidity there is a notable passage Deut. 29.2,3,4 Ye have seen saith Moses to them all that the Lord did before your eyes in the land of Egypt unto Pharaoh unto his servants and unto all his land The great temptations which thine eyes have seene the signes and those great miracles yet the Lord hath not given you a heart to perceive and eyes to see and ears to heare unto this day They saw Gods mighty workes like brute beasts not considering how great the Agent was and of how great power how worthy he was to have all credit given to his promises and all obedience to his commands Some such like accident befell the Disciples of Christ as we may read it Mark 6.52 They considered not the miracle of the loaves for their heart was hardned 11. Sol sware in my wrath God seldome sweares for the Scripture doth not bring him in swearing often but it must be a matter of weight and moment that makes him to sweare And motives whereupon he sweares are chiefly two either in mercy to confirme his gracious promises made to his children or in his wrath to establish his judgement against the wicked And the formes whereby he sweares are chiefly two 1 Surely for surely with God is a forme of swearing that is the thing which he affirmes and whereto hee sweares is no way uncertaine or doubtfull for the event as if it might not come to passe but shall most surely and certainly come to passe In this form God sware to Abraham that he would blesse and multiply him for so this Author reports it cap. 6.14 2. As I live that is let me not bee accounted for the living God if I performe not what I say In this forme God sweares that he hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked Ezek. 33.11 And as among men there be degrees of oaths in that some are more obligatory and binding lest the Israelites might thinke that God would not fully binde himselfe for their not entring into Canaan therefore to divert that flattery of themselves God did swear it by both these forms of oaths For first he sware it by the first form Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers Num. 14.23 And afterward he sware it by the second form As I live your carkasses shall fall in this wildernesse Numb 14.28 Thus God swearing in his wrath did iterate his oath aggravate it They shall not enter In the originall it is if they shall enter The particle if after a verbe of swearing is an Hebraisme put for not they shall not enter So the people sweare for the rescue of Jonathan As the Lord liveth if one haire of his head should fall to the ground 1 Sam. 14.45 So the Psalmist brings in God swearing Once have I sworn by my holinesse if I lie unto David Psal 89.35 So Christ sweares that a sigre shall not be given to the Jewes Verily I say unto you if a signe shall be given to this generation Mark 8.12 yet this use of the particle if did first arise from those formes of swearing whereby if was properly taken by adding some imprecation or curse either expressely uttered or tacitly implyed For men being moved doe commonly in their anger use an abrupt speech and many times silently suppresse the imprecation or curse whereby they devote themselves and leave it to be collected by him to whom they speake Among many others we have David swearing with an imprecation or curse expressely added So and more also doe God to the enemies of David if I leave of all that pertain to Naball by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall 1 Sam. 25.22 And Job in like manner if my heart have been deceived by a woman or if I have laid wait at my neighbours doore Then let my wife grinde unto another and let others bow downe upon her Job 31.9 And ye have this curse suppressed in David also Psal 132.2,3,4,5 They that shall not enter are that generation that had provoked tempted and grieved God God had sworne to the Patriarks the forefathers of that generation that their posterity should enter that land this God had sworne at severall times to Abraham he had confirmed the same oath to Isaac and reconfirmed it to Jacob. And God had determined or designed which generation of his posterity should enter namely the fourth for so particularly God covenanted with Abraham Gen. 15.16 And this people now brought out of Egypt into the wildernesse for to enter was that fourth generation yet to them now God sweares againe that they shall not enter Yet notwithstanding there is no contrariety in Gods oaths neither doth this latter swearing any way crosse the former For the promise of God to Abraham and so the oath confirming it for this entrance of his posterity was conditionall that his children should walke in the steps of the faith and obedience of Abraham for the Covenant of God was made with Abraham and his seed and therefore not only he in his owne person but his posterity also in their generations were bound to keep it But this generation whereof we speake was diffident and disobedient for they provoked and tempted God and thereby brake the Covenant And the Covenant being broken on their part or the condition not performed God in all equity on his part is free both from his promise and the oath confirming it and therefore as the case now stood might justly take an oath for their not entring Now that faith and obedience was required as a condition for their entring appears cleerly by the last verse of this Chapter where it is said they could not enter because of unbeliefe For if the cause of their not-entring were not-beleeving then it must
happinesse then we persevere in the faith 2. Because thereby we provoke and grieve God 3. Because thereby we are barred from entring into eternall rest v. 19 CHAPTER IV. 1. LEt us therefore feare Because we have already seene that our Ancestors by reason of their unbeliefe were not admitted into the rest of God and that their example is proposed unto us as a caution to make us the more wary therefore let us feare that we runne not upon the same rock Lest a promise being left us So our last Translation reads it as if God had also left a promise unto us hereto induced as it seemes by the following words of the Author where he inferres and concludes That there remaineth a rest to the people of God ver 9. But we cannot approve of this reading neither doth the Author use altogether the same word in both places wherefore we conceive this the true reading Lest the promise being relinquished i. lest we neglect relinquish leave or forsake the promise For a promise is then relinquished and left when it is no longer credited and beleeved as our forefathers did whose example as we have seene was formerly proposed unto us They for a time did embrace and accept of Gods promise for upon that ground and hope they went out of Egypt but afterward in the wildernesse they did relinquish and leave the promise by their unbelieving it Of entring into his rest He expresseth the matter of the promise which we must not leave God hath promised us an entrance into his eternall rest we must not desert and leave it by unbelieving it Any of you should seeme to come short of it This is the effect and fruit of our deserting or leaving the promise that thereby we shall come short of the rest promised To come short signifies either to remaine behinde or to returne back for in this latter sence the word is used afterward chap. 12.25 Both these sences have an elegant agreement with the point For as the Israelites after they no longer beleeved Gods promise for the giving of them possession in the land of Canaan would goe no further forward in following of Moses but would rather chuse themselves new Captaines for their returne back into Egypt So they who will no longer give faith to the promises of Christ will follow his standerd no further but endeavour a returne into the Egypt of the world from whence by faith they had once departed Yet he saith not simply lest any of you come short but lest any should seeme to come short This latter of seeming is farre lesse then the other For we must be so farre from this sinne of stopping or returning from the Gospel that we must give no man any just occasion to thinke it of us For such an opinion of another carries somewhat of truth with it and if a man do not yet plainly revolt yet at least some inclination or likelihoods of it are wont to be in him And this opinion a man may raise in others of himselfe if by little and little he remit and abate of his practise and fervency in godlinesse not serving Christ with such alacrity as is fit 2. For unto us it was preached as well as to them It was preached i. the promise of entring into Gods rest the message of which promise was sent unto us also Herein the Author meets with an objection For some man might say The promise of entring into Gods rest was it not made to our forefathers of old and long since performed unto them in giving them possession in the land of Canaan What doth this promise pertaine to us The Author answers That this promise doth pertaine to us and the joyfull message of entring into Gods rest was no lesse sent to us then of old to our forefathers But what kinde of rest is promised to us he expresseth afterward But the word preached did not profit them In the originall it is the word of hearing by an Hebraisme for the word heard And by the words is figuratively ment the promise of entring into Gods rest for every promise of God is his word Here he tacitly shews the cause why he admonished them to believe the promise of God by Christ because otherwise it would profit us no more then anciently it did the Israelites whom it so farre profited as to bring them out of Egypt but it profited them not to bring them into Canaan which was the land promised Not being mixed with faith in them that heard it The reason why the hearing of the word of promise did not profit them was because it was not mixed with faith in them it was not throughly engrafted into their mâ—…es nor turned into a sap or blood to doe them good For this worke is done by faith by a firme assent yeelded to the word and promise of God to assure the promise that the thing promised might take effect 3. For we which have believed doe enter interrest Hee addes a sub-reason of his former assertion Because they only among us who believe enter into rest and therefore they who beleeve not do not enter into rest neither can enter For the particle only or some other such exclusive must be here understood because faith is the condition of entring Gods rest which restraines the entrance only to the faithfull As he said As I have sworne in my wrath if they shall enter into my â—est By this oath of God Psal 95. ult as we noted in the former Chapter it plainly appeares that they which beleeve not shall not enter into Gods rest for want of saith is the cause why men are strucken with the thunder of Gods wrath and debarred from the promised entrance into his rest As the promise of entrance proceeds from Gods mercy and is confirmed by his oath to the beleever so on the contrary the menance of non-entrance proceeds from Gods wrath and is consi med by his oath to the unbeleever Although the works were finished from the foundation of the world Here the Author teacheth what kinde of rest it is that from those words of the Psalme must bee understood in a mysticall sence And this hee doth therefore that thereby wee may understand the truth of those things which he had asserted in the first and second verses of this Chapter concerning a rest of God promised to us and a passage thereto made open to us Which the Hebrews could neither understand nor would admit to be true while their minds ran upon an earthly rest in Canaan first promised and afterward performed to their forefathers unlesse it bee explicated what the rest is that is promised to us and so their mindes be drawne from an earthly to an heavenly rest First therefore the Author expresseth somewhat of that rest and saith it is a Rest from workes from workes that were finished and finished long since even from the foundation of the world Which Rest is proper to God himselfe as it is intimated in the
that have been occupied therein Here he brings the reason why in a manner he denied that the heart is established with meats or that such establishing is not so good a thing namely because they that have exercised therein have found no profit thereby To be occupied in meats or as the Greek hath it to walke in meats seeing here as we have shewed meats signifie the meats of the sacrifices or of the holy things is nothing else but to partake of those carnall sacrifices and to accustome the eating of things offered and consecrated and placing therein a part of Gods worship and serice By those who are said to be occupied in those meats are meant the Jewes before they were illuminated in the doctrine of Christ Which have not profited them The Jews found no true profit by eating those meats For as Christ saith of Manna John 6.49 Your fathers did eat Manna in the wildernesse and are dead So may it well be said of the meats of the sacrifices and things consecrated to God Your fathers did eat the meats of sacrifices and are dead But he that recreates and fills his soule with that grace of God which is revealed and exhibited to men in the Gospell hee shall live for ever Therefore the words not profited doe not simply exclude all profit and advantage wholly for the meats of the sacrifices did profit something in respect of that time to repaire the strength of the body for a short time but they had not a true profit belonging to the Spirit but only a carnall profit that was transitory and fugitive not durable and eternall In which sense also Christ saith of his flesh eaten in a carnall way as his Disciples understood it Joh. 6 63. It is the Spirit that quickneth the flesh profiteth nothing that is it furthereth nothing unto life to produce in men a spirituall and eternall life It is the Spirit that vivifies men which as from the spirituall eating of the flesh of Christ slaine for the life of the world and from the spirituall drinking of his bloud so from that sweet taste of that divine grace which was confirmed by the death and bloud of Christ doth distill into our soules and so revives and quickens us From these words of the Author it is manifest that to Christian Religion it is nothing pertinent or profiting to eat any true meat properly and consequently not the flesh and bloud of Christ For if the body of Christ were properly eaten and therein consisted a part of Religion would not the Author have opposed the meat of Christs flesh and bloud to the meats of those sacrifices would he have said we have an altar whereof it is not lawfull for them to eat no not for the Priests if it be lawfull for the Priests to eat the body and drinke the bloud of Christ offered every day upon the altar and unlawfull not to eat and drinke it Would he have left us only the sacrifice of praise and good workes for the sacrifices and offerings of all animals and other creatures which might be turned into meats 10. We have an altar whereof they have no right to eat which serve the Tabernacle Hitherto the Author hath shewed that there is very little or no cause why Christians should desire those sacrifices of the Law and the meats of those offerings or should place some part of Gods worship or service in them or should take it grievously that for the profession of Christian Religion they are drawne from commerce and communion with the Jewes and their state Now he shews further that it is not lawfull for Christians to eat the meats of sacrifices as was anciently done under the Law He therefore saith We have an altar Any man may easily perceive that these words are figurative and improper taken from the ordinances in the discipline of Moses which for the most part cannot be applied to the discipline of Christ but by way of abusion and impropriety whereof we had no few examples formerly especially in the comparison of Christ with the Leviticall Priests For for comparisons sake we many times use such words of a thing which without respect to the comparison wee would never use The same impropriety falls out againe here In the Christian Religion to speake properly there is no Altar no Tabernacle to serve no Sacrifices which can be eaten neither if we respect the eating of sacrifices or the abstinence from them is there any such difference betweene Christians as if some were Priests and Ministers of the Tabernacle and others were not Therefore in such sayings we must not weigh every word singly by it selfe as what is signified by the Altar what by the Tabernacle and whereto it answers but we must enquire for the sense of the whole sentence Wherefore these words import nothing else but that Christians have no other sacrifices but such whereof they have no power to eat By those which serve the Tabernacle which under the Law were only Priests and Levites are signified all Christians in generall Christians therefore are said to be in that condition as if under the Law there had been such an Altar whereof and of the sacrifices laid upon it and offered unto God it was not lawfull for any man to eat no not for the Priests themselves and other Ministers of the house of God much lesse for the rest of the people For if there had been such an Altar under the Law then it is apparent unto all men that the eating of sacrifices and things offered unto God should have had no place under the Law But thus it is under the Gospell and therefore the eating of sacrifices must be to Christians unlawfull 11. For the bodies of those beasts whose bloud is brought into the Sanctuarie by the high Priest for sinne are burnt without the campe Here the Author proves by his assertion in the former verse why in Christianitie the matter is so ordered that under the Gospel there is such an Altar whereof the Sacrifices are not permitted to be eaten of any man Yet he proposeth his argument so concisely and briefly that he seemes rather to point at it then explicate it And it manifestly appeares that the Authour takes it as graunted for a ground That Christians have no other Sacrifice but what is resembled by the entrance of the high Priest into the Sanctuary or by those beasts onely whose bloud was brought into the Sanctuary by the high Priest and their bodies were burnt without the campe For unlesse the Author took this for graunted he could not from this that in those sacrifices it was not lawful to eat the flesh of the offering simply conclude that it is not lawfull for us Christians to eat sacrifices or that we have an altar whereof we may not lawfully eat And this he might well take for granted because by that Sacrifice whereby our high Priest entred into his Sanctuary under the new Covenant all things were perfomed whether we