$7. This his entrance into rest was at his resurrection from the dead; for then was he freed from the sentence and stroke of the law, and discharged all the debt of our sin, which he had undertaken to make satisfaction for; Acts ii, 24, then were all types and predictions fulfilled that concerned the work of our redemption; then particularly that work was done, which answereth to God's creating work: then was. Satan absolutely subdued, peace with God restored, and the whole foundation of the church gloriously laid; the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy; then and therein was he declared to be the Son of God with power, Rom. i, 4, God manifesting to all, that this was He to whom he said, "Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee," Acts xiii, 33. Therefore the Lord Christ entered into his rest, after he had finished and ceased from his works on the morning of the FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK, when he arose from the dead, the foundation of the new creation being laid and perfected. There lieth the foundation of the "sabbatism that remains for the people of God." The apostle hath before asserted it, and there remained no more for him to do, but to manifest, that as those other rests which were passed the one at the beginning of the world, the other at the giving of the law, had their foundation in the works and rests of God, whence a day of rest was given to the church; so had this new rest a foundation in the works and rests of Christ; who built all these things, and is God; determining a day for our use, by that whereon himself entered into his rest, the FIRST day of the week.

$8. Hence we may observe, as irrefragable corolla. ries.

1. The whole church, all the duties, worship, and privileges of it are founded in the person, authority, and actions of Jesus Christ.

2. The first day of the week, the day of the resurrection of Christ, when he rested from his works, is appointed and determined for a day of rest or sabbath to the church, to be constantly observed in the room of the seventh day, appointed and observed from the foundation of the world under the Old Testament. From the whole, and particularly the ninth verse, another observation offers.

$9. Obs. Believers under the New Testament have lost nothing, no privilege that was enjoyed by them under the Old. Many things have they gained, and those of unspeakable excellency, but they have lost nothing at all. Whatever they had of privilege in any ordinance, that is continued; and whatever was of burden or bondage, that is taken away. All that they had of old was on this account, that they were "the people of God;" to them, as such, did all their advantages and privileges belong; but they were so the people of God, as to be kept like servants under the severe discipline of the law, Gal. iv, 1. Into this great fountain privilege believers under the gospel have now succeeded; and what was of servitude in reference to the law is removed; but whatever is of advantage is continued to them, "as the people of God." This I suppose is unquestionable, that God, making them to be his people who were not his people, would never cut them short of any privilege, which belonged before to his people as such, Rom. ix, 25, 26. Besides, the state of the gospel is a state of more grace and favor from God, than that under the law; John i, 18; the whole gospel is an enlargement of divine favor to God's people; and so it is a better state than that which

*went before; is accompanied with better promises, and more liberty. Nothing then of this nature can be lost to gospel believers, but all privileges at any time granted to the people of God, are made over to them. Let men but give but one instance to this purpose, and not beg the matter in question, it shall suffice. Moreover, God hath so ordered all things in the dispensation of his grace, and the institution of his worship, as that Jesus Christ should have the pre-eminence in all; and is it possible that any man should be a loser by the coming of Christ, or by his own coming to Christ? It is against the whole gospel once to imagine it in the least instance. Let it now be inquired, whether it was not a great privilege of the people of God of old, that their infant seed were taken into covenant with them, and were made partakers of the initial seal thereof? Doubtless, it was the greatest they enjoyed, next to the grace they received for the saving of their own souls. That it was so granted them, and so esteemed by them, might be easily proved. And without this, whatever they were, they were not A PEOPLE. Believers under the gospel are, as we have before noticed, "the people of God;" and that with all sorts of advantages annexed to that condition, above what were enjoyed by them who of old were so; how is it then that this people of God, made so by Jesus Christ in the gospel, should have their charter upon its renewal, RAZED, with a deprivation of one of their choicest rights and privileges? Assuredly it is not so; and therefore, if believers are now, as the apostle says they are, "the people of God," their children have a right to the initial seal of the covenant-To the foregoing we may add some farther observations.

$10. 1. It is "the people of God" alone who have a right to all the privileges of the gospel; and who in

¿ a due manner can perform all the duties of it. Let any become the "people of God," by entering into covenant with him in Jesus Christ, and all other mercies will be added to them.

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2. The people of God, as such, have work to do, and labor incumbent on them. Rest and labor are correlates, the one supposeth the other; affirming, therefore, that there is a rest for them, includes in like manner, that they have a work to do. None that know, in any measure, what is their condition in themselves, what their station in the world, what enemies they have to conflict with, what duties are continually incumbent on them, but know there is work and labor required of them. Thus our Savior expresseth his approbation of his churches by, "I know thy work and thy labor," Rev. ii, 3.

3. God hath graciously given his people an entrance into rest, during their state of work and labor, to sweeten it to them, and to enable them for it. The state of sin is a state of all labor, and no rest, for "there is no peace, or rest, to the wicked," saith God, Isa. lviii, the future state of glory is all rest; the present state of believing and obedience is a mixed state, partly of labor, partly of rest; of labor in ourselves, in the world, against sin, under affliction and persecution; of rest in Christ, in his love, in his worship and grace. And these things have a great mutual respect to one another; our labor makes our rest sweet; and our rest makes our labor easy. So is God pleased to fill us, and exercise us; all to prepare us duly for eternal rest and glory with himself.

VERSE 11.

Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

$1. (I.) The connexion of the words. The apostle's reason for changing the expression. $2, 3. The passage farther explained. 4. (II.) Observations, 1. That great opposition will rise against men in entering into God's rest. $5. 2. It very well deserves our endeavors. §6. Additional observations.

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$1. In this verse we have a return to, and an improvement made of, the principal exhortation which the apostle had before proposed. In the first verse he laid it down in those words, "Let us fear, lest a promise being left of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it;" here he declares, how that fear is to be improved and exercised: to believe, is to enter into the rest of God. Again, for the farther explication of these words, we may observe, that the apostle changeth his expression from what it was in the preceding verse; there he tells us that there remaineth (caßbatioμos) a sabbatism for the people of God, but here changes it into (xaTaTaUGIS) rest, in general, and the reason is, because by the former he intended to express the rest of the gospel-not absolutely, but with respect to the pledge of it, in the day of rest. But the apostle here returns to exhort the Hebrews to endeavor after an interest in, and a participation of, the whole rest of God in the gospel, with all the privileges and advantages contained in it, and therefore resumes the word whereby he had before expressed the rest of God in general.

§2. "Let us labor, therefore, to enter into that rest." (ΣedalwμEV.) Let us diligently study, or endeavor; I had rather use "endeavor," than "labor;" for such a laboring is to be understood, as wherein the mind, the whole soul, is very intently exercised, on account of